Page 98 of Not in My Book

“You could invite him here,” Jess said.

I shook my head immediately. “No way.”

“You could!” Tyler insisted. “We’ll be nice. You like him, Rosie, and we like you. If you say he’s changed, and he isn’t mean to you like he was at the beginning of the semester, we’ll be nice, too.”

“Aidenhasn’tchanged, though,” I said. “And I don’t want him to change. I like how … surly he is. I just understand him better now than I did before.”

“Invite him,” Jess said excitedly.

Logan nodded. “New Year’s is all about ringing in the new year with people you want to be in your life in the coming year. Youwantto be with Aiden. Take a chance on yourself.”

All three of them looked back at me encouragingly. And I knew they were right. The person I wanted to be with most right now was Aiden. Even if he’d frown at the music and crinkle his nose at the drunken dancers.

I nodded once, decided. “I’ll be back.”

I made my way outside into the last of the December cold. I stood in the smoking area as people continued to stream into the club, girls shivering in their shiny dresses and heels. With one last breath of courage, I called Aiden.

The phone rang twice, before I heard his deep, sleepy voice, “Rosie?”

“Hi,” I said. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No.” I heard some rustling. “I was just reading in bed.”

I deflated. “Oh.”

“Are you okay? Isn’t it almost midnight?”

I pulled my phone back from my face, checking the time. “Twenty minutes.”

“What’s up?”

I kicked at a pebble in front of me, feeling foolish. Aiden wasn’t the type of guy to go out and party on New Year’s Eve. Ofcoursehe was in bed with a book at eleven thirty, not even caring.

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry, I woke you. Happy New Year.”

“Tell me,” he demanded softly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I assured him. “I’m out with Tyler, Jess, and Logan, and well, we were talking about how you should ring in the New Year with people you wanted to be in your life next year. And I love them, but I kept wishing you were here. With me. Because I want to see more of you in the New Year and well …” Gathering my courage, I touched my locket again, reminding myself what that meant. I just had to make this leap. “Because I like you, Aiden. Not in theoh, I saw this and thought of youway.But in theoh you told me this and now I can’t stop thinking about it becauseyouthink about itway.And in theI want to end this year with you and start the new one with you tooway.”

He was silent a moment. In the five seconds it took him to respond, I regretted every word I said. I wished I could shove them back in my mouth and pretended it never happened.

“Where are you?” he asked.

My heart thumped as I told him the name of the club we were at.

“I’ll see you soon.”

I looked down at my phone, a little dazed. When I walked back into the club, I found Jess and Tyler by themselves in the booth, sitting close to each other.

“So?” Jess asked the minute I sat down.

“Where’d Logan go?”

Tyler nodded toward the dance floor. “Emily came. How’d it go with Aiden?”

“He said he’s coming.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “He lives close by so maybe he’ll be here before midnight.”

“I knew it,” Jess said, beaming at me.

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