Page 11 of Not in My Book

If wedidwrite this book together, that meant Aiden would have to write sex scenes and swoony lines. He’d hate that. It would anger him and mortify him. It would make him feel exactly how I felt every time he critiqued my work.

“I’ll do it,” I said happily. Aiden threw a disbelieving glance my way which only spurred me on. “I mean, how hard can it really be?” I lifted a casual shoulder. “But, Aiden,” I turned to him with a sympathetic expression. “I know romance isn’t your thing and since the majority of the book would be romance, I get why you wouldn’t want to. I mean, I know thatI’mnot too intimidated to …”

“Fine,” Aiden said sharply. “I’m in. There’s not much to a romance. We’ll lock them in an elevator, have them fall in love, then let the elevator collapse.”

I dug my nails into my palms, wishing they were Aiden’s eyes instead.

For the first time since we’d entered the room, Ida smiled. “Then, it’s settled. First and second chapter due next week. And no more fights in class,” she warned.

She dismissed us and once again we both got caught in the doorway. This time, Aiden pushed through first. I closed the door behind me only to turn around and find an angry Aiden looming over me.

“I can tell you don’t want to do this,” he accused. The cold look in his eye made me feel victorious.

“Neither do you. I think you hate romance more than you hateme.”

He let out a breathy laugh as we made our way into the elevator. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Our romance is going to be the most swoon-worthy, gushy, romantic love story of all time,” I threatened punching the ground floor button angrily. “And it’ll have amillionsex scenes.”

“Oh yeah? I’m going to kill off one of our main characters,” he said simply. The elevator doors opened, and I followed him onto Greene Street and down Waverly.

“You can’t do that,” I protested. I stood in front of him, stopping him from walking any further, but he wouldn’t meet my eye.

“Watch me.”

“That’s the most horrific, evil thing you can do in a romance!”

“But we’re not writing a romance, are we?”

“That doesn’t mean you can just kill them off.” I wanted to write the type of book that made me believe and hope for love, even when it seemed impossible. Not something out of Aiden’s wet dreams that fed his tortured-man aesthetic.

“Guess we’ll just have to see.” He walked away, and I stuck out my tongue at his retreating figure, my nose snarled in anger.

I could barely focus during my shift at the Hideout. I messed up drinks and couldn’t keep my hands steady as I poured them. I was too busy planning all the ways I would make Aiden suffer through this project. He was bad enough with his critiques in class, but now I wouldn’t even be able to have a first draft without him berating me.

My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing from my back pocket so I snuck a quick look around the restaurant to make sure my boss wasn’t around and pulled it out.

Logan:rosie. tell. us. everything.

Tyler:You don’t have to.

Jess:uh, yes she does. spill

Tyler:She’s at work guys she’s not going to answer.

Logan:but i have to know!!!!!

Jess:me too!!!!!

Tyler:She probably just told them to start being more respectful during workshop.

I sighed, sending a quick text.

Rosie:can’t talk. at work. but we have to cowrite the final project

I slipped my phone back in my pocket, but almost immediately I was bombarded with texts. I huffed, pulling it out again.

Logan:HAHAHA

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