Stuck with You

by Alexandra Moody

  “Do you really have to go?” Elliot asked. He wasn’t pretending to smile anymore, and his downcast eyes betrayed his sadness.

  Jade placed her hands on Elliot’s shoulders. “Clary’s parents are home now, and she wants to be with them.”

  “But she wants to be with us too. Don’t you, Clary?” he said.

  I pulled my lips into a sad smile as I nodded. “Of course, I do. I’m going to miss you guys so much.”

  Elliot ran over to me and threw his arms around my waist in a tight hug. A surprised breath escaped me at the impact, but I hugged him firmly back. I’d never had a brother before, but Elliot had grown to feel like one over the weeks I’d spent here. I was going to miss how excited he got about his gaming, and how he was always trying to annoy his older brother. I was even going to miss his bad attempts at flirting and the silly nickname he’d given me.

  When Elliot let go of me, I bent over to pick up my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. It was finally time to go.

  “You’re welcome back here whenever you want once restrictions lift,” Jade said. “The house is going to feel so different without you.”

  “Thanks,” I mumbled. We had no idea when restrictions would ease though. It could be months before I was allowed back here again. “Okay, well, I better get going.”

  I wanted to hug Jade and Elliot again, but I resisted the urge. It was only going to be harder if I dragged this out. Aiden took my hand, and we headed for his truck. I didn’t look over my shoulder as I walked away. It felt too much like I was saying goodbye, when this was supposed to just be see you later.

  I leaned my head against the window as we drove away from the house. Jade waved from the front doorstep, and Elliot ran out onto the street to see us off. I hadn’t realized how much the two of them cared about me until this moment. I guess I hadn’t realized how much I’d grown to care for them either.

  “This sucks,” I murmured, as Aiden turned the corner, and Elliot disappeared.

  Aiden tried but failed to smile. “I know, but it’s just for a short while.”

  He was trying to be positive about it all, but there was no way he could know how the pandemic would unfold and what the future held. All we could do was guess. The news said a potential vaccine might not be ready for at least a year. What if we were stuck in lockdown until then? I wasn’t sure I’d survive that long holed up with my parents without seeing Aiden.

  I was silent as we drove, only speaking up again once we drew closer to my house. The sky had darkened overhead, signaling an incoming storm. It seemed fitting that my last day with Aiden had been filled with sunshine and the day we were separated was going to be drenched with rain.

  I slowly turned to him, struggling to keep the tears from my eyes. “What if it’s not just a short while?” I said. “What if this goes for months?”

  His lips curved up with that beautiful smile of his, and he reached out to brush a stray tear from my cheek. “Then this goes for months,” he said. “And we take it one day at a time. We might have to keep our distance, but we can still make each other smile every day. And we’ll keep doing that over and over until we can finally be together again.”

  He slowly leaned in to kiss me, and my heart clenched as his lips brushed against mine. The kiss was beautiful but also filled with sadness. A sense of longing rose deep inside my chest, and I couldn’t understand how I could miss someone so much before they were even gone. But that was what I felt right now. I was already pining for the boy whose face I held in my hands.

  “I should probably get inside,” I murmured against his lips. The words hurt, but I needed to say them. I needed to leave him now before it became too impossible to open the door of the truck and get out.

  He looked me in the eyes, his gaze as pained as mine. It felt a little like looking in a mirror, which made this all so much harder. I was the one to break our gaze, no longer able to handle seeing him so sad.

  He cleared his throat. “I’ll grab your bags.”

  As we climbed out of the truck, it felt like we’d already said our final goodbye. I somehow managed to clamp down my emotions, tucking them deep inside me to be dealt with later. As I walked toward the house, I felt slightly numb.

  My parents opened the front door as we approached, and I knew this was it. It was a bittersweet moment, because as I gave Aiden one last hug goodbye, I knew I’d now get to hug my parents for the first time in weeks.

  “Keep out of trouble,” I murmured to Aiden before I allowed my arms to drop to my side. His eyes were still filled with sadness, but he managed to summon a smile for me, as I stepped away.

  I turned to my parents. My heart was aching for the loss of Aiden’s touch, but it was also warming at the sight of my mom and dad waiting on the doorstep for me. “Can I hug you guys now?”

  The two of them didn’t hold back as they rushed from the doorstep toward me, gathering me in their arms and pulling me into a big family hug. They smelled just as I remembered them. Dad must have been tinkering in the shed because I caught the distinct odor of grease on him while mom’s perfume surrounded me, making me truly feel like I was home.

