Freezing Bonds that Tie our Hearts (Blood and Water #2)

2. Aiden

Mesmerizing.

The first word that went through my mind anytime I saw Nova Starling. Mesmerizing

It was quickly followed by too good for me and clearly out of my league.

I doubted those were the words going through her mind whenever she saw me though. Somehow, it was just my luck that the sweetest girl in Ravenbridge seemed to be friendly with everyone except me. Actually, not only was she not friendly, I was pretty sure she downright hated my guts.

The reason for that was pretty complicated, but let’s just say our first encounter was not the most flattering for me. In fact, it wasn’t flattering at all.

“My God, man! He’s staring at her again.” My best friend’s annoying voice made me blink out of my thoughts. Then something hard hit me square in the jaw and I groaned, half annoyed, half in pain.

“What the fuck, you nutsack?! Did you just throw an apple at me?” I glared at Julian’s smug face, resisting the urge to punch him in the face.

Had it been anyone else, I might have, but the fucker was so skinny and fragile that just a flick of my fingers could send him to the hospital.

“I had to, I called your name at least three times but you were too busy looking at little Miss Perfect over there to hear me.” He rolled his fucking eyes.

“What would your mama say if she knew you’d just wasted a perfectly good apple, fucker?”

Julian’s mom was a bit of a hippie, she had a strict zero waste policy at home and she would probably beat him with an organic bamboo brush if she knew he’d just done that.

“Don’t talk about my mama, bro. Plus there’s no waste here, look.” He nodded at the spot next to me, making me turn slightly.

Sure enough, our other best friend Matt had picked the apple from the ground and was already halfway through devouring it. Sensing our gazes on him, he stopped suddenly.

“Oh, shit, you guys want some?”

Julian made a barfing sound and I winced. “Man, that’s disgusting, it literally hit the ground and you didn’t even wash it.”

He had the audacity to frown, like we were the weird ones for pointing it out.

“The ground is clean, Aiden, they clean it every night.” He rolled his eyes and continued eating that apple like it was the most gourmet meal.

Hundreds of people walked through these floors everyday before that.

I decided to let it go. Matt was a cool dude, we’ve been friends since we were in diapers, but fuck, he was one dumb motherfucker. He actually was two years older than us but repeated third and fourth grade. Don’t get me wrong he had a lot of other qualities, he was nice (most of the time), patient, good-looking according to my sisters and he excelled at sports.

So yes, he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the box, but nobody’s perfect.

“Anyways, back to Aiden being a simp.” Julian sent me a smug smile which made me reconsider punching him in the face and breaking his nose.

He was right though, as much as it hurt me to admit it. I had been simping over the same girl, again. She just sat there, several tables away from mine, laughing and smiling with her friends. It was ridiculous how beautiful she was.

She looked especially exquisite today. Her long black braids were hanging down her back, going almost down to her butt with a little white bow holding them together. The pale pink dress she wore was one of my favorites, it had slightly puffy, long sleeves and a little red heart embroidered near the top. Actually, all her clothes had that little red heart. She must have a favorite brand.

The dress stopped slightly above her knee. It was relatively conservative but I was convinced anything Nova Starling wore would make her look hot as fuck to me.

Probably sensing my eyes on her, she turned her head in my direction and when our gazes caught, I just couldn’t look away. Dark brown eyes bore into mine, and the smile she had been sporting until then slowly dimmed.

Feeling a pinch in my chest at her reaction, I did what I did best when it came to her. I slapped on the best smirk I could muster and leaned back in my seat, my legs spreading and my head slightly tipped back in a falsely confident stance.

She didn’t like me, that much was pretty obvious, but for some reason, I really liked her. I wanted her.

My friends thought it was only physical and I would never deny it because they already considered me pussy-whipped as it was, but it went deeper for me. She had that look of sadness in her eyes, a look she hid so well nobody ever even seemed suspicious of it. Maybe I was the only one to see it because I was the only one she didn’t even try to pretend to like.

