I look at him in awe. “That’s amazing, Aiden! That says a lot if Valentino thinks you should do it.”
Excitement pinches every corner of his face. “Hey! Maybe I could be your mentor!”
“Really? That would be awesome!”
“Definitely! I’m not too sure how people get paired together, but, if I get a say so, I’ll definitely ask to be with you.”
My heart flutters. “I would love that! Promise you will?
He crosses over his heart. “I promise.” A hint of a smile plays on his lips. “I guess that means we would be spending a lot more time together.”
My heart beats faster. “I guess so.”
POOF! “Here’s your soup, ma’am, and your fries.”
A bowl of soup appears in front of my face, and the plate with my fries follows.
Dillon then sets down Aiden’s food. “And here’s your food, partner! Can I get anything else for you two?”
I smirk at Dillon, suddenly feeling sad. “No. I’m good. Thank you.”
“I’m good as well,” Aiden adds.
“I’ll be back to check on y’all in a little bit to see how you’re doing,” Dillon says with a heavy twang in his voice and doffs his hat. POOF!
Aiden’s eyes crease with concern. “Are you okay?”
My heart falls in my chest. No matter how much time I spend with Aiden, nothing is ever going to change between us. He’s so consumed with his studies—and dammit, I admire him for it. But I want to be so much more to him. I want to be the one he comes to talk about his day, his struggles, his desires … but he’ll always keep me at arm’s length.
I force a smile. “Of course.” I survey my food. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my appetite, but I can’t not eat. “This all looks really good! Let’s dig in!”
Aiden gives me a modest smile, but his eyes too look remorseful. “Okay, lets.”
Chapter 27
Ember
I shake my head with playful disgust. “I can’t believe you.”
Aiden’s dashes by me to get to the door to exit The Garage and muffles his laughter. “C’mon, don’t be upset at me.”
I walk by him and halt on the sidewalk.
Aiden appears next to me.
“This was my thing, remember? I was going to pay! I can’t believe when you said you were going off to the restroom you actually went to pay the bill!”
“That’s the only way I knew I could pay.” He pulls me in to him. “I’m sorry though. You can pay next time. I promise.”
Next time? I eye him. “There’s going to be a next time?”
“I don’t see why not.”
I sigh. “I guess that’s fine then.”
His arm remains around me, and we head for the bus stop. I’m disappointed the evening has gone by so fast. I really don’t want it to end quite yet. “Is there anything else you would like to do while we’re out? It’s not too late.”
“Really?”
I shrug, trying to act indifferent. “Why not?”
Aiden releases me and glances back the way we came. “Actually, there’s a place I used to hang out at all the time that’s about a block or two away. I would love to take you there.”
“Sure, let’s go!”
We walk back past The Garage and turn the corner. The street is lined with businesses of all kinds: bars, shops, restaurants. The city is alive with lights, music, and people. I stay close to Aiden as we squeeze through the crowds, keeping my head lowered.
Aiden stops and points at a building on the opposite corner. “That’s it!” he yells loud enough for me to hear. The structure is a corner brick building slightly shorter than its neighbors, and it’s illuminated like a Ferris wheel against the night sky. Colorful carnival-style bulbs decorate the sides and, on top, ARCADE flashes boldly in fluorescent-purple letters.
“A game arcade? Really?”
The lights reflect magically in Aiden’s eyes. “Yeah. I used to come here all the time with Billy. This is actually where we met.”
I stare at him with narrowed eyes. “I can’t see you relaxing enough to come to a place like this.”
He laughs and reaches for my hand. “Let’s go!”
We hurriedly cross the street to our new destination. The front door mesmerizes me. It’s made of stained glass showcasing some fun characters—an elf in a green tunic, a pink little bubble with eyes, a short man with overalls, and numerous more. Aiden grabs the handle, and we enter. I suddenly feel like a kid on Christmas day. The interior is decorated with the same carnival lights outside bordering the ceiling. About fifty or more different arcade-style games flash every color in the rainbow. The atmosphere is buzzing with techno music and chatter from the abundance of people, young and old alike.
