Chapter Eleven
VIOLET
My anxiety is at an all-time high as I climb into Aidan’s restored seventies Ford Bronco. It wasn’t the type of car I expected him to drive, but it oddly suits him. Right down to the mint green color.
Aidan shuts the passenger door, then jogs over to get in behind the wheel, giving me a smile that shows off his perfect pearly whites. He looks impossibly handsome tonight in his blue Hawaiian style shirt. The more laidback vibe suits him well.
“Are you sure I shouldn’t have come in to meet your parents? I don’t want them to think their daughter is going out with an asshole.”
I avert my eyes and busy myself with buckling my seatbelt. The truth is, my parents don’t know I’m going out with a boy tonight. They were so excited when I told them I was going to a party with a friend, being a “normal” teenager, they didn’t even bother asking about the friend.
“Nope. It’s fine.”
The cab falls silent as we begin to move, and I focus my attention on the clear night sky, my pulse thundering in my ears.
“There’s no reason to be nervous,” Aidan says, pulling my attention back to him. “Cooper is one of my teammates and a good friend. His parties never get out of control or anything. Besides, you’ll be with me.”
He takes his eyes off the road long enough to give me another blinding smile. One I’m sure most girls would swoon over. It merely makes me feel guilty. There’s only one boy I want to smile at me that way—and it’s not Aidan.
“Am I that transparent? It’s just…I don’t go to a lot of parties.”
It’s not a complete lie. And Aidan doesn’t need to know Thatcher is another reason I’m so tense.
He chuckles. “I’m glad you decided to come. What made you change your mind?”
I fidget, pulling at the hem of my dress. There’s no way I can tell Aidan I’d changed my mind the second Cole hinted Thatcher would be there. Or that I’d been dead set on going after our little encounter at lunch yesterday.
“Oh…uh, my friend Cole said he’d be there. He’s pushing me to step outside my comfort zone.”
“Cole? You mean Cole Masterson?” There’s no missing the edge in his voice.
My stomach tightens as he slides his glare my way, and I nod.
“You know Cole?”
“Sure. I mean, we don’t hang out or anything. But I see him around at parties and stuff.”
This time, a hint of judgement colors his tone. My jaw clenches, though I’m not sure why I feel so defensive. It wasn’t long ago my own opinion of Cole wasn’t so great. But over the past couple weeks, I’ve gotten to know him, and he’s seems like a good guy.
“How long have you known them?”
“Them?” I question.
“Thatcher, Cole, and Arwen. They’re like a packaged deal.”
Aidan sounds downright bitter now. I cross my arms as I answer. “I’ve had a couple classes with Thatcher and Cole, but I’ve never actually met Arwen.”
Even I’ve heard all the gossip about Thatcher and his two best friends—the “Fierce Westbrook Three.” They stand together, and no one dares to stand against them. The three are inseparable, and if you believe all the stories, they’re as close as people can be.
“So, you don’t know them very well then.”
“About as well as I know you,” I clip.
“Fair point.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” his words trail off, and he takes a breath before continuing. “They don’t seem like the type of people you’d be friends with.”
I huff. “What type is that?”
“Wow.” He chuckles, looking over at me as we come to a stop. “I’m seriously screwing this conversation up. I’m only trying to look out for you. Honest. Thatcher definitely seemed interested in you, and there are already rumors floating around school.”
My face heats, making me thankful for the low lighting in the cab. I try to deflect the conversation as we begin to move again. “Is that why you asked for my number?”
“What? No.” His answer doesn’t sound the least bit convincing. “Well, maybe…but it wasn’t like that. I’d been wanting to ask you out for a while. When I heard the rumors about Thatcher liking you, I figured I’d try to beat him to the punch.”
“If you wanted to ask me out, why didn’t you?” I push, skeptical of his motives.
Aidan never seemed to notice me before the Thatcher situation. Then again, I hadn’t paid much attention to him. Hell, I shared a class with Cole for months without realizing it. Once or twice, Aidan had thrown one of his show-stopping smiles my way, but I figured he smiled at every girl that way—especially when they were admiring him in his jersey the way I had been each time.