I guess being on her shit list gave me the advantage of seeing her for who she was. And maybe it should put me off, the fact that she seemed to have a hidden persona, but it didn’t. If anything, her flaws made her look more human, more mysterious to me. Like a puzzle I was dying to put back together.

I found myself often playing with her patience in hopes she would finally snap and reveal her true nature, but unfortunately, she never broke character.

That only made me want to try harder.

A gooey texture hitting my cheek once again pulled me out of my musings, and this time I was sure I would destroy this motherfucker.

Julian looked at me with big round eyes. His fork, which he had clearly just used as a catapult of sorts, was still in his hands, remnants of the mashed potatoes he had just thrown at me still dripping from it.

“I am going to murder your ass.” Leaning over the table, I grabbed at the lapels of his flannel shirt and nearly dragged his tiny form all the way over to my side of the table.

“I was trying to talk to you!” He tried to plead his case. “You weren’t listening!”

“I’m gonna punch your face so hard even your mama won’t recognize you.”

Julian was gonna answer when someone suddenly cleared their throat next to us. I froze, because I somehow could guess, just by the sweet apples and vanilla perfume that had made its way to my nostrils, who was standing next to us.

A slow smile started taking over Julian’s face, he looked like he wanted to burst out laughing when all I wanted was for the floor to open up and swallow me whole.

“Oh, hi, Nova. How you doin’?” the fucker had the audacity to turn his head towards her and grin while I still had my hands firmly gripping his shirt.

I would bet she had heard everything I had threatened him with, too. Way to play into the preconceived idea she already had of me.

“Uh, I’m good. Are you okay?” I hated that there seemed to be concern in her sweet voice. I hated even more that this concern was aimed at Julian. He didn’t fucking deserve it.

I was the one who had been mistreated, dammit. First by that apple and then by the mashed potatoes that was still on my fucking cheek.

“Peachy.” I wanted to punch his dumb smile. “My boy was just telling me how he would maim me so bad my poor mama wouldn’t be able to recognize me. She has arthritis , you know? Can barely move most days.”

I let go of him with more force than was probably needed and he fell back into his seat, dusting invisible dirt off his shirt while sending me a smug look. His mother didn’t even have arthritis . She was one of the healthiest and most athletic women I knew, fucking dammit. He was only saying that to make her pity him and fuck with me. Taking a napkin off my tray, I quickly wiped my cheek.

I wanted to defend my cause but I found myself incapable of it. She already thought the worst of me, so why bother? Instead, a voice in my head told me to get her attention back to me by playing into that asshole attitude she had labeled me with.

“What’s up, little star? Came to make sure I didn’t kill my best friend?” Again, I leaned back into my seat and just sent a fake smile her way.

I noticed she sucked in her cheek a little bit, like she was biting it to keep herself from responding to me. Somehow, my smirk grew more authentic after noticing that. I was getting on her nerves, and since it was the only way I could get to her, I would gladly take it.

“I just came by to give Julian his chemistry notes back, actually. Thank you, it really helped me.” She put the notebook on the table and gave him one of her sweet genuine smiles before her gaze fell on me again.

Again, that smile lost a bit of its luster but she still stared at me for a few seconds, taking in my appearance. I found myself wondering if– as well as pathetically wishing, she liked what she saw, but I knew it was probably a stretch.

She had gone on a few dates with some guys from school in the three years since she moved to Ravenbridge and none of those assholes looked anything like me.

They were all Southies, all straight-laced guys who would probably inherit fortunes on their eighteenth birthday and run their father’s company by twenty-five. Dudes who wore expensive polo shirts and golfed on Sundays and maintained a perfect GPA.

In short, she had a type in which I did not fit.

Yet I couldn’t help but wonder if that gleam that appeared in her eyes whenever she looked at me could be attraction.

“Well, have a nice day, boys.” She waved awkwardly before making her way back to her table where her friends had been watching the whole interaction.

