Unable to utter a word, I shake my head.
“I fantasised about locking you in a dark classroom, push you on a table, and pull your legs over my shoulders and suck you until you scream. I fantasised about kidnapping you from the track practice and pinning you against the tree in the back and fuck you until you pass out.”
“Aiden… stop...”
His dirty talk provokes a part of me I never thought existed.
His crude words will be the end of me.
It’ll be my damnation.
My descent into hell.
Not if I can stop it.
I place a trembling hand on his chest and I startle at the maddening heartbeat beneath the hot, hard muscles.
He appears so composed and in control that I never thought his pulse would be this… erratic. It’s almost as out of control as my own heartbeat.
“I can’t stop my fantasies, sweetheart.” He wraps his hand around mine that’s on his heart — his black, black heart. “But I won’t tell you the rest of them, do you know why?”
I shake my head once.
He yanks my hand away from his chest as if I burn him. “Because you’re not ready for those. I’ll tell you this, though.” He leans in to whisper in hot words. “You taste better than any fucking fantasy.”
Chapter Fifteen
A few days pass.
No matter how much I want things to go back to normal, they don’t.
Since that day in the coffee shop, Aiden hasn’t stopped texting me every night and morning.
The first strings of texts came that same night while I was watching Nat Geo with Uncle Jaxon.
Aiden: What did you have for dinner?
Aiden: We had pasta, but you were all I tasted on my tongue. I can’t stop thinking about my fingers inside your soaked walls as you whimpered. Pity I didn’t get to taste you properly and thrust my tongue inside that tight, little pussy.
Aiden: Next time, sweetheart.
I barely mumbled my goodnights to Uncle as I fled to my room.
He’s been sending those types of crude texts every night, and sometimes in the mornings.
I called him a psycho a few times. Insane at other times. But that only made him religious about his texts.
Dickhead.
Kim and I sit in the back garden for lunch. We’re both eating salad and watching the tall pine trees in the distance as she talks about her latest Korean soap opera with great details.
“Did you notice anything weird?” I ask when she finishes her retellings.
“Like what?” She chews on a mouthful of cucumber.
“Like no one calls you names anymore? Even Adam, the biggest bully of all bullies, passed you by this morning without a word.”
She grins, her mint-coloured hair flying in the wind. “My new look is shocking the hell out of them.”
As much as I love her new confidence, I don’t think that’s the case. Her new look didn’t stop Silver and her minions from bullying her at the start of school.
“Don’t you find it weird that all of this changed since Aiden comforted you in front of the entire school?”
If their king showed interest in her, they’d be signing off on their death certificates if they bothered her.
That’s Aiden. Those on his good side live in heaven, but the rest rot in hell.
“Well, yeah.” Her expression changes into something unreadable before she waggles her brows. “Maybe you should get comforted by him, too, so RES will get off your case, too.”
“Kim!” I hit her shoulder.
“What? Use them while you can, Ellie.”
“Is that what you’ve been doing with Aiden? Using him?”
She lifts her shoulder.
Kim isn’t the type of person who uses people. God. It’s as if I don’t know my best friend anymore.
“You do realise that Aiden King isn’t the type to be used, right?” I stab a fork at the bottom of my container. “He’ll read through your manipulations in no time.”
“Maybe we’re using each other.” She drops the container at her side and crunches a red apple.
Maybe we’re using each other?
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
“King played such an excellent game on Saturday. You should’ve seen the goal he scored.” Kim gushes. “Thirty metres away, can you believe that?”
I pause playing with my food. “You went to Elites’ game?”
“Uh, yeah? I told you I was going out on Saturday.”
“I thought it was to have dinner with your family.” My lips twist. “I also thought you quit going to their games.”
“I felt like going.” She shrugs. “And I’m so glad I did, King was a freaking star. So bright and dazzling. I can’t believe he doesn’t play in the Premier League like his cousin already.”
“Kim.” My throat dries as I stare at her with what must look like a horrified expression. “Do you hear yourself? You’re idolising Aiden fucking King right now.”
“What? He plays like a God. You can’t deny that.”
Yes, I can. That’s why I refuse to focus on him while he plays.
“Xander played like shit, though.” Kim’s pink-painted lips twist. “Fucking psycho almost got a red card for tackling an opponent so hard, he almost knocked his teeth out. But Kirian still wouldn’t shut up about him, can you believe that little shit?”
Kim’s little brother idolises Xander, and that always ticked her off.
“He’s just a kid.”
“He’s my baby brother, not his. Fucking arsehole.”
Then she launches into a full report on the game. It’s her usual thing, but this time, I notice the impressed tone whenever she talks about Aiden. Or maybe the impressed tone has always been there and I was too deaf to hear it.
I’m going to be sick to my stomach.
Just when I’m about to stop her, a shadow looms over us.
My head snaps up to find Ronan grinning down at us like an idiot.
“What do you want?” I snap.
“Relax, Frozen.” He slides beside a stunned Kim, smiling with unmistakable charm. “I come here in peace.”
Peace? He’s got to be freaking kidding me.
I search behind him and around the trees, expecting the devil to come out and play.
Nothing can convince me that this isn’t another one of Aiden’s depraved games.
I fold my arms over my chest. “Since when do you talk to us, Ronan?”
“Since Kim is a fan.” He grins at her, placing a stray strand behind her ear. “How come you never showed it before, chérie? You don’t have to be a closet fan.”
“I’m not.” She smiles, appearing to relax. “I love Elites’ team play. Cole is the perfect captain. Aiden is the ace striker and you’re one of the best midfielders in the school’s championships.”
“Correction. I’m not one of the best. I’m the best, Kimmy.”
“The freaking best!”
They go on a long string of football conversation about the few games Elites played this season and last year’s championship.
Ronan Astor and Kim are bonding.
Gag. Someone kill me.
I slam the lid of my container shut with a force that gets their attention. “Are you done?”