“For the same reason I wanted to ask you out in the first place. This is going to sound arrogant, but please don’t hold it against me. Okay?”
He pauses as his eyes slide to me, an adorable, innocent, puppy-dog expression on his face. I giggle, marking an X over my heart.
“A lot of girls at the school throw themselves at me,” he explains. “But it’s not me they’re interested in. It’s Shaw, the star wide receiver of the Westbrook Wolverines. You didn’t seem to care who I was, which was both intimidating and intriguing.”
“Oh…” My lips part in an O as I drum my fingers on my knees.
Here I was trying to make Aidan out to be the bad guy, when I’m the only one who had ulterior motives.
“So, the wide receiver is, like, important or something?” I tease, not wanting the awkward silence to linger any longer.
He laughs, the musical sound relieving some of the tension in my body. “See what I mean? You don’t even know anything about the game. It’s so refreshing to have someone to talk to who only sees me as Aidan.”
He parks his Bronco outside a house that looks more like a hotel. If all the expensive cars lining the driveway and people filing inside are any indication, this party is much larger than I was anticipating.
“You are Aidan. Football is only a small part of who you are, and it’s definitely not anything I have interest in.”
He gives me a playful smile and a wink before hopping out of the cab and rushing over to open my door. I place my hand in his as he holds it out to me, allowing him to help me out of the truck. Once I’m on my feet, he wraps an arm around my waist as he leads me toward the front door.
“I don’t know,” he says, twisting his mouth thoughtfully as he looks down at me. “I sure wouldn’t mind having you in the stands cheering me on.”
I force a smile on my face, hating myself. Aidan has the wrong idea about us, and I haven’t done much to correct his assumptions. He thinks we’re on a date. He’s envisioning us together next year. And I came here to see another boy.
You suck, Violet.
Chapter Twelve
THATCHER
After thirty minutes of watching the front door for Violet, I decided to keep myself occupied by flirting with some girl who’s name I’ve already forgotten. I’m pretty sure she told me she’s a sophomore, though I haven’t really been listening. She’s leaning over the granite countertop across from me, her tits nearly falling out of her low-cut shirt, desperate for my attention. Normally, I wouldn’t give her the time of day, but I almost feel sorry for her.
The commotion of a new arrival draws my attention back to the front of the house, and my stomach sours when I see Aidan with Violet on his arm. She’s wearing a black floral sundress with a tiny white t-shirt underneath it and a pair of black combat boots. Though her bare legs look incredible, it makes my skin crawl thinking about her being alone with Aidan wearing something with such easy access. If he lays even a single finger on her, I’ll break every one of them.
While Aidan shakes hands with some of his teammates, Violet’s brilliant blue eyes find me, the way they always seem to when I’m watching her. My jaw sets as I scowl, and a rosy color blooms on her cheeks.
A soft body leans into m
y back as a hand lands on my thigh, and Violet’s features harden with jealousy. I bite back a laugh before swiveling on my stool to see who’s behind me. The girl from a moment ago looks down at me, a coy smile on her lips. She steps between my legs and locks her arms around my neck. She’s persistent, I’ll give her that.
“So, is she, like, dating you both?” Her tone stays sweet, though it’s hard to miss the venom laced in her question or the hatred in her eyes as they flicker in Violet’s direction.
I tamp down my own annoyance, keeping my features smooth even though this girl is quickly making her way to my bad side. “Who?” I ask, playing dumb.
“Violet.” There’s a bite in her tone, as if the name tasted sour on her tongue.
I play along, smiling as my hands land on her hips. “Who said she was dating either of us?”
Her features bunch as her lashes flutter with confusion. That was not the kind of response she was expecting. She wanted me to be pissed at Violet for being here with someone else.
