He lifts my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “You can lie to yourself and think that I’m blackmailing you with sex any day, sweetheart.”
The amusement in his tone pisses me off.
“Isn’t that the truth? If it were up to me, I’d vote for the story without the sex part of the deal.”
“Hmm. Is that why your tight pussy begs for my cock the minute I’m out of you? Or is that why you demanded, and I quote, Don’t you dare fucking stop?”
I block his mouth with a hand and search my surroundings with my cheeks in flames.
Damn him and his dirty mouth.
I’m almost sure he’s doing it on purpose to make me squirm at school.
He removes my hand to reveal a sly smile. His fingers thread in my hair, tugging the band free. And just like that, his poker face returns. “Don’t talk to Lev. I mean it.”
“If you have nothing to hide, why shouldn’t I?”
“It’s not about that. He won’t tell you anything.”
“Then what is it about?”
He scoffs and resumes walking. Aiden just freaking scoffed at the mention of his cousin.
I keep up with him, tying my hair back, and watching his body language intently. There’s something about his reaction that I can’t put my finger on.
“By the way,” I probe. “Isn’t Levi your cousin? Why did he specifically choose Cole for the captain position and not you?”
“Because Nash appears normal and he’s all about compromises and team spirit.”
Appears normal? As in he isn’t?
“Wow. Levi must take football more seriously than you. I guess that’s why he went professional and you won’t.”
He stabs me with a glare. “Are you done?”
“Done with what?”
“Idolising Lev.”
It hits me then. I suppress a smile. “You’re jealous of him.”
He remains silent, but I know I’m on point.
“You are.” I laugh. “Why? Because he was so popular? He had all the girls and the attention? Even Jonathan came to RES so many times because of him, and not you.”
“I don’t give a fuck about any of that.” He wraps a hand around my arm. “I told you not to idolise other men in front of me.”
“Does that mean I can idolise them behind your back?” I taunt.
He gives me the stink eye.
I laugh. “Is that a yes?”
“That’s cheating.” His expression darkens. “And you know my rules and my reaction to that.”
Geez. Only the level of Aiden’s possessiveness would consider idolising other men cheating.
Now that I think about it, if Aiden idolises any other woman in front of me, I might flip.
Hell. I dislike the woman he lost his virginity to and he didn’t even speak that highly of her.
I poke him as we continue walking towards our class. “Don’t worry, King. You’re popular, too. Levi is just more approachable.”
He continues glaring at me as I laugh. It’s fun to get on his nerves. It’s almost as if our roles are switching.
Maybe I really need to have a talk with Levi and see if he would tell me anything. I’ll have Astrid there to loosen him up.
God. I’m starting to think with a manipulative mind like Aiden’s.
Down the hall, Silver and Adam walk to class together. She doesn’t have the scarf or the bruise today. She must’ve done a killer makeup job to make it disappear.
Wait. Silver and Adam?
Now that I look closer, they’re not walking together or even talking.
However, their steps are almost in sync.
Wait.
It’s Adam.
He’s a few steps behind her, keeping his footsteps in sync with hers.
It stands out because he’s tall and buff and his steps are usually wide. He wouldn’t walk in moderate, elegant steps like Silver.
The latter is scrolling through her phone, appearing oblivious to her surroundings.
But is she oblivious to Adam’s existence, too?
Although they’re both bullies — Adam more so than Silver — they never struck me as being close. She wouldn’t have testified against him last year if they were.
But maybe I was wrong.
Silver slips inside the class. Adam pauses and meets my gaze.
It’s brief, barely a second, but it’s enough to send chills down my spine.
Stay the fuck away.
I can read it in his eyes even if he says nothing.
Stay away from what? From whom?
He couldn’t have known I noticed the creepy way he hangs around Silver.
The moment ends when he quickly breaks eye contact and strides into class.
“Hmm. Interesting.”
I jolt at Aiden’s contemplative voice. For a second, I forgot he’s there.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing you need to worry about, sweetheart.” He watches the place where Adam just stood. “It’ll be taken care of.”
I gulp. He couldn’t be meaning what I think he’s meaning, right?
Adam is a fucking bastard, but no one deserves Aiden’s wrath.
But then again, maybe the bastard shouldn’t have glared at me.
Or bullied me and Kim.
Or had creepy vibes around Silver.
He had it coming.
“Ellie!” Kim runs towards me and interlaces my free hand with hers. “Morning, King. Stop taking my best friend away from me.”
“Morning, Reed.” His poker face is on. “And no, I don’t share.”
I suppress a smile as Kim laughs.
