Page 104 of She's With Me (She's With Me 1)

He looks at me, his eyes unreadable, then back at the newspaper articles.

I feel the compulsory need to fill the silence. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I know I’m a terrible person, and I know you don’t deserve to be lied to. It’s why I’ve been pulling back the past couple of weeks. You’re amazing, Aiden. More than amazing, and you deserve better than me. You deserve more than someone who can’t even tell you their real name.”

Aiden holds up a newspaper article, the one of me holding my ribs after being attacked in the mall, where three other people died that day. There’s an intensity and a sadness in his gray eyes.

“You went through all of this? For a year? Alone?”

I bite my lip, unsure where this is going, but I nod at him. There’s a loud pounding at the front door, and we both glance into the hallway. We ignore it as he drops the newspaper article and suddenly I’m wrapped in his arms. I feel like laughing and crying all at once. I expected him to hate me, to yell at me, to call me names, anything other than this.

I wrap my arms around him, holding him to me like he’ll disappear, vaguely aware of the incessant heavy pounding at the front door.

“It’s okay. I’m here,” he soothes in my ear, his voice thick with emotion. “You are the strongest person I know.”

My heart skips. “No, I’m not.”

He pulls back to look at me. “Yes, you are. You’ve been through so much—things that would’ve and should’ve broken you. But you’re here, and you’re still so full of life

and energy and a fiery attitude.”

“You don’t hate me?” I ask, needing to know the answer.

A small smile tugs on Aiden’s lips. “I think I need the full story one day, but I don’t hate you. I could never.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to run while you can?” I breathe. My heart picks up and he leans his head closer to mine. Aiden’s lips are mere inches away from mine.

“I’m all in, Thea Kennedy,” he whispers, finally bringing his lips to mine and my heart erupts from pure happiness.

He’s here. He doesn’t hate me. I’m not alone. And he used my real name.

“Um, Amelia?” Someone calls me from downstairs as the heavy knocking continues.

I reluctantly pull away from him even though everything inside of me is screaming to close my bedroom door and ignore the world.

“Let’s just—let’s see what they want,” I tell him, wiping the tears from my face.

Aiden’s intense gaze never leaves my face as he gently wipes the tears still running down my cheeks. “Let’s go, then we’ll talk.”

He grabs my hand and follows me out of the room, my heart ten times lighter. He wants to talk. He’s holding my hand. He doesn’t hate me. Everyone has left the living room and is looking at the front door, then all look at me once I’m in sight.

“We didn’t know if we should answer it . . .” Mason trails off when he notices my tearstained face, and my hand, which is held tightly in Aiden’s.

I ignore them and head straight to the door, not even bothering to check who it is first. Swinging the door open, I pause when I see four police officers.

“Is that Aiden Parker’s Challenger in the driveway?” the biggest one asks.

“Um.” I don’t know if I should answer. What if it’s related to the street racing and gets Aiden in trouble?

“Yes, it is,” Aiden answers, moving in front of me.

“Aiden Parker?” a second officer asks.

“Yes?” Aiden replies.

Before I can even draw a breath, the four police officers storm into the house, pushing me back, and grab Aiden, roughly pushing him up against the wall. An officer violently yanks Aiden’s arms behind him and handcuffs him, even though Aiden is in no way protesting. They kick his feet apart and roughly pat him down for weapons, and all I can do is stand there, completely stunned.

“What’s this about?” Julian angrily goes right up to one of the officers.

“He didn’t do anything! Stop being so rough!” Mason comes up beside him, Noah and Chase right behind them while Annalisa stands back with a panicky Charlotte.

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