Chapter 1: Aiden
Note: This takes place 5 months after The Fallout (book 3 LYLID series) and 1 month before Lessons In Love (Book 1 SR series)
Mid-Fall Semester:
The smell of fresh seafood and garlic butter lingers in the air, mixing with the salty scent from the open windows. Alicia twirls her chocolate tresses around her index finger, a playful glint in her eyes. She has a bit of a reputation around campus, only dating athletes. Not just any athletes, but the ones at the top of their game. Football, basketball, even the track stars—if they’re winning, she’s interested. Some say she’s just into the thrill of the spotlight.
Others think she’s just chasing clout, always wanting to be seen with the guy who’s making headlines, the one everyone’s talking about, which is why I was surprised she agreed to this date since I haven’t started all season. I suppose she fell for my charm, or maybe she Googled me and found out about my dad. Even if my name doesn’t carry much weight on campus, the Sullivan family’s wealth and influence might’ve been enough to catch her interest. Whatever the reason, I’m not complaining, but the question hanging in the air is, can I live up to whatever she’s looking for?
“So what do you say, let’s go ahead and get out of here? My roommate is staying with her boyfriend tonight, so we’ll have the dorm room to ourselves.”
“Oh yeah?” I meet her gaze, my heart thumping in anticipation. “What are we going to do when we get there?” I tease.
She reaches across the table and squeezes my forearm. “I can think of a few things,” she traces her lips with her tongue then bites her bottom lip.
My pulse quickens at her touch, the warmth of her hand sending a surge of adrenaline through me. The way she bites her lip—it’s like she knows exactly what she’s doing to me. I’m bricked up from the thought of finally getting some action tonight. I hold up a finger to flag down the server, a young guy probably not much older than me, dressed in a crisp white shirt with a black tie. His shoes squeak slightly against the polished wooden floors as he navigates through the maze of tables, each one adorned with a small flickering candle. The large windows along the wall offer a stunning view of the waterfront, where the gentle lapping of waves against the dock complements the soft murmur of conversation in the restaurant.
“Check please,” I say as he walks by. He gives a polite nod before heading to the back to retrieve the bill.
Alicia leans back in her chair, crossing her legs as she studies me with a smirk. “Excited to get out of here, huh?” Her voice is teasing, but there’s an edge to it like she’s testing me.
I nod, trying to keep my cool. “Just looking forward to spending more time with you.”
She arches an eyebrow, the smirk still playing on her lips. “Is that so? And what exactly do you have in mind, A-train?”
I can feel my heart pounding as I search for the right words. “Maybe we could watch a movie or something.”
Alicia chuckles softly, shaking her head. “A movie?”
Before I can respond, the server returns with the bill, placing it neatly in front of me. “Here you go,” he says with a polite smile before stepping back. I glance at his nametag—David—before reaching into my pocket, trying to keep my wallet out of Alicia’s view. It’s a Pokémon wallet. I know I’m in college now and probably need a real one. My father even got me a Bulgari for my fifteenth birthday, but I can’t seem to let go of this one.
I glance down at the bill, then slip my card into the holder. Normally I’d asked the girl to split the bill the first few dates. Then when we make things more official, I’ll start to pick up the whole tab. My mom was horrified when she found out I didn’t always pay the bill. She’s so old fashion but if shit is casual, I don’t see why they can’t pay their own.
But tonight is different, I’ve been trying to get a date with Alicia all semester so tonight I’m going all out. I brought her to this nice seafood place on the water, picking up the tab, and paying for the Uber. I’m breaking my rules and everything is on me tonight.
As the server walks away, I look back at her, trying to play it off. “Well, I figured we could start with a movie and see where the night takes us.”
She leans forward, her eyes locking onto mine, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re cute, Aiden. But let’s be real—there’s only one thing on your mind tonight.”
I swallow hard, her words hitting me like a jolt of electricity. “You’re not wrong.”
She smiles, the kind of smile that says she knows exactly what she’s doing. “Good. Then let’s not waste any more time.”
The waiter approaches the table, his expression apologetic. “I’m sorry, but your card was declined. Do you have another you can try?” he asks in a voice just about a whisper.
I can feel the heat rising to my face, my heart racing. Fuck me. “Can you try and run it again,” I ask as the ground crumbles beneath me.
“I tried three times,” the waiter replies in an apologetic tone.
I feel the sweat bead up on my forehead, shit. I reach into my pocket and pull out my wallet. That was my only card, but I open my wallet hoping that somehow the $4 cash miraculously turned into enough to cover this bill. I flip through the four one-dollar bills, nope still only four bucks.
I run a hand through my hair, embarrassment flooding me, “I seem to be short,” I tell Alicia. “Do you think you could cover this, I swear I’ll Cashapp you the money tomorrow.”
She twists her lips in disgust, “You have got to be kidding me.”
I have to admit I’m horrible at checking my bank account balance but it’s only because I never needed to. In high school, I’d just swiped my American Express and my parents paid the bill. As long as I wasn’t spending exorbitant amounts, Dad didn’t care. He’d give me and my sister Ashleigh a few hundred dollars in cash every month, and we both had an AmEx card for anything else we wanted.