Aiden leans close to my ear. “Do you see a game you would like to play?”
I scan the room. All the game titles blur together, but one stands out. “Whack-A-Mole! When I was little, I remember going to a fair with my dad, and we played that.”
“Sure! We’ll have to get some tokens.”
We head for what looks like a change machine, but it’s actually a machine to get tokens. He releases my hand to reach for his wallet.
I tug on his shirt. “No, I got this. Unless you want to battle me in the middle of this arcade, let me pay.”
He studies the room like he’s debating on whether the arcade could withstand our abilities and chuckles. “Fine. You can pay.”
I remove money from my pocket—one reason I love this dress so much; it actually has pockets—and put the bills into the machine. Disturbing metallic noises come from it, and, after a couple moments, bronze coins dispense. I grab them and face Aiden. “Okay, we’re set!”
He nods toward the game. “Then let’s whack some moles!”
I survey all the different games as we pass them. One has the elf cartoon I saw earlier; another looks like some strange farm game. A few have aliens, and a racing game requires the player to actually sit in carlike seats. The inner child in me bounces with joy as we approach the Whack-A-Mole game. Cartoon moles popping from the ground illuminate the sign. Bulbs line the top of the sign, but they’re dark. Nine holes resemble dirt mounds, and the token slot glows yellow in the corner. I insert two tokens and hand the rest to Aiden. The bulbs come to life, and theme park music blares from the game.
Aiden grabs the mallet and hands it to me. “Your weapon, milady.”
“Why, thank you.” I take it from him, and just in the nick of time. The first overly hairy mole pops out in the middle of the board. Whack! I giggle, and more moles pop up from other holes. Whack! Whack! Whack! “Darn!” I missed one, and in doing so, find myself off the rhythm of the game.
Aiden stands behind me and puts his hand over mine. “We can’t let these moles show you up!”
With his help, my accuracy becomes better, and we manage to hit quite a few more. We move closer together, and our laughter mingles with the other surrounding noises. The lights around the game blink again, and there’s a shrill buzzing noise. I glance down, and ten tickets stream out in front. In one swift motion, I tear them off and turn. “Look! Tickets!” My chest trembles. Barely an inch separates Aiden and me. I expect for him to step backward or to say some ridiculous joke, but he doesn’t.
He adjusts, putting his hands on the game behind me and capturing me between his arms. Our eyes lock, and his stare is conflicted. He sighs and shakes his head. “I’m doing a terrible job.”
I try to control my breathing. “What do you mean?”
His thumb surprises me by barely brushing my bottom lip. “Of hiding my true feelings.”
“Aiden? Aiden Stiles!” an unknown voice yells out.
Aiden releases me, and I gasp for a breath. He’s hiding his true feelings? What’s that supposed to mean?
Aiden turns. “Oh, hey, Johnny.”
A guy wearing camo pants and a white t-shirt with cropped black hair and sun-kissed skin approaches. “Hey, man! How’ve you been? How’s Guardian li
fe?”
Aiden chortles. “I’m not a Guardian yet, but things are good. How about you? We haven’t seen each other since we graduated.”
Johnny smiles. “I’ve been well.” He notices me and gives me a crooked smile.
My skin crawls.
“Who’s this pretty lady? Your girlfriend?”
Aiden rubs the back of his neck. “No, um … we’re not dating.”
Even though his answer is true, it stings.
Johnny’s eyes widen with excitement. “Even better! Normally all the gorgeous girls are already taken. What’s your name?”
Oh no. My name. I can’t give him my name.
“Oh, this is … Betty!” Aiden says quickly. “We go to school together.”
Betty, really?
Johnny grabs my hand and brings it to his lips. His lips slither upward. “It’s nice to meet you, Betty.”