Meileen Guan was the only one I recognized from that table, given the fact she lived on my street. I nodded at her and she nodded back, a small smile of recognition on her lips. The blond next to her was looking back and forth between me and Nova, who was still walking towards them, and a short girl with a scarf covering her hair had her eyes narrowed on me.

Rolling my eyes I turned back to my friends who were both looking at me with shit eating grins.

“What?” I asked a little more aggressively than needed.

“What’s up little star?” Matt started imitating me with an obnoxiously deep voice which didn’t sound anything like mine.

“Came to make sure I didn’t eat my best friend?” And yes, Julian matched it with an even more terrible impersonation of me. “I’m a big bad boy but I will gladly kiss the ground you walk on if you need me too.”

Matthew burst out laughing and they both slapped each other’s hand while I rolled my eyes at them.

“Y’all clowns now, huh?”

“Come on, man! Why do you always gotta make yourself look like an asshole whenever she’s in your vicinity?” Julian leaned over the table, sobering up.

“Because, why wouldn’t I? That’s how she sees me anyways, so might as well play into it.” I shrugged, pushing away my platter, ready to bounce out of here.

“But why! All you would have to do is explain to her that you’re not a bully and that what happened three years ago was actually warranted.”

That gave me pause. Truth be told, I was afraid that if she didn’t hate me, she’d just forget about me. And I’d choose having her hate me for who she thought I was rather than having her forget about the real me, any day.

“What would it change?” I shrugged, slumping back against my seat. “She’s already got me sorted in her mind. And it’s okay anyways. Not like I would have a chance with her. Have you seen her?”

“Yeah she’s so out of your league it’s not even funny.” Matt snorted, and Julian sent him a death glare, kicking his foot under the table and making him sober up. “I mean, money wise, because she’s rich as fuck and you’re broke as fuck. But you’re hot, in a non-gay way of course, so, like, I guess you’d have cute babies.”

See what I meant when I said that guy was dumb? But somehow I guess he grew on you. Like fungus.

“Whatever, guys. Just drop it. Not only is she too good for me, she’s also too soft for me. I’d chew her up and spit her out before she could even understand what’s happening.”

But fuck if I wouldn’t give anything for a taste of her.

***

“Good job, kid. Take five and drink some water.” I smiled at Oscar and he grinned back at the compliment I had just paid him.

Jumping off the ring, he slumped down on the bench and started chugging on his water bottle.

“My left hook is getting better, right Aiden? Better watch out. Before you know it, I’ll be coming for your spot.”

The smug little menace sent me a smirk and I rolled my eyes even though I felt a tug at the corner of my lips.

“Sure. But maybe grow a few inches taller before.” I sat down next to him and ruffled his hair.

Oscar groaned, pushing away from me. He hated being reminded of his height but I was an asshole so I did it anyway. Plus, the little shit needed to be brought down a peg. He had great potential, but he was still scrawny.

“You’ll choke on those words when I’m young and tall and you’re a shrinking old man.”

“I’m only six years older than you.”

He chuckled and pushed my shoulder with his.

Oscar was my twelve year old neighbor. I’ve known him since he was born and he was honestly the closest thing I had to a brother. Growing up in a house full of women could be harsh sometimes. I loved my mom and sisters, but it felt good to have someone looking up to you and aspiring to be like you one day. I was probably not the greatest role model but somehow having Oscar considering me as such made me want to be better.

He told me last year that kids at his school had been picking on him because he was of slighter frame. He was a small kid, alright. But so was I at his age. Puberty would probably hit him like a truck in a year or two, and the kids who mocked him would find themselves eating their words. Still, he wanted me to train him, teach him how to defend himself. Had anybody else asked, I would have said no straight up, but I couldn’t refuse anything to Oscar.

“You know, one day, I’ll be a champion, Aiden. I’ll be like Adonis Creed and you can be my Rocky. My mentor and trainer with a stick up his ass who barks more than he bites.” The little shit smirked at me and swiftly got up from the bench in an attempt to get away from me.

Unfortunately for him, he was no Creed yet and my Rocky ass was still in amazing shape, so I quickly grabbed him in a headlock, my hand ruffling his hair.

