"I think I should go," Luke replies solemnly.

"No Luke, you don't have to -" I begin but get cut off. He had been cutting me off a lot lately.

"No Emily, I should go. Aiden is still in your bed and I should go," Luke replies, almost like he's begging me to allow him to leave.

I nod sadly, stepping out of the way so he can leave. He looks at me glumly before he continues walking.

I watch him leave and then fall on to the couch dramatically. I put my hands over my face, wishing more than anything that these last 48 hours never happened and I had been playing X-box with Elijah rather than losing friends and developing feelings for bad boy players that would do nothing but break me even more in the end.

I close my eyes and sigh before said bad boy decides to reveal himself.

"Collins? You okay?" Aiden asks, although my eyes a closed I can feel his intoxicating presence looking down at me, I could hear the smirk behind Aiden's curiosity.

"Not really," I admit, sighing dramatically.

"Wanna go back to the cliffs?" Aiden suggests I can sense the nervousness in his voice and the gesture makes me smile.

"Yes please," I smile up at him, he smiles back.

"Let's go, I smile walking to the door and waiting excitedly. Aiden looks at me smirking,

"That's a shame, I thought you only wore nothing but an oversized shirt for me, not the whole world," Aiden smirks, gesturing to my outfit that had completely forgotten I was still wearing.

I blush a crimson red and rush upstairs to get changed, hearing his booming laugh from downstairs.

Aiden had gotten changed back into his clothes from yesterday much to my dismay considering he had covered up his delightful chest, but I had completely disregarded the fact that I was basically naked in front of him. I get changed into black skinny jeans and a loose grey shirt, loosely tucked in before I grab my superstar sneakers and throw on one of Justin's jumpers. Justin was my ex that I had lost my virginity to, we had still stayed close though and I was forever grateful for him.

I throw my hair up in a messy bun, brush my teeth and grab my phone before walking back downstairs to find Aiden staring intently at a picture on the mantlepiece that usually went by unnoticed. I make an extra loud noise walking down the stairs to alert Aiden of my presence before he smiles at me and starts walking to his car, thankfully not saying anything about the photo of Elijah, Maddi, myself, my mother and my biological father a couple of days before Maddi got diagnosed.

I lock up the house, wondering when my mother, Elijah, and Robert would get back home. I hadn't heard from them but I expected that was because they would be under the impression that I was still asleep, which I usually would be.

Aiden and I make our way to his car quietly, and I momentarily feel guilty that he was taking more time out of his day to hang out with me, but I quickly remember that he didn't really have a choice considering that he was locked out of his house.

Aiden begins driving, shifting gears when necessary and making him impossibly hotter once again. There was just something about a guy who could drive a manual. I had always wanted to learn but had no one to teach me considering everyone in my family had now driven an automatic (including myself).

"Hey Aiden," I begin cautiously, he just looks at me expectantly before he turns his full attention back to the road; "Would you ever teach me how to drive manual?"

Aiden looks at me surprised before he smirks his familiar cocky smirk that had admittedly grown on me since the first time I had seen it. "Awe Collins, need the bad boy to save the day?"

I roll my eyes; "You know what Black, maybe I'll just get the pizza delivery guy to teach me, he can compliment me the whole time as well."

"Fine," he smirks.

"Fine," I reply childishly, his smirk widens.

"I'm joking Collins, I'll teach you, you probably wouldn't be able to get in contact with Bashful anyways," Aiden smirks.

"Did you just compare cute pizza guy to a dwarf from Snow White?" I ask astounded.

"He blushes a lot, it seemed fitting and he's not cute," Aiden shrugs smirking.

I laugh, "Whatever."

Aiden laughs from beside me and I find his happiness contagious. I was excited to go back to the cliffs, the acclaimed danger and the undeniable beauty made it so hard to stay away, again the cliffs reminded me of Aiden.

I didn't know what I expected Aiden to do last night, but I was pleasantly surprised at how he had been there for me. He was notorious for not caring about girls on an emotional level, and only on a physical level, but last night I can't deny that Aiden and I definitely connected on an emotional level. I was still deciding if that was either a really good thing or a really really terrible thing. Or maybe even both.

***

We had been sitting on the branch for about 20 minutes, both of us lost in thought. We sat in silence, the only sounds being the birds chirping around us, and the wind lightly rustling the ground. It was comfortable though, we both needed time alone to think, but we were there together, supporting one another.

"I'll take you to the tracks some time next week, either Tuesday or Thursday," Aiden breaks the silence after a while.

I instantly perk up at his offer and look at him excitedly; "really?"

"Yeah but you gotta stick right with me, I mean it Em, don't leave my sight," Aiden demands, and I know he was serious because he used my name instead of a pet name or my last name.

"I will I promise!!" I yell excitedly, lunging at him with my arms open in excitement. I know that Aiden wasn't expecting it because he falters very slightly before regaining himself, chuckling and awkwardly hugging me back. I had always jumped on Luke but he always knew it was coming, and in the midst of the moment I didn't realize that Aiden would be different but by the time it had registered it was too late, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Aiden acting a similar way to Luke.

I released him and we fell into another comfortable silence.

"Hey Collins, how did Maddi die, and how were her and Miles so close?" Aiden whispers, almost regretfully, afraid of how I would act.

I freeze up at the question, of course, Aiden would put the pieces together, Maddi was the person close to me and Miles that died.