“Well, you called her baby doll and put your arm around her. I guess I assumed,” she answers sweetly, and my forehead creases as I study her face more closely. There hadn’t been many people in the hallway that day, and even less had been close enough to hear me. Oh shit. This is the girl Violet was talking to, but I thought they were friends. “Then I saw her throwing herself all over Aidan, batting her eyelashes and acting all innocent.” My grip tightens on her hips at the spitefulness in her words. This isn’t about Violet—it’s about Shaw. She’s jealous and trying to make Violet jealous through me. I don’t play those games.
I lean in, bringing my mouth close to her ear. “I want you to really hear me,” I tell her, my voice cool and threatening. “Are you listening?” She nods, her breathing growing heavier. “Violet is a good person. She didn’t come after your boy. He wants her. Possibly because she’s kind and genuine. And even though she’s insanely beautiful, she doesn’t use her body to get what or who she wants. You should take notes.”
She snaps her head back and gives me a murderous glare as she tries to pull away. My hold tightens, keeping her in place, then tugging her closer.
“If you want Aidan, go after him. I’ll even put in a good word for you. But leave me out of it and Violet alone. If you so much as utter one hateful word about Violet or do anything to hurt her in any way, you will be very sorry. Do you understand?”
By the time I meet her gaze again, color has drained from her face and her round eyes are filled with fear. She remains still in my arms as she nods, her throat bobbing as she swallows her pride.
I’m about to release her from my hold when I hear Cole. “Saint! You made it!”
My eyes snap over to the other side of the kitchen as he wraps her into a hug. He meets my angry glare over her shoulder, his brows shooting up in question as his eyes slide over to the girl still between my legs. Fuck. To anyone watching, this undoubtedly looks like I’m trying to hook up with this girl. I hadn’t been thinking about Violet seeing the exchange. Cole must have swooped in to distract her.
The girl scurries away as soon as I remove my hands, and Violet pulls out of Cole’s embrace as I come to my feet. He gives me a wicked grin, then dips down to get eye level with her, preventing me from seeing or hearing what’s being said. She laughs and teasingly pushes him away. I’m moving closer before I even realize it, jealousy coiled in my guts.
My best friend doesn’t miss a beat, snaking an arm around her shoulders and steering her toward me. She scowls once I’m standing in front of her, crossing her arms in defiance.
Cole chuckles at the daggers Violet shoots my way. “Violet, you know my buddy Thatcher, right?”
“Unfortunately,” she clips.
I smirk, but it quickly turns into a frown when Aidan walks up and offers her a red solo cup filled with beer. Her smile beams as she thanks him and tries to accept the drink, but I snatch it from him instead.
“Seriously?” she whines.
I wink at her, then salute Aidan with a fuck you grin. “Thanks, Shaw. I was getting a little parched.”
Aidan’s chest puffs out, his hand flexing at his side like he wants to take a swing at me, but we both know he won’t. Instead, he turns his attention back to Violet.
“Here, you can have mine. I’ll go grab another one.”
His eyes cut to me again as she accepts the cup. I take a step to charge him, but Cole’s hand lands on my shoulder to keep me in place. With a cocky smile on his face, Aidan heads back over to the keg.
“Asshole,” Violet mumbles before lifting the cup to her lips. This time, it’s Cole who steals it away. She gapes at him as he takes a gulp.
“Sorry, Saint. I can’t let you get wasted.”
“Let me?” she scoffs.
Cole gives her a kiss on the side of her head before going after Aidan. Her chest heaves as her head whips back to me. She looks ready to pounce. It’s sexy as hell.
“What’s your problem?”
Her back straightens when I move to invade her space, but she stands her ground. I smile as I look down at her. “I told you not to come here.”
She huffs out a laugh. “Did you pry yourself away from Samantha to tell me I don’t belong here again?”
“What’s the matter, baby doll? Jealous?”
“Not even a little.”
I reach up to tuck her hair behind her ear, allowing my thumb to caress her cheek. She expels a breath in a whoosh, her eyelids drooping as she fights to keep them up.
“Didn’t anyone ever teach you it’s bad to lie?”
