“Oh? Details,” Hadleigh says, leaning forward in her seat.
“His name is Carlos, and we just started going out,” Ava says. “He’s getting a master’s in sports engineering. If I could have filled out a form listing everything I could want and more in a man, it would be Carlos.”
Ava talks about his attributes, and I think of Aiden. If I could have written a list of everything I could hope for, everything I could dream of—well, I got it and more in Aiden.
I’m so lucky. Even with our circumstances and what we will face when we tell my parents, I know Aiden is therightman for me.
“What about you, Scarlett?” Ava asks. “Are you seeing anyone?”
That familiar knot of anxiety appears in my stomach again. I told Hadleigh I wasn’t seeing anyone, just like I told Georgie.
“Nope,” I say. Then I shift my gaze back to the menu, closing the door on that subject.
I hate this. I hate lying to these girls, and I only hope they can all understand why I did it when the truth finally comes out.
Then I think of Aiden and everything he means to me.He is worth all of this.
And anyone who cares about me will hopefully understand this, too.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Through my heavy sleep, I hear the phone buzzing on my nightstand. It’s Saturday morning, and I’m dead tired from getting home so late last night from girls’ night. We stayed way too long at dinner, then we danced for hours. Of course, I checked my phone for game highlights whenever I had the chance. To my relief, there was no fight between Ethan and Aiden.
The Manatees won 3-1. And Aiden scored two goals.
The last time I remember looking at the clock was around three before I climbed into bed.
UGH.
I groggily open one eye and reach for it. It’s five-thirty in the morning. And the message is from Aiden. My eyes flip all the way open and I tap on it to read:
I’m home, baby. I freaking miss you and want to come upstairs and sleep with you.
I blink. Did I read that right?
Brooks is typing …
If you’re reading this, I’m at the visitors’ entrance.
Oh, I love this man so much!
I quickly text him back that I’m letting him up right now and will see him in a few minutes. I flip back the covers, run to the bathroom, then quickly swish my mouth with mouthwash andrun a brush through my hair. I check my reflection again. I look tired—there’s no avoiding the dark circles under my eyes—but I also look happy.
When I see the goofy, love-struck smile on my face, I laugh at myself. I’m so in love with Aiden it’s insane.
And it’s the best thingever.
There’s a rap on my door, and my heart skips happily inside my chest. I eagerly hurry toward it, quickly pulling it open. As soon as I see Aiden standing before me, I reach for him, throwing my arms around him and burying my face in his neck.
He drops his duffel bag in the hallway, his hands spanning my back.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” I murmur.
His lips find the top of my head, pressing a kiss onto it. “I’m so glad to be home,” he says into my hair.
I move back from him, and he picks up his bag and steps into my living room, shutting the door behind him. Aiden’s eyes skim over my red tank top and red plaid shorts with a ribbon bow. He reaches for my hips, pulling me to him. “Don’t you look like a present?” he says, his voice low as his lips find mine. I chuckle against his mouth, and I feel his lips curve up into that smile I love so much.
We kiss again, and then Aiden looks down at me, running one hand over my hair. “Come on, let’s climb into bed. I’ll unwrap this gift later, after some sleep,” he declares, dropping his hand to the ribbon tied on my waistband and teasingly slipping a finger underneath it, brushing it slowly against my skin.
