Party Night Showdown

CHAPTER 11

 Party Night Showdown

POV: Aiden Hart's 

It had been a week since the mugshot incident, and if you'd told me then that I wouldn't follow through with Tyler's plan for revenge, I would've laughed in your face. Maybe even believed it. For the first time in a while, I didn't have a plan, no scheme, no carefully calculated comeback. Just… quiet.

I thought I'd be doing everything I could to win Maddie back. I thought losing her would wreck me.

It didn't.

Instead, I felt lighter. Like the air around me had finally cleared, and I could breathe without checking if she was looking. No more pretending, no more smiles I didn't mean. There was guilt, sure. A whisper in the back of my head saying I'd wasted so much time being someone I wasn't. But mostly, there was relief.

I decided I wasn't going to play dirty. Not because I was scared, but it just wasn't me. Whatever Kieran and Maddie thought they had, I didn't care. Let them have each other. I had bigger things to focus on.

Like my future.

Caleb picked me up that Saturday, tossing me a protein bar and grinning like nothing in the world ever really went wrong. We drove out to the edge of town to check on the house he was renovating, a fixer-upper near the hills, all white porch railings and new shingles. He was proud. I could see it in the way he discussed wood types and energy efficiency, as if it were rocket science.

"Dad said you've been quiet lately," Caleb said, hands in his pockets as he leaned against the porch railing. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Just tired. School's a lot."

"You sure that's it?" His eyes softened. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

I gave him a half-smile. "Yeah. I know."

But I didn't say more. I never did.

It wasn't that I didn't love Caleb. I did. He was the perfect brother, funny, smart, universally liked. But with him, there was always this unspoken competition I never signed up for. He won awards. Saved lives. Wasn't afraid of disappointing anyone.

I couldn't even admit to myself who I was.

The rest of the week passed like a movie on mute. Practice, class, sleep. Repeat. People had mostly stopped whispering when I walked by. Tyler was still pissed. He'd taken the fall for the mugshot prank and got stuck in detention all week. Claimed he didn't regret it, but his ego was bruised.

"You seriously gonna let Kieran get away with all this?" he grumbled during lunch on Thursday, slamming his soda on the table.

"Let it go, Ty."

He stared at me. "You're gonna be that guy? The bigger man?"

I shrugged. "Maybe I'm just tired of being angry."

He rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Just muttered something about me going soft and stomped off.

By Friday night, my only plan was to study and get some sleep. But Tyler, fresh out of detention and desperate to stir up chaos, wasn't having it.

"You're coming," he said, tossing a hoodie at me. "There's a senior party at Jordan's. You owe me."

"For what?"

"For not ratting you out. Now get your ass in the car."

I should've said no. Should've stayed home. But something in me, it wasn't boredom, it was restlessness, said maybe I needed the distraction.

The party was already in full swing when we got there. Bass pumping through the walls, red cups scattered on the lawn, someone yelling about beer pong in the kitchen. 

I spotted Brandon across the room, laughing too loudly at something dumb, surrounded by his usual pack of loudmouths. I kept my hands in my pockets, not interested in drinking. I wanted to stay sharp. Tyler disappeared into the crowd instantly, probably chasing Vanessa or stirring up some chaos.

I lingered in the kitchen, half-listening to someone talk about the playoffs, when I saw Trey Collins across the room.

We nodded at the same time.

"Hey," he said, walking up. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Didn't expect to be here," I admitted.

We started talking about nothing heavy. Football, school, and senior year stress. Trey was easier to talk to than I remembered. Smart. Kind of funny in this dry, awkward way. I laughed at something he said, actually laughed.

Then I felt it.

That stare. Like ice on the back of my neck.

I turned, and there they were.

 Black jacket, boots, tattoos half-visible under rolled sleeves, Kieran. Maddie. Side by side on the couch. Except Maddie was half in his lap, whispering something in his ear.

And he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at me.

His gaze locked on mine, dark and unreadable. Like he was trying to burn a hole through my skull with just his eyes.

I felt my chest tighten. Not with anger, but confusion. Why would he even be with her? After what she did to his mom?

It didn't make sense.

None of this made sense.

 I excused myself from Trey and headed upstairs to breathe.

Found a small bathroom at the end of the hall. Locked the door. Stared at myself in the mirror.

I looked fine.

Normal.

But I didn't feel normal. Not even close.

I splashed water on my face, let it drip down my neck, and watched it trace along my jaw.

I thought about this week. The peace I'd fought for. The space I'd made for myself.

I didn't want to lose it, not for Maddie, not for drama, not even for whatever it is that Monroe thinks he's doing.

I wiped my face with a hand towel and turned to leave.

 I opened the door, and there he was.

Kieran. 

Just standing there. Tall. Still. Like he knew I'd be here.

I froze. "I was just leaving."

I tried to brush past him, but he stepped inside.

And closed the door.

The click of the lock echoed through the room like a gunshot.

My jaw clenched. "What the hell are you doing?"

He didn't answer at first.

He looked at me like he was reading a book only he could understand.

And then, softly, dangerously, he said, "You have my attention now."

I blinked. "What?"

"You heard me."

I stepped back, spine pressing against the sink. "I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm not in it."

"You sure about that?" His voice was calm, but his eyes weren't. They were on fire, controlled chaos. Pain is buried under layers of cool.

I swallowed. Hard.

The air between us thickened. Hot. Unbreathable.

I could hear the music downstairs, faint and distant. But in that moment, it was just me and him. 

We were trapped in that tiny bathroom, every emotion we hadn't said out loud crowding the walls.

I didn't know what this was.

 But I knew it wasn't over. Not even close.