CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

˚ DINNER WINNER ˚

"Now at last the worst is over, see the way you hold yourself."

IT ONLY TAKES five minutes for Reign to become discouraged about tonight. She has been through a total of three outfits and determined that the amount of effort it takes to get ready is not worth it. The only thing that keeps her going is Bonnie's incessant claps.

"You look beautiful in that!" Bonnie claps her hands together as Reign steps out of her closet. She wears a white buttoned up blouse with light wash jeans. The combination is rather elegant and pleasing to the eye, but the scowl upon Reign's face says otherwise.

"I look like a thirty-year old mom trying to re-live her glory days in the twenties," Reign grumbled. "I don't want to go to this stupid dinner any more."

"Oh come on, don't be dramatic," Bonnie said. "Everyone is going which means you have to go. Plus, McHottie will be there." She wiggled her brows together to emphasize McHottie.

Reign let out a sigh before turning to stare back at the closet. All of these clothes weren't even hers. They were put here by the people of Alexandria, all freshly cleaned and ironed like they'd been waiting. It freaked Reign out frankly.

She suddenly felt a light scratch against her leg. As she looked down, she saw Gizmo there, pawing at her. "You don't want to go either, now do you Gizmo?" Reign asked.

Bonnie sent her a glare. "No! He is trying to tell you that you look pretty, and you should go tonight!"

There were many reasons why Reign didn't want to go to this party. She hated talking to people, so a social gathering was a big no no. She hated dressing up and she hated acting normal when all she wanted to do was see how many tries it took for her sword to slice through a tree. Deanna had insisted that all weapons be kept at home, securely stored away while the guns were held in the armoury. It was a strange idea to walk without a weapon, but Reign wasn't about to be so blind. Part of the reason she was so stubborn about choosing an outfit was because she wanted one that could easily hide her pocket knife. Another reason was because she knew Aidan's eyes would be on her tonight. It was an interesting thought that sent a weird shiver down her back, floating to her stomach.

Bonnie suddenly stood up and went through the closet, analyzing all the clothes with careful persuasion. Bonnie was already dressed and ready to go, with a rather cute ensemble that consisted of a dark pair of jeans and a floral blouse. It suited her well.

"What about this!" Bonnie said excitedly as she pulled out a simple navy and white stripped dress.

"Jesus Christ, it's like you don't even know me," Reign said with the shake of her head. She couldn't remember the last time she wore a dress, and she wasn't about to return to one now. The combination of a stripped, flowy dress made her want to vomit.

"What, do you want to walk in there naked?" Bonnie laughed.

"That's one way to catch McHottie's eye," Reign shrugged, a small smirk on her face. She wasn't self conscious of her body. That was never the concern. God knows it had won over the eyes of at least a dozen men through the years. What she was more worried about was whether or not Aidan would actually like her for who she was, all the light and the dark. She didn't want to scare him away, and as crazy as it sounded, the outfit had a big part to play in all of that.

"You need something simple yet bold. You don't want to reveal too much, but you also want to hide anything. You want to make sure the poor guy doesn't feel uncomfortable." Bonnie giggled, speaking Reign's exact thoughts.

"Here is what I propose," Bonnie said, turning to Reign with her hands on her hips. This girl was on a mission. "You will wear these black jeans," Bonnie said before throwing a pair in her face. "This black lace tank top, and this jean jacket."

Reign didn't argue as she slipped on the outfit, watching Bonnie's facial expression. She stared at Reign with a proud smile before fixing the collar of the jean jacket. Without saying anything, Bonnie turned Reign to look at herself in the mirror.

It looked surprisingly good. Although it was a little more dressier than Reign would have liked, she knew this was the closest they were going to get. This was the best compromise.

"So? Thoughts?" Bonnie asked.

Reign turned to grin at her. "You've done well, my friend."

This caused Bonnie to clap again. "Yay! Now leave your hair down just the way it is, and let me apply just a light layer of make-up. By the time I'm done, you're going to have all the guys swooning over you tonight."

Just not the one that I want, Reign thought.

◎ ◉ ◎

The sun had set, and already Reign was late. She had refused to show up exactly on time, and she wouldn't leave early. Instead she had made Bonnie and Dylan wait a whole hour before they went. That way she assured them they could slip in without anyone noticing.

Unfortunately for Reign, she was wrong.

As soon as they opened the door to Deanna's house, they were greeted by distant stares and forced smiles as everyone around them held a drink in hand. The place smelled like roasted chicken, and made Reign's stomach turn out of hunger. Man oh man do I miss chicken.

