Freezing Bonds that Tie our Hearts (Blood and Water #2)

6. Nova

He was late.

He had the audacity to tell me to be on time yesterday only for him to be late instead. The library was almost empty, and I chose a pretty secluded area to sit at. I knew Aiden was probably going to try me and I didn’t want anyone to see in case he finally managed to make me burst. I closed my eyes and leaned back against my seat, sighing.

But he’d need to actually be there for it to happen first.

Tiredness was slowly taking over my body, I felt weak today, both mentally and physically. My head was ready to burst, sounds and voices mingling inside and making me want to scream.

That’s it; if he didn’t show up in the next two minutes, I was going home.

Just thinking of diving back into my sheets made me want to groan in frustration. I spent yesterday with my nose inside my math manuals. I didn’t have time to check Diamond’s new story—which was good I guess because Zee would have killed me if I had— and I didn’t have time to do any online shopping like I initially wanted.

Still, math homework had me seriously sleep deprived, despite the fact that Rory did most of it after spending the better part of an hour trying to explain the different formulas to me.

The sound of the chair scraping next to me brought me back to reality, making me look up only to find Aiden slumping down on it, getting books out of his bag. I waited a beat, thinking maybe he would have the decency to apologize for making me wait nearly fifteen minutes, or that he would at least say hi and acknowledge my presence.

But nothing happened. He quietly got settled, making sure he had everything he needed, before finally looking up to me and offering me that signature smirk.

“What’s up, little star?”

I gritted my teeth, annoyed at the nickname.

“My name is Nova.” I reminded him. “It’s literally two syllables, shouldn’t be that hard to remember.”

“I know but doesn’t it mean star in Latin or some shit?” he shrugged.

“It does, but—”

“Then why are you so pressed about me calling you that?”

Because nicknames were intimate, and he and I were not! Never. Not ever.

His eyes bore into mine as he provoked me with a simple look.

The need to get away from him and his scrutinizing gaze was suddenly making itself known and I was the first to look away. I knew arguing with him was pointless so I simply sighed and opened my laptop, typing in my password and pushing it towards him before the page even loaded.

“Here. You can start with the online research and I’ll just browse the books they’ve got here.”

“Ay’ ay’ captain.” he gave a mock salute, green eyes shining with mischief. I pinched my lips together because a small smile wanted to get away from me but I wouldn’t let it.

There was no way Aiden Walker would get one of my real smiles. These were precious and nothing like the smiles I liked to distribute around school. And the aggravating boy in front of me didn’t deserve any. Not one.

Turning around, I started walking through the aisles, looking for anything that could help us while my mind went back to last night’s conversation with Zee. The one where she said Aiden might not be that bad.

A part of me knew she was right, that what I had witnessed three years ago might have been something else entirely from what it seemed—although I doubted there was another explanation to a guy punching another one in the face and pouring orange juice down his pants— but a part of me just refused to let go.

I could not lie and say Aiden wasn’t attractive, because he was, freakishly so, and the way he held himself, as annoying as it could be, was also insanely charming. That smirk that he seemed to reserve only for me made me want to strangle him but, at the same time…

I was attracted to him and I hated it.

Because Aiden not only looked at me like he was ready to devour me whole, he also looked at me like he could see right through the facade. Like he knew that behind the soft and feminine exterior was a wreckage. Absolute chaos.

Settling for three books I thought would be helpful, I made my way back to our corner where Aiden was hunched over my computer. When he heard me, he immediately looked up and caught my eyes with his.

His expression had changed from earlier. His orbs were a shade darker, deadlier… and his gaze was almost burning me.

I slowed down, carefully putting the books on the table.

“Found something interesting?” I asked, unsure of why he was looking at me like that.

But then Aiden turned the screen towards me and I could feel the blood rushing down from my face.

No. No, no, no, no, no.

What stared at me made my body freeze and my eyes widen. Right then and there, I wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Bile rose up my throat. I was mortified.

What was I thinking! How could I be so stupid!

I never opened my laptop after I’d rushed to close it yesterday, my head was all in those godforsaken math homework. When uncle Davon and Cece barged into my room, I shut it down so fast in fear they would see something I wouldn’t know how to explain without dying from mortification. And now, because of that one, stupid mistake Aiden knew about one of the things I never wanted anyone to know about me.

I all but launched myself at him in an attempt to close the tab, but he was quicker and pushed the computer away from me. Getting up, he trapped me between him and the table.

He looked surprised but satisfied, a small smirk playing at the corner of his mouth while his eyes shone in interest.

“I knew it. I knew the good girl act was just that. An act.” His breath fanned against my lips and I sucked in a gasp.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a man stand that close to me. The fact that it was Aiden made me all the more nervous about it. And he smelled so good, like clean clothes and sunshine. Like fresh laundry left to dry in the sun.

