Stay With Me (A Wattpad Novel)

by Jessica Cunsolo

  I shake my head in mock pity. “Poor Mason. He never even stood a chance.”

  We laugh as he helps me stand up. I stumble a bit on the unsteadiness of the wheels, but he keeps me balanced. I end up incredibly close to him, his hands on my waist, mine on his broad shoulders. Suddenly, our joking demeanor is replaced with something much more serious, something that makes my pulse race and heart stammer.

  “When we go on our first real date, I want it to just be the two of us. Without everyone watching our every move.”

  Mason is, sure enough, watching Aiden and me like a lion stalking its prey. Aiden’s grip on my waist tightens.

  “Somewhere no one knows us,” he continues, his voice lowering. “Where we can just be Aiden and Thea.”

  Aiden and Thea. Warmth radiates through my chest. I can’t even describe how much I like the sound of that.

  “We’ve been alone plenty of times. Gone out just the two of us all the time,” I reply, but it comes out sounding as nervous as I feel, so very aware of his proximity.

  “But now I know you’re Thea,” he replies simply.

  A smile spreads across my face. “Just the two of us, huh?”

  I like the sound of that. We’ve been at the beach house for less than twenty-four hours and we’ve already been interrupted more times than I can count on two hands.

  He nods, a small smile aimed at me. “Somewhere I can kiss you whenever I want. Without an audience.”

  He’s so close to me. All I have to do is reach up on my tippy-toes for my lips to meet his.

  “You could kiss me now,” I breathe, captivated by all that is Aiden.

  “I could. But maybe I’ll save it for later.” He pulls away from me with a smirk, mischief lighting up his eyes as he moves away from me.

  I’m suddenly reminded of just how old Aiden’s forced to act, and how rare it is that he gets to just let go and act his age. Mature, responsible Aiden is sexy, but carefree, fun-loving Aiden is too.

  I was going to tell him I had no problem with him kissing me now and again later, but if he’s going to play the whole self-restraint game, I can too.

  Aiden says he’s never been roller skating before, but like everything else, he’s naturally great at it. It takes me a bit but I get the hang of it pretty quickly, especially with Aiden’s help. I’m tempted to pretend I still can’t skate by myself if only to make Aiden keep playing the knight in shining armor and holding on to me, but my pride won’t let me.

  There are some other kids our age in here who we end up making friends with, but at two o’clock on a Tuesday, it’s mostly dead—which is great for us. The others introduced themselves as Erin, Vee, Lilly, and Oliver. Erin and Lilly must be sisters, since they look almost identical with dark hair and chestnut eyes, and Oliver is Lilly’s boyfriend. He’s got wide shoulders and likes to overuse the word man. Vee is stunning, though, and the way she keeps looking over at Aiden makes my fingernails bite into the palms of my hand. Her face is perfectly symmetrical and unblemished, and her brown hair falls over her shoulders in effortless waves.

  “Okay, okay. Me next!” Erin exclaims, getting in position between Julian and Chase at one end of the rink. “You better be sure to catch me, hot stuff!” she yells at Mason, who’s positioned at the other end of the rink.

  “You got it!” he shouts back with a flirty grin.

  Julian and Chase each grab one of her hands and skate forward while she keeps her legs still. Once they gain some speed, they fling her forward, and she flies across the rink at top speed, laughing and shrieking the whole way.

  Mason’s arms are out, ready to catch her before she slams into the boards, but she’s still gaining speed by the time she gets there. To Mason’s credit, he does his best, but Erin crashes into him, and they go down in a tangle of laughs and screams.

  “You guys okay?” Julian calls to them, trying not to laugh with the rest of us.

  “We’re fine,” Mason replies, helping Erin up. “Her knee just missed my precious jewels. That would not have been okay.”

  “Aw, really? I was aiming for them.” Erin smirks, and Mason gives her a playful shove.

  “Can I go next?” I ask hopefully. “Unless Vee wants to go?”

  “Why don’t we both go?” Vee suggests.

