Chapter 5

One of the guys asked, "Aaron, if you had to pick one type of girl you can't stand, what would it be?"

Aaron's face was half-hidden in the shadows as he replied, "Cutesy girls."

Someone nearby jumped in to add, "Yeah, especially the ones who are super enthusiastic and have zero boundaries. Aaron can't stand those. He's turned down so many girls, it's like he's got his own rejection squad."

Aaron didn't bother to deny it.

My mood hit rock bottom.

Elizabeth took her phone back and gave me a resigned smile.

She said, "Lilly, you're still young. You have no idea how brutal guys can be to girls they're not into. Trust me, I've been there, and I don't want you to get hurt like I did."

I asked, "Do you like Aaron?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "We're just friends, that's all."

"The Scott family is full of drama and power plays, and growing up in that mess taught Aaron to keep his emotions locked up tight. Even though we've been together since we were kids, half the time I have no idea what's going on in his head," Elizabeth added.

"Lilly, all I can say is, your crush is way more complicated than you think," Elizabeth concluded.

We stayed quiet the whole way.

I couldn't help but replay everything I'd done lately, and honestly, I'd managed to hit every single one of Aaron's pet peeves.

So he's just been putting up with me this whole time, even though he can't stand me?' I thought.

Honestly, Aaron's self-control is almost unreal.

I was dumb enough to think things were actually heating up between us.

Ten minutes flew by in the car, and we were at the school gate before I knew it.

As soon as I got out, I spotted Wesley standing there with a bag of fruit, one hand in his pocket, scanning the crowd.

Even though he looked totally fed up with waiting, he still found time to chat up a pretty girl and get her number.

When our eyes met, Wesley immediately said goodbye to the girl and rushed over, giving me a playful poke on the forehead.

He teased, "Lilly, seriously, look at how many times I called you. Your big bro is a company CEO, you know. My time is precious, you little troublemaker."

I checked my phone and saw over twenty missed calls.

I'd put my phone on silent before my date with Aaron, so I wouldn't get interrupted and I forgot to turn it back on after dinner.

Wesley fired off three questions in a row. "Where did you go? Who were you with? And how did you get back?"

I turned to call for Elizabeth, but as soon as she saw Wesley, she jumped right back into the car.

She seemed to forget all about visiting her old teachers and just sped off without a second thought.

I hung my head. "Seriously, with that face of yours, no wonder you scared Lizzie away."

Wesley noticed I reeked of alcohol and knew right away something was wrong.

"Lizzie? What are you talking about? Lilly, why do you look so down? Tell me, who messed with you? I'll go slash their tires for you," he said.

"It's nothing, Wes. I...I don't want to go after Aaron anymore," I blurted out, and once I started, I just couldn't stop the tears.

Wesley, who'd been all cocky and joking around, suddenly looked totally freaked out.

He rummaged through his pockets for a tissue, couldn't find one, so he set the fruit down and gently wiped my tears away with his thumb.

"Alright, alright, if you don't want to chase after him, then don't. It's really not a big deal. Why are you so upset? Come here, let your brother give you a hug," Wesley said, pulling me in.

On the way from the school gate to the hotel, Wesley kept goofing around and acting cute, doing everything he could to make me laugh.

When he finally saw I'd stopped crying, he let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Lilly, there are millions of handsome guys out there. Aaron's just so-so, honestly. What's so great about him? He's not even as good-looking as your brother, right?" Wesley grinned.

I bit my lip. "Wes, maybe try a different way to comfort me. I can't say that with a straight face."

Wesley dramatically gazed up at the ceiling, as if searching for answers in the plaster.

He said, "Lilly, it's not like this is your first crush. You've been through this before and never got so hung up. Why are you so down about it this time?"

I sniffled. "Maybe I really do like Aaron. Wes, you've chased after so many girls. Have you ever actually fallen for someone for real?"

Wesley hesitated, then dodged the question. "It's getting late. Go get some sleep. I'm right next door, so if you need anything, just call me."

He turned on the bedside lamp and switched off the main light, kept glancing back at me as he left, clearly reluctant to go.

But my mind just wouldn't settle down.

My phone buzzed with a notification. Aaron was live-streaming.

I tapped in, and the chat instantly blew up.

[Ms Pixie's here! So, did The Ace treat you to dinner or what? He's got cash to burn, you better make him splurge!], a fan asked in the comments.

[Ms Pixie, why so quiet today? Not teasing the host anymore?], another fan chimed in.

[I heard The Ace isn't into cutesy girls. Ms Pixie, maybe you should switch up your vibe. You might snag him quicker that way.], a comment read.

Seeing that, I was wide awake. I furiously started typing.

[What a joke, I don't really have a thing for guys like you anyway.], I commented.

[He's just some arrogant, cold old dude who always looks so washed out. How could he ever be good enough for a young, gorgeous girl like me?], I added on.

[Fake ass, I've got a new boytoy now. He's much gentler than you and looks much better! And guess what? He's totally into girls like me...], I added another comment.

After I finished typing, you could literally see Aaron's whole vibe shift.

His eyes turned so dark it was almost scary, all brooding and cold.

When Aaron was gaming, he was like a whole different person. He was ruthless, aggressive, totally obsessed with winning.