She groans, swatting my hand away as she takes a step back. “Okay, we’re done here.” She looks over her shoulder in search of Aidan, but he’s gone. Cole has already taken care of him. She snaps back to me, as if she knows I’m the reason her date is missing. I lift one shoulder and give her a crooked grin.
“Unbelievable.” She purposely bumps into my shoulder as she walks past me.
I laugh, waiting a few seconds to give her a head start before following. She steps into the hallway, pulling her phone out of the tiny purse strapped across her body. I yank it from her hand, then step into the closest empty room. She storms in behind me, and I close and lock the door behind her.
“What the hell are you doing? Give me back my phone.” The authoritative edge in her words is a contrast to the wild uncertainty in her eyes.
“You want this?” I taunt, dangling the phone from my hand. “Then you have to answer some questions first.”
She crosses her arms as I continue to stalk toward her. “I’m not in the mood for any more of your riddles.”
A smile tugs at my lips as I come to a stop in front of her, the toes of my boots kissing hers. “Don’t worry, you already know the answers. Simple yes or no questions. Are you ready?” Her chin lifts as she lets out an exasperated sigh. “Did he touch you?”
“What? Who?” The high-pitch squeak in her voice causes my heart to thud even heavier in my chest.
“Aidan!” She flinches at my booming tone. “Did he touch you?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
I tsk and slip her phone into my back pocket, then roll my shoulders, trying to release the building tension. The flush on Violet’s skin crawls down her neck as her eyes roam over me, her pupils dilated when they meet mine again.
“Wrong answer, Saint.” I cup her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing across her heated cheeks. “I’m only going to ask one more time. If you refuse to answer me, I’ll assume he did. Then he’ll be having a conversation with my fists.”
She tries to pull her gaze from mine, but I have her locked in place. “Why do you even care?” The vulnerability in her question causes an ache in my chest.
“He’s not a good guy.”
In truth, I don’t know much about him. Only that Arwen doesn’t like him. Avoids him like the plague. Which is enough for me.
“Oh, and you are?” she mocks.
“No, I’m the
worst kind of guy.” My brutal honesty causes her eyebrows to shoot up, but she needs to hear this, and I need to say it. “I’m the asshole who keeps finding ways to be alone with you because I’m desperate to touch you, even though I know I shouldn’t and have no right to.” The noise from the party on the other side of the bedroom door seems to fade, replaced by the sound of her shallow breaths. “Now…did he touch you?”
She relents with a shake of her head, and the weight on my chest dissolves into relief. I press my forehead to hers. The pleading in her eyes breaks my remaining restraint.
I lift my head, my hands moving to her hairline and forearms resting on her shoulders. Her gaze flickers to my lips as her tongue darts out to wet hers. Christ. She wants me to kiss her as badly as I want to. There’s a bucket full of reasons why I shouldn’t, but I don’t think I can deny us both.
“Did you kiss him?”
“No.” Her answer is a whispered breath that vibrates through me. As if knowing the battle of wills going on inside my head, she shifts her body closer to mine, then tentatively places her hands on my hips. “Will you?”
There’s nothing that could stop me from kissing her now, but I’m greedy and need to hear her say it. “Will I what, baby doll?”
She elongates her body, until her lips are lined up with mine. “Kiss me.”
I moan, my mouth capturing hers with unfiltered desire. Her lips part without any probing, our tongues tangling together with hunger. This is nothing like our first kiss. It’s not gentle sweetness; it’s fiery desire.
Whimpers of pleasure hum past her lips, and she fists the back of my shirt, pressing her body into mine. My hands find their way to her ass, giving it a quick squeeze before sliding them to her thighs and lifting her. She wraps her legs around my waist without hesitation, and I move to sit us on the edge of the bed.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know things are getting out of control, but I’m too far gone to care. My hands slide under her dress, kneading into her bare outer thighs. She tilts her head back as I remove my mouth from hers, allowing me access to her neck.
When the Saint Falls: a high school bully romance (Westbrook three Book 1) Page 6
