in the moment. Shouts from the video call jerked us both out of the position though.
Aiden pulled me upright once again, and I quickly stepped away as we both turned toward the screen. My cheeks were flushed, and I hoped no one had seen the moment we’d just shared. It seemed a pretty safe assumption they hadn’t caught it, because most people looked like they were bringing their iso-proms to an end. They were all shouting out their goodbyes, and their displays were blinking out as they logged off the call.
It felt like our iso-prom had only just started, but I imagined it was more fun when you were actually celebrating with your friends in person, rather than your parents or, in Zoey’s case, a cat.
Aiden turned down the music, and we said our goodbyes to everyone before he ended the call. From the way Zoey was looking at me before she hung up, I felt certain my phone would be blowing up with messages from her tonight. I was almost relieved I’d left it upstairs because I wasn’t sure I was ready to face any questions she might have about Aiden.
“Well, kids, iso-prom’s been fun,” Elliot said. “Any chance you want one last dance with me, angel?”
“Um…”
Aiden grabbed hold of his brother’s shoulders and steered him from the room before I could respond. “Good night, Elliot,” he said, as he pushed him out of the room and closed the door behind him. I could hear Elliot grumbling out in the corridor as he walked away, and I smiled. He was a pretty cute kid.
Aiden slowly turned to me, and the smile on my face lowered as I took in his expression. We’d been goofing around all night, but Aiden’s laughing eyes and happy smile were gone, and he was staring at me in a completely different way. Now that it was just the two of us in the room, the whole situation suddenly felt more intimate. I started playing with the daisy tied around my wrist as he walked back toward me.
“So, what do you say? One last dance for the night?” His usual arrogance was gone, and a hint of worry entered his gaze, as though he was anxious I’d reject him.
I took a deep breath in. I wasn’t sure why I was so apprehensive at the thought. It was just Aiden who was asking. Aiden, the boy who made it his mission in life to annoy me, who loved nothing more than getting under my skin, who I wasn’t at all interested in. Right?
I wasn’t as certain of the answer to that question as I thought I’d be. I wasn’t quite ready for the night to end though, so I nodded in response. The words of agreement stuck in my throat, and I couldn’t seem to bring myself to say them aloud.
Aiden let out a relieved breath and went over to his laptop to change the song. I didn’t recognize the music as the track changed, but it was a soft, melodic tune, and the lyrics were pretty.
Aiden was hesitant as he approached me and so gentle as he wrapped his arms around me to dance. I lightly placed my hands against his firm chest and allowed him to slowly spin me around the room.
For once, we didn’t talk. He didn’t throw me any cheeky smiles or winks, and there was a softness to his gaze I’d never seen before. As I stared into his eyes, I began to wonder how well I really knew Aiden, because the way he was looking at me right now was so different from every other day. He was looking at me like I was something precious, and I didn’t know how to feel about it.
When the song ended and he lowered his arms from around me, I felt suddenly cold. I wrapped my arms across my waist, waiting for my body to stop craving the return of his warmth. I shouldn’t want any part of Aiden close to me, but I couldn’t deny the feeling was there.
“Thanks for the perfect iso-prom,” I said, trying to fill the silence. Our usual banter seemed to dampen the electric tension that always buzzed between us. It was like a coat of armor I wore to help blunt Aiden’s effect on me. Without it, there was nothing but raw electricity pulsing between us, and I needed my shields back up before I did something stupid like give in to the strange feelings swirling through