Page 41 of Beautifully Complicated

There’s my cue to blush.

“Kier works here. I sort of work for him doing research.”

I’ve never seen Bennet’s expression fall so fast. “You’re working for a rockstar science guy and didn’t tell me? That’s like your dream.”

A quick glance at Kier tells me he’s just as interested in my answer as Bennet is, for different reasons.

“You’ve had so much going on with your rehab and classes and Damien…” I trail off, realizing how lame that sounds.

“Is this because I kept him a secret from you? You’re keeping secrets of your own to get back at me.”

“What? No.” I can’t admit the truth without jeopardizing Kier’s reputation or mine, but if I say nothing at all I risk Kier thinking that’s because I still have feelings for Bennet. “I’m not keeping score and I’m not trying to keep Kier a secret, I just—"

How do I fix this?

“The things we’re working on are confidential,” Kier tells Bennet as I gape at him. “Aiden probably didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to say too much.”

“Oh,” Bennet says, clearly flustered. “I’m… Shit, I’m sorry Aiden. I shouldn’t have accused you of that.”

“It’s okay,” I mumble, still reeling from the fact Kier just came to my defense.

“Mind if I finish talking to Aiden real quick?” Kier asks Bennet. “I won’t take long since he’s technically off the clock.”

“Yeah, sure.” Bennet offers a somewhat embarrassed smile. “Nice to meet you.”

When he’s several feet away Kier turns his focus back to me, a crisp line separating his brows. But before he can say anything I blurt, “Why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Cover for me with Bennet.”

“I did it as much for me as I did you. He can’t know about what happened between us, but I’m sure as hell curious why you’d keep quiet about working for me. There’s no need to keep that a secret unless you really are still hung up on him and don’t want him to know you’ve been with anyone else.”

“That’s not why I didn’t tell him.”

“Why didn’t you?” Kier’s lips are pressed into a thin line, waiting for my answer.

“Bennet knows me better than anyone on this campus. The more I talk to him, the greater the chance he sees through me. And if he sees through me, he won’t give up until he gets to the bottom of what’s wrong.”

“And what’s wrong?” There’s just enough curiosity in his voice that I can tell he’s questioning whether it’s him or Bennet that has me upset.

“I want what I can’t have.” I hold his wary stare, leaving no doubt what—or who—that is. “And I hide out in my room because reminders of that are all over my house.”

“The people you came in with?” His expression softens some.

“Three happy couples.” I nod.

Kier closes his eyes and sighs heavily. “Thin walls.”

“You remembered.” I chuckle without any humor. “But that’s not the main reason I avoid them. It’s all the other things. Cooking together, watching TV. Random boring shit that they can share with another person. I don’t want that with Bennet, but I do want it.”

Once again, I’m saying far more than intended, but I just can’t seem to keep it bottled in with Kier.

Some of the tension seems to leave his shoulders, though his expression is still guarded. “I hear you, but it’s hard to believe. I mean, we were just standing side-by-side, do you really not see the similarities?”

“I really don’t,” I insist. “I mean, I guess I can see why you’d think I have a physical type, and maybe I do, I don’t know. But you have your personality, and he has his. Those aren’t similar at all, and I think that’s why I don’t think you two look anything alike.”

Kier nods, but he doesn’t volunteer anything, almost as if he doesn’t trust himself with what he might say.

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