“We didn’t decide on when you can tutor me. We have a test next week.” I look him squarely in his steely eyes.
“I’ll be at your house tomorrow at seven.” He moves toward the driver’s side of his car.
My mom is leaving tomorrow afternoon for work, so we’ll have the whole house to ourselves. For some reason, the thought of Aiden at my house, the two of us alone, makes the butterflies start up in my stomach. It’s then that I remember he wants to find out what I’m hiding. He’s been to my house before, but never inside it. This is a perfect opportunity to get a better glimpse into my life.
“Why don’t I come to your house? Or, like, the library or something?”
He turns back to me and says, “Your house. Seven.”
“Is he ever—” I’m cut off from insulting Aiden’s stubbornness when a loud engine, getting louder as it nears, roars by.
Mason and Julian both stiffen, looking around the parking lot for the source of the engine. The sound calls Aiden back to us, muscles tense and a murderous expression on his face. The red Mustang that Kaitlyn’s been getting rides in pulls up and stops right in front of us. The driver turns off the engine and a guy gets out of the car.
He’s tall, but not as tall as Aiden’s six foot three. The sides of his blond hair are shaved but the top is long, pulled back into a short ponytail. He’s also pretty toned, and I’ll admit that he’s hot, except for that malicious gleam in his hostile brown eyes.
He slams his door shut and walks toward us, a vicious grin on his face. Aiden immediately steps forward, pushing me behind him. He firmly stands his ground, arms crossed, muscles
tensing for a fight. Mason and Julian take position on either side of him, mirroring his stance.
I shift over a little so that I can see the guy from behind Aiden.
“Ryan,” Aiden growls.
So this is Ryan, the infamous Silver who has a rivalry with Aiden. His smirk sends shivers down my spine. “Relax, boys. I’m not here for a fight. Yet . . .”
“We’ll kick your ass as usual, Simms,” Julian replies.
“Baby!” Kaitlyn throws her arms around Ryan, kissing him before looking back at us, still hanging onto him. “Oh, Aiden. Play nice with my new boyfriend,” she sneers.
Pfft, I doubt she even likes Ryan. All eyes turn to me as I realize that I scoffed out loud. “This the slut who ruined your car?” he asks Kaitlyn, keeping his gaze locked on me.
“That’s her,” she snarls, her eyes alight with victory.
Aiden steps closer to Ryan, blocking his view of me. “I suggest you just get out of here, Simms.”
Ryan gestures for Kaitlyn to get in the car, and she walks around to the passenger-side door. “I suggest you keep a watch on that bitch of yours, Parker.” Ryan leans over to look at me again. “Be a shame if something happened to her.”
Who does this asshole think he is, threatening me? I’m about to push Aiden out of the way so that I can insult this guy myself, but suddenly time seems to slow down and everything happens in slow motion.
Not even a moment after Ryan stops talking, Aiden draws his arm back. In less than a split second, I remember something Noah said a long time ago, the day I came back to school after my time off at the hospital. He said that Aiden can’t get suspended again. Knocking a guy unconscious on school property would do more than get Aiden suspended. I grab his bicep and swing around him so I’m in front of him. I slide my hands down from his bicep to his chest, trying unsuccessfully to push him back slightly as I look up into his blazing eyes. His gaze meets mine, and his eyebrows draw together as if wondering what the hell I’m doing.
“You’ll get suspended,” I warn him.
He studies me for a few seconds before dropping his arm and looking back at Ryan, whose eyes are wide with the realization that he was seconds away from being a bloody mess.
Yeah, bitch. Aiden almost broke your face.
“Leave. Now,” Aiden barks.
Kaitlyn gets in the car and Ryan takes a few steps backward to his car door, eyes locked in a stare-off with Aiden.
“This isn’t over, Parker,” Ryan threatens.
“I’m counting on it.”
If I wasn’t friends with Aiden, I would’ve been seriously afraid of him. I don’t know how Ryan is openly challenging him without shitting his pants. He gets in his car, and we watch as he obnoxiously speeds out of the parking lot. Only when Ryan’s car is out of sight do I look back at Aiden, and belatedly realize that my hands are still placed on his toned chest. Taking a step back, I awkwardly drop them.
“I hate that guy,” Mason grumbles.