Page 29 of High Stakes

He scoffs, “Fuck you, Aiden.” Then he disconnects.

“Fuck,” I mutter out loud. It’s not like I’d actually tell Sara anything, she thinks the sun shines out of his backside. But she doesn’t want to be with him, she made that perfectly clear after she fell pregnant with his kid. Although, I suspect they still sleep together.

Bella

I stare at Aria and JP longingly. They look cute together as they flirt like they’re the only two people in thispacked-out club. The minute Raff didn’t fall at her feet, she set her sights on JP, and I don’t blame her, he’s equally as hot.

Jack sighs heavily, bringing my attention back to him. “It sounds like a bad romance, or it at least has the potential to be. He’s going to break your heart and stomp all over it.”

I nod in agreement. “I know. That’s why I’m going to move out. I’ve been flat hunting on-line. Aria’s going to lend me a deposit.”

“You should go and kick your dad out of the house, you’ve paid so much into it. Have you heard from him?”

I shake my head and stir my cocktail with my straw. “No. And I’ve seen no dodgy men hanging round. Maybe it’s all sorted. JP seems to think the threat isn’t that real if we haven’t heard anything.” I smirk, “Maybe if the men he sold me too are fit, I could role with it.”

He laughs, “What are the chances of that?”

JP leans on the table with Aria holding onto his arm. We were thinking of heading back to Tremos?”

“Only if you want to,” adds Aria, her face full of sympathy.

I give a nod. I’m still mad with Aiden, but I can’t deny I love being around him, even if we’re not speaking right now.

Aiden is behind the bar when we arrive, which is odd, and he looks out of place, but I guess he sometimes has to help out in his own place. He stares past me to JP. “Sorry about earlier,” he says, and it’s the sincerest I’ve ever seen him as JP fist bumps him.

“Already forgotten,” he replies.

“What happened to your face?” asks Aria smirking.

“Yeah, looks nasty,” adds Jake.

Aiden runs his hand over the scratches on his chin. “It was a . . . cat.” He winces.

I scoff, placing my mobile on the bar. He stares down at it. “Press play,” I tell him.

He eyes it warily. “Why?”

“It’s okay,” says Aria, leaning over. “I’ve got this.” And she presses play on the recording.

I let the recording play out, including the moans and groans that continue after his statement. The way his jaw is clenched, and his eyes narrowed, makes me think he’s angry. I take my phone back, feeling smug in my drunken haze.

“I’d say those scratches were from a dog, not a cat,” says Aria, laughing.

“You didn’t need to lie, Aiden,” I say, disappointment lacing my words. “And I’m so sorry you feel I’m just after a free ride. But you offered me a place to stay. You furnished it, even when I said it wasn’t necessary.”

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, staring down to avoid looking at me.

I roll my eyes, “It’s just a word,” I say, turning from the bar and heading for the dancefloor.

We spend another hour dancing, chatting, laughing, and it’s not until JP throws Aria over his shoulder, that I realise it’s almost one a.m.. Aria screeches with laughter as he slaps her backside. “I’m taking this woman home,” he informs us. “Jack, you want to share a cab?” he asks.

Jack nods, finishing his drink, “Will you be okay, Bells?” he asks. “Yah now you can stop on my couch, Beck won’t mind.”

I shake my head, offering a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. Thanks for a good night.”

I watch them leave; thankful I have such amazing friends. Aiden stomps past me, acting like I’m not even there, and somehow it only adds to the pain currently twisting my heart. I don’t want us to be mad with oneanother but after everything he said, I think I have the moral high ground here. I sit at the bar, knowing he’s in the apartment, makes me want to avoid it. Hopefully, if I give it ten minutes, he’ll be in his bedroom, and I won’t have to face him.

Unfortunately, he’s in the kitchen by the time I get up there. He’s topless and I run my eyes over the scratches across his back, rolling my eyes.

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