My head begins to feel … foggy. I can’t think straight. Johnny kisses my hand, and his cold lips freak me out. I jolt backward, and my heel hits the whack-a-mole game.
He drops my hand. “Well, if you are free, how about we play a game together? I’ve been dying to try out their new partner dance game with a pretty lady such as yourself.”
Aiden steps between me and Johnny, acting like a shield. “Actually, Johnny, we need to get going.”
Johnny’s gaze drops like a dog begging for a bone. “Oh, c’mon, just one game?”
I feel very lightheaded and rub my forehead. “Aiden is … is right. We should probably be going. It is … getting late.” The room swirls, distorting Johnny.
Johnny touches the side of my arm, and the room goes still. “Aw, you’re going to crush a lonely man’s dreams?”
I blink a couple of times. “Okay … okay, one game.”
Wait. Did I just say that? I don’t really understand what’s happening, and the lights behind Johnny burn brighter, like someone upped the voltage.
“Ember, are you okay?” Aiden asks.
I nod, against my will. “Yeah. I just want to go with Johnny.”
What! No! This isn’t what I want! Aiden’s whole face shifts downward, and he moves back. “Oh. Okay. I’ll let you go then.”
Johnny pulls me with him, and I move along. “Great. The game is over this way. We’ll see you later, Aiden!”
“I’ll wait for you by the bar,” Aiden calls after me, his voice is husky, sad.
My heart twitches, but the fog in my head intensifies. I don’t know why I am going with this guy or why I am spacing out so much. Was I slipped some kind of drug? I don’t know how though. I haven’t eaten or drank anything since The Garage.
Johnny abruptly stops. “Well, this is it!” He points to a game that looks more like an entertainment center with a forty-inch TV than an actual game. A small dance floor has squares pointing in each direction. DANCERS UNITE! is illuminated on top of the TV in pink and purple letters.
I jerk away from Johnny and take a deep breath.
Johnny tries to grab my hand again, but I stumble backward and fall on the floor. He reaches to help me, but I swat his hand.
The sudden adrenaline rush clears my head. “Don’t touch me! I don’t know what you did to me, but I do not want to be here with you.”
He cocks an eyebrow and smirks vindictively. “So … Ember Vulterra is in love. Interesting.” His face darkens like a shadow just casted over him; the veins in the white of his green eyes are black. “That’s the only way you could be resisting me.”
Shakes rattle my body. I notice everyone is consumed with their game or their own private conversations. They don’t want to be bothered with what probably looks like some kind of lover’s spat. No one heard him say my name. I get to my feet, and Johnny watches me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I don’t know what you are talking about, but whatever you did was definitely not okay.”
He chuckles. “Don’t worry, Ember. I won’t tell anyone who you are,” he says softer. “But there’s no denying you are the daughter of the beautiful Emerald Blaze. Even if you are wearing those hideous glasses.”
I swear my heart is beating so hard I may have a heart attack. “Well, I guess I appreciate you keeping that to yourself then.”
His smile sends a cold shiver through my body. “Of course, but I hope he treats you well.” He nods toward where we came from. “Such a disappointment. You could do so much better.”
I clench my jaw. “I would appreciate it if you would leave Aiden out of whatever your issues are with me. He’s just a friend.”
“Of course … just a friend. If that were true, you wouldn’t have put up a fight.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about, but I think it’s time for you to go.”
“Fine, but we’ll meet again, Betty.” With a wave of his hand and tip of his head, he turns and heads for the door. “By the way, I wouldn’t tell Aiden anything about this if you want to keep your friend safe.”
I stand frozen, staring at the door closing behind Johnny. I don’t know what to do. Of course, I want to tell Aiden, but I don’t want to put him in danger. Or Johnny may have just been talking a big show, since I hurt his ego. I take a few more deep breaths to calm my heart rate. I scan the area for the bar, and a shiny red countertop captures my attention on the opposite side of the room. It takes everything in me not to run to find Aiden.
