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“I meant what I said, but I didn’t think you’d let him be all over you in the middle of the fucking bar.” He’s standing up straight now, gesturing toward the place to show me all the people I’ve clearly embarrassed myself in front of. Dropping his arm, his stare burns into me with more intensity than I’ve ever seen. The only illuminating light comes from a few torches scattered outside the bar, and watching the flickering flames ricochet against him only makes him that much more intimidating.
I kind of wish he would look back at the water.
“Classy,” he says as one final jab.
The word leaves me heated, and all caution goes to the wind. Marching up to him, I point my finger at his chest. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to tell me to do something and then make me feel like shit for the way I do it.” Pushing my finger against him again, I spit, “Fuck you, Aiden.”
His blue eyes blaze, making me stagger back a step, but I don’t wait for his response. Turning on the spot, I head straight toward my home away from home and as far away from Aiden Lewis as possible.
43
Aiden
Oh, no she doesn’t. I never thought Claire could have me feeling as pissed as I am right now. I call out, “What about your precious rules?”
She turns, her dress flaring around her knees, and glares at me. “What about them?”
My heart pounds in my chest. The last thing I need is for Claire to think I’ve wanted to flirt with her. “So, what, I have to follow yours, but you don’t have to follow mine?”
Those big brown eyes stay narrowed into slits as she stares at me. Finally, she mutters, “It’s not the same.” She doesn’t wait for me to answer. Instead, she starts walking.
“Like hell it isn’t.” I start after her. I’m not letting her get away with this.
She’s already gotten a head start on me, but I know I can easily catch up with her. My legs are longer than hers, so that alone will close the gap between us. I have no idea where the hell she’s staying, but I take the fact that she isn’t getting into an Uber as a good sign that it’s close.
Glancing over her shoulder, her body tenses when she sees me behind her. Facing forward, she practically growls, “Go back to the bar, Aiden.”
I know she’s only this angry because she’s been drinking. Sober Claire would have bottled this shit up and put a bow on it.
I don’t answer.
We’re walking along the side of a busy street, and I don’t feel like yelling over the noise. She has a decent lead on me until she gets to a crosswalk, and I know I have her. There’s no way Claire will walk before the sign tells her she can. I’d bet money on it.
Her thumb presses against the button like it’s a damn pinball machine, but the red hand doesn’t budge.
At least something’s working in my favor tonight.
Giving up on the silver button, she crosses her arms and looks over her shoulder at me. Rolling her eyes, she says, “Stop following me.”
Finally, catching up to her, I say, “It’s dark, and you’re drunk, and as fucking infuriating as you’re being right now, you shouldn’t walk back alone.”
Before she can answer me, the sign shows the walk symbol, and she wastes no time. Quickly looking both ways, she fucking speed walks to the other side of the street.
“I said stop running, Claire!”
“Ugh!” She cuts across a smaller side street, and I have to pick up my pace to keep up with her. Going straight for a set of wooden steps that lead to a matching wood front door, she calls back, “I’m not running! I just don’t like you right now!”
By the time she punches in the key code, I’m standing behind her. “Look who’s breaking the rules now,” I say as I watch her struggle to get the number right.
When the door finally opens, she slides in and spins, ready to shut the door in my face. “Please, just go.”
I catch the door before she can shut it, and that’s when I finally get a good look at her. She looks like she’s about to cry, and the sight of it throws me off. “Wait, did something happen?”
If Chad did something to her, I’ll kill him.
She lets out a frustrated sigh. “No.”
I study her before saying slowly, “If Chad did something—”
