Page 50 of Collide
His words are like hot liquid cascading down my skin. I bring my pool cue to lift his chin. “You’ll never find out.”
His gaze only darkens with a determined look that startles me.
“Didn’t know you had a hidden talent,” Kayce says, snapping me away from Aiden’s unsteadying look.
After that, it’s an easy win. But instead of wearing a look of defeat, Aiden’s eyes are alight with satisfaction. I have an inkling it’s because he got me to drop the clumsy girl act that would have stroked Kayce’s ego.
I turn to Kayce, who pulls me into him. But it feels weird. None of it’s like I thought it would. Not the touching, not the whispers about how hot I am, and definitely not the flirting. It feels like I’m forcing it, and I don't want to do that anymore. I don't want to mold myself into something I’m not. Winning at pool might have sparked this awakening.
My eyes gravitate to where Aiden and Bethany stand to find his gaze already on me. She pulls him to the bar yanking his attention from the heavy hands on my waist. I’m not sure if it's the look Aiden gave me or that weird feeling swirling my stomach, but I detangle myself from Kayce’s arms.
“This was fun, but I think I’m going to call it a night,” I say awkwardly.
His disappointment only lasts a second. “I had fun, too, and if you ever want to make Crawford jealous again, you know who to call.”
Make Aiden jealous?Kayce walks off before I can dissect the statement. When I look for Aiden, he’s whispering into Bethany’s ear as she types into his phone. She’s laughing, face blushing. There’s something about Aiden that turns women into a fawning mess.
Taking my jacket, I exit the bar, bypassing all the drunk patrons loitering by the doors. Outside, I’m trying to get an Uber, but the app reloads, unable to find any available rides. I’m leaning against the brick wall when a hand pulls me back.
“You were just going to leave?” Aiden runs an exasperated hand through his hair. “Jesus, Summer, I thought you left with him. I was losing my damn mind until I found you out here.”
His distressed face confuses my drunken brain. “Sorry, you just seemed into Bethany. I didn’t want to interrupt that just because I wanted to leave.”
He stares at me like that is the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. “I’m wherever you are, Summer.”
That weight in my stomach sinks. With a hand on my back and without another word, he leads me to his truck. It’s a quiet drive, aside from the low hum of the radio that switches between pop songs and new renditions of classics.
We’re driving through an unlit area when the first strings ofTennessee Whiskeyfilter through the speakers. Suddenly, Aiden halts the truck. When he chuckles, I wonder if some of Bethany's drunkenness rubbed off on him.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
Somber green eyes search my face for a long second. “This is a newer version, but this was my parents’ first dance song.”
My smile mirrors his. “Country?”
Although the hockey stereotypes run deep with the genre, Aiden’s love for country seems more personal, like it’s a part of him he keeps close to his heart. He turns the volume on the radio up and steps out of the truck.
I’m watching him round the truck before my door pops open, and Aiden extends his hand to me. “Come.”
“Where are we going?” I ask over the lyrics.
“Just out here.” He nods to the front of the truck. I don’t know why but I take his hand and follow him to where the headlights drown us in bright white. When he looks at me, his eyes are as muted as the evergreens surrounding us. There’s a sadness to them that I can’t quite place, but his sweet smile contrasts that look.
“You dance?” I ask when he lifts my hand onto his shoulder.
“No,” he says. “But I want to with you.”
There’s a lump in my throat when he pulls me closer. “Are you sure you’re not drunk?” I ask, attempting to crush the boulder pressing into my chest.
He shakes his head, and the look in his eyes is so intense, I lay my head against his chest to escape it. I let my eyes close as the lyrics wash over us. The cold night air barely penetrates the warm weight of Aiden’s arms around me. Either that, or it’s the alcohol that heats my blood. But I can’t shake the feeling of comfort and safety when I’m with him. I can’t deny that he feels like home.
My eyes wrench open at the thought, and my heart runs into overdrive. No.No. It has to be the alcohol. It’s the only explanation for the ache in the center of my chest and the tingling, warm feeling prickling my skin. When I finally calm my beating heart, Aiden presses a kiss to my hair. It knocks the speed right back into my heart.
Slowly, the song fades, and I pull away. His breath tickles my forehead, and for a split second, all I can think of is his lips on mine.
I abruptly break free of his warm embrace. “It’s a good song. I heard it on the playlist,” I say.
That melancholy look goes nowhere, but he’s smiling now. “I guess I managed to turn you into a country fan after all.”