“That’s not what you think.” I tried to defend myself lamely but I was so short of breath that it sounded almost like a moan.

“Really? Because I just read five pages of a girl getting chased by a guy with a mask who then fucks her with a knife handle before taking her from behind on a rug. I don’t know what else it could look like.”

I gasped and punched his shoulder, appalled. I couldn’t believe he just—

“Why did you spoil me! I was supposed to buddy read this tonight!”

His eyebrows nearly reached his forehead as he stumbled back a bit, clearly not expecting my outburst. A startled laugh then flew out of him. It was husky and low, his voice. And I loved it, despite my attempts not to. I wanted to hear more of it.

I pinched my lips to keep myself from joining him but the situation was honestly comical so I ended up chuckling too. He was still hovering over me, both his hands firmly planted on the table while my butt was essentially sitting on it. He towered over me, standing proud and beautiful. I took a chance to really look at him right then, at the freckles on his cheeks and the bump on his nose. I took in his pink lips and the light stubble on his cheeks.

“So you like it rough, huh?” his voice broke me out of the trance I seemed to get into.

My eyes widened and went back to his. Again, they shone with mischief, like he’d just been told Santa actually existed. I was so grateful at this moment that the shade of my skin wouldn’t betray the blush I felt rising up to my cheeks.

I actually didn’t know how I liked it, because I had never done it before. But yes, on paper, rough seemed like the most exciting option.

Aiden’s eyes scrutinized me, moving from my own to my lips, metaphorically brushing against my nose before caging me in his gaze.

That’s what I meant. He was doing it again. Seeing right through me.

“Stop.”

“Why? Everyone here thinks you’re this good little girl, this angel on earth who lives in a little bubble, but that’s not true, is it?” my breath got caught in my throat. “Who would’ve known Nova Starling actually wants to get chased and fucked like a… what is it he calls her again? A nasty little slut?” a gasp escaped my lips at his words.

Shame and desire twirled in my stomach, making breathing difficult. It seemed like one of the things about me that I tried desperately to hide was now out.

Being good all the time was tiring and sometimes, well… I wished I could be bad. Reading about it was a form of catharsis. It was an easy and safe way to let go of my carefully crafted good girl image. And nobody knew, even my friends didn’t know the whole truth.

So his words went straight to my brain, making me hazy. I felt my hands begin to tremble so I curling them into fists by my sides. Thank God the table behind me was keeping me from melting into a puddle on the floor.

Aiden noticed my reaction, the way my breath hitched inside my throat, the way my knuckles turned white from gripping the side of the table, and the way my pupils had undoubtedly gotten bigger.

Oh my God, was Aiden Walker turning me on?

“Yeah, I think that’s what he said. That’s the way you like it, don’t you? You like people thinking you’re a good girl but when you’re in bed at night, reading those filthy stories and letting your dainty fingers rub on your little clit, you would love for someone to see you for who you actually are, wouldn’t you?” Heat was dancing in my stomach, slowly making its way down between my legs. How pathetic was it that all he did was talk and I could feel my panties getting wetter? He wasn’t even touching me.

“Who am I?” I whispered, my eyes never leaving his.

He leaned in, his lips a breath away from mine, “A nasty little slut.”

The s-word made me want to rub my thighs together. For the longest time, I hated myself for it, because it was such a derogatory term and no woman should love being called that, but in reality, it made me wetter than any pet names.

I loved it in books when the guy called his girl names in private. I loved the contrast between how he would dote on her in public and treat her like a toy behind closed doors. I never thought anyone would ever call me that, but heck if I wasn’t turned on.

Aiden’s head got closer to mine and if he leaned in more, we would probably be kissing. I gulped, my eyes falling on his lips and for a second, I wished he would just kiss me and put me out of my misery. I wished he would push me down on the table, spread my legs and rub at that little bundle of nerves between them until I was shaking with relief.

But then someone not that far from us dropped a book, the noise reverberating through the library and just like that, the spell was broken.

I gasped as I remembered where we were. Using all the force I could muster, I pushed Aiden off of me and jumped as far as I could. He still looked in a daze as he watched me, frowning.

“I— I need to get going.” I grabbed my bag, not even bothering to retrieve my laptop from his side of the table—especially now that he knew what type of things I hid in there— before I hightailed it out of there like the library was catching fire.

Aiden

The library was probably the last place where you should have a boner, but after getting so close to Nova, smelling her apple-sweet scent and feeling the heat coming off her body, I couldn’t help it.

Falling back on my chair I groaned and bumped my head onto the table.

What the hell just happened? Did I seriously call the girl I’ve been crushing on for years a slut? And why did she seem like she was into it before she realized where she was and who she was with?

