Page 37 of Firestorm
“That’s–” Whatever Aiden was about to say cut off as we were jostled from behind. My tray flew out of my hands, spilling all over the ground. Aiden caught me by my arm, pulling me toward him and out of the way.
I glanced back to see a trash cart had lost a wheel, causing it to steer the wrong direction and run into several students. The attendant looked apologetic, but no one was being rude about it. It was clearly an accident.
Aiden and I seemed to realize at the same moment that he was still touching me. His hand hesitantly loosened around my arm, allowing me to slip out of his grip and scramble a few feet away from him.
“Sorry,” he said, his voice a little deeper than usual.
Get. Me.Out of here.
My silent plea was answered in the form of a tall, blonde bombshell that suddenly appeared at Aiden’s side. She wrapped her arms aroundhim, tipping her head up to look into his eyes. Aiden looked startled for just a moment before his eyes darted to mine in alarm.
“Aiden, there you are!” she said. “I told you to just wait for me out front. See what happens when you come in with the rush? The help ends up knocking you over with trash.”
My eyebrows creeped higher and higher the more she spoke, and Aiden had the sense to look mortified.
Blondie’s brown eyes finally landed on me, and they widened in exaggeration as she feigned like she’d just noticed me.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“No?” I replied, looking to Aiden again, who only looked like a sexy deer in headlights.Fucking hell.
“Carla, this is my f-friend, Skye.” Aiden said through clenched teeth.
“Oh! Oh, that’s so embarrassing. I thought you worked here!” Carla laughed loudly. I resisted the urge to wince, then resisted another urge to run for my life as I noticed how many people were watching us.
“Embarrassing for you, surely.” I replied. “This isn’t exactly a uniform.”
Carla pursed her lips, then gave me a quick once over, before her upper lip curled in a look of disgust, clearly finding my leggings and sweatshirt combo lacking.
“Interesting choice,” she said, her pretty tone dissolving in an instant. “I’d say call me when you’re done with this one, but she looks particularly frigid. You might be at it for a while.”
I let out a startled laugh, looking to Aiden, who only stared at her in disbelief.
“You’re not his type, you know.” She lowered her voice and leaned in toward me as if she were telling me a secret. “He rarely comes back for seconds. Unless, of course, it’s with me.”
“Carla,” Aiden growled.
“Don’t worry, I’m out of here.” I said, not even looking at Aiden as I shook my head. “I have frigid things to attend to, anyway.”
Carla smirked at me.
“Carla, I swear to God,” Aiden was practically snarling as he grabbed her by the upper arm and pushed her several feet away fromme. The look on his face was a little menacing, but she only seemed to cower for a moment before he leaned in and said something to her in a hushed tone not meant for me to hear. She handed him a small bag of something before scurrying away.
Great. More drugs.
“Oh, God.” Willow’s voice came from my left.
“Who’s that?” I asked, ignoring how my affinity itched along my forearms.
“Carla Martin,” Mia sighed. “They hooked up a few times last year and she’s been obsessed with him ever since.”
“Which is so annoying,” Willow grumbled. “Everyone knows her mom is trying to hook her up with the prince.”
I snorted. “Yeah, she’d fit right in with an uptight aristocrat.”
When Willow and Mia didn’t laugh with me, I turned to face them, surprised to see they were both giving me funny looks.
“What am I missing?” I asked.