Not too many people are getting refreshments, and one man with white hair stands out sitting at the end of the counter. His head is in his hands, and a red slushie rests next to him.
I spy behind the counter and notice alcohol bottles of all sorts are shelved in front of a mirror, creating the illusion there’s double the amount, a glass door refrigerator with bottle drinks, and a slushie machine with multiple flavors.
I take one last calming breath, but my body still trembles. Even so, I go to Aiden and put my hand on his shoulder. The feeling of his strength gives me the reassurance I need.
His head jerks backward, but once he sees it is me, he smiles. “Hey.” He swallows hard, and I notice the red in his eyes. “Done already?”
I squeeze his shoulder, as to comfort him in some way. “We never played. I … came to my senses. I didn’t really want to do it in the first place.” A stuffed moose wearing a red-striped shirt, a black eye patch, and a red bandana sitting on the counter in front of Aiden grabs my attention. “Is that little guy dressed as a pirate?”
Aiden glances forward, chuckles and picks it up. “Yeah, he is.” He hands it to me. “I got it for you.”
My heart gets the lift it needed. “You did?”
“Yeah, I put the few tickets toward it and paid for the difference.”
I slowly take it from him. “Aiden, you shouldn’t have. Thank you so much!” My cheeks tightened with my smile. “He’s adorable!”
“You’re welcome. I just … wanted to do something nice for you. I was worried that I … screwed up.” The corners of his lips twitch downward.
“What do you mean?” I remember his comments before Johnny arrived, about hiding his true feelings. “Aiden, maybe we should—”
Aiden clears his throat. “So, what did you think of Johnny?”
My body locks up. “Oh, um …”
“He’s a nice guy. In high school, I swear he had a different girl on his arm every week, so girls must find something about him irresistible.”
“Well, don’t worry.” I behold the view of the strong man in front of me and ache with want.
His muscles are tense, and his broad shoulders are hunched. His silky white hair lays loose around his face, and his blue eyes glisten.
I say boldly, “You’re the only one I find irresistible.”
Aiden’s face drops with surprise, and he turns to face me. “What?”
I reach for him and smile. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here.”
Our fingers loop together. “Are you sure, Em? We can stay longer if you want.”
I squeeze his hand. There’s nothing more I would rather do t
han leave this place and remember only the highlights of the evening. “Yeah, it’s getting late. Let’s get back to campus.”
Chapter 28
Ember
“Did you have a good time tonight?” Aiden asks.
I smile to myself and swing the pirate moose at my side. “Yes.” I recall the interaction with Johnny, but I mentally slap away the memory. “I had a lot of fun with you.”
Aiden squeezes my hand. “I had a lot of fun with you too.”
We walk toward the student center on our way to my dorm, the moon shining brightly above. The building’s glass surface reflects the twinkling stars. I don’t want the day to end. I haven’t let go of Aiden’s hand since we left the arcade, afraid I’ll never hold it again. The developments from tonight are like a chunk of food stuck in someone’s teeth. I want to call attention to its presence, but, at the same time, I don’t want to cause any embarrassment.
I halt, accepting I don’t want to ignore this anymore. I don’t want to push him, but we need to discuss some things. “Aiden, can we talk?”
Aiden stops. “Sure. Is everything okay?”
My throat and chest both tighten. “Yeah, it’s just—”
“Ember! Hey!”
I drop Aiden’s hand and the moose at the suddenness of someone calling my name.
Ross emerges from between the trees next to the path, holding a cricket ten times its normal size. One of his eyebrows jolts with confusion. “What’s up with the glasses?”
I bend to collect my little pirate friend. “Oh, don’t mind them. I think the real question is what are you doing out this late?”
“I wanted to get a cricket to examine. I’ve lost some of my notes.” His focus flitters to Aiden. “Who’s your friend?”
“Oh! This is Aiden.” I motion at Aiden then back at Ross. “And Aiden, this is Ross. We’re chemistry partners.”
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