"I don't know what this is." I said, staring at the weird painful bump on my rib cage. Aaron had asked to examine it too many times but I wouldn't let him near me.

"Let me just see it. I want to help you." He hopped off my bed and walked over to me. I could hear my mom and the man she was cheating on dad with outside my room and it was weird thinking that they could walk into my unlocked room at anytime and could potentially see Aaron looking at my bare belly.

Today had been a rough day. I didn't feel like rehashing since the past can't be changed.

"Okay wait, they're leaving." I said as Aaron stood over me impatiently. I looked at him and then nodded. He instructed me to stand up, I could barely see the thing anyway, it was right below the wire of my bra and I could only see it with a mirror.

"You're going to have to lay down for this one."

"Don't try anything. I still don't trust you."

He laughed, "after all that's happened, you still don't trust me."

"In all honesty Aaron, I just want to either transfer this stupid power back to you or get rid of it forever. It's messing with my life."

"I would say I want it back but now I have to be more honest and understanding, it's a win for everyone but me." He said. "And I'm sorry about today."

I was on my back with my bare midriff for him to look at. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But I'm truly sorry, I know Stacy was your friend but someone had to put her check. She was tormenting you and me."

"She did nothing to you Aaron and you know that."

"She kissed me when I didn't want to be kissed. "

"Can we drop this conversation please?" I groaned as his fingers pushed on the bump on my rib. I squealed and moved away from him.

"Did it hurt?"

"Yes doofus." I sat up, moving my hair out of my face.

"It's an abscess," he said, "Can I pop it?" He laughed, hovering over me.

"Please don't hurt me." I shut my eyes, waiting for the pain of bursting a zit. When I felt nothing, I opened them to find Aaron staring at me, his eyes a pool of swirling gray.

"I could never hurt you." He finally said, leaning closer to me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, knowing he wanted to kiss me and moving aside. The flashes from about a week ago with my ex-boyfriend slithered into my mind as I shuddered.

"Aaron, I don't even know you well enough to kiss you."

"You kissed me on my hospital bed, what's so different about now." He furrowed his eyebrows. I stared at him, he actually remembered that?

"That's was a one time thing... I thought it would make whatever this is go away, it didn't work, experiment failed. You forget research runs in my family." I knew it was pretty sadistic to say that considering my mother was currently cheating on my father with a random dude, but I didn't say anything.

"Violet, I feel a connection with you."

"Cool, I feel a connection with my couch downstairs. Goodbye Aaron." I stood up and covered my stomach, leaving the room, "this isn't about your love life. It's about how to get rid of this curse." I felt the need to say, he needs to keep himself grounded if we're going to figure this out, not pretend to have feelings for me because I'm convenient.

"Okay, But what if it never goes away? What then Violet? I'll just be stuck with you forever?"

"Be hopeful. We will figure it out."

"You sound a bit too confident."

"Yeah, maybe. But you certainly don't." I walked out of my room. I'd pop this abscess alone. "And I definitely didn't appreciate you lying to the whole school and telling everyone that we're dating."

" I needed Stacy to hear it."

"Aaron." I pursed my lips and crossed my arms, "Stacy had never done anything to you besides have a crush. I'll be downstairs if you need me for anything." I walked down the stairs with perfect precision and timing for my doorbell to ring.

Aaron had rushed down the stairs to open it before I could.

"Hope you don't mind Vy, I invited a few friends over."

Tyler and Amy walked in with alcoholic beverages in their hands. I was confused. I stood staring at the three of them talk. I wondered why they were all here and how they'd gotten here so quickly.

"This doof is only fun when he's drunk," Amy laughed, grabbing Aaron's arm like they were old friends. The thought struck me that they are old friends.

"We've all been pretty stressed lately, I thought Amy here could help us all loosen up a little." Aaron said, looking directly at me as he spoke. Tyler stood there with his arms crossed glaring at Amy, she probably hadn't told him this was where she was going.

I looked at Aaron, walking over to him and reaching for his arm. I pulled him behind me until we were out of sight and nobody could hear us.

"What do you think you're doing?" I crossed my arms, "this is serious Aaron, we don't have time games! Tell them to leave."

"You won't spend time with me..."

"Aaron, this isn't about us. We don't even know each other. This is about this weird mind reading thing that we need to figure out and get rid of." I felt like I was talking to a child.

"You make it sound so easy." His shoulders were slumped as he subconsciously stepped forward. "But Violet, this is about us. There's a purpose for our pain." He said. I wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose, but his gaze was staring into my soul. He was standing so close and I wasn't sure why I didn't step back.

"You're ridiculous." I could only whisper, my mind was foggy and I could no longer form coherent sentences, kiss me please. Was the only thought that ran through my mind as Aaron slowly pressed his lips onto mine, syncing with the movements as he kissed me.

They're so cute. I'm actually happy for him.

What the hell is going on? First she drags me to this idiots house and now she has me watching him stick his tongue down a chic's throat?

I took a moment to register that those thoughts were not my own. I pulled away so quickly that I bumped heads with him and fell to the ground. I'm not sure if the kiss me Please was even mine. I needed to get away from Aaron, but alas, I couldn't.

"Violet, are you okay?" He asked, sitting beside me and holding his forehead as well.

"We need to stay on track." I heard myself say, hoping that I got the message across. But yet here we were lying ever so close on the ground.

You're so cute. I glanced to meet his eyes. "Stop it."

He shrugged, not sure what to stop. I looked around the room watching Amy and Tyler sit at a couch, I was not about to play some lame drinking game.

---

In case you're interested in getting the totally edited/revised/changed paperback version of this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Read-Minds-ebook/dp/B08RYV11F2/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=veronica+Soliman&qid=1609863783&sr=8-3

(Link will be available in the coming weeks)

(Link will be available in the coming weeks)