Alias: The Doyen Series book 1

(19) GOODBYE

PICTURE: Aisling's bedroom at school.

The following week flies by in a flurry of class, study and work.

I gave my 2 weeks' notice on Wednesday and wished that I was upset about it. Instead, I walked out of the small grocery store with a smile on my face.

It could burn to the ground for all I cared.

Kayde seems to always be there. He is outside of my class when I get out, sits by me in the class we have together and is in the parking lot waiting for me after work. Every day he drops me off at my apartment and picks me up every morning. And even though I want to spend every day with him, I feel like a child. It does not help that there is a crow practically everywhere I walk, my father's eyes and ears while I am away, no doubt.

The only time Kayde does not spend with me is lunch and I am a tad grateful.

That is my time with Aiden.

It is now Friday and we are sitting at a small restaurant called Frisbee'son campus.

"Where have you been the past few days Ais? I haven't heard from you in like forever," Aiden asked me when I sat down not 2 seconds ago.

"I've been at work. They asked me to come in because Angie called in again," I lie. I cannot even look him in his eyes.

"You're lying. Why are you lying to me?" he stops eating and stares at me. He is mad, as he has the right to be. "Since when do we lie to each other Aisling? What happened to you in New Orleans?"

"I'm not lying," I lie again.

He slams his hand down on the table. "Yes, you are. You know how I know? One," he counts as he puts his index finger up, "you've always been a bad liar. You blush and bite your cheek."

Anytime we did something bad as kids—which was often—Aiden had to lie to our parents. I am a horrible liar, which is 1 reason why I never lied until this weekend. That and it makes me feel manipulative.

"Two," he continues, his middle finger giving his index company, "I stopped by the store to ask where you were. Maggie told me that you were in New Orleans. You never had to go in, you lied to Mallory.

"So, Aisling, I want to know what you were doing and why you are lying to me. And why you are so different," he says, his anger growing. Aiden has never been this mad at me before, which means that he is hiding something also.

I stand up from my chair. I am unsure if there are codes about telling humans about the supernatural or not. Either way, I don't want to tell my best friend since before I can remember that I am a freak.

"Aiden, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you," I say, tears welling in my eyes.

"Why not?" he almost yells as he stands up forcefully, causing the entire restaurant to stare at us.

I grab my things and walk out, hoping that he does not follow me. But, of course, he does.

"Aisling!" he booms when I continue to walk off. He catches up to me in no time. Aiden grabs my arm and turns me around.

I am a wolf/witch/doyen hybrid and he turns me around like I am a 2-year-old. I stare at his hand that has a death grip on my forearm.

I look into his forest green eyes that are swimming with hurt. It pains my heart to see him look so broken, so sad. But I know that he will be even more disgusted if I tell him what I am—if he even believed me.