I blow out a breath. “I’m here to win her from you.”
He laughs. “And you thought I was going to fight you for her? Hell, you know whatever is mine is yours.”
I wince at his words. “I like her, Joran. But to be honest, I’m not sure she feels the same way. She’s been telling me you were together this entire time.”
Though when I think back on it, I guess she didn’t outright say that. Though she didn’t dissuade me from thinking it either.
He leans back in his chair. “I don’t know what to tell you, Aid, but don’t do too much damage when she’s in charge of your superstition. We have a few more weeks before trade deadlines. You need her until then at least.”
I wave him off. “I’m out. I’ll call you later.”
I leave Joran and sit on the stairs outside his house before calling an Uber. Saige lied to me. Why? I can’t think of one reason why she would unless she wanted to play games with me. Regardless, I’m getting to the bottom of it.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Saige
I’m at my desk, pissed off. I haven’t heard from Aiden at all, and he had some random guy from the team come and pick up his bag, saying it would travel back with them on the plane. No mention of where Aiden was, and he hasn’t returned a call or a text I’ve sent him.
“Tweetie says he wasn’t on the plane,” Tedi says, trying to make me feel better.
“I don’t really care where he was.”
I was all ready to tell him about Joran and explain why I kept the truth to myself for weeks. I wanted to tell him how scared I was, but then when we were together last night, it all felt so right and made my fear dissipate.
“We’re having a girls’ night tonight. Raunchy reality television, ice cream, and wine.”
“Not white,” I say.
“Only red. White is dead to me now.” Tedi pushes back from her desk and she’s about to stand when the office door opens. “Out!”
Aiden stands there. “Tedi, where is she?”
“Not here for douchebags like you.” She jumps up when he doesn’t leave and tries to stand between him and me, raising her small fists as though she’d punch him.
“You’re kidding me, right?” He stares down at her. Pulling cash out of his pocket, he throws some on her desk. “Go buy yourself some shoes or something.”
“That’s so insulting. Why do you assume I want shoes? Maybe I want to go buy a new scope for my gun, huh?” She puts her head right in front of his, standing on her tiptoes. She’s truly the best friend a girl can have.
“Buy whatever you want. I need to talk to Saige alone.”
Tedi stops and turns around, looking at me. I nod. “You’re lucky I didn’t go all apeshit on you.”
Aiden chuckles skeptically.
“I told Tweetie to slam you into the boards.” She picks up her purse and the cash he left on her desk.
“He’s my teammate. That’s not how it works. Unless he messed around with Saige, I wouldn’t touch him.” His eyes lock with mine as he says it, and I ignore the swooning feeling in my stomach.
I need to remember that he left me high and dry after having sex with me.
“I’ll just take my lunch early,” Tedi says to me.
I wave her off and don’t bother standing from my desk. Once the door shuts, Aiden locks it before stomping over to me.
“Have a seat, Mr. Drake.” I motion to the chair on the other side of the desk.
Apparently he prefers to stand with his arms crossed as though he has some reason to be pissed at me. “I’m fine like this.”
“Suit yourself. Are you here to talk about your social media? Everything seems good on that front even though you left the girl you fucked in a hotel room and now she’s pissed off.” Okay, so my whole indifferent act didn’t last.
“First of all, I didn’t fuck some girl in a hotel room. I slept with you. The one woman who’s been driving me crazy since I met her. The one woman who kept giving me the hand and saying she was dating someone else. But come to find out, that was all a lie.”
I straighten in my chair. “What are you talking about?”
“I went to Joran’s to apologize for sleeping with you and tell him I wanted a chance with you and that I felt I was the better man for you. Imagine my surprise when he had another woman there. How do you think I reacted, Saige?” He slides his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “For me to think he was cheating on you… what do you think I did to my agent of ten years? The guy who’s had my back over and over again.”
I close one eye and wince. “Did you hit him?”
“Hell yeah, I did.”
Okay, do not swoon over that. Remember what it was like in that hotel room when that strange man came to ask for his bag and made you feel like a random hookup.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Sorry? Why did you lie to me all these weeks? Is this some type of game to you?”
I sigh and stand, looking out the window even though there’s only a view of the parking lot. At least if I don’t look at Aiden, I won’t chicken out of this. “I felt as though if you thought I was still dating him, it would keep us from crossing lines. I thought it would be enough. But I was wrong.” I let my head fall forward.
“Do you not want to be with me?” The anger is gone from his voice, but it’s replaced with insecurity. I’ve never heard that tone in Aiden’s voice before.
“I’m scared. So scared,” I admit, tears pricking my eyes. “I’ve been here before and I wasn’t enough. Who’s to say I’m enough now?”
His hands land on the glass above my head and he cages me against the window. “You’re all I think about. It’s been torture having to be with you but not being able to touch you. I’m not the man who hurt you in the past.” He runs his cheek along mine. “You’re the girl for me.”
“Maybe it was just lust and now that you’ve slept with me—”
“Then why am I here now?” His mouth dips to my neck, kissing me. “I’m not going to hurt you, Saige.”
I swivel around and stare at him. Genuine care looks back at me. I run my hands down the stubble just starting on his cheeks, then up through his hair. “Promise you won’t break me?”
“Promise,” he says softly. “As long as you don’t break me.”
I insert my finger into the waistband of his jeans and tug him toward me. “I’m sorry for lying.”
“I’m sorry for leaving you at the hotel. I thought I was doing the right thing by handling Joran so you wouldn’t have to. Then after I found out the truth, I just… needed a minute.”
“I have a question.” He steps forward and I unbutton his jeans. We both watch my hands. “Am I your first relationship?”
“Sadly, yes.”
“Rule number one—a text can do wonders. Just a text to say what you’re doing and to no longer expect you, and I won’t get mad.”
He nods. “Texting is my friend. Got it.”