He flinched, and she laughed. “You’re so easy, Bailey Steele! God love ya!”
She skipped to the front counter to place the orders. She hadn’t bothered asking Bailey what he drank, but then maybe she knew. Maybe…they were flirting? Joking about highlighters was a new one, but then I wasn’t a college student. Aiden would know, but I couldn’t ask him. He’d want to know why I was asking, and really, why was I?
When Bailey turned his attention back to us, Aiden was looking at him with interest. “Bailey? So you’re the one my brother couldn’t shut up about last summer.”
“Christ, Aiden,” I muttered, cringing. He was going to give Bailey the wrong idea. Well, the right idea, but it waswrong.
“Brother?” Bailey said. “Oh, shit, you’re the med student? I didn’t know you went here.”
“Yeah.” Aiden stood up. “Actually, I have to get going, though. I’ve got a study group starting in ten.” He grinned at me. “You two should catch up. Seems a waste for Flynn not to get that coffeedate.”
My neck heated with embarrassment. Subtle, Aiden.
“Bailey’s here with someone.”
Bailey nodded. “Yeah, Iris will rip off my balls if I make her do our class review alone. But hey, if you’re ever back this way, we should hook up.”
Aiden waggled his eyebrows up and down behind Bailey.
“H-hook up?” I stuttered, feeling like a middle schooler.
“Yeah, we can grab coffee or dinner or, you know, whatever,” Bailey said. “Catch up.”
“Right.” That kind of hookup. Not the sexual kind. That was good. Last summer, there had been a few times I was pretty sure Bailey might have been interested in more than friendship, but that would be a bad idea for about a hundred reasons. “We can do that.”
He smiled and turned to Aiden. “Your brother’s a good one. He brags about you all the time.”
“He gives me too much credit,” Aiden said. “I couldn’t do any of it without his support. He’s the best.”
Iris returned with their coffees, giving Bailey a pointed look, and he said a hasty goodbye. I grabbed my coffee and walked Aiden out.
“You don’t have to leave just because I am,” Aiden said. “You could always hang around and wait for Bailey to finish his studying.”
“You think you’re so smart.”
He smirked. “Well, I don’t like to brag, but I’m a med student.”
I laughed. “Yeah, you’re also a smart-ass. That joke about the coffee date? Not cool, man.”
“Why not? You obviously like him.”
“He’s younger than you,” I protested.
“But still an adult.” Aiden tilted his head. “A pretty fine-looking man too.”
I frowned. “You think so?”
His eyes crinkled with amusement. “Well, objectively. He’s not really my type. Besides, you saw him first. You have dibs.”
“He’s a person, not a candy bar.”
“But he could still melt in your mouth,” Aiden teased.
I shook my head. “Not happening.”
“Why not?” he persisted. “You’re not in prison anymore.”
“But I was,” I said, “and look what it did to your relationship. Imagine telling your boyfriend thatyouwere the one who…” I trailed off, unable to say the words. “Who did what I did.”
