Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
AIDEN
I knock down the kickstand and switch off the engine. Nova straightens and keeps her arms wound around me in a loose hug. There are several reasons I enjoy having her as my backpack, but the main reason is this. I love it when she clings to my chest or stomach as we ride through town.
“Looks like I called it.” Her voice filters through my helmet’s speakers, drawing me out of my thoughts.
I peek at her over my shoulder, eyebrows raised even though she can’t see them.
Taking my silence as a question, Nova points above us. “The storm won’t hit us. I called it.”
I tilt my head and peer at the sky, noting the grey overcast that promises rain but not a storm. “Huh. You were right after all.”
She playfully swats my arm. “I’m always right.”
I face forward and pull the helmet’s strap free from the buckle beneath my jaw.
I’m glad she was right. Nova has come far since the first night I met her, but she still has mental-health struggles.
She knows her triggers, has coping skills to help with them, takes prescribed meds for her anxiety and depression, and goes to therapy to deconstruct the trauma.
And she has me.
When all else fails, I’m right beside her, grounding her.
“Why did you bring me here to talk about your rules?” she says as she removes her helmet. Her gaze slips toward the shopping center she frequently haunts.
Grinning, I slip my helmet off and shake my messy hair into place. “I figured since I owe you for ditching you the other day, I’d take you to your favorite shops.”
Nova’s attention returns to me, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Yeah, she’s already catching on to what I’m doing.
“You said we needed to go somewhere private to talk. Not take me out shopping.” She folds her arms over her chest and pops out her hip.
I dismount the bike’s seat and peel off my riding gloves. “You mentioned this guy wanting to meet up with you.” I nod toward her hand. “It would be a shame if you didn’t show up with a new set.”
Nova sobers and looks at her pink acrylic nails. “You think he’ll notice?”
I smirk and stuff my gloves into my pocket, then close the small gap between us. “You want my honest answer?”
Nova lifts her gaze to my face and nods.
“Yeah, he’ll notice.” And I already want to gouge out his eyes.
The only thing saving him from meeting the grim reaper is that Nova’s happiness means more to me than mine.
But I deserve a little happiness, so I’m paying for her nails and staking a minor claim over her. Brandon will fuck my sister’s brains out, but she’ll be using the nails I paid for to scratch down his back. I call it a win, as much as the thought enrages me.
Nova averts her gaze and toys with the end of her braid. “I can pay for it.”
“Are you implying that I can’t afford you?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
I chuckle and grab her hand, then lead her toward the nail salon. “Then I’m paying.”
“Don’t think I forgot about what we’re really supposed to be doing right now. I’m supposed to be helping you.”
“I didn’t think you would forget.”
Yes, I did. I want to do more with her, but I’m terrified all at the same time. The type of help I need requires a lot more than just kissing.
A bell above the door chimes as I open it, announcing our entrance. I hold the door open for Nova to pass through first, then follow behind her.
A woman not much older than us approaches my sister with a friendly smile. Her gaze flicks to me for a moment, her lips curving higher and her cheeks flushing with a blush. She turns to Nova with a calculating expression as she talks to her.
I linger behind Nova, listening to them talk and taking mental notes about what Nova prefers for her nails. Because mark my words, this won’t be the last time I pay for her nails.
The nail tech’s attention strays to me every few seconds. I clench my jaw and pretend I don’t notice her checking me out, or that she’s insulting Nova by doing so.
“I’d like to do designs too. Something flashy and bright for my date.” Nova pulls her phone from her pocket and searches through her pictures to show the woman. “I have a few ideas, but I can’t decide what I like best.”
The woman’s gaze flicks to me, and she grins like she just won the imaginary battle she had in her head with Nova. “I’m sure your date will love whatever you choose to do. What does your friend think?”
“Oh, we’re not friends. I’m her boyfriend.” I move behind Nova and wrap my arms around her in a hug. “I think whatever my girl chooses is perfect. Make sure they’re long too. I like how they feel, if you know what I mean.”
The smug look on the woman’s face disappears.
Nova sucks in a startled breath and casts a scolding look at me over her shoulder. I just grin and kiss the tip of her nose.
“Don’t be upset with me, pretty girl. You know I love it when you give me angel wings,” I whisper, loud enough for the jealous woman to overhear.
Nova’s cheeks brighten into a light shade of pink that closely matches her hair color.
“Perv,” she grumbles, and rolls her shoulder to knock me away from her.
