Page 38 of My Irresistible Enemy

“Honestly, I don’t think I want to read any of these. Maybe I’ll just pick something different, like…” He trailed off and pulled a random book off the shelf to his left. “Ooh, this one appears to be about…sewing? Making teddy bears?”

“Aiden, I ambeggingyou—” Nora began, but I was already walking down the aisle towards them.

I wasn’t sure why I was doing this, orwhatI was doing exactly. There was just something about the way Aiden had looked at that piece of paper, the way he’d bitten his lip. The next thing I knew, I was standing next to him, pulling the paper out of his hands.

“Well, I can’t say I blame you.” I threw a smile over my shoulder to Em. “Not the most fascinating books, but look. This one is about shaping free-form pies.” I plucked the first book from Aiden’s list off the shelf and handed it to him. “Just think, you could combine it with that sewing book and make a pie in the shape of a teddy bear.”

Aiden was staring at me, open-mouthed, when I finally looked over at him. He recovered quickly, though, giving me and the camera a grin.

“I do love bears, you know. The bigger and furrier, the better.”

I snorted. “Why am I not surprised to hear you say that?”

“Are you a fan of bears, Nolan?” Aiden asked, his tone way too innocent. “Or are you more into other animals—otters perhaps, or other wildlife?”

“I’m a fan of any animal that knows how to keep its mouth shut for five seconds.”

“Oh, but that’s so boring. There are so many wonderful things we can do with our mouths,” Aiden said with a laugh.

I turned and gave the camera a long, flat look, which only made him laugh harder.

“If you could get your mind out of the gutter for two seconds,” I said, looking back at the list of call numbers, “maybe we can find your second book. If we’re lucky, it’ll be on something you can’t make an innuendo about…”

“Oh, Nolan, do you have such little faith in me? I can turn anything into a double-entendre. Or a triple one. Do you like things that come in threes, Nolan? A little threesome fun for you?”

His laughter followed me down the aisle.

* * *

We finished filming at the library surprisingly quickly, but my interaction with Aiden lingered in my head all afternoon.

WhyhadI helped him? It couldn’t be because I felt sorry for him. I refused to let that be the case.

I could just imagine how Aiden would react if he thought I felt sorry for him, too. He’d throw a fit, for sure. Honestly, that might make it worth it.

I wasn’t even sure I’d helped, exactly. Maybe Aiden had just been fucking around in that interview segment for fun. Maybe he would have eventually pulled out the books he’d been assigned and talked about them like a normal person if I hadn’t burst in.

But I didn’t think so.

His face wouldn’t leave my mind. The hint of panic in his eyes. The way his brow had furrowed as he’d sounded out the numbers on his paper. Even the wounded pride that had painted his features when Tanner had snapped at him on the sidewalk. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but it was clear something was.

The thing I really couldn’t understand was how easy it had been to talk on camera when I’d been focused on Aiden. The past couple of weeks, I’d been a bundle of nerves every time I knew I was being filmed. But talking with Aiden, that anxiety had faded to a muted buzz.

It didn’t make sense.

We weren’t going to be filming our practice bakes until tomorrow, but there was no rule saying Icouldn’tspend time in the tent this afternoon. Maybe if I focused enough on my work, I could drive Aiden out of my head once and for all. It was better than sitting around and dwelling on the fact that I was going home.

The tent had a lonesome quality to it, standing empty. Like walking through an elementary school in the middle of summer. My eyes lingered on Aiden’s workstation. Maybe my actions at the library were just an attempt to work out my guilt for snapping at him on Monday?

I traced my hand over the smooth wooden counter of my own workstation. Only six more days until I went home. Six more days until I disappointed my mom. Maybe I should tell her that Aiden and Ihadhooked up. Kind of, anyway. Maybe that would soften the blow.

The tent flap opened behind me. I looked over my shoulder and froze. It was Aiden. Of course it was Aiden. I couldn’t get away from him.

I was still trying to figure out what to say when he walked up and poked me in the chest.

“What the fuck was that?” he asked, his eyes blazing.

I took a step back. “What waswhat?”

---