Fighting For Life (published)

Can't get close -Aiden's POV

Aiden's POV-

It had been so long since Bri took Aubry into her room. Pretty much everyone had arrived and both of the girls were still nowhere to be found. Even Cece was asking about Aubry after the first people arrived. Honestly, how long did it take to get one girl ready for a dinner?

I truly wouldn't have even gotten her to change if my mom hadn't suggested it. I thought she looked just fine in her jeans and plain top. It was a step up from the sweats that were her usual uniform, though I honestly thought she looked fine in those too. Still, I could see how that would have bothered Aubry to be the odd one out by not dressing up, so I was glad that my mom thought about it.

I sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. Seriously, where the hell were they? I shouldn't have cared so much... I mean, Aubry was just supposed to be there because it was supposed to make Pawpaw happy. However, I couldn't help but to be worried. Worry about Aubry. Worry about Briana, though, that was a completely different story all together.

All of the family was there, and I seriously needed someone to save me from my crazy bitch of a step-cousin, Stephanie. Obviously, Tommy wasn't going to try to save me. He just kept laughing at me.

Stephanie had been all sorts of clingy after my uncle Johnny, Tommy's dad, died. Ever since Tom and I were willed the gym. Sylvia had even tried to reverse the will, saying that my uncle was in a bad state of mind when he wrote it. She said that two teenagers couldn't manage a business. Luckily, though, he gave a share to both Tom and I, and then a small portion to my mom as well. That small percentage was plenty enough for a judge to allow the will to stand and for Sylvia to not get her way. Ever since that day, though, Stephanie had been all over me.

I wasn't completely sure why the two of them were acting like that... It wasn't like the gym brought a whole lot of money in or anything. It was enough to keep it afloat and for me to help my mom with bills and to put money away for college, if I even decided to go. Though, the real estate land was probably worth quite a bit. I still wasn't completely sure what they were tripping about.

I looked at the clock again, another ten minutes had passed. Seriously, what the heck? I sighed and looked to the floor in annoyance.

Suddenly, the whole room was silent.

I looked up instantly due to the awkward silence and moved my eyes towards the door. There she was...

I couldn't think of anything other than how beautiful she looked. Don't get me wrong, I always had some sort of weird infatuation with her, but right then... she was absolutely gorgeous. Her long, dark, brown, wavy hair was cascading down past the middle of her back. The black dress that she had on showed off just how small her waist actually was. Not to mention... her lips, they were painted red and I caught myself wondering what they tasted like. She was absolutely breathtaking. Okay Aiden... stop, that's Aubry that I was talking about... Aubry, she wasn't even type!

My face was abruptly pulled away from looking at Aubry. Before I could even question who it was that was trying to man-handle me, I came face to face with Stephanie. She gave me an annoying smile. I had to hold in a rude groan.

"Who's the loser?" She asked viciously.

I frowned deeply at her words. Could the girl be any more annoying? Still, as my mom constantly reminded me, she was still family and I had to be nice. Even if she was the most annoying person that I had ever met and I wanted nothing to do with her.

When I looked away from Stephanie and back to where Aubry had been, she was gone. I stupidly almost panicked for a second before I spotted her across the way. She was grinning at my grandpa as they spoke.