She let her brother and Bonnie enter first, noticing how close they were. Reign had to hold back a gasp as she even saw their hands intertwined. Dylan Dixon and Bonnie Bennet were holding hands!

Reign didn't get the chance to say anything as Deanna decided to make an appearance. "I'm so glad you made it! We kind of thought you wouldn't show," she said with a warm smile. As Deanna looked back at Reign, she looked away sheepishly.

"We weren't too sure we could get this one out of the house," Dylan commented, pointing a thumb back to Reign.

Deanna took Dylan's hand in her own as she spoke to him. "Thank you for doing so."

Bonnie and Dylan looked back at Reign like proud parents encouraging their child not to be too shy. Reign had never felt so uncomfortable in her life, and she knew it was only a matter of time until her blushed cheeks made way through the layer of foundation on her face. Thankfully Bonnie and Dylan became engaged in another conversation with faces she couldn't put a name to, allowing her to catch her breath. Gizmo had even made a mad dash towards people, eager for attention. Deanna had become distracted with talking to Rick, leaving Reign utterly alone. It was the perfect opportunity to make a mad dash out of there. It wasn't too late.

She turned around and placed one foot in front of the other as her hand gripped the handle, prepared to slip out when she felt a presence behind her.

"Leaving so soon?"

Reign turned around with a slight jump, her heard beat quickening until she laid eyes on Aidan standing a few feet behind her. She relaxed a little bit, thankful it wasn't Deanna or anyone who would actually get her to stay.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Aidan said, a hand held up to his chest in sincerity.

Reign looked down as she shuffled a laugh, leaning against the door to catch her breath. She had been so close to escaping, so close to making a run for it. Maybe she wasn't meant to make a get away. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. She decided to just run with it.

"I was just going to get fresh air," she lied.

"Oh, well there's a balcony upstairs with a perfect view of the place. Did you want to grab a drink and join me?" Aidan proposed.

Reign thought about it for a moment, although she wasn't thinking about actually going. She was trying to think of an excuse. Until her eyes landed on Damon in the distance, analyzing the conversation between her and Aidan. She had no doubt that he was listening to their conversation. That only made her angry.

"I'd love to," Reign said, still staring at Damon. She watched as he looked at her, watched as his face hardened and his jaw clenched. She had to resist the urge to smirk. She had tried to apologize to him, tried to say sorry for making assumptions about him without really knowing him, but he chose to ignore her. Take that, Damon, she thought.

"Great!" Aidan smiled. "What do you drink?"

"I can get it," she said. She never let another man make her a drink. She had learned the hard way once, and she vowed to never let that happen again. It's not that she didn't trust Aidan, but rather she trusted herself more. "What are you having?"

"My mom brought out all the alcohol we had stored. Wine, beer, spirits. You name it. I'm just having a beer," Aidan said, directing Reign to the table of alcohol.

Reign wiggled her fingers around the table, hovering them above the drinks before choosing a bottle of beer. She hated the taste, but maybe that would allow her to actually focus on the conversation her and Aidan would be having. That way she would be sure Damon would get what he deserved.

She looked over at Aidan and smiled, tucking her long, raven black hair behind her ear. He looked at her with admiration before leading her upstairs to a more quieter place. He opened a closed door, revealing a large bedroom with a balcony. Aidan didn't turn on the lights. He only opened the door and leaned against the railing, glancing back to make sure Reign was behind him.

"It's beautiful," Reign said quietly. She wasn't just saying that for the sake of conversation, as the area up there really was beautiful. The sun had set, leaving behind a beautiful spray of deep orange and pink across the sky. The streets of Alexandria were empty, with street lights illuminating the road. Houses in the distance had their lights on, signifying life. It was almost a city-like sight, and brought ease to Reign. She didn't need the alcohol in that moment to relax.

She leaned against the railing beside Aidan, about an inch of space between them, preventing their elbows from touching. It was the kind of distance that created a pleasant suspense.

"I take it you don't like social gatherings?" Aidan asked gently, breaking up the silence.

Reign smiled as she turned to him. "What gives you that idea?" she teased.

"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact you were ready to bail as soon as you got through the door," he said. He wore a handsome smile that was both genuine and respectful. In the golden light of the sunset, Reign found herself wanting to get closer to him, physically. "Why did you want to leave?"

"I hate talking to people," she admitted, causing Aidan to laugh. "I also hate dressing up."

"Well, you look beautiful," he said.

