The slowed rhythm seemed to draw the heat of the night closer, and Jessica pressed even more boldly against Aiden, grinding in sync with the pulsing bass. Her hands wandered a little more, her movements teasing, daring, wanting him to react fully.
Aiden felt the surge, the tempting thrill, and allowed himself a flash of thought, golden blond hair, sunlit strands brushing a face he could still picture vividly in his mind. Rosalie. The vision hit him sharp, sudden, and he caught himself immediately, stepping back just enough to pull away without breaking the rhythm entirely.
Jessica's brow quivered, a little smirk forming as if she noticed his restraint. "Oh, come on," she murmured, voice low and playful, brushing her hand along his chest again. "You're holding back. I like it when you don't."
Aiden chuckled softly, voice low, controlled, letting the teasing energy linger without giving in completely. "Maybe I just like the chase," he murmured, his hands guiding her lightly at her waist, maintaining a teasing rhythm but never fully indulging her push.
Jessica pouted for a heartbeat, leaning a little closer, pressing her body just enough to draw out the tension, daring him to respond. But Aiden kept his cool, eyes flicking briefly to the crowd, grounding himself in the here and now, and in that flash of golden hair he couldn't ignore.
From the edge of the neon-lit clearing, Haley watched quietly, leaning slightly against a tree, arms crossed. She didn't speak, didn't interrupt. But her eyes tracked every movement, every brush and sway, noting the way Jessica teased Aiden and the way he held himself back. Her mind drifted to the connection she had seen earlier in the school hallway, Aiden and Rosalie, laughing together, sharing glances that had felt intimate, charged.
Haley's lips pressed together, thoughtful, a small frown forming. She knew this moment with Jessica wasn't the whole story. She saw the restraint in Aiden, the way his eyes flashed somewhere else, the part of him still loyal, tethered to something, or someone, beyond the bold flirtation happening now.
Jessica, oblivious to Haley's gaze, continued to dance close, daring, grinding, twerking, wanting more, but Aiden's smirk and controlled movements made it clear he was not crossing that line. The tension was alive, electric, and pulsing through the neon haze, but the restraint only made it more charged, more dangerous, more intoxicating.
Jessica leaned in, her body pressing closer, bolder now, eyes flashing with the heat of the dance. She tilted her head, lips parting as if she might whisper something daring—
And then the piercing wail of sirens cut through the woods. Blue and red lights flared beyond the trees, and a panicked ripple shot through the crowd.
"Cops!" someone shouted.
The music cut in a scramble of static as the DJ yanked cords, and chaos broke loose. People shouted, grabbing bags, running toward the clearing's edge. A flood of neon and shadows bolted for the makeshift parking area, laughter and screams mixing with the sudden urgency of escape.
Jessica grabbed Aiden's wrist, eyes wide. "We've gotta move!"
Aiden's gaze flicked across the woods, kids spilling everywhere, stumbling toward their cars. Through the mess, he spotted Tyler waving frantically by his van, fumbling with his keys. Aiden tugged Jessica with him, cutting through the stampede, weaving between headlights flicking on and tires spinning dirt.
"Tyler!" Aiden barked.
The van's engine coughed weakly as Tyler fumbled, swaying in the driver's seat, clearly too drunk to think straight. "I—I got it, I—"
"Move." Aiden yanked the keys from his hands, sliding behind the wheel. Jessica dove into the front passenger seat, breathless, her chest rising and falling as the back doors slammed open. Mike, Connor, Lauren, Angela, and Ben tumbled in, voices colliding in panic.
"Go, go, go!" Mike shouted, pounding on the wall of the van.
Aiden gritted his teeth, turning the ignition with steady hands. The van rumbled to life. Tires spun in loose dirt, fishtailing as he jerked the wheel, swerving hard between trees and headlights. Jessica clutched the dash, her free hand braced against his arm, but Aiden's focus was razor-sharp.
Behind them, red-and-blue beams cut through the woods. A pair of cruisers surged forward, but before they could break into the trail, two other cars spun sideways, blocking the path as kids scrambled to escape. The cruisers slowed, horns blaring, and Aiden used the gap to veer hard right, bursting out of the trees onto an empty stretch of road.
Everyone in the van was breathing hard, voices overlapping, panic, laughter, adrenaline.
"We lost them!" Connor whooped, clapping the roof.
"Where to now?" Lauren asked, breaking the quiet hum of the van.
Aiden flicked a glance at her, then back to the road. "My place. Steve's working night shift, he won't be home till morning. We can crash there, lay low for a while."
A ripple of relief passed through the group. Angela leaned back against the seat, running a hand through her tangled hair. "That actually sounds perfect."
Tyler groaned, slumping deeper, his head lolling to the side. "Never drinking again," he muttered.
Ben let out a dry laugh. "Yeah, heard that one before, Ty."
The van jolted to a stop minutes later, gravel crunching under its tires. Before them rose a house that looked less like something a high school senior should be pulling up to and more like something out of a magazine spread. Broad, sweeping windows caught the pale light of approaching dawn. The front lawn was a flawless carpet of green, and the sheer size of the place made it feel like it belonged on its own street.
Jessica's eyes widened, her voice soft with surprise. "Wow… you actually live here?"
Aiden shrugged as he killed the engine, trying for casualness even as heat crept up the back of his neck. "Yeah. Well, it's Steve's place. My dad's. Not mine. He's the one who pays for all this. Made good investments years back, and now…" he gestured vaguely toward the sprawling house, "this is what it turned into."