  In the short time we’ve gotten to know her, it’s clear she’s a pretty wild one. In fact, I’m pretty sure she’s drunk at the moment, but I’m not judging. It’s her winter break, too, and she can spend it however she wants as long as she’s not driving. She’s a pretty loud person, someone who commands the attention of the room, but hands down one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met when she’s not making googly eyes at Aiden.

  “How would that work?” Lilly asks, slightly less drunk than her friend.

  “It’ll be a competition. Oli and Erin will toss me, and Julian and Chase can toss Amelia beside me at the same time. You have to throw her at the Kessler campaign sign on the boards, and the first girl to pass the cola advertisement on the boards wins!”

  I look at the boys to gauge their opinion, and clearly their competitive side has already switched on. They’re ready to win.

  “I’m game if you guys are,” Oliver says to the boys, a friendly challenge in his voice.

  “Oh, you are so on,” Annalisa replies, a fire in her eyes.

  “Is it okay with you, Amelia?” Aiden asks, eyeing my taped up finger.

  I look over at Erin, Oli, and Vee, who are already talking strategy.

  “Let’s win this thing.” I smile and skate over to my team.

  Obviously, Lilly would not be strong enough to catch Vee as she whips toward her, so it somehow ends up being Mason who will catch her, and Aiden who will catch me. I’m definitely not complaining about the new arrangement, since it means Aiden putting his hands all over me, and no one in their right mind would complain about that.

  From outside the rink Lilly and Annalisa are refereeing. It’s just a friendly little competition, but clearly everyone here is interested in winning.

  “Remember, you have to let go of your girl by the campaign sign!” Lilly reminds us as we get ready to start. “In three, two, one, go!”

  Julian and Chase skate forward and pull me along with all they’ve got, the wind against my face feeling refreshing and freeing. I laugh, having way too much fun with this compared to the seriousness on Annalisa’s face when she told us we better win.

  We reach the campaign sign and they let go of my arms, throwing me clear across the rink. Vee is right beside me, having just been thrown herself, and we laugh as the boys cheer for us to pass the finish line.

  I’m going so fast and laughing so hard I have no idea who passes the finish board first, but suddenly I crash into Aiden, who manages to keep us from falling until the last second, when his roller skates cause him to lose his balance.

  I already heard the crash, laughs, and swears from when Mason and Vee hit the ground, and I’m sure we were just as amusing as they were falling. We fall, and Aiden twists so that I land on top of him. Despite his body being 99 percent pure muscle, it only hurts a little bit, probably lessened by the fact that I’m having so much fun.

  Lying on the floor with his hands around my waist, we look at each other and can’t contain our laughter. I feel like a child who wants to clap her hands and chant, Again, again!

  Our laughter dies down when the butterflies in my chest make an appearance, like they do whenever I’m this close to Aiden. His gray eyes flicker to my lips, and like granting an unspoken wish, he lifts his head to kiss me. Like every time our lips touch, the fire that ignites within me spreads, and everything else melts away. He kisses me slowly and deeply, like there is nowhere else in the world he needs to go, nothing else that matters. He pulls away, frankly entirely too early for my liking, and looks at me with a smirk, a spark alight in his eyes.

  “Told you I’d save it for later.”

  I laugh and push myself off of him, helping him up in the process, but not before cat
ching the look on Mason’s face as he watches us. A look that manages to leave me feeling cold despite the fact that I’m sweating from all the exerted energy.

  The rest of the time goes by in a blur, and I don’t remember ever laughing so hard, even as I’m busy trying to ignore Vee making eyes at Aiden and avoiding making eye contact with Mason. By the time we’re ready to leave, we’ve invited our new friends to come back to the house with us to hang out, but they all say no. Erin, however, gives Mason her number, and promises to come by later. I’m not a mind reader, but even I know what that means, at least if the suggestive way she runs her hand down his chest and the sultry look she gives him is anything to go by. He smiles and promises he’ll see her later, then catches me looking and hastily shoves his phone back in his pocket and stares down at the floor.

  “Ready to go? I’m thinking we pick up sushi for dinner,” Aiden says as he comes back from returning our roller skates.

