“A… Aaron, where are you taking me?” I asked, my voice trembling as panic began to rise in my chest.
“You’re gonna help me clean this shit up,” he said, his tone curt.
He dragged me into a room—his room, I assumed.
“Don’t move,” he commanded, his voice firm.
I glanced helplessly at the door. Should I make a run for it?
Aaron tugged off his shirt, and my heart skipped a beat. I’d only ever heard rumors about the Morris brothers’ legendary physiques, but now I was seeing it for myself. His chiseled chest and abs were like something out of a magazine. Yet, instead of excitement, dread washed over me. What was he planning to do?
“Take your shirt off,” he said with a grin.
“Wha… what?” My voice cracked. Oh God, was this really happening? Was I about to get assaulted over a spilled beer? My panic spiked.
Before I could spiral further, he tossed a plaid shirt at me. “You spilled beer on yours. Put this on instead.”
Oh. He was just trying to help. Relief mingled with irritation. Why did he have to be so cryptic and intense about it? The guy was clearly nuts.
“Um… cou—could you turn around?” I asked nervously.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. Or just use the bathroom,” he said, gesturing toward the door.
I quickly ducked into the bathroom and shut the door behind me, my heart still racing. Why was I so shaken? Sure, Aaron had a reputation, but he wasn’t exactly threatening me. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as the rumors suggested. He’d graduated last year, so he might’ve mellowed out since his "high school bad boy" days.
I slipped on the oversized shirt. It was far too big, but at least it was dry and smelled clean. When I came out of the bathroom, Aaron was sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He turned his head when he heard me.
“Thanks for the shirt. I’ll just… go now,” I said quickly, heading toward the door.
“Wait!”
I froze mid-step.
“Stay for a minute. The party’s kinda boring,” he said, his tone casual.
He wasn’t wrong. The party *was* dull, and spilling beer on Aaron had been the most exciting thing to happen so far. Against my better judgment, I sat down on the chair across from him.
“You’re one of the Brown sisters, aren’t you?” he asked, his green eyes fixed on me.
“Yeah. I’m the ugly one,” I blurted before I could stop myself.
He looked startled. “You’re what?”
“The ugly one,” I repeated, my voice more controlled this time. “You know… because Liliana is so pretty?”
Aaron raised an eyebrow. “I guess? But who said you were ugly?”
His gaze was so intense I felt like I might melt into the floor.
“It doesn’t matter. I was just joking,” I lied with a nervous laugh.
Aaron sat up and grabbed my hand before I could react. He pulled me toward the bed and sat me down next to him.
“How come I’ve never seen you around?” he asked, his tone curious.
“I don’t go to parties. Besides, you were two grades ahead of me,” I replied, feeling oddly self-conscious under his stare.
“Then why are you here tonight?”
“Well, what happened was…” I hesitated, but then I decided to tell him the whole truth. “I bumped into your brother Jake, and he told me to convince my sister Liliana to go out with him—or else. So here I am.”
Aaron scoffed. “He wants your sister? Why? She’s boring as hell.”
I blinked. “Excuse me? She’s, like, the most beautiful girl in school. Pretty much everyone worships her.”
Aaron shrugged dismissively. “She’s fine, I guess. But you…” His gaze locked on mine, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
“What about me?” I stammered. “I don’t look anything like her, and trust me, plenty of people have made sure I know how plain I am. So you don’t have to bother.”
“You’re not plain. You’re interesting,” he said, his smirk returning. “More interesting than any girl I’ve ever met. How about I take you out sometime? Get to know each other.”
I stared at him, my mind spinning. Was he serious? Or was this some cruel joke—asking out the “ugly” girl just to humiliate her later?
“No thanks,” I said quickly, standing up. “I’ve got to go.”
I bolted for the door, determined to find Liliana and leave. But before I could get far, someone grabbed my wrist. I turned, expecting Aaron—but it was Jake.
“You!” Jake barked, his face twisted in anger. “You said you’d convince Liliana to like me, but she just insulted me and stormed off!”
“I never said I’d make her love you,” I said, forcing a nervous laugh. “You can’t *make* people love you.”
“You sabotaged it, didn’t you? You’re jealous because I’m interested in her instead of a plain Jane like you,” Jake snarled.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snapped. “Let me go!”
“You’re not going anywhere until we settle this,” he sneered.
“Let the girl go, Jake.” Aaron’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Jake stiffened and turned toward his brother. Aaron was standing in the doorway, his eyes blazing with fury.
“This is between me and her, bro,” Jake said through gritted teeth.
“Let her go, or I’ll send you to the hospital,” Aaron growled.
Jake released my wrist immediately, muttering something under his breath. “We’re not done, Janey,” he added before storming off.
Aaron took my hand and led me outside. “I’ll take you home,” he said simply. I nodded, too shaken to argue. Liliana had left with the car anyway. That traitor.
When we reached my house, Aaron turned to me, his expression softer. “So… can I take you out, or is it still a no?”
I hesitated. “Can I think about it?”
He smiled for the first time, and it lit up his whole face. He looked almost friendly. Gorgeous, even.
“Sure,” he said.
“Tha… thank you for helping me tonight,” I said, and before I could stop myself, I hugged him. His warmth caught me off guard, sending a strange flutter through my chest. Embarrassed, I pulled away and ran inside.
I’d have to be extra careful around the Morris brothers from now on.