My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 53

Ivy, back then...

As I sat alone in my room, the events of prom night played over and over in my mind like a twisted movie.

The loud music and bright lights seemed to mock me, reminding me of how I foolishly let Aaron charm his way into asking me to the Prom. It ended terribly when I refused to go back to his hotel room with him. The way he reacted. So angry.

Stupid hormonal teenage boys...

I groaned and lay back on the pillow.

But that wasn’t the only thing weighing on me.

The memory of Aidan’s arms around another girl haunted me, causing a tightness in my chest. A burning sensation of jealousy consumed me, twisting my insides into knots as I couldn’t help but wish it was me in her place.

I could no longer deny the truth: I wanted to be the one by his side. The thought alone was enough to make my heart ache with longing and regret.

I wanted to be with Aidan, not just as friends but as something more. I wanted to hold his hand, laugh with him, and share my hopes and dreams with him. I wanted to be his girlfriend, his partner in crime, his everything.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I admitted the depth of my feelings for him, the fear of rejection and heartbreak threatening to consume me.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t hear the soft knock on my bedroom door until it creaked open, revealing my mother’s concerned face peeking in.

"Honey, is everything okay?" she asked, her voice gentle with worry.

I quickly wiped away the tears that had escaped and forced a smile. "Yeah, Mom, everything’s fine. Just thinking about Prom and stuff."

My mother stepped into the room, her expression softening as she sat down beside me on the bed. "Prom can be a whirlwind of emotions, can’t it? I remember feeling the same way when I was your age."

I nodded, grateful for her understanding, even though she couldn’t possibly understand the full extent of what I was feeling.

"But sweetie, if something’s bothering you, you know you can talk to me about it, right?" she continued, her eyes searching mine for any sign of distress. "Did something happen with your date?"

"Nothing happened!" I exclaimed a little too quickly.

A sharp glint appeared in Mom’s eyes, causing them to narrow into slits. She leaned forward, her protective instincts kicking in. "Honey, if that boy so much as laid a finger on you, you need to tell me. Your father will handle him with no mercy."

"Mom, it’s not about him," I stammered, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Then who is it about?" she pressed on, her gaze unwavering and intense.

I hesitated, unsure of how to voice the turmoil raging inside me. How could I possibly explain to my mother that I was in love with Aidan, that I wanted to be with him in a way that went beyond friendship? It felt too raw, too vulnerable to share.

"I like Aidan," I whispered.

Mom squinted. "So what?"

"I don’t think he likes me back. At least not the way I like him," I confessed.

My mother’s brow furrowed in concern, but there was a hint of impatience in her voice. "Ivy, darling, you’re young. These feelings you’re having, they’re all part of growing up. But you can’t let them consume you. You have a bright future ahead of you, one that doesn’t involve pining after boys who may not see you the way you want them to."

Her words stung, cutting deeper than she could possibly know. Didn’t she understand that my feelings for Aidan were real, that they went beyond teenage infatuation? Didn’t she see that I couldn’t simply ignore them, no matter how hard I tried?

"I know you’re just trying to protect me, Mom," I replied, my voice tinged with frustration. "But it’s not just a stupid crush I am having."

My mother’s expression softened, her gaze filled with a mix of sympathy and resignation. "Ivy, I understand that this feels important to you right now. But believe me, in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a passing phase. You’ll meet someone more... appropriate, someone who fits into our world seamlessly."

"I think...I think I want to be alone now," I said.

Mom sighed, but she didn’t argue with me.

God, I hated the idea of moving on, going to college, and leaving Aidan all alone one day.

No, I couldn’t let that happen.

The next day, with determination in my heart and a knot in my stomach, I set out to find Aidan.

It was a beautiful day, the sunlight warm and comforting.

I marched determinedly towards his house, the click of my shoes a steady beat on the pavement. My hand raised and rapped against the door with a sharp knock. The door sprang open, revealing his little sister.

"Hey, Ellie! Is Aidan around?" I greeted her cheerily.

Ellie’s expression remained neutral as she answered, "No, he’s not here." Her tone was flat and uninviting, giving away nothing of her thoughts or feelings.

My heart pounded in my chest as I nervously posed the question. "Do you know when he will come back?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ellie’s expression grew solemn and she shifted her weight uneasily. "I don’t know," she finally answered, avoiding eye contact with me. "And...you should probably stop coming around here. Aidan doesn’t want to see you."

I felt a lump form in my throat as my stomach dropped. "What do you mean?" My mind raced with possibilities as I anxiously awaited a response from Ellie. The silence between us was thick and heavy, filled with unspoken tension and questions left unanswered.

"He hates you, you know? He hates girls like you. Rich bitches," Ellie hissed through gritted teeth.

What? That wasn’t what I was expecting to hear!

Ellie’s words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me reeling with shock and disbelief. How could Aidan hate me? What had I done to deserve such animosity from someone I cared about so deeply?

"What are you saying?" I asked, my voice trembled.

"What I just said. Aidan hates your guts and doesn’t want to see you ever again. He told me to tell you that," Ellie spat out.

I felt my throat tighten with emotion as I pleaded, "Ellie, please." My voice quivered with desperation. "I need to talk to Aidan. It’s important."

Ellie’s features softened briefly, but her expression quickly hardened again. She fixed me with a steely gaze and spoke with firmness, "Go home, Ivy. You don’t belong in our world."

My heart sank at her words, the weight of her implications crushing me with a sense of overwhelming despair. I couldn’t understand what was going on. Aidan and I were on good terms, so why was Ellie telling me all this?

"Please, Ellie," I implored, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need to know what happened. I need to understand why he would say such things. We are friends."

Ellie snorted. "Friends? Oh, please. Aidan doesn’t have friends and he definitely doesn’t need friends like you."

"I want to hear it from him, so could you please let me in so I can talk to him?" I pleaded again.

Ellie hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting back and forth as if searching for an escape route. "Didn’t you hear me? Aidan isn’t here. He’s gone."

My heart dropped into my stomach, the world around me suddenly spinning out of focus. "Gone where?"

"How the fuck should I know? Just leave us alone," Ellie spat before slamming the door in my face.

I stood there, motionless, trying to process what had just happened. My mind raced with questions — Where did he go? Why did he leave? Was it something I did?

I felt like I had been punched in the gut, the wind knocked out of me. Ellie was right — I didn’t belong in their world.

With shaky legs and a heavy heart, I stumbled backward down the stone steps, my high heels clicking against them like a death march. The weight of reality settled heavily on my shoulders as I retreated back to my own home, leaving behind a shattered dream and a broken heart.

I couldn’t help but worry. Aiden was gone? But where would he go without telling me? What if he was in some kind of trouble?

My eyes welled up with hot, stinging tears as I forced my aching legs to keep carrying me forward. Each step felt like shards of glass digging into my feet, but I couldn’t stop.

The weight of disappointment and heartache pressed down on my shoulders, threatening to suffocate me. As I finally reached the front door of my home, I collapsed against it, gasping for air.

But even in that moment, I couldn’t shake off the thoughts swirling through my mind. What had I done wrong? Was my mother right all along? Maybe I was just a naive teenager who fell for the wrong boy. Aidan and I were never meant to be together...and now it seemed like that truth was hitting me harder than ever before.

Gone.

Aidan was gone.

But gone where?