  I forgot all about the pandemic and I forgot about saying goodbye to Aiden. I allowed the warmth and love of my parents to wash over me, as we were finally reunited. We clung to each other tightly before I eventually pulled away.

  “It’s so good to have you back, kiddo,” Dad said.

  “We’ve missed this so much,” Mom added.

  I smiled up at them and nodded. “I’ve missed you guys too.” It wasn’t until now that their return felt real.

  “I should probably get going,” Aiden said.

  Mom rubbed my arm as I turned to him, while Dad placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I’d known that Aiden and I would have to stay distant from each other once I returned home, but it wasn’t until this moment that it really hit me. He seemed to be feeling it too, because there was a look of devastation in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. We stood only a few feet apart, but it felt as though a chasm had opened between us and he was now impossible to reach.

  I nodded, unable to say the words of goodbye. They got stuck in my throat along with anything else I wanted to say. Being with my parents was what I wanted, but I also didn’t want to be without Aiden.

  “I’ll call you later today,” he continued.

  Again, I nodded. Apparently, I couldn’t even verbalize a simple okay.

  “Thank you for taking such great care of Clary,” Dad said.

  “I think she’s been the one taking care of me,” Aiden replied. His light-blue-green eyes settled on me one last time before he slowly turned and walked back to his truck.

  My heart seemed to stop beating as I watched him go. It felt like it was being wrenched from my chest and pulled along with him. I kept trying to remind myself that this wasn’t truly goodbye and that we would be together soon. My body just didn’t seem to understand though.

  I turned to my parents, unable to watch as Aiden opened the truck door. Tears were spilling down my cheeks, and I couldn’t seem to stop them.

  “Oh, Clary, what’s wrong?” Mom asked, as she lightly traced her thumb across my face to wipe them away.

  “I… He…”

  Dad put his arm across Mom’s shoulders and pulled her in close. “Isn’t it obvious?” he said. “She’s in love with the boy.”

  “I’m not in love with him. I…” My gut twisted, and I realized my words were wrong. I opened my mouth to try to continue, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie. I couldn’t laugh it off and say there was no way I loved him because we’d only just started dating. I couldn’t tell my dad he was imagining things. A warm glow seemed to ignite in my chest, and I knew my dad was right. I was totally, completely in love with Aiden Moore.

  My eyes widened at the realization, and Dad chuckled as he caught the bewildered expression on my face.

  “I bet the last thing you want to do is spend weeks trapped in lockdown with your pa
rents when you could be with the boy you love,” Dad continued.

  “No, it’s not like that…” I argued.

  Mom smiled. “It looks like it is.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. Aiden was still parked on the street, looking toward the house. It was like he was waiting to make eye contact with me one last time before he left. His lips lifted in a sad smile before he started up the truck.

  Mom rubbed my shoulders as I stared at him. “We love you Clary, more than anything. But we also want you to be happy. If you want to keep staying with Aiden during lockdown, then we understand.”

  I shook my head and turned to them. “You guys don’t seriously mean that.”

  Dad grinned. “Jade had a feeling you two might struggle. She already floated the idea with us. After seeing you today, I think she’s onto something. If that’s what you want, we support it.”

  I struggled to keep the surprise from my face. “You’re really okay with me living with a boy?”

  Dad frowned slightly. “I want you to be your happiest self in these hard times. And if that means being with the boy you love and us having to keep our distance for a little while, then I’m okay with it. You’re eighteen now, and it’s time you make your own choices.”

  I stared at him, my mouth dropping open. I couldn’t believe my parents were suggesting this. But the moment the words had come from their lips, I knew it was what I wanted. I wanted to be with Aiden. I never wanted to leave his side.

  “Jade’s really okay with this?”

  “She is,” Dad replied.

  “And you’re sure you’re okay with this?”

  They nodded in response.

  “You know this doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you guys, right?”

  Mom smiled. “Honey, we know.”

  I launched myself into their arms once more, clinging tightly to them both. I knew the hug might have to tide me over for a while.

  “I promise to be good…” My voice was muffled by Dad’s shirt.

  I heard a rumble in his chest as he chuckled. “We know, kiddo. If you want to catch a ride back to Aiden’s, you should probably hurry after him…”

  I slowly pulled back from the hug and turned as Aiden’s truck took off from the curb. I swore and started racing across the front lawn and out onto the street.

