I just...gave it to him.
I wasn't sure why, not really. I despised him with every ounce of my being, and yet there was something compelling me to give in.
Maybe it was those eyes. I may have spent three years hating him beyond any control (or so I claimed) but it wasn't like I was blind. And baby, you really did have to be blind to not notice those eyes.
Attempting to prove this, I presumed, he turned that sultry gaze on me and smirked. I felt myself bristle.
"Thanks for the pizza, Sweet-cheeks."
"Don't act like we're affiliated, Lovell," I cut at him. His eyes narrowed, but his mouth quirked to the side.
"The way I see it, you just gave me your pizza. In my language that constitutes as a marriage proposal."
"In your language eating a doughnut constitutes as have morning sex."
"Well, I always said I was a whore."
If it had been anybody else, I would have laughed. However, this was Aiden, and Aiden was someone to laugh at, not with. So I stopped the twitch of my mouth in amusement and instead stared at him with an expression devoid entirely of humour. After a moment, it had the intended affect, and he dropped the smile, rolling his eyes.
"You're no fun, March."
"You're not funny," I replied. He rolled his eyes one final time and took off out the cafeteria.
Now, you may think that giving Aiden Lovell pizza wasn't that big a deal. But you don't understand. It wasn't just any pizza, it was Mama Gordy's delicious four-cheese and pepperoni pizza that I had happened to get that day for lunch. Well, my boyfriend had dropped it off for me, but the point was I had it and then I gave not one, but TWO slices of it to the most horrific person on the planet.
Honestly, just because he had a cute ass did not mean he deserved the best pizza in the world.
And speaking of cute asses...
"Morning, Dahlia," my friend Kara greeted. She slid into the seat beside me before her eyes rested on the open pizza box on the table in front of me.
"Is that..."
"Mama Gordy's!" I announced happily. Her head swung up to look me in the eyes, which I noticed hers sparkle in excitement.
"You've already eaten two slices already?" she said observantly. "So much for sharing with your best friend."
"Well, uh--"
A shift in the weight on the seat distracted me, and I looked over to find Mark sitting down beside me. The look in his eye made my own widen in curiosity, as his definitely screamed that something was up. And those blue eyes were intense as it was.
"What's this I hear about you giving Aiden pizza?"
"You what!?"
I glanced between my two friends, dumbstruck. "That happened a minute ago, how did you know about that?"
Mark shrugged, and I noticed his silk shirt shimmer in the blinding cafeteria lights. Of course it was silk. That was so Mark.
"I heard him talking to some other guys in the hallway."
I groaned. Perfect. "Great. That's all I need."
"Did I miss something?" Kara asked. I looked at her and her curious, yet very accusatory brown eyes gazing at me intensely. Out of habit I leaned back before answering.
"I, uh, gave him a couple slices..."
"Did he threaten you? 'Cause I'll kick his ass."
"No," I laughed. "I don't know why, I just did."
Mark sighed, immediately grating on my nerves. "You poor pansexuals. You did it for the ass, didn't you?"
Kara gasped at this, and she covered her mouth at the mere mention that I could possibly do something just because of a guy's posterior. Little did she know that entire wars had been started over a piece of ass. I made a mental note to bring that up the next time we had a tutor session.
"Just because I like all kinds of people does not mean I'd be willing to lose all my integrity just because some guy happened to have an appealing physique."
"Sure it wouldn't," he grinned. I snorted.
"You know, for someone who's asexual, you dress like someone trying to get laid." For good measure I made sure to stare at his silk shirt and tailored pants.
He glared at me, and the conversation was over. Sweet Kara had broken out of her speechless state and shook her head at us.
"Anyway," I said, attempting to further dissuade the conversation. "We can each have two, so it works out!"
"That's true," Mark relented. Kara nodded before shoving a hand into the pizza box and retrieving a slice. All further attempts at speech were cut off by the sweet and delicious munching of pizza. Until two o'clock rolled around, and I realised that I would be needed elsewhere.
