Chapter 1 – Up Against the Wall

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“Don’t do that.” Aiden’s change in tone was sudden, and his laughing smile disappeared. 

“What?” Ashley asked, surprised.

“Just stop it. You know how hard it is to not…” he trailed off.

“To what?” Ashley asked again, her voice flat.

“To not be with you. I can’t do this with Kyla.” He shook his head and looked away in frustration.

“Yes you can,” Ashley said quickly. This wasn’t going to happen. Not now, not tonight. She knew Aiden was serious and she tried to cut him off while she could. “We love each other, Aiden, just not like that.”

“I do.” He stopped dancing and stepped back. “Alright, I will walk away from this, from you, if you can honestly tell me that you don’t love me. That you’re not in love with me.”

Ashley’s face held a look of horror as Aiden voiced what she had known was coming all along. The music still playing on in the background, the two stood unspeaking, Aiden waiting for an answer he seemed so sure he knew.

The glances she and Aiden shared, their closeness. Ashley knew things were happening between them, it was like a fire smoldering inside her. But she didn’t want it. She wanted to love Spencer; she did love Spencer!

At that moment, Spencer herself appeared beside them, the grin across her face making it plain that she was oblivious to the discomposure between the two people before her.

“Miss Davies, may I please have this last dance? That is, if Aiden will let you.” She smiled toward him and paused.

Aiden and Ashley continued to stare at each other, their eyes locked. The seconds dragged on, and Ashley glanced quickly at Spencer, then back to Aiden. Spencer sensed the tension immediately, waiting for Aiden to smile, step aside and let her step into the space where she belonged, spending the last slow dance in her girlfriend’s arms.

“Wait, what’s – what’s wrong?” She looked from Ashley to Aiden, then back to Ashley.