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I can feel my heart start to beat faster, a heavy fluttering sensation setting off in my belly at the seriousness of Aiden’s expression. “And you’re... okay with that?”
“She’s going to find out eventually,” he tells me. “It’s not like you’re going anywhere anytime soon.” There’s a flash of uncertainty in his features then, like he’s not entirely sure himself but looking for some comfort in this regard. “Right?”
My mouth opens and closes like I’m doing a goldfish impression; I thought that we’d have to talk soon about what we are and where we saw ourselves going, but I never expected Aiden to dive into it headfirst without any hesitation. I’ve barely had time to wrap my head around the idea, and Aiden is ready to lay all his cards out on the table. It feels a little reckless, and a lot endearing, but ultimately, it’s an easy answer.
“No,” I tell him. “I’m not.”
His smile is brilliant, so much so that it nearly takes my breathaway, and I’m experiencing an intense need to kisshimnow. “So? Do you want to go?”
“Is it fancy? I doubt I have a dress that works.”
“Let me worry about that,” he urges. “Say you’ll come.”
I bite my lip as I consider, still concerned about how Sophie will take this news but too elated by the idea of Aidenwantingto tell her to even entertain the idea of saying no. Because who am I kidding? There’s no way I’m going to do that. Reckless or not, I know that I’m as ready to dive in headfirst as he is. How could I not be?
“Yeah,” I tell him. “I want to go.”
Another distracting smile for my trouble. “It’s a date then.”
It’s a date.
I’ve had plenty of first dates before, but I don’t think I’ve ever been on one with a guy I’m already sleeping with. And still I feel a thousand times more excited for this one than any other I’ve been on. I practically feel like I just got asked to prom.
Sophie comes back before I have time to say anything else, but I think the goofy grin on my face I can’t seem to wipe away probably says more than enough. At least Aiden’s looks mildly similar, so I don’t feel completely ridiculous.
“Can we watchEncantoafter dinner?”
Normally I might groan—it’s a good movie, but we’ve seen it a dozen times now—but strangely I don’t even feel put out. I pat her head with that same smile plastered on my face. “Sure. We can watch it.”
“Yes!” She turns to wrap her arms around Aiden. “Bye, Dad. Love you.”
“Bye,” he answers back, squeezing her into a hug. “Love you too.”
Sophie flounces past me, and I give Aiden one last look before following her. “See you later?”
“Yeah.” The look he gives me is heavy, the green and brown of his eyes seeming warmer than usual. “You will.”
It takes me at least an hour to stop smiling.
My heart is beating so fast. This could be a terrible mistake. He could be someone entirely different than he seems to be.
But that doesn’t seem to be deterring me in the slightest.
And he’s still waiting on my answer.
“I want to see you too,” I breathe.“Really see you.”
I can hear his exhale, rushed, like he’d been holding his breath.
I reach for the mask, but he stops me, making a sound of protest.
“But you said—”
“I want to be able to touch you, when I first see you,” he says. Heat pools in my belly.“Because when I see you... I have a feeling I won’t be able to stop.”
CHAPTER 22
Cassie