It makes me fuzzy inside to see her happy. She deals with lots of demons and even though she doesn’t tell me, it breaks my heart to see her being an adult to her baby brother when she wants the whole teenage life.
In class, Aiden finally lets me go. That’s only because Ronan pulled him to the side to tell him about his last night bang — in all explicit details.
Aiden listens with a poker face.
I wonder if he ever tells his friends about our sex life or the way he fucks me. I mean, he always talks dirty and he’s not the type to be embarrassed.
For some reason, I don’t think he does. Even though he doesn’t seem like it, Aiden is a private person. I never heard him brag about anything — unless he uses it to put someone in their place.
Oh, and he’s possessive to a fault. He definitely would never let others think of me in a sexual way.
I smile at that.
“So?” Kim turns in her seat to face me. Her elbows are on the desk as she cradles her face with both hands. A stupid joyful gleam shines in her green eyes.
“So what?”
“I thought you were going out with Knox.”
“I did.”
“Then you texted me that King is giving you a ride this morning. Did he spend the night?”
I bite my lower lip.
She squeals, but she’s careful enough to keep her voice down. “It was a wild night yesterday. I can tell.”
Wild is the understatement of the century. First Aunt and Uncle and then Aiden.
Now that I think about it, the whole time I’ve been with him, I haven’t thought about the chaos with Aunt and Uncle.
That’s… strange.
“You have a hickey.” She points at my neck.
I slap a hand on the spot. “What? Where?”
He only left hickeys on my breasts, around my scar, and down my stomach. I made sure nothing was visible on my neck.
Kim laughs and lowers my ponytail so it covers the back of my neck. “There. It’s all hidden.”
I glare at Aiden. The arsehole must’ve left it when I was asleep and in a place I can’t see. That must be why he’s been releasing my hair.
He only grins at me before Ronan steals his attention again.
Dickhead.
“I want details.” Kim hisses, still grinning like an idiot.
“It was… well,” I lean in to whisper. “I can’t walk properly.”
Her eyes bulge and she comes even closer. “I knew King was the rough type.”
“You can say that again. Wait.” I narrow my eyes jokingly. “How did you deduce that?”
“He has that vibe.” She steals a glance at Cole and Xander who are tossing a ball at one another. “Cole, too. Those silent types are usually the wildest. I heard he’s into kink.”
She’s talking about Cole, but the only one she has eyes for is the golden boy and his dimples.
“How about Xander?”
She clicks her tongue and faces me again. “That one doesn’t matter.”
“If you say so.”
“I mean so.” She narrows her eyes then clears her throat. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“How do you know if you like it rough?”
“You just do, I guess. It can be overwhelming, but you feel like every part of your body comes alive to the point that even pain is pleasurable.” I pause, realising what I just said. “Please don’t think I’m weird.”
Kim watches me for a few seconds, her lips parting before she grins. “I’ll never judge you, Ellie. Besides, remember what I said about the silent types being the wildest? You’re one of them.”
I swat her hand playfully. “Stop it.”
“How about Knox then?” Her nose scrunches. “King wasn’t mad about that?”
“He’s still mad.”
But I can take care of him.
He needs to learn that he won’t control my life.
It’s curious that he’s only this way about Knox. When his horsemen touch me or talk to me, he becomes a dick, but he doesn’t act as intensely as he does with Knox.
Maybe it’s because he trusts them? The level of trust Aiden could give, anyway.
I fail to think that Aiden would feel threatened by someone as easy going as Knox.
Hell. He should be thankful to him for saving my life in the pool.
“Oh, here he is,” Kim says then gasps.
I follow her field of vision and my mouth hangs open. Knox walks into class with a busted lip, bluish bruises around his left eye, and pinkish ones near his temple.
“Oh, my Gosh, Knox.” Kim jumps from her seat. “What happened?”
The entire class falls silent.
Except for Ronan.
He loses the sense of space and time when he’s engaged in his animated speeches. Cole continues half-listening to Ronan and half-reading from his book. At least he has the decency to stare over his book at the scene.
Xander cuts a glare at Knox and Aiden leans back in his seat… smirking.
He’s fucking smirking.
My eyes widen, bouncing between his bandaged knuckles and Knox’s face.
No.
No, no, no…
“I was attacked out of nowhere yesterday,” Knox winces.
I stagger on unsteady feet and approach him. “W-Where?”
“Right after you got into the taxi. It looks worse than it actually is. I was able to get help and…”
I’m not listening to him anymore as thousands of scenarios flash into my head.
Aiden admitted to watching us in the coffee shop. Yes, he was at my house when I got in there, but he has a faster car.
I feel sick to my stomach.