Page 111 of Knot your Good Girl

“I love you. When I was younger, all I wanted was to find my scent match. But after what happened to me, I couldn’t take the risk. And I know you felt the same. We were at a standstill. Neither of us prepared to concede.”

“But it’s you... only you. You’re my forever. I know it. Your scent isn’t honey. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you. My trust issues around scent matching were at a low.”

I suck back a sob as he continues.

“And only you smell of orange, chocolate and a flower I could never put my finger on until I went to your sister’s graveside... cherry blossom.”

I try to look through the blurry haze at him.

“Your sister...”

I shake my head as tears roll down my cheeks. He went to her graveside.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. You can continue to grill the players about the game. And we have a special announcement at the end.”

He places the microphone on the table to silence. That is until he strolls towards me, his footsteps echoing softly.

Gasps and chatter slowly fill the room as camera lights flash over and over, and I know if we don’t get out of here, we’ll be headline news tomorrow and not the game.

With his firm grip on my hand, we swiftly flee the press room, the sound of our hurried footsteps echoing in the hallway.

My heart hammers into my rib cage, his words still repeating over and over in my mind. Not only telling me he smells my perfume, the same way I smell his scent. He told everyone, the world...I love you.

He takes my hand and leads me down the staircase and to the parking lot and asks, “Are you ready to talk?”

Aiden’s hand gently presses against my back, leading me through the double doors of his hotel suite. I can feel the warmth of his touch radiating along my spine, sending shivers down to my core.

He loves me, and it goes beyond scent matching. If anyone had told me this would happen to me, even Ivy, I would think they were crazy.

I take a seat in his hotel suite, which is spacious and beautifully decorated. My nerves are bouncing as hard as my leg as I wait for him to speak.

He just stares. Ever-growing black pupils have taken over his hazel irises.

“I need to show you something,” he finally says as he walks to another room.

My eyes wander around his suite, taking in as much as I can. Anything to stop myself from looking for him.

He brings back a parcel and hands it to me.

I open the package and see my Nirvana tee shirt, the one I thought I lost years ago. “That’s mine.”

“I know that now.”

“Why do you have it?” I ask.

“Your sister sent it to me.”

“Ivy.” I scrunch my eyes together in confusion.

“I subscribed to her account for months before we talked. Before we got as far as talking about scents.”

I swallow and grimace. I’d wondered if he’d seen my sister in a compromising position. “What tier did you pay her for?”

He laughs. “Tier two. You wear sexy underwear, but she gave more of a taboo look. A student look, sexy librarian...”

“Ivy did that?”

“Yes...” he muses. “I should have wondered why you changed the way you acted. I just thought it was because you were a few years older.”