“Yeah, well—” he started, but I held up my hand to cut him off.
“I am not interested in their excuses, Aaron, but thanks.” I cleared my throat once more, trying to dislodge the insecurity buried deep down in the core of my soul. “Thanks for your apology, I guess, but it doesn’t change what happened.”
“I know that.” Aaron stepped forward this time, gaining a closeness I wasn’t comfortable with, but it was too much ... and not just for the reasons I knew. I couldn’t let him get too close because if he did, I might just go weak at the knees and let him touch me...
Or fuck me.
I took a step back, hand still in the air, ready to turn and flee. Before I could, however, someone turned the corner and stepped beside me. It was Jason from class, and I’d never felt so relieved to see another person as I did then.
“Hey, Renee, right? Is everything okay here?” Jason asked, but his eyes landed at once on Aaron, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Everything’s fine,” Aaron said, a muscle in his jaw twisting.
Jason looked at me, eyebrows raised, and I nodded once.
“It was okay. We were just talking.”
It didn’t look like Jason fully believed this, but he shrugged one shoulder and turned his body in my direction, cutting Aaron out almost completely.
“Could I walk you to class?”
“Oh, um ...” I glanced over his shoulder at Aaron, scowling at Jason like he was ready to punch him. “Yes,” I told Jason with a quick nod. “I’d love that.”
Aaron said nothing to this as I turned away from him, but I caught his gaze over my shoulder. He was annoyed, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
“One more thing,” I said, breathless, and Aaron’s eyebrows shot up hopefully. “Don’t call me Ren.”
Chapter 11
Aaron
Iwatched Renee turnon her heel and hurry away, head tilted as she raced down the stairway, body tense, face red. The blond kid accompanied her, and I could tell by the way he walked that he was pleased she’d blown me off for him. Fists tightened by my sides, but there was nothing I could do about it now. I’d just have to try again.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and watched her depart, feeling like an idiot and a loser all at the same time.
Well, that hadn’t gone as planned.