The group moved quietly, careful not to draw any attention as Aiden led them around the side of the house. The air was cool, mist curling along the grass as he slid open the glass patio door to his room. One by one, they stepped inside, their footsteps soft against the polished floor.
The space was almost jarring after the chaos of the woods. A full-sized bedroom stretched wide, designed in muted tones, sleek modern furniture set neatly in place, every corner uncluttered. A walk-in closet stood open, racks of clothes lined in careful order, while a compact side office sat tucked in the corner, its shelves stacked with books and neat rows of binders. The faint hum of the city outside didn't reach here; the glass patio doors seemed to seal the room off from the world.
Jessica wandered toward the patio, pressing a palm against the glass before looking back at the others. "This is insane. It's like a whole apartment inside a bedroom."
Beyond her, mist curled around the edges of the small patio, soft against the early morning light. The bathroom door stood ajar, polished stone and chrome gleaming faintly inside.
There was more than enough space for all of them. Connor and Lauren moved to the office room, tired but still buzzing with leftover adrenaline. Angela sat cross-legged on the couch near the closet, tugging her hair into a loose braid. Tyler stumbled toward a large chair, sitting halfway before groaning and letting his head fall back. Mike leaned against the foot of the bed, arms folded, scanning the room with quiet curiosity.
Ben, still damp from the pond earlier, stayed near the door, his expression unreadable as he took everything in.
Jessica turned back to Aiden with a grin, hands planted on her hips. "So… this is where the mysterious Aiden White disappears too. Figures it would look like something out of a catalog."
Aiden dropped his keys onto the desk, suddenly self-aware under everyone's gaze. "It's just a room," he muttered, though the words didn't carry much weight against the obvious luxury surrounding them.
Ben gave a low whistle from the back, shaking his head. "Figures. No wonder everyone swears you're loaded."
Aiden drummed his fingers lightly against the wheel, jaw tightening. "It's his money, not mine," he muttered.
"Stay put," Aiden said, pushing off the desk. "I'll grab something to drink. and get something to dry off sad boy over here"
Upstairs, the house was still and quiet, the kind of silence that felt heavy after the chaos of the rave. He raided the fridge for bottles and cans, water, soda, a couple energy drinks, and stacked them into his arms. Before heading back down, he snagged a fresh towel from the hall closet and pulled a folded set of clothes from his own dresser: a spare t-shirt and sweats that looked like they'd be about Ben's size.
When he returned, the room had settled into a strange mix of exhaustion and adrenaline. Mike and Lauren had claimed the bed completely, sprawled across it like they owned it. Angela was still sitting cross-legged on the floor, phone in her lap but eyes distant. Connor had eased himself down against the wall, half-dozing, while Jessica lingered near the patio door, watching the mist curl lazily outside.
"Here," Aiden said, setting the drinks on his desk for everyone to grab. He handed a bottle of water straight to Tyler, who sat slumped in the office chair, his skin pale and clammy. "This one's for you. No arguments."
Tyler groaned but took it, twisting the cap off without protest.
Aiden turned next to Ben, tossing the towel toward him with an easy motion. "You're still dripping. Don't ruin the floor." Then, after a beat, he offered the folded clothes. "Here. Change before you freeze. The closet's open."
Ben blinked at him, jaw tight, but accepted both with a quiet nod.
Only when everyone had what they needed did Aiden finally drop onto the edge of the bed, rubbing his hand over his face. The room filled with the soft sounds of caps twisting off bottles, the hiss of carbonation, and the uneven sighs of relief that came with finally being still.
The room settled into a low murmur, the wild energy of the night fading into something softer. Aiden moved back upstairs once more, returning with an armful of folded blankets.
He had gotten up and went out the door to the closet, there he pulled out a stack of blankets and went back to the room.
"Here," he said, dropping them down one by one. He handed the first to Lauren, who tucked it over both herself and Connor. Another went to Mike, who accepted it with a tired nod before pulling it up around his shoulders. Jessica stretched out near the patio door, and Aiden tossed one her way, she caught it against her chest with a playful grin. He also handed 2 to Angela, for her and Ben.
Tyler got his last, already half-asleep in the chair, mumbling something incoherent as the blanket slipped down over him.
Ben reemerged from the closet in the dry clothes Aiden had given him, towel slung around his neck. Angela shifted on the couch to make space beside her, and he sat down. They leaned close, their voices low enough to be swallowed by the hum of the room.
Angela's braid was loose again, strands framing her face as she tilted toward him. "I didn't mean for it to go like that," she whispered, her tone softer than it had been all night.
Ben's jaw worked, his eyes fixed on the floor. "You didn't have to use him, Angela. If you wanted me to notice, you could've just…" He trailed off, shoulders tensing.
"I didn't know if you'd care," she admitted, her voice trembling just slightly. "I thought maybe you wouldn't. I thought maybe you'd already—"
"I care," he cut in, sharper than intended, but his hand brushed against hers before he could stop himself.
Angela's lips parted, relief and guilt flickering across her face in the same breath. They lingered like that, knees almost touching, the weight of unspoken feelings pressing in.
Across the room, Aiden leaned back against the headboard, his arms crossed as he watched them quietly. He didn't interrupt.
The blankets had been passed, his part played. For now, he let their quiet confessions fill the space between the fading adrenaline and the heavy pull of exhaustion. He soon drifted to sleep.