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He looked at me as if I were the only person in the world. No one had ever looked at me like that.
I didn’t know how many seconds passed, but I felt like it was a little too long by the way Pixie shifted on the seat beside me. Although it didn’t feel uncomfortable to me, I knew outsiders might think it was weird that Aiden and I couldn’t break eye contact.
“Well, Aiden? Are you game for this Saturday?” Pixie’s voice was excited, and I blinked a few times before looking at her.
I could’ve strangled her in that moment. She was good at trying to convince people of things, peer pressuring them. I looked at Aiden again, about to apologize, to tell him that he most certainly didn’t have to do anything he didn’t want to, but when he leaned forward slightly, all words died in my throat.
“If Harlow goes and wants me to be with her, I wouldn’t say no.”
Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted.
My heart jumped into my throat, and I felt my cheeks heat once again. He said it in such a deep, silky-smooth voice that I couldn’t help but feel it throughout my whole body, like he actually reached out and touched me.
“You hear that, Harlow?” Pixie prompted, but I couldn’t tear my gaze from Aiden. “He said he’s game. Now, you’re not gonna have him go to the party alone, are you?”
God, in this moment, I was so annoyed with her, but I also secretly loved that she said something.
“If Aiden goes, so will I.”
There, the words were out in the open, unable to be taken back.
But you know what? I didn’t regret them one bit.
Chapter Nine
Aiden
The bell for the last class of the day rang and I gathered my books, wanting to get the fuck out of here. I kept replaying the scene at lunch with Harlow’s friend asking me to go to a party. Fucking Braxton’s party. And if Harlow hadn’t been going, if it hadn’t been presented to me that I’d be there with her, I would’ve said fuck no and had no shame about it.
But if Harlow was going, I wanted to be there to protect her, to make sure no fucking assholes looked at her or even thought about touching her. I knew what drunk cocksuckers could be like. Hell no was I going to let her go alone into that fucking wolf den.
I felt possessiveness so deep in my body that it was like another living person inside me, like this stranger I’d never known existed was finally making himself known. But I embraced him. I let that fucker out and take control.
I made my way out to the parking lot and started passing the line of school buses, students loading into them. And then I saw her, Harlow in the line, her backpack slung over her shoulders, her focus on the cell in her hand. I felt my heart jump a little bit, felt a smile start to spread on my face. God, just seeing her excited me.
I could’ve kept walking, but instead, I went right toward her, gently nudged my shoulder against hers until she looked up at me, and fucking loved how I could see the excitement on her face. I swear her eyes fucking lit up when she saw me.
I was pretty sure I’d never felt anything better before.
“Hey,” she said in a soft voice.
“Hey, yourself.” I tipped my chin toward the parking lot. “Want a ride home?” Her smile brightened and she nodded slowly.
She stepped out of line and we headed toward my car. I didn’t miss the looks we were getting from some of our classmates. They could fucking stare all they wanted to. I’d never cared before, and I certainly didn’t give a fuck now. No doubt they were wondering what the hell she was thinking spending time with me.
Once at my car, she climbed in before I could open the door for her. Yeah, I was actually going to open the car door for her. The last thing I would’ve ever been called was a gentleman, not because I was that kind of asshole, but because I’d never felt this way about anyone before to the point I wanted to do things like this.
But it just seemed like the right thing to do and something I really wanted to do for her.
I climbed into the driver seat and looked over at her. She had a smile on her face as she looked at me. It felt right having her in the car beside me.
I didn’t say anything as I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. I started heading toward her house, although that was the last place I wanted to go. I’d love to hang out with her, just go somewhere and talk, but I was too much of a chickenshit to actually ask her.
