My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 18

Aidan, back then...

The sound of my father’s retreating footsteps was still ringing in my ears as I stared at the floor, my fists clenched in impotent fury.

Ellie let out a long sigh and went inside too, leaving me alone with Ivy.

Anger and embarrassment coursed through me like a relentless tide, threatening to drown any semblance of rational thought. Ivy had seen it all. She’d witnessed my father’s cruelty and my own humiliating helplessness, shattering the carefully constructed façade I’d built to keep people out.

"Don’t look at me like you pity me," I spat bitterly, determined to push Ivy away. The venom in my words was palpable, but I refused to let her see how much her witnessing that moment had affected me.

"Excuse me, I was not?" Ivy’s voice trembled slightly, clearly taken aback by my sudden hostility.

"No? Or did watching that scene make you feel good?" I sneered, my eyes meeting hers with an icy glare.

"No, it did not feel good. I never wished for you to get hurt even though you bully me," Ivy said.

"Of course not. Because you are a total saint, aren’t you?" I mocked.

" I know what you are doing, Aidan. You’re trying to hurt me because you’re embarrassed, right?" Her hazel eyes, usually warm and kind, were now filled with disbelief and hurt.

"Embarrassed?" I scoffed. "Don’t flatter yourself, Ivy. If anything, I’m disgusted that someone like you got close enough to see that."

"Someone like me?" she echoed, her voice strained.

"Exactly," I said coldly. "You’re nothing special, Ivy. Just another privileged girl who thinks she can save the world with her pretty smiles and useless sympathy. You don’t know what real pain feels like, and you’ll never understand people like me."

"Maybe not," she admitted quietly, "But I am not here to make you feel worse, Aidan. I’m not your enemy."

"Save it," I snapped. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I made a wrong turn when I was walking home," she said.

"Walking? Wow. Didn’t Daddy send you a private car to pick you up?" I sneered.

"Why are you being so mean, Aidan? I am sorry you are treated like this at home, but you can’t take it out on me like this. It’s not fair," Ivy said, her eyes shimmering as if tears would fall off any moment now.

Ivy’s words only fueled my anger. How dare she act like she understands anything about my life? She doesn’t know what it’s like to go hungry or be terrified to go home after school. Princess Ivy lives in a perfect little bubble, unaffected by the ugliness of the real world.

"Not fair?" I laughed harshly. "Welcome to my world, sweetheart. Nothing’s fair here. So take your pity party somewhere else, because I don’t need it."

Ivy flinched at the venom in my tone. For a second, she just stared at me with those big doe eyes. Then her gaze hardened.

"You’re right. I don’t understand your life. But that doesn’t give you the right to lash out at me," she said, her voice strong despite the tears glimmering in her eyes. "I know you’re hurting, Aidan. But being cruel won’t make it better."

I faltered, surprised by her dedication. Beneath my anger, I felt a flicker of remorse. She didn’t deserve my venom—she’d witnessed everything by accident. But I’d never admit that out loud.

"Just leave me alone, Ivy," I muttered.

She hesitated, clearly wanting to say more. But after a moment, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Without another word, she turned and started to walk away.

"Wait," I grumbled.

Ivy paused and glanced back, her eyes wide with surprise. I shifted my weight awkwardly, scuffing my shoe against the cracked sidewalk.

"It’s getting late," I mumbled. "I can give you a ride home."

Ivy blinked in confusion. "Really? After all that, do you want to give me a ride?"

I shrugged, avoiding her gaze. "It’s not a big deal. It’s a bad neighborhood, so you shouldn’t be walking alone anyway."

A small smile tugged at Ivy’s lips. "Okay then. Thank you, Aidan."

We walked to my beat-up old pickup in silence. As Ivy climbed inside, she ran her hands over the faded leather seats.

"This truck has character," she said warmly.

I snorted. "It’s a piece of crap. But it runs most days, so I make it work."

"No, I like it," Ivy insisted. "It suits you."

I shook my head, unable to tell whether it was a compliment or an insult. I started the engine and it sputtered to life after a few tries.