Tears gather in my eyes and I feel Aiden's curious stare, practically burning the side of my face.

"When she was 15 she got diagnosed with brain cancer, the doctors tried everything but after treatment didn't work, she died 3 years later when she was only 18, we had always been close to Luke's family and it was always obvious that Maddi and Miles would eventually get married, they had been dating since Maddi was 14 and they were so in love with each other. My whole life I had known they would end up together and everyone else did as well. I know they were young but everyone knew, I think even they did. When Maddi was sick she would save her breath for when Miles would come to visit and even at her absolute worst, they loved each other and would have done anything for one another." I cry, I didn't even bother trying to hide my emotions, and I think even Aiden was surprised at how honest I was being.

"Were you close?" Aiden asks after a minute, a sob leaves my mouth and I put my hand over it, trying to eliminate any further sounds.

"She was my best friend, the 3 of us did everything together, but Maddi and I had a special bond, even for sisters," I cry, I quickly stand up and walk towards the car, trying to get away from Aiden's sympathetic stare, and to try and hide myself, not wanting him to see me in such a vulnerable state.

Aiden follows me and grabs my arm, pulling me towards him and into a comforting hug. The gesture makes my body weaken further as more strangled sobs leave my mouth. I lean against Aiden, not bothering to hide myself or even feel guilty for soaking his dress shirt. I don't know how long we stay like that, him just hugging me in a comforting way. Eventually, I feel strong enough to untangle myself from his arms and sit back down on the log. Aiden quickly sits beside me.

After a couple of minutes Aiden speaks up again; "I need the money to pay off my father's debt," my head snaps to Aiden when I hear him begin to open up to me. I mean it was only fair considering I had just emotionally vomited all over him.

"He's in jail, he was part of a gang that specialized in trafficking young girls but when he eventually got caught he owed his gang lots of money, and if they don't get paid then they'll come for Mia and Ella," Aiden continued absentmindedly. I look at him in awe.

Why would the gang want Mia and Ella?

"Why?" I whisper, my problems completely leaving me for the time being.

"Because he planned to give them the girls, but when the cops found out they arrested him. But in the gang world, a deal is a deal no matter what happens, whether you die or get arrested it doesn't matter. So they'll either take the twins or I have to pay them the money that my father was aiming to pay off by giving my sisters," Aiden continues, almost as if he didn't realize I was listening to what he was saying.

"That's...appalling," I reply shocked, at a loss for words at the information. I can't believe that Aiden had to go through that, I couldn't imagine how he does it. I knew that Aiden was secretly a good guy but after this information, there was no doubt that he wasn't only a good man, he was exceptional and I didn't want to lose him.

"It's not appalling Emily, it's completely fucked up. What kind of fucker tries to sell his own daughters to a fucking trafficking gang and then expect his son to pay off his debt when he finally goes to jail. Jail was too good for him, he deserves to be fucking murdered," Aiden replies angrily, standing up and storming away angrily.

I stand up and grab his arm, trying to calm him down. "Thank you for telling me Aiden, that really means so much," I find myself saying once I finally have his attention. I wanted to tell him how amazing he was, how I never knew someone so exceptional who would do that for his family, but I found myself thanking him instead. I always took our money for granted, I mean we were never rich but we never struggled, I never had to work, always focussing on my studies so I could get good grades and I was ignorant to the people around me, right next to me who were struggling so much.

"You probably think I'm as fucked as he is, whatever, I'll take you home, you don't have to hang out with us anymore," Aiden replies angrily. I look at him shocked, again at a loss for words. Does he think I'm gonna judge him?

"Aiden!!" I find myself yelling at his retreating form. He turns around expectantly with a sad look on his face, probably expecting me to agree with him.

"I think you're amazing," I find myself saying. Aiden stops suddenly and looks at me in shock, now he was at a loss for words. I walk over to him, he watches my every move, still speechless.

"You're 18 and you're already dealing with this? I knew you were a good person but Aiden this isn't good. What you're doing, what you've been through, good isn't enough. You're extraordinary. You protect your sisters, your mom, and you still go to school and find time to make money. There are no words to show you how amazed I am right now, I'm so proud to be able to call you one of my closest friends," I finish, practically begging him to see how amazed I am of the amazing person he is.

Aiden looks at me, the shock still evident on his beautiful face. He had always been so good at masking his emotions and to see him this surprised made me hurt for him, of how he thought I would act.

"You still think I'm a good person?" Aiden confirms, still shocked.

Instead of replying I take the last few steps and throw my arms around his waist. He reacts immediately, pulling me impossibly closer like he didn't believe that someone thought that highly of him when they should be so disgusted.

After a few minutes, he lets go of me and I try very hard to ignore the cold feeling in my chest at our loss of contact.

"Thank you, Collins, for telling me about Maddi and then being there for me when I told you about my dad," Aiden smiles, I smile back.

"Thank you for listening, I actually feel better having told someone," I chuckle slightly. Aiden also chuckles.

"Let's go, our moms are probably worried," Aiden smiles. I nod and follow him to his car.

Who knew that today would turn out like that? Not only did I share my secrets with Pearlacre highs bad boy, but he told me his too and the strangest part, I'm actually glad I told him.

I pick up my phone that I had left in the car and sure enough had a few missed calls from my mom and Charlie as well as a text. The contact name didn't register at first, and it was only after I had read the message and checked the contact name again that I had felt myself pale;