He laughed and I grinned. When he finally managed to get out of my hold, he let himself fall back on the mat. I followed suit as we both stared at the ceiling of the old gym we trained at twice a week. The light above us was yellow and twitched from time to time. It honestly hurt my eyeballs to be staring at it, so I closed them.

“Seriously, though.” His voice broke the peaceful silence we had fallen into. “One day, I’ll be a great fighter. The greatest of them all. And I’ll get the hell out of this town. Take my mama out of here so she never has to work again.”

All humor disappeared from his tone. He wasn’t playing around anymore and his animosity for this godforsaken town was obvious. Carmen, Oscar’s mom, struggled a lot with putting food on the table. She took care of him alone, his dad had dipped on them when Oscar was just a baby.

They had him young, his mom was still in high school and his dad had just graduated. He stayed throughout the pregnancy but as soon as my little friend was born, his father decided it was too real for him and that he wasn’t ready to be a dad. Only God knew where he was now.

Carmen’s parents quite literally threw her out when they found out she was pregnant. She went to live with her aunt, our old neighbor Mrs Vita, and kept the house when the old woman passed away six years ago. Her aunt had been quite the clutch for her, and a great help with Oscar. So when she died, Carmen was devastated and lost. She had been working three jobs and barely had time to be home with her kid.

My mom helped whenever she could, but with three kids at the time, and a few more she fostered, her plate was full. That’s when Carmen found her job at Tatum’s.

Tatum’s gentlemen lounge was Ravenbridge’s only strip club. Men from both sides of town went there for entertainment, and trust me when I say there’s nothing gentlemanly about them or the place. But working as a stripper meant she would have more money for rent and food and Oscar. She also got to spend more time with him instead of working a day shift, coming home and barely getting time to change before the night shift at her second job started.

Carmen was a great woman. She loved her son with everything she had.

Oscar hated that she worked there, though. Especially ever since the word got out at school and some kids started calling his mom names. Children can be cruel fucking creatures, and that was the proof.

“Just you watch, Aiden. One day, I’ll get the fuck out of here.” I turned my head towards him, he was staring in the distance but his eyes shone, full of dreams and hope.

“I know, kid.” a small smile tugged at my lips. “You’ve got a bright future before you. I can’t wait to see you seize it.”

He would make us proud one day. I wasn’t lying when I told him he had potential in boxing, but he also was a bright kid. And all those fucks who looked down on him and underestimated him, they would regret it. I’ll make sure of it.

He turned his head towards me abruptly.

“Would you come with me? Once I’m old enough to get out of this town. Can we go together?”

His eyes were full of longing, full of hope. I felt my heart twist in my chest. I wanted nothing more than getting the hell out of this town, but I also didn’t know if that would be possible anytime soon. Still, I sent him a small smile and held my fist up for him to bump.

“Sure, champ. We’ll get out of here together.”

***

“I’m home!” Tossing my gym bag on the ground and taking off my shoes next to it, I let the delicious scent of lasagna lead me to the kitchen.

Mom had her back to me, she was swaying around to whatever song was playing in her headphones. We got them for her last Christmas, they weren’t fancy by any means, but still great quality. And she loved them, mostly because she got to listen to her favorite songs with it, and because they were a gift from her children.

Rebecca Walker was sappy like that. If anyone asked me to define her, I’d say she was a mother first and foremost. I mean, of course she was a woman too, but I had never met anyone who was more made to be a mother than her. It was just part of her. Natural.

I leaned against the doorframe, folded my arms and watched as she danced and hummed to the music with a small smile. Her hair was styled in cornrow braids with small beads at the end of each one of them, to avoid shrinkage. They clinked with each move she made, somehow creating their own rhythm. She had a dishcloth thrown over her shoulder, making her look like a real chef.

She was mixing up some fruits in a salad and when she turned around to grab something from the small island, she saw me and yelped.