“I’ll give you a few minutes,” I waiter says, with a frosty glare. He probably thinks we’re going to try and bail on the check.
“I’m really sorry about this, I guess I should have checked my account,” I apologize.
At first, Alicia’s eyes soften, like she might understand. But as the seconds tick by and I fumble with my phone, her expression hardens, shifting from mild concern to outright disdain.
“You better figure out something because I’m not paying for this.”
My palms sweat as I pull out my phone, “Ok, just give a minute.” I quickly text Devonte.
Me: Can you Cashapp me 100.
I wait and wait but my text goes unread. I look up at Alicia who is growing more and aggravated. “I just need to make a quick call, I’ll be right back.” I slide my seat back and attempt to get up.
“Naaah! Where do you think you’re going? You aren’t going to ditch me leaving me with the bill! If you need to make a call do it right here.”
“I wouldn’t do that. I swear,” I hold up my hand in surrender.
“Tuh, I don’t trust that you won’t.”
As if this night couldn’t get more embarrassing, I have to make this call in front of her. “Ok.” I scroll through my contacts and hit the phone icon.
“Hey Baby!” A loud cheery voice says after three rings.
Alicia’s eyes widen as I scramble to turn down the volume.
“Hey, listen. I need a favor,” I try to whisper, my back slightly turned away from the table. “Could you send me $100?”
“Oh, I haven’t heard from you in almost three weeks and now you’re calling because you need some money?”
“Ma,” I whisper, “I’m sorry. I’ll call more I promise but I’m kinda in a bind right now.”
“So how has school been?” she continues. “I can’t believe you have to miss Thanksgiving dinner because of football. You know I really don’t like that schedule. Who schedules a game the day after Thanksgiving! Your coach should allow you guys to come home.” Ma complains. “Ash is away at doing her Semester at Sea and you’re going to be gone. I don’t like the thought of not having my babies home for the holiday.”
I look over and Alicia is clearly exasperated by this date.
“Mama, I’m sorry I’m going to miss Thanksgiving, but I’ll be home after finals, but we can talk about that later, right now I really need you to send me some money.”
“Aiden, what do you need $100 for? What happened to your graduation money and the money you saved up from your summer job?” Ma questions.
I turn my back to Alicia, “I went out with a friend and my card was declined. The server is waiting on me.”
“Aiden,” she groans. “That was over ten thousand dollars! I can’t believe you spent that much money in four months!” she scolds. “And we talked about this before you left for school, you need to keep track of what you’re spending. Your father isn’t footing the bill anymore. I knew I should have insisted you put that money in a savings account I had control over.”
I don’t often get frustrated with my mom, but she is really irking my nerves at this moment. I want to yell for her to spare me the fucking lecture and send the money. The longer it takes to pay, the more awkward this date becomes.
“Mama, please,” I beg with quiet desperation.
“Ok, I’ll Zelle it to your account.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“I love you. I’ll talk to you later,” she says.
“Ok, love you too.”
As I end the call Alicia gets up.
“Where are you going?” I desperately question.
“This date is over.”
“Alicia, I’m really sorry.” My phone pings with a new notification. I look on the screen to see my mom has sent me the $100 I asked for. “It’s all taken care of. I’m paying it right now.”
She puts on her coat, “One, you have a Pokémon wallet. What are you fucking twelve? And Two, you aren’t taking care of the bill, your mama is. Lose my number,” she says in a snippy tone.
Alicia’s words cut deep, and I’m left there, stunned as she storms out of the restaurant. The remaining patrons glance my way, some with pity, others with thinly veiled amusement.
I slump back into my chair, staring down at the $100 now sitting in my account. My face burns with humiliation. The server, David, reappears, hovering at the edge of the table, clearly having witnessed the whole exchange. His expression is carefully neutral, but I can tell he feels bad for me.
“Would you like to pay now, sir?” he asks, his voice gentle.
“Yeah,” I mumble, sliding my card across the table without meeting his eyes.
As he walks away to process the payment, I lean back in my chair, running a hand through my hair. What a disaster.
The whole night feels like a spotlight on how unprepared I am for this new chapter of my life. No more high school safety nets, no more Dad footing the bill. I’m on my own now. David returns, placing the receipt on the table with a pen. “Thank you, sir. I hope your evening improves,” he says with a sympathetic smile before stepping away to give me privacy.
I sign the receipt, leaving a tip that, while modest, is still more than I can really afford right now. I sit there for a moment longer, trying to collect myself.
I walk out of the restaurant. The cool night air hits my face. I run my hands through my pale orange curly fro taking a deep breath, trying to clear my head. As I wait for the Uber, I can’t help but feel like this night was a wake-up call—one that I desperately needed but definitely didn’t want.
I watch the lights from the waterfront reflect on the calm water, and I know I’ve got to start getting my shit together. This isn’t high school anymore. If I want to make it out here, I need to stop relying on my parents and start handling my own business.
