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“That’s the point of the game, isn’t it?”
He takes a deep breath before beginning. “Okay. I’m good at not feeling things, and I didn’t want to feel anything with you. You had your rule about no flirting, so I figured you didn’t want that from me anyway.” He stops to make sure I’m following, so I give him a nod. “Chad is the king of casual hookups, and I thought that might be what you needed...to help you get over your ex.”
I study him carefully. “But then you got mad at me for kissing him.”
“Yeah, well,” he says as he rubs the back of his neck. “I didn’t think seeing you kiss him would piss me off as much as it did.”
The summer heat threatens to burn my shoulders, so I kneel in the water to cool off. “Okay, your turn.”
Aiden kneels with me, the waves making us sway back and forth. “Why were you in such a hurry to leave The Patch?”
Chewing on my bottom lip, I find it easier to look just about anywhere else as I answer. “You looked like you were having fun with Sam. You didn’t check your phone to see if I had texted you...I don’t know.” Finally bringing my eyes to meet his, I add, “It just seemed like you might still have feelings for her.”
Shaking his head, Aiden says, “I don’t,” and I want to believe him.
“Why did you guys break up?”
His face hardens. “Is that your next question?”
I nod.
When he starts talking, he almost sounds monotone like he’s removed himself from the story as much as possible. “I met her in the city. We dated for a little while back home, but she was coming to Florida for school, so I came with her. It was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made. I don’t even think I really thought about it. She knew Em from when they were little, and Em’s boyfriend needed another roommate. That’s how I moved in with Ethan and Chad, and things were good.” He pauses, and I let him collect his thoughts. “I wasn’t a student, and even though she said she didn’t care about me not going to school, I could tell it bothered her. One day I got off work early and went to campus to surprise her with lunch. I figured it would be good for her to see that I could still be a part of that half of her life. But as soon as I walked up to her building, I saw her sitting outside at a table with some guy in her class. They were holding hands and having what looked like a serious conversation. Then, when they got up to leave, she kissed him, and I knew it was over.”
My mouth drops open. “And did you confront her?”
Looking almost offended by my response, he says, “Of course, I did. She said she had accidentally hooked up with him at a party and that he liked her. It was a party she had invited me to, but I couldn’t go because I was working. She wanted to see where it would go with him, so I left.”
My words tumble out of my mouth slowly. “So, the kiss wasn’t even the worst of it.”
“Nope.”
The pit of my stomach warms with anger, but it’s quickly replaced by sadness. “And they’re all still friends with her because they have no idea what she did.”
Aiden shrugs. “She asked me not to say anything. She was worried about what they’d think of her. She’s known Em for most of her life, and Em loves me. I think she just didn’t want to lose her friend.”
My eyebrows pinch as I piece it all together. “So, you just bottled everything up, said goodbye to your life here, and moved back home...and she got to go on like nothing ever happened?”
Moving closer to me, Aiden smooths his thumb over my wrinkled brow. Letting out a low laugh, he says, “It’s nothing to get worked up over. It happened over a year ago.”
“She’s selfish,” I mutter, still glaring out at the water. If Garret had asked me to do the same, I probably would have laughed in his face.
And then kicked him in the shin.
61
Aiden
“Yes, I can see that now.” I can’t help smiling at her as I say it. She’s fired up about this, and the only other person who’s gotten mad at Sam on my behalf is Mike.
Finally looking at me, she says, “You didn’t deserve what she did to you, Aiden.” She doesn’t let me say anything before she adds, “I wish I knew about this before I saw her. I would have...told her or given her a look—I would have given her a look that let her know that I know.” She gives her best resting bitch face to what I’m assuming is an invisible Sam.
“Claire.”
“What is wrong with people?” she goes on. “Don’t they ever consider someone else’s feelings before they do something?”
“Claire.”
“Like how hard is it? If you don’t want to be with someone anymore, don’t be with them! It’s not like anyone is forcing you—”