  “Aiden!” I yelled after his truck, waving my arms in the air. “Aiden, stop!”

  He was halfway down the street already, but the brake lights turned red as the vehicle screeched to a halt in the middle of the road. The truck door opened, and Aiden jumped out. His face was filled with concern, and he started running back toward me.

  He stopped a few strides away, his lips pulled tight with worry. “What’s wrong?”

  I ignored the distance between us and continued running, jumping into his arms and throwing my legs around his waist. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me close. His eyes were still filled with confusion as he stared at me.

  “What are you doing?”

  “This.” I kissed him with everything that I had, and he didn’t hesitate to kiss me back. He grasped me tightly, like I might disappear if he didn’t hold me close. Any doubts I might have had about leaving my parents fled. Every cell in my being told me I was supposed to be with Aiden, and I’d never felt it any stronger than I did now.

  “You’re making it really hard to leave you,” he said between kisses.

  I started smiling and lowered myself from his arms so I could look him in the eyes. Aiden didn’t know what I’d come to realize, but it felt like my newfound feelings were plastered across my face.

  I lightly laid my hands over his chest and stared into his beautiful eyes. I thought I’d be nervous to tell him what felt, but I was oddly calm. “Aiden, I love you.”

  He smiled widely in response. “You do?”

  “I do.”

  Thunder rumbled in the distance, but for a moment, the sun peeked out from behind a cloud, shining brightly down on us. His eyes sparkled as the sunlight danced across them, and the warmth in his smile seemed to wrap its way around me as he pulled me closer again. “I love you too.”

  He sealed his words with a kiss. Though this was far from the heated kiss we’d shared just before. It was light and fun, and we were both laughing as we struggled to contain our joy. The fact we loved each other felt impossible. It was crazy and stupid but all kinds of amazing. I could have kissed Aiden all day, but I still hadn’t shared the best news with him.

  “I don’t want to be apart from you even for a day. Let alone for months,” I said.

  Aiden paused to look down at me. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that despite the fact you drive me crazy. And despite the fact there are some moments when I genuinely wonder what is wrong with me for wanting you, I would rather be stuck in lockdown with you than be anywhere else.”

  Aiden’s eyes widened with surprise. “But what about your family?”

  “I love them too, but they understand that we don’t want to be separated. They want me to be happy, and nothing makes me happier than you. They’ve told me I can stay with you.”

  There was complete disbelief in his eyes as he looked at me. “So, you’re saying you voluntarily want to spend your lockdown with me?”

  I responded with a big, beaming smile. “Yeah. I think I do.”

  He let out a laugh and pulled me tightly into his arms. He couldn’t seem to contain his enthusiasm because the next thing I knew my feet were off the ground. He spun me around, and I squealed as I felt a rush of giddiness.

  “I can’t believe this,” Aiden said, as he lowered me to the ground. There was still a huge smile on his face, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’re really sure you want to do this?”

  “I am.”

  He grinned in response, and the way he looked at me had me worried he was about to pick me up and spin me again. Thankfully, he managed to resist the urge, and he rested his arm over my shoulder instead. “I guess we should probably go get your bags again,” he said.

  “Probably,” I agreed.

  So much of the future was uncertain, but it didn’t feel so scary because I knew Aiden would be by my side.

  “I told you I’d make a great lockdown buddy,” he said, as we started back to his truck.

  I laughed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Who would’ve thought you’d actually be right?”

  The End

  Thank you for reading!

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  Also by Alexandra Moody

  Stand-alone

  I Hate You More

  The Wrong Match Series

  The Wrong Bachelor

  The Wrong Costar

  The Wrong Prom Date

  Christmas Magic Series

  Christmas Magic

  Christmas Chaos

  Christmas Curse

  The Liftsal Guardians Series

  The Liftsal Guardians

  The Brakys’ Lair

  The Oblivion Stone

  The Rift War

  The ARC series

  Tainted

  Talented

  Fractured

  Destined

  About the Author

  ALEXANDRA MOODY is an Australian author who writes Young Adult novels. She lives in Sydney with her husband and her extremely naughty puppy, Whistler. When she’s not busy writing, you’ll find her reading, snacking or going for long walks by the beach. She loves to travel, is addicted to caffeine and has a love/hate relationship with the gym.

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