I expect a guffaw or a smirk from him. Instead, Aiden cocks his head, and a muscle jumps in the corner of his jaw. “I’m not blowing smoke up your ass and would never lie to you.” His eyes flick back and forth as he studies me for a moment before asking, “Did someone say something to you to make you feel like there’s something wrong with you?”
I reach for a strand of hair on my forehead and stop when Aiden’s eyes narrow. “No. Not exactly.”
“Then why are you asking?”
Taking a fortifying breath, I mentally prepare myself to rip off the Band-Aid and ask for his help. I already feel like crap for beating around the bush and being dramatic about this.
“I have a crush on a guy I met through gaming. I thought he was into me too, but he’s talking about going on a double date to Otaku Con. He was flirting with me before all of this, or what I thought was flirting, but now I don’t know. And now I’m questioning myself and hoping to get him to like me as much as I like him, but?—”
“I’m going to kill him,” Aiden says through clenched teeth.
“What? No.” I swipe my palm down my face with a groan. “I don’t want you to kill him. I want you to tell me what I can doto make him like me. Searching online was no help, and I don’t want to ask my friends.”
“You searched online?”
“Forget I said that.” I wave a hand, like it’ll wipe the whole online research comment out of existence. “Will you help me?”
Aiden glances away and leans his head against the sofa’s back cushion. Pursing his lips, he stares at the ceiling in silence.
I squirm, uncomfortable and worried about him coming up with a gentle way of saying no.
I force out a laugh and scooch away from him, hoping the space between us will make this less awkward for the both of us. “Sorry for making it weird.”
“Nova.” Aiden’s head snaps toward me, his lips pinched together in a harsh line.
“What?” I shrug and laugh again, and it sounds more like a dying animal. “I’m just saying. I made it weird since I’m your sister and you don’t want to think about helping me get lai?—”
“I wouldn’t finish that thought if I were you,” Aiden growls.
I blink at the turn of his mood. Gone is the playful golden-retriever brother. Sitting beside me is someone who exudes danger with the threat of violence.
My mouth slams shut, and I pinch my lips together to keep from word vomiting any more. Because that’s what I’ve been doing since he asked for the real reason for me sitting in the dark.
Sorry,lyingin the dark.
I hate having all the confidence in the world while cosplaying and playing games on Twitch, but as soon as it comes to little things like dating and romance, I’m unskilled and talk myself into a grave.
Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me. I’m awkward, and pretending that I’m not isn’t working.
Aiden’s eyes soften and bring me back to the moment. “I’ll help you.”
“Really?” I smile. “You’ll help me?”
He nods, his expression still tender, but guarded. “Yeah. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”
My body lightens, and butterflies fill my stomach. I giggle and throw myself into his arms for a hug. “Thank you so, so,somuch. This means the world to me. You have no idea.” I squeal and squeeze him tighter.
Aiden returns the hug, his sweet and clean scent enveloping me and putting me more at ease. “You’ll need to fill me in on some things, though.”
“Like what?” I pull away from him with a grin.
“You said you think he’s been flirting with you. But how are you interacting with him? Are you flirting with him or . . . ?” He raises an eyebrow.
Ah, crap. He knows me too well.
I cringe and rub a lock of hair between my fingers. “Well, IthinkI’m flirting with him.”
“You think?”