I squeeze onto her tighter, refusing to let go. “Only for you.”
The nail tech clears her throat, drawing our attention back to her. “Pick the colors you want while I get everything ready.”
Nova steps out of my hold and wanders to the wall lined with shelves of nail polish and color swatches. I follow her as she browses the options, unsure why she’s pretending to look when we both know what she’ll pick.
She’ll go for pink. She always does.
Sensing my stare, Nova peeks at me, then sidles up and leans in as she whispers harshly, “What the hell was that all about?”
I raise an eyebrow and fight back a grin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Make sure they’re long too. I like how they feel, if you know what I mean.” She deepens her voice, imitating what’s supposed to sound like me. “Now the poor woman will be imagining me using you as a scratching post while she’s doing my nails.”
I lose the battle with my smirk. “Did you mean you’ll be imagining using me like a scratching post?”
Nova’s eyes widen, and the pretty shade of pink returns to her cheeks. Her gaze drops to my lips, and she must realize she’s staring because she gives a tiny shake of her head and turns away from me.
“No.” She scoffs. “That’s not what I meant, and you know that.”
I chuckle. “Whatever you say. It’s totally normal to think about your boyfriend between your pretty thighs. I’m not judging.”
She swipes a purple bottle of polish from the shelf and knocks over the one beside it. I snicker at her muttered curse and beat her to setting the bottle upright. Our fingers brush, and my gaze slides to the side of her face.
Nova snatches her hand back and pretends to consider the purple polish.
I close the space between us and settle my palm on her lower back while hovering my mouth beside her ear. “You’re so cute when you’re flustered. Do you want me to stop teasing you?”
Nova glances over her shoulder to ensure the nosy nail tech isn’t eavesdropping before turning to me. “Aren’t you weirded out by talking about fucking me?” she whispers.
“No,” I murmur with a shake of my head. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth, and a lump swells in my throat from wanting to say so much more than just that one word. I don’t know how much is too much to tell her.
Nova’s dark eyebrows pinch together. She looks away, breaking my heart—and my confidence right along with it.
I lean closer, putting my face in the direct path of her gaze so she’s looking at me again. “Is it weirding you out?”
Nova rolls her lips and stares at me with a blank expression for what feels like forever.
My heart bangs against my chest, and I stop breathing.
I fucked up. I made it weird, and she’s about to call it—
“No.” Her soft answer drags me out of my spiral. “I don’t think it’s weird. It’s harmless, and I know you’d never actually sleep with me.”
My mind slams on the brakes.
“What do you mean, I’d never actually sleep with you?” My fingers tighten on her hip. Not wanting to hurt her or leave behind bruises, I loosen my hold.
Nova’s smile comes out forced, which adds to the raging fire burning in my chest. “You have a type, Aiden.” She shifts her attention to the bottle of polish.
“Which is fine. Everyone has a type, and I’m just not it.
Besides, I’m interested in Brandon. We don’t need to have sex for me to win him over. ”
My teeth clench together, and I struggle to find the right words to make it clear that she’s my type. She has always been.
The women I’ve slept with may not share any similarities with Nova, but that was for a fucking reason.
Nova glances at me, likely waiting for me to say something. I’m stunned speechless, struggling to tell her how I feel about her. When I don’t say anything, her shoulders slump, and she returns the purple polish to the shelf with a sigh. Her disappointment is a bullet straight to the heart.
I’m a goddamn idiot. Why do I always fuck everything up?
I grab a bottle of thermal polish and hold it out for her. “This one.”
She eyes it and purses her lips. “Why this one?”
“Because I like these colors.”
Pink and purple always look good on her, but if I’m being honest with myself, this is my desperate attempt to tell her in so many words that I’m deeply attracted to her.
“And they’ll look good wrapped around my cock,” I add to really drive the point home.
Nova sucks in a shuddering breath, her gaze flicking to my face. Slowly, a nervous smile curves her full lips.
At least it’s better than her making fun of me or looking at me with disgust.
“They won’t be wrapped around your cock if you don’t behave yourself.” Her blush deepens, and she stumbles over her words. She spins on her heel and stumbles to the nail tech’s station.
I grin.
She’s adorable, even while nervous. There’s no way she would say something like that without feeling a smidge of attraction toward me. Now I have something to work with, and I can’t wait to make her understand that I’m not just saying these things for the fun of it.