Reign looked down to hide a blush she could feel coming. "Thank you."

"Where's your dog, Gizmo?"

"Probably making new friends. I think he gets tired of me sometimes, to be honest." She took a sip of her beer while smiling at the thought. Gizmo couldn't have run away from her fast enough downstairs. She knew it was fair, seeing as he hadn't really met new people for a while.

"I can't imagine how anybody would want to do that," Aidan said smoothly. He moved an inch closer to that their elbows were touching. She respected him for having the courage to do so. He also did it in an appropriate amount of time. He wasn't in a rush, and neither was she.

Reign didn't say anything. She only took a sip of her beer as she thought of things to say that would make Damon mad. "You know a fair bit about me. I know nothing about you," Aidan said suddenly. "Who were you before all of this?"

"Your mom asked me the same thing," Reign said.

Aidan shrugged. "It's a fairly important question, no?"

"I think who you were and who you are, are two different things that can change faster than sound travels on water." Reign frowned. "It's about your will to survive."

"Okay." Aidan nodded. "So what was your will to survive? What kept you going?"

Reign frowned at the thought. "My mom."

The environment around them had suddenly turned grey. There was no fluffiness or small talk. She knew from here on out, their conversation would be quite serious. She hated that she always did that. She always made things dark.

"I'm sorry," Aidan whispered, putting the pieces together. He knew of her brother and father, but hadn't seen her mom. Now he knew why.

"It's okay," Reign said, waving her hand as if to dismiss the sadness. "That happened a while ago. I've moved on."

Aidan stayed quiet for a few minutes, unsure of what to say. Without even realizing it, Reign had forgotten about trying to madden Damon. She was solely focused on Aidan and just talking to him. This is your fresh start, Reign.

"I wasn't anything really before all of this. I had graduated high school, and had no real plans for the future. I just wanted to keep my mom alive. My brother Dylan, as you know was in the army, and he was our family's main source of income. We were poor, living on the outskirts of the city. Then when the virus came, it was just my mother and I as my brother had army shit to deal with. We were on our own for a while until she just disappeared, taken by another group. Then I found Rick, my brother and my father all in one day. I didn't know who my father was until after the world fell apart."

"You found your father after the apocalypse?" Aidan asked incredulously.

Reign chuckled. "Luck I guess," she paused. "Which is weird considering I've never had the best of luck."

"I don't think your relationship with luck is all too bad. I mean, you're alive and you're here," Aidan pointed out. They were closer now, the warmth from their bodies spreading from where their shoulders touched.

"How can you be so optimistic?" Reign asked. She looked over, realizing now how close they really were. She could see all the freckles that lined his cheeks, see the freshly shaven hair of his face.

"Have you met my mom?" Aidan remarked.

Reign let out a laugh, a real laugh. The sound of her laughter caused Aidan to laugh too, the two of them becoming surrounded by pure content. "That's a fair point." Reign raised her bottle, tapping it against Aidan's before they both took a sip.

"I'm glad you're here, Reign," Aidan said after they stood in comfortable silence. "I know fitting in isn't easy, and living this way, so normally after a rough life on the road. Man, I can't imagine how hard that is. You must think we're all spoiled pricks that had it easy."

That was exactly what she had been thinking. Although, based off her knowledge of Aidan and the things he's told her, she knew he wasn't all shallow and spoiled. He had seen shit, unlike most of the people in Alexandria that were hidden behind the tall walls.

"Not all of you," she said.

Reign turned to glance at Aidan, only to realize he was already staring at her. He leaned in closer, slowly as if testing the terrain. Reign felt her heart rate quicken, but she didn't back away. She stayed where she was, watching as everything played out. Aidan seemed to be fighting with himself, unsure whether or not he should give in.

Reign admired and respected this, which is why she decided to make the move. All of a sudden she leaned in, closing the gap between them. Although the night was getting colder, Aidan's lips were a brush of fire. She was thankful now that she had put on lipgloss, as it helped hide the dryness of her lips.

She put her hands around Aidan's neck while he put one on her waist, the other cupped on her face. She had forgotten what it felt like to kiss someone, and although it didn't bring fireworks it, was comforting all the same. It was exciting to feel like you were wanted, like you were capable of becoming something more than friends.

In that tender moment, that was all Reign wanted. She wanted to be reminded that she could still feel.

________________________

I'M BACK!!!

Please don't be shy and press the vote button. Don't forget to comment too. I always love hearing what you guys have to say.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so patient with me.

Love,

tay

xoxo

[EDITED: 08/07/18]