The radio crackled as I pulled onto the road. Ivy hummed along softly to the song, her hair blowing gently in the breeze from the open window. For once, I didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with brooding thoughts or bitter words. It was...nice.

When we reached Ivy’s house, I idled in the driveway, suddenly reluctant to see her go. She gathered her bag and turned to me with a radiant smile.

"Thank you again, Aidan. I know you don’t like me, but I hope you change your mind one day," she said.

"Yeah, sure," I mumbled. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "See you at school tomorrow?"

Ivy nodded.

"And don’t you dare tell anyone about what you saw today. If you do, I will make you pay," I barked.

"It’s our secret," she promised. With that, she was gone, leaving me alone in the darkened truck, staring at her retreating figure.

~-~

I leaned against my locker, trying to block out the noise of the crowded hallway. My friends Jaime and Robby were chatting animatedly around me, but my mind was elsewhere. That’s when I heard her voice – Ivy’s voice – calling out to me.

I turned to see her approaching; the cheerfulness in her tone clashed with the anxiety I could see in her eyes. For a split second, confusion flickered across my face. What did she want from me? But before I could gather my thoughts, the scowl returned, and I slammed my locker shut, ready to walk away.

"Wait, Aidan!" Her voice echoed down the hallway, and against my better judgment, I slowed my pace, allowing her to catch up.

I could feel the stares of my friends burning into me, their silent judgment hanging heavy in the air. "What?"

"I just wanted to talk!" she said. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"About what?" I barked.

"I don’t know...I was just..."

"What? Just because I was nice enough to give you a ride once, we are suddenly friends?" I said irritably.

"I just think we should start over," Ivy said.

My friends exchanged glances before breaking into laughter. "Ooh, look at little Ivy trying to be Aidan’s little buddy," one of them teased, making a pouty face in mock concern.

"Shut up!" I snapped, my neck burning. "Ivy, I don’t have time for this. And I definitely do not want to be your friend, so drop it."

"No, I won’t," Ivy shot back defiantly. "I know there’s more to you than this, Aidan, and I won’t rest until you see it too."

"Pathetic," Robby muttered under his breath, but Ivy ignored him.

Ivy stood her ground, gazing up at me with those imploring blue eyes. But before she could speak again, Jaime shouldered past her roughly, nearly knocking the books from her arms.

"Watch it, freak!" Jaime snarled. Ivy scrambled to collect her fallen papers as the others laughed.

"Nice one, Jaime!" Robby jeered, high-fiving her. Ivy’s cheeks burned crimson as she avoided my gaze, hurriedly stuffing her books into her bag.

I shifted uncomfortably, an unwanted pang of guilt hitting me. But I quickly hardened myself, assuming a bored expression.

"Let’s get to class," I muttered. "This loser isn’t worth our time."

I turned to walk away, but suddenly heard a yelp and a crash behind me. Whirling around, I saw Ivy sprawled on the floor, her books scattered around her. Jaime stood over her, smirking triumphantly.

"Oops, did I trip you by mistake again?" Jaime taunted. "Maybe you should watch where you’re going."

The others cackled as Ivy struggled to her feet, tears brimming in her eyes. Something protective surged up in me and before I knew what I was doing, I had rushed over and grabbed Jaime’s arm.

"Enough," I growled. Jaime’s smirk faded as she stared at me in surprise.

I released her and bent down to help Ivy gather her things, aware that Robby and the others were also gaping at me in confusion.

"You okay?" I asked Ivy gruffly, handing her a notebook. She took it with a trembling hand, nodding silently. I felt another unwelcome pang, gentler this time, as I noticed a small cut on her knee from the fall.

"I just didn’t want you to be late for class," I muttered lamely, straightening up. The others were still staring at me like I’d grown two heads.

"Let’s go," I barked, stalking off down the hall. After a moment, I heard them trailing reluctantly after me.

My mind was reeling. Why had I helped her like that? And in front of everyone? I didn’t even like Ivy. I shouldn’t care what happened to her. But when I’d seen her sprawled helpless on the floor, something in me had reacted before I could stop myself.

What was happening to me?