As he ties his shoelace, his uniform’s trousers’ rides up, revealing his skin. A deep circular scar surrounds his right ankle. It seems as old and as faded as the scars on his back and the underside of his forearm.
What on earth happened to him?
Something light hits my shoulder. I jump up with a small yelp.
Cole comes into view. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No. I’m fine.” I look around him to Aiden who’s already straightened up and is heading in our direction.
Cole opens the outer pocket of my backpack and slips Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea. “You forgot this.”
I smile. “Didn’t anyone tell you that you shouldn’t open a girl’s bag?”
His lips twitch. “I’ll remember that next time.”
“There’ll be no next time.” Aiden stands beside me, surrounds my waist with a strong hand and pulls me into the curve of his body.
“That depends on how you act from now on, King.” Cole sounds half teasing, half-serious before he gives me a knowing look.
“I agree with that,” I say.
“Tell me, Nash. Do you want your grave next to Knight’s or Astor’s?” Aiden’s face is dead serious as he speaks.
“I prefer to not have a grave yet.” Cole smiles at me.
“Then stop threatening what’s mine.”
“I will when you do.”
My gaze bounces between Aiden and Cole. Unlike the war of gazes he’s had with Xander the other time, Cole appears completely nonchalant. However, I can sense the tension in the air. It’s like a cool sheen over my skin, threatening to explode any second.
This is odd. Aiden and Cole don’t strike me as the fighting type. They have the most laid back relationship in the group.
Movement catches my attention. Silver stomps in our direction, her cheeks red and nostrils flaring.
I sigh. She’ll ruin my mood if I face her.
“Take care of her,” Aiden tells Cole in a calm tone as if they’ve dealt with this before.
“On it.” Cole’s cool expression disappears. His features tighten as he goes to intercept Silver.
I don’t get to watch what’s happening since Aiden guides me to the passenger seat of his car. I don’t hear Silver and Cole, but I see her screaming at him. She doesn’t spare Aiden a glance. Instead, she cuts me a glare before she starts pushing at Cole’s chest.
He keeps her at arm’s length, his expression still as tight as earlier. Silver continues struggling against him.
Cole leans in and says something in her ear. Just like that, Silver goes limp against him, eyes widened. He takes the chance to drag her out of the car park. Or maybe he’s taking her to his or her car. I can’t tell for sure since they’re out of my field of vision.
“What was that all about?” I ask Aiden once he’s seated in the driver’s seat.
“Nothing important.”
“Do you always have Cole take care of your girl problems?”
He gives me an ‘are you serious’ look. “No one can make Nash do anything he doesn’t want to do.”
“Not even you?”
“Not even me.” He pauses. “Besides, Silver is his step-sister. He knows how to deal with her best.”
“His… what?”
“His mother and her father are getting married.”
Woah. I must be really out of it when it comes to school news. I knew Silver’s parents were divorced, but I didn’t know she was going to be Cole’s step-sister. They have completely different personalities. I wonder how that will go.
The engine revs to life, and I clench my thighs at the vibrations. It’s such a strange, thrilling sensation.
Aiden’s lips pull in a mischievous grin. “You like that, don’t you?”
“I don’t.”
“Sure thing, sweetheart,” he says with a mocking edge.
Dickhead.
As we weave out of the car park, Aiden threads his fingers through mine, and places our intertwined hands on his hard thigh.
My breathing cracks at the amount of tenderness in his touch. It’s almost… normal. His side profile oozes so much masculine beauty. Tingles start between my legs and the engine’s vibrations don’t help.
“Where are we going?” I ask to distract myself from ogling him.
“You’ll see.”
I narrow my eyes. “Where to, Aiden?”
“Not to a slaughterhouse. I won’t go all serial killer on you.”
I can’t help but laugh. He winks, squeezing my fingers in his.
“By the way,” He glances at me. “Why don’t you come to Elites’ games?”
“Eh… I don’t go to school games.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You only go to Premier League games, Miss Snob?”
“No. It’s…” I want to say I don’t like Elites, but that would be a lie. I hated them before, but now, I have no reason to.
“If you come to a game, I’ll take you somewhere special.”
“Where?”
“You’ll have to agree first.”
“Why do you even want me to come? Your Instagram stalkers aren’t enough?”
His grin widens. “If you know about them, then you must’ve been stalking me, too.”
My cheeks heat. “That’s not true.”
“Hmm. You’re one of those silent stalkers, aren’t you?” he continues in a contemplative tone. “You stalk all the time without liking or commenting as if you’re a ghost.”
“You’re so full of yourself.”
“Silent stalkers are the scariest.” He throws me an amusement gleam. “Do you fantasise about me, sweetheart?”
Yes. But screw him.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I sulk.
“A place you’ll love.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Turns out the place I’ll love is Arsenal.
No shit. Freaking Arsenal.
And I’m not talking about watching practice like the rest of the fans. As soon as the players headed inside, Aiden guided me to the locker room. I stood there like a gaping idiot as I stared at my favourite players. Alexandre Lacazette. Maitland-Niles. Monreal. Levi King. Freaking Ozil.
Then I got out of my stupor and asked to take selfies with as many of them as possible — including Coach Emery.