"I have to go," I said.
"Have fun in psychology," said Kara. Mark nodded, and soon enough I was out the cafeteria doors and on my way to my psychology class in building E.
This walk gave me some quiet time to think about earlier. Unfortunately. Maybe there would be something in my text book to explain why I was compelled to give up the best pizza ever to a despicable person, beyond the reasonable explanation that Aiden was just that charismatic.
I had never been fooled, though. When he and I had first met in Advanced Calculus our freshmen year of college, there wasn't a soul in sight who could be torn from his charming personality, aside from me, of course. It wasn't like I had made it known, however; eighteen years of grooming had taught me to be polite unless provoked, and it wasn't as though his very presence was provoking me--or, well, that's what I reassured myself of.
Yet for some reason, my quiet demeanor had attracted him to me. Which was even more astonishing. This wasn't some crappy teenage romance novel. I wasn't the main character in some YA novel. He wasn't a cute werewolf falling in love with an opposing daddy, no--he was just some guy with cute, shaggy brown hair and playful brown eyes. No paranormal powers. He couldn't read my mind, shape-shift or fly, though of course, that would have made me much more interested.
Instead, he was just...interested in me. Not romantically, God no. I scoffed at the idea as it crossed my mind. But maybe he had read YA novels and thought that he would find a best friend in the quiet, observant girl. And boy, had he been wrong.
"Hey, Sweetie," he had greeted me.
"Hello," I returned curiously, looking up from my notebook, highlighter pen in my hand.
"What's your name?"
"Dahlia."
"You're really pretty, Dahlia."
I blinked. "Thank you?"
He grinned cheekily. "Now you're supposed to compliment me."
"I don't think that's how compliments work." The highlighter pen dipped, touching my textbook page as I narrowed my eyes. Hastily I wiped the mark away, feeling further resentment towards this boy.
"That's exactly how compliments work," he responded. I rolled my eyes and scoffed.
"Whatever."
This time his eyes narrowed at me. "Fine. Be that way. I came here to make nice and it turns out you aren't worth the effort."
I glared at the accusation. "So sorry you didn't realise that before. Now if you don't mind, I'm a little busy."
"Fine then."
"Fine."
Yes. A perfect set up for a YA novel.
Sighing, I had finally reached the door to my psychology class. That had been three years ago, and obviously our relations hadn't changed much since then.
"Here, let me get that for you."
I glanced up at the voice before my eyes widened in surprise.
Aiden had opened the door to the room and was looking at me expectantly.
"Coming?" he quiped. Though still surprised, I shimmied my way through the door way, and he came in behind me.
"Thank you?" I asked. He raised an eyebrow.
"It's just a thanks for the pizza, March. Believe it or not, I'm not as much of an asshole as you make me out to be."
"Not."
His eyes narrowed and I felt my face flush, twenty years of needing to be nice hitting me like a knife. Ugh. Damn niceties, this was Lovell, not a human being.
"Whatever, March."
And with that, he walked off to his seat at the front of the class. We were only of a few people here early, but I took my seat anyway, a couple rows behind where he sat. A few minutes later our Professor Ariella had walked in through the door, and class began. Any thoughts of Aiden were soon gone as I focused on the effects of schizophrenia.
Once class was over, as I was putting my notebook and pencil back in my small backpack, I felt a presence near me. Glancing up, I saw it was Aiden.
"I won't tell about the pizza if you don't tell about the door."
"You already told people about the door," I replied.
"Only to Johnny and Quince. They won't tell anyone."
I quirked an eyebrow, but after a moment shrugged.
"Whatever. It's not like it was a marriage proposal."
"Just remember not to bring doughnuts and we won't have any issues," he joked. Unable to help myself, I laughed, surprising he and I both. He gave me a small, shocked smile before giving me a short wave goodbye and heading out the door. After a moment I gasped.
Oh, no. I was part of a YA novel.