Page 67 of Dirty Heirs

“You’re not allowed in here,” the blonde said.

“Get the fuck out,” Aiden hissed, closing the distance between them. He hovered over the girl, teeth clenched. “Go!”

The girls grabbed their backpacks and scrambled out of the bathroom. After the door shut behind them, Aiden stood in front of my stall.

“Cinders, I know you’re in there.” He leaned against the door and sighed. “Those bitches are gone. Come out and talk to me.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“What?” Aiden groaned. “Fuck, no. Why would you say that?”

“Because Sonny won’t even look at me,” I choked out, blotting at the tears wetting my cheeks. “His friends called me a whore, and so did other students.”

“Ella,” Aiden bit out in a sigh. “Just come out. Please.”

The second I opened the door, Aiden wrapped his arms around me, lifting my feet off the floor. His lips pressed against my neck as he inhaled my scent. “I’m sorry, baby. So fucking sorry it went down like this.”

“I knew it wouldn’t last. Our families have been at war for years. It was only a matter of time...”

“This isn’t your fault.” He walked us over to the sink and set me on the edge, moving between my thighs. “It’s Sonny’s. He threw our relationship in his dad’s face, and we’re paying the price for it.”

I cupped his face, staring into his pretty blue eyes. “Did he stop talking to you, too?”

He shook his head. “No, but getting his Black Card cut off was the wake-up call Sonny needed.”

“What about you?” I gripped his tie between my fingers and pulled him closer. “Is your grandfather pissed about us?”

Aiden shook his head. “He doesn’t know. As long as Sonny stays away from you, the situation won’t escalate.” He bent down and kissed my lips, parting them with his tongue. “I’m not walking away from you, Cinders.” Another peck. “I don’t care what kind of hell my grandfather rains down on me. I’m not like Sonny. I grew up poor and don’t need a yacht or a trust fund to survive.”

Hooking my arms around his neck, I kissed him again, a quick peck that left me breathless. “So where do we go from here?”

“We’ll sit at our table at lunch. Nothing changes between us.”

I nibbled on my lip, staring at the door, hoping we would have a few more seconds alone. “How do we see each other outside of school?”

“Alex,” he said as if that explained everything. When I narrowed my eyes, he added, “Use my sister as an excuse to get away from your house.”

“Right.” I nodded. “But where will we go?”

“Wellington Manor, I guess.” He shrugged. “The house is so big I get lost in it. No one will know you’re there.”

“Aiden,” I whispered, staring down at our joined hands. “We can’t keep sneaking around without getting caught.”

“Your dad won’t let you leave the house with a Wellington. He was only okay with Alex because she lied. You’re back to being caged once he finds out who she is. Might as well live while you can.”

He was right. Until I met him, I never felt free a single day.

Aiden grabbed my hips and helped me off the sink. “Time to go, beautiful. We’re going to be late for class.”

By the end of the week, I couldn't wait to be done with school. My overnight popularity as Sonny’s girl took me from an incredible high to an all-time low. It was nice to be one of the elite for a short time. But being the whore who fucked Sonny sucked.

People pointed and whispered about me. Some even had the nerve to say shit to my face. Thankfully, I had Aiden to keep me sane. He punched a football player for calling me a slut… and then walked over to Sonny’s table and spat in his face. Aiden sat with me at lunch and tried to cheer me up, but everything felt out of place, like something was missing.

After school on Friday, I got into the backseat of Thomas’ black Range Rover, dreading what awaited me at home. My mother’s one-year anniversary was on Saturday. The house had grown increasingly intense since her death. Most of the time, my father was out handling business… or sneaking around with one of his whores.

But he was home today.

“Your father wants to see you,” Thomas said as we drove off the school lot. “He’s waiting for you in his office.”

---