  “Sounds good to me,” I tell him, taking his offered hand and walking out into the fresh air together, the rest of our friends trailing behind us.

  13

  We’ve only been here for three days and we’re already getting sick of only eating various types of barbequed meat for lunch and dinner. Since tomorrow is Christmas Day and the guys have been so good about taking turns being grill master, Annalisa, Charlotte, and I have shooed them out of the kitchen, where we’re making our “family” dinner. Tomorrow will be a traditional, big Christmas lunch—Julian even managed to get a whole turkey from the market and googled stuffing recipes—but we’re still making a big Christmas Eve dinner.

  “Quick! Someone take a picture! Anna’s voluntarily helping in the kitchen!” Julian jokes.

  Annalisa responds by lobbing a wooden spoon at her boyfriend, which he easily deflects with a laugh.

  The house is beautiful, but the only problem is that it’s open concept, so there are no walls dividing the kitchen and TV area. This is a problem because it’s raining outside and the guys are bored, which means annoying us is their only form of entertainment.

  “Go video call your parents,” I tell them. “You all promised you’d wish them Merry Christmas on both Christmas Eve and Day.”

  “We all did that already,” Julian says.

  “Then go play outside or something,” Annalisa orders them as she gets another spoon, having lost hers.

  Noah sits down beside Julian at the kitchen island and steals a cucumber from the salad we just finished preparing.

  “It’s raining outside.” He reaches to steal another cucumber but Charlotte swats his hand away, and he gives her a kicked puppy look.

  She huffs but ends up falling for it, giving him another cucumber slice before moving the salad to the counter.

  “When has the rain ever stopped you from doing something?” she asks him.

  He tilts his head, contemplating the question. “Well, never. But dinner’s almost ready, and my mother would have a conniption if she found out I ruined Christmas Eve dinner by showing up soaking wet.” Judy is a woman to be reckoned with.

  We tell them to make themselves useful and set the table if they insist on bothering us, which they do with the utmost dedication. Eventually, we’re sitting around the table eating, and the guys are too busy stuffing their faces to annoy us any longer.

  Jason looks at me, sauce all over his face. “I already knew you made good pancakes, but your pasta is amazing!”

  “I’m glad you like it, Jason.” I smile at him, then laugh when Aiden throws him a napkin and tells him to try not to miss his mouth anymore.

  “This cucumber salad is really great too. What dressing is this, Char?” I ask, scooping a second serving onto my plate.

  “Actually, Mason mixed a bunch of stuff for the dressing and wouldn’t tell me what it was,” she tells me, and the blood drains from my face. I’ve been an expert at avoiding speaking directly to Mason since we got here.

  “It’s a secret,” he replies. “My mom taught me. But maybe I’ll show you, k-bear, since you clearly like it so much.”

  His mom taught him? Natalia? The sweet, innocent woman who was nothing but nice to me when I met her? Is it hot in here? Why am I sweating?

  “Actually, you know, I think too many cucumbers give me a stomachache, so it’s probably best I don’t know the recipe. Hey, is that a bunny outside? I swear I just saw one jump by on the back porch.” All my words jumble together and when everyone turns to look for the fictional bunny, I pull on the collar of my shirt a few times to air myself out, dropping my hand and smiling casually when everyone turns back to look at me.

  “Uh, I guess we missed it. Are you sure you don’t want the recipe?” Mason asks slowly.

  “Yup. Hey, Jason and Jackson, why don’t you tell everyone about the level you beat on Intense Alien Vampires today?” I say, and the twins take the bait and the spotlight off of me immediately.

  “It’s Return of the Zombie Aliens Part Three and a Half.” Jason sighs exasperatedly. We’re never going to get the name right. “But it was so cool! We used the trick you told us about, Noah, and …”

  I tune out after that. Aiden nudges me and tilts his head in a silent question. I know, Aiden, I know. I’m a mess. I just send him a tight smile and stare at my plate for the rest of dinner, not at all hungry for that second serving of salad on my plate like I was a few minutes ago.

