Page 56

Aiden’s face hardens, so he must know what I’m thinking. “Don’t worry about Chad.”

“Did you tell him about—”

With a firm shake of his head, he says, “No.”

“Then why shouldn’t I worry about him?” Making out with Chad in a bar while I was drunk is definitely on my list of mistakes, and I’d rather not have to explain that to him.

Aiden stands up straight, lacing his fingers behind his neck. “Because I can guarantee that he’s already hit on at least three girls since you left him last night.”

I’m not sure if I should feel offended or relieved, but I go with relieved. “Oh, okay. Well, in that case, I guess I can go. I just need to shower, but I’ll be quick.”

49

Aiden

Fucking hell.

Claire Ackerman will be naked in this tiny two-bedroom beach house, and I’m just supposed to sit here and wait for her without making a move.

Kissing her was a bad idea. I knew it was a bad idea before I did it, but apparently, I have no self-control when it comes to this girl. We already kissed yesterday anyway, so no harm no foul, right?

I don’t fucking know.

The reason I came over here was to make sure things stopped between us, not to kiss her, but I wasn’t prepared to talk about that night.

I wasn’t prepared to think of her as the sad girl sitting on her front porch who made me reveal things about myself that I had never revealed to anyone. I knew she wanted me to kiss her that night, but I was too much of a coward to make it happen. I was too much of a coward to even talk to her again.

So I kissed her.

And now it’s taking everything in me not to do it again.

Jesus Christ.

She’s still staring at me, waiting for some type of response, so I say, “Yeah, sure. Take your time,” before walking away from her and sitting on the sofa in the living room. I don’t have a reason for sitting over here other than it being the furthest point from her right now—which, in this tiny-ass house, still isn’t enough.

50

Claire

I can barely function as I gather my other outfit and head toward the bathroom. Aiden has his board shorts on with a t-shirt, so I grab my bathing suit to wear under my clothes. All I can think about is Aiden sitting in the living room and how badly I don’t want to be his friend.

But I don’t want to be his girlfriend either.

Yet.

Maybe one day.

But definitely not today.

I sneak a glance at him as I walk to the bathroom, and it’s infuriating how casual he looks as he stares down at his phone. He doesn’t even look at me. Doesn’t he feel what I’m feeling? I can’t be the only one feeling this charged.

I’m tempted to see if he’s feeling this too, or if he’s really so content with nothing happening between us. I already made the first move on him yesterday, though, and I had a little liquid courage to help me do it.

Once I’m in the bathroom, I take a good, long look at myself in the mirror. I completely forgot how crazy this shirt looks when it’s the only thing I’m wearing. Actually, I think it would look crazy regardless. No wonder he’s more interested in his phone than me.

He said he wants us to be friends.

The more I think about that word leaving his lips, the more desperate I feel to make him need me as something more.