“Jesus Christ, Aiden!” I couldn’t help but chuckle because scaring mom was just too easy. We actually had a small bet going on with my sisters on who got to scare her the most by doing the least effort possible.

“I swear to God, you better wipe that smile off your face because being eighteen won’t get you out of an ass whooping if you ever do that again.” She tossed her dishcloth at me and I only laughed harder, catching it easily. It was funny how she spoke louder than was necessary because the song was still on in her ears.

Finally, mom took her headphones off, cutting whatever music was playing and setting them on the table. She was wearing light blue pajamas which contrasted perfectly with her dark skin. Mom was forty-one, but she didn’t look a day over thirty according to everyone who ever met her. She was a really petite woman, both in height and stature. When I was fourteen I was already taller than her. But that didn’t mean she was weak, quite the contrary actually. She led this household with an iron fist and could be downright scary when needed.

I still remembered the first time Julian, Matthew and I stole her car to go see a football game one town over when we were sixteen. We came back and she was waiting for us out front with a baseball bat. Julian nearly fainted.

I said nothing, simply smiled and walked over to hug her.

“Sorry ma’, you’re just too easy to scare.”

She glared at me playfully, her lips pursing before hugging me back.

I was a baby when Rebecca Walker adopted me. She had just lost her husband, who was the main breadwinner, and thus had to get a job since babysitting wasn’t enough to meet her and my sister Sammie’s needs on top of rent. She decided she wanted to foster kids, and the day after she got her license, I magically appeared on her doorstep.

I wasn’t placed by the state. In fact, I didn’t even have a birth certificate, just a blanket, a chain with my name on it and a letter from my biological mom, an eighteen year old girl scared out of her mind whose conservative family made it obvious they didn’t want me tarnishing their reputation. In it, she begged my mom to take me in as she had heard she was trying to start fostering kids.

Mom said from the moment she saw me, she knew I belonged with them, that’s why she adopted me barely after a year of fostering me. I never felt the need to know who my biological parents were. Rebecca Walker would always be the only mom I ever had.

“My goodness, you stink.” she all but pushed me away, pinching her nose dramatically in the process. “You went to that gym again, didn’t you?” I grinned and shrugged, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

Mom didn’t like the fact that I found fighting entertaining. She used to come to my fights back when I was twelve and boxing in a club. The problem was that she always ended up missing the whole thing because she’d just put her hands on her face, unable to see me get punched. Not that it happened often because I was just so damn good.

“Go take a shower for God’s sake. Out of my kitchen. Now.” She grabbed her washcloth again and playfully swept at me with it.

I said nothing, rolling my eyes playfully before making it out of the room, running up the stairs. I swiftly avoided the twelfth step because it was a bit loose and I needed to take a look at it. As soon as I hit the landing, a little tornado nearly toppled me over.

“Help me, Aiden!”

Bianca, my five year old sister grabbed my legs and started hiding behind me. Her curly hair was only halfway done, one side neat and styled in slick braids, while the other was combed through and created a halo around half of her face. Before I could even ask what was going on, my other sister Gabrielle ran out of the bathroom, a comb in hand. Her red hair looked a mess, frizzy yet oddly flat. Her cheeks were all red, making her freckles even more prominent.

“Come back here, you little rascal!” She yelled.

Bianca screamed in fright and all but climbed my legs until I finally took pity and gathered her in my arms.

“Hey, hey, hey, what the hell is going on you two?”

“Gabi has been torturing me!”

“Don’t listen to her, Aiden! Mom told me to style her hair for school tomorrow but she’s being difficult as always!”

“Because you hurt me!” Bianca had actual tears in her eyes and she circled my neck with her little arms.

“I swear I did my best not to. Aiden, you know how she is with her hair!” I could tell Gabi was exhausted and would rather be in bed.

She was probably already tired from school and then had to sit down for at least the past hour and a half trying to detangle and style Bianca’s hair. The latter was also really sensitive when it came to it. You couldn’t brush it without her screaming and crying her lungs out. It had always been the case, ever since she was adopted into our family three years ago. She was relatively calm whenever mom or I did her hair but with Gabi, Sammie or anyone else, she went feral.