  Everyone helps clean up after dinner and Aiden takes out the stockings he brought—ten in total, one for each of us—and lets the twins hang them up above the electric fireplace. They then set out some cookies and promise to put the milk for Santa out before bed. Afterward, Aiden and I somehow get lucky and manage to get some uninterrupted alone time.

  We’re sitting cross-legged on his bed, facing each other, eating Nutella sandwiches for a late-night snack and playing a very intense game of would you rather.

  “Okay, would you rather lick Nutella off Noah’s toes or streak at the next school football game?”

  “That’s easy,” he answers. “Streaking.”

  I take a bite of my heavenly sandwich and instantly disagree with his choice. “Really? Over Nutella?”

  He gives me a sexy smirk, which causes heat to rush to my face. “I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.”

  I wouldn’t know, but when he looks at me like that …

  I clear my throat. “I’d still choose the Nutella. It’s the most rational decision.”

  “Tell you what: Why don’t we call Noah over here and slather some Nutella on his toes? If you lick it all off, I’ll streak at the next game.”

  “You would never.”

  “Not normally, but I always keep my promises. So if you do yours, you know I’ll do mine.”

  I eye my Nutella sandwich, then think about Noah’s toes.

  “Fine. You’re right. I’d rather streak.”

  “So we both choose being naked. Clearly it’s the better choice.”

  Aiden. Naked. I think my senses would go into overload.

  “We’re talking hypothetically, though.”

  Aiden knows exactly where my mind has gone, and naturally, has to tease me about it. “Does the thought of me naked make you nervous, Thea?”

  Hell, yes. “Of course not.”

  He looks at me skeptically, and I don’t blame him; I didn’t even believe me.

  “I think you’re lying.”

  Obviously. “Am not!”

  Ever since we arrived at the beach house, it’s been apparent to everyone that Aiden hasn’t been as burdened as before. His spirits are lighter, and he’s in a playful mood more often than not. Knowing that he’s letting his guard down is one of the most heartwarming things. I can’t help but get butterflies every time I look at him goofing off, being a teenager, letting loose. He’s still Aiden, scary as ever and not someone you’d want to piss off, but he smiles quicker here, laughs more freely.

  To me, he says, “Should we call your bluff?”

  “But it’s not a bl—”

 
Jesus Christ.

  Aiden has just casually pulled off his shirt, and is now sitting here in all his muscly, godlike glory, totally letting my reaction inflate his ego.

  “You sure you’re not uncomfortable with me being naked?”

  Forcing my eyes away from his abs, I make some kind of noise in agreement. He smiles at me, a mischievous gleam in his usually stormy eyes.

  “So you wouldn’t mind if I just …”

  Instead of finishing his statement, he stands up, and slowly undoes the top button of his jeans. My eyes bulge out of my head. Dear God, is he actually going to get naked?!

  He answers my silent question by slowly lowering his zipper, keeping eye contact with me the entire time. I sit silent. Frozen.

  What is happening?!

  He hooks his thumbs into his jeans and black boxers, raising an eyebrow at me. He wouldn’t. Just as he’s about to throw down his pants and Calvin Kleins in one fluid motion, I throw my hands over my face. “Okay, okay! You win! Stop getting naked!”

  He laughs and sits back on the bed, not bothering to zip up his jeans or put his shirt back on. Not that I’m complaining, but it’s kind of hard to think with him being all effortlessly gorgeous.

  “If you were uncomfortable, you should’ve just said something,” he teases, sitting closer than he was originally.

  I finish my sandwich. “If I just started getting naked, would you not get uncomfortable?”

  He blinks at me. “You literally just described the opposite of what I would consider a problem. But if you want to find out, you can always just start getting naked.”

  I laugh and play hit him, but he catches my wrist and pulls me closer to him. I react the way any rational girl in my position would—I kiss him.

  No matter how many times we do it, my body always reacts like it’s the first time. Butterflies, electricity, heart in overdrive. We end up tangled in each other, with Aiden lying on top of me. He pulls away and hovers over me on his elbows, my hands in his hair.

  “You know I was just joking before,” he says, his voice low and honest. “I would never force you to do anything before you’re ready. I’m not in any rush.”