I couldn’t lie and say her freaking out on me didn’t hurt my feelings a little bit. It was stupid considering how she never gave me time of day and constantly seemed annoyed by my presence, but it felt like we had been sharing something intimate right then. Groaning in frustration, my eyes fell back on her laptop. When she passed it to me and went searching for some reading material, I watched her until I couldn’t see her anymore and that’s when my eyes fell on the lit screen.

It took me a minute to understand what it was—some kind of kinky stories blog?— but when I did it felt like my heart would burst out of my chest. Like all those years thinking there was something else behind her sweet as sin attitude were actually proven right. For a second there, she looked at me with what I knew was desire in her eyes and all I wanted to do was smash my lips against hers. It was pathetic, really, how much this girl had me by the balls and didn’t even realize or care for it.

Shoving her laptop inside my bag, carefully because there was no way I could afford to replace it if I broke it, I got up and made my way out of the library since my next period would start soon.

Walking through the hallways, I tried looking for black braids and a pink dress but couldn’t see anything. I did notice her friends, though, Meileen was digging through her locker while the other two Southies argued about God knows what. I darted in their direction, ready to ask where the fourth member of their little group was hiding.

“I could totally survive Jason.” the one with the headscarf exclaimed, her back to me. “Are you kidding me? He walks so slowly and his moves are always stiff like he just came back from a full body day at the gym. I’d make him my bitch.”

“Zee, you’re literally scared of snails and you think you could take on Jason Voorhees? Be for real, babe.” The blond one rolled her eyes and noticed me walking towards them. Her eyebrows went up and a mischievous smile spread on her lips.

“First of all, I told you that in confidence!” she hissed, “And snails have nothing to do with—”

“Hey, Mei.” I ignored the two girls who suddenly stopped talking and decided to stare at me instead. Meileen stopped rummaging through her locker and looked up, smiling when she saw me standing there.

“Hey, Aiden. What’s up?”

“I’m looking for your friend. The pink one.” Calling her that to make it seem like I didn’t care about her was about peak performance for me.

Meileen frowned, “She wasn’t feeling great so she went back home.” Of fucking course she did.

Gritting my teeth I gave a single nod while her two friends were still shamelessly staring at me.

“Any way you could give me her number? She forgot her laptop at the library.”

From beside me, the girl with the headscarf—Zee, as her friend called her— snorted.

“What did you do to her that she’d forget her laptop and lie about feeling sick so she could skip class?” Dark brown eyes narrowed at me as she looked on suspiciously.

“She really seemed to be feeling bad, maybe she caught something.” The blond argued.

“Yeah, she said she had to go and then all but ran out of the library. Clearly she was feeling sick. That’s why I need her number, so I can swing by her house and drop off her computer.” Zee-girl clearly didn’t believe me but I couldn’t care less. All I wanted was Nova’s number.

“No way. Just give it to me and I’ll swing by her house and give it to her after class.” She held her hand open and it was my turn to frown.

“I need to talk to her about Diaz’s assignment anyways, so no thanks.” clearly, she saw right through me.

“Listen pretty boy, after the shit you pulled yesterday in class you better not try to get on her nerves again, you hear me? Because if you do, I’m gonna be really angry.”

“You’re like five foot nothing, what are you gonna do?” I chuckled.

She answered without batting an eye, taking a step closer to me. “I’ll find out where you live, break into your house, cut off your limp dick and choke you with it.” I gulped, the smirk wiped clean from my face. Damn, talk about graphic.

A shiver went up my spine at the look in her eyes. I didn’t know if I should be scared or grateful that Nova had someone like her by her side. She clearly felt protective of her and saw me as a threat— which, considering that was how I had always presented myself, made sense.

“She’s kidding, of course.” The blond gave a strained laugh and swung her arm around the other’s shoulder, making her step back. “Hi, I’m Jelena, and this right here is Zainab. She’s not usually this thirsty for blood. And you know Mei.” I nodded once.

All I wanted was Nova’s number, dammit, not an introduction to her circle of weirdo, murderous friends.

“Just give me the laptop so I can give it to her tonight, okay?”

“Nope, sorry, she left it with me so it’s my responsibility.”

“Fine, have fun finding her house, then.” Zainab interjected, “Oh, and when you do, have even more fun trying to convince her dad to let you see her.” She snickered, darting down the hallway. Jelena gave me an apologetic smile before following her friend and Meileen looked split.

“I just don’t think Nova would like you to have her number, I’m sorry. But as Zee said, you could give us the laptop and we’ll drop it off tonight.”

Gritting my teeth I shook my head no. “It’s fine, I’ll find a way.”

Sighing, I walked to my next class while taking my phone out of my pocket.

Me: you there?

AK: What’s up?

Me: I need a phone number and an address.