“Okay, okay, you two apologize to one another, now.” Gabrielle opened her mouth in indignation but I gave her a pointed look and she quickly closed it.

At fifteen, she was right into that phase where she liked to argue about any and everything. You know, that point in your teens where you think everyone is out to wrong you and you never actually reconsider your own actions? So she had to be reminded sometimes.

Sighing, her shoulders sagged and she looked at Bianca. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Bibi. I didn’t mean to. I swear I tried to be soft.”

“I accept your apology, Gabi.” She leaned her head against my shoulder, putting a thumb in her mouth. I pushed it away because that was a bad habit we were trying to make her lose, and she let her small hand fall back against my chest without making a fuss.

Silence stretched the hallway as Gabi looked at her expectantly, green eyes widening to indicate she was waiting for her own apology.

“You can go to your room now. Think about what you’ve done.” Bianca dismissed her with a sign of her hand.

“Bibi.” My tone was not threatening per se, but it was the tone I used whenever I wanted them to know I was not playing around.

The little shit sighed and had the audacity to roll her eyes. “Okay, I’m sorry too, I guess. You didn’t really torture me.”

So, this was what having sisters was like. Being the only guy in a house full of girls could get really weird sometimes. In my eighteen years of life, I found myself mediating all sorts of fights. Once, Sammie and Gab got in a screaming argument over who the hottest one direction member was (Sammie said it was Zayn while Gab thought it was Harry, but I was with Sam on this one).

Also there was this funny thing with women all living together where their period somehow synchronized and I’m not gonna lie, I was scared to even breathe the wrong way when that happened. Mom, Gabi and Sammie were insufferable whenever it was the case so Bianca and I usually just camped in my room for that whole week and survived out of Fruit Loops and Caprisuns.

“Get some rest, Gab, I’ll take care of it.”

She sent me a grateful smile, hugged my side briefly before turning around and walking to the room she shared with Sammie and Bianca. I might have been the only guy here, but at least I had my own room. Our small house had four, one for the girls, one was ma’s and one was mine. The fourth one we used for the kids mom still fostered.

I turned back and looked at Bianca who was smiling cunningly.

“Come on, let’s finish your hair.”

“Hmm.. don’t you wanna take a shower first? You kinda stink, Aidy.”

So that’s what I got for being a good big brother. I glared at her and she went on smiling. She looked ridiculous with only half of her curly golden hair made up, but still adorable. Green eyes twinkled with mischief, the perfect contrast with her light brown skin. From what I had read in her file while mom wasn’t looking, Bianca’s mother was Dominican and her dad was half African-American. She came here when she was two years old because both her parents had passed away in a car wreck and her grandma was too old to take care of her.

We all fell in love with her as soon as we saw her. She was the most adorable baby back then. She still is, to be honest.

“Oh, I stink, huh?” My eyebrows went up in mock astonishment. “Say that again to my face you little shit.” I attacked her cheeks with noisy kisses while she giggled and squealed at me to let her go.

I didn’t and continued my onslaught until she was laughing so hard I was positive she was seconds away from peeing her pants. And mom would kill me if she dirtied her new pajamas.

After a few minutes where she got her breathing back to normal, still smiling, I decided to set her up in my room so I could shower before finishing her hair. Putting one of those Disney movies she was so obsessed with on my laptop, I watched as she snuggled under the covers. Once she was all comfy and engrossed in the movie, I grabbed my towel and headed to the bathroom.

While the water streamed down my body, I couldn’t help but think about my conversation with Oscar earlier.

I loved my family and there were amazing people here in my neighborhood, no matter what Southie pricks thought. My friends were great even though they drove me crazy.

So I was content. My life was good. But what scared me was that maybe it was the best I would ever be able to get from it. Contempt.

A part of me felt like I had lied to Oscar earlier.

I told him we would get the hell away from here, but deep down… I didn’t know if I’d have the guts to.