Chapter 31 Annalise
Chapter thirty-one
Annalise
His. I’m his.
Gods, we have so much to work through…
“What’s going through your mind over there, Ana? I can see the wheels spinning,” he asks, a playful glint in his eyes as he kisses the back of my hand, still holding it since we got back in the car.
“Honestly? There’s a lot,” I admit.
He smirks, “Good, then we’ll have plenty to talk about until we get back to the academy. And if we don’t finish it all before we have to head out to the forest, then we can finish it all when we’re back in my bed.”
“Ohhh no. We are not staying in your room.”
“Why not? Afraid people will see you sneaking out in the morning?” he teases, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
“There will be no more sneaking out. And you’re staying with me tonight because it’s easier for you to pack a bag and get ready in my room in the morning than it is for me to pack all my clothes, hair products, and makeup to take to your room for the night.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Ok, then don’t stay for one night. Stay every night.”
“Aiden, I am not moving in with you! We haven’t even been dating for ten minutes!” I protest.
He laughs, low and warm. “I’m pretty sure we’ve been dating all weekend, but ten minutes is still plenty of time to know what I want.”
I roll my eyes, but it’s useless; he sees straight through it, grinning like he actually has a shot at winning this. He doesn’t. “You’re ridiculous,” I mutter, trying not to smile.
“Maybe,” he says easily, squeezing my hand once before resting it back on his thigh.
I glance over at him. His jaw is relaxed now, eyes focused on the road, and an uncontrollable smile brightening up his face.
Then I clear my throat, “Still not moving in, though.”
He laughs again, “We’ll see,” he says, smug as ever.
“Don’t push your luck, Ace.”
“Oh, I intend to.”
I shake my head, but I’m smiling now, too.
“But seriously, tell me what you’re thinking so we can work through it all together.”
Ugh, where to start…
“What are you going to tell Lucas? I don’t know how much you know about our history, but I can tell you he’s going to lose it.”
“No, his best friend dating the girl he was in love with that cheated on him probably won’t be easy for him to take, but that was a long time ago—”
The cackle that bursts out of me cuts him off completely.
“Oh my gosh, please tell me you’re joking.” He just stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You have to be joking. That cannot be the bullshit he’s telling people.”
Aiden frowns, glancing at me like he’s not sure whether to be confused or offended. “What are you talking about?”
I can’t stop laughing, half in disbelief, half in frustration.
“Lucas wasn’t in love with me, Aiden. We only dated for a couple weeks; he only asked me out because he was scared of my dad.
And I never cheated on him, or anyone else, to be clear.
I didn’t date or even mess around with anyone for a few years after that. ”
“Your dad? I'm so confused.”
“My dad is the sheriff back home. Lucas wanted to take my V-card but was scared of what my dad would do if we weren’t dating. Dumbest logic ever.”
Aiden’s expression softens, his thumb tracing idle circles against the back of my hand. “So you never…?”
“Cheated? Definitely not. Had sex? Not even close. His ego got bruised after I overheard him talking shit, broke up with him, and wouldn’t take him back. After that, he started spreading rumors and trying to humiliate me whenever he could—which is actually how Josh and I became friends.”
“Josh? Who the hell is Josh?”
“The guy from riding class.” I shake my head, “So worked up and you didn’t even know his name. I’m actually surprised Lucas didn’t mention their history. They grew up rivals in pretty much every sport.”
“He hasn’t said a word about knowing him, only said he was acting cocky the first day. But anyway, how did their rivalry make you two friends?”
I tell him the same story Matt told Sasha the other week.
“Let me get this straight, you’re telling me you just ran over to Josh—practically a stranger—mid warm-ups, demanded his jersey, and then he kissed you?”
“No, of course not. I ran up to him mid-warm-ups, told him I was Lucas’s ex, and asked if he would be willing to play along. The kiss wasn’t exactly planned, but it really sold the whole thing perfectly.”
“Uh-huh. And does Josh still like to unexpectedly make out with you?”
“Considering he’s gay, that would be a hard no.”
Aiden slowly nods, taking in the whole story, then leans back in his seat, “So we’re on the same page, Lucas tried to manipulate you into having sex with him under the guise of dating, got mad that you wouldn’t fall for it again, and has been terrorizing you ever since. Did I get that right?”
“Pretty much sums it up, yeah.”
“And what about you coming to Scion? I was there when he confronted you about trying to steal from your dad to run off and marry Matt, and trying to kill him when he caught you. He showed me an article about your arrest, even.”
“Uhm, that’s a little more complicated. Matt and I didn’t try to steal anything, and we definitely were never getting married, but that is part of what we were sentenced to Scion for.
I know it’s confusing, but can I tell you that story tonight, too?
You are going to have a lot of questions, and it’s a bit heavy for a car ride. ”
“Okay. What about you and Matt? What do I need to know?”
“Uhm, you’ll get the full picture with the Scion story, I think—but I can tell you that he’s the single most important person in my life.
I obviously want you to get along with all my friends, but Matt is my family.
I’ll understand if that’s too much for you.
I can’t even honestly say if our roles were reversed that I could accept it easily, but hopefully after tonight, you’ll understand. ”
“I can’t say it’ll be easy to get used to, but I can try.” Aiden’s voice is quiet, almost like he’s absorbing the weight of it all. “So, I’m guessing he’s not going to be thrilled with the idea of me and you, huh?”
I laugh, though it’s a little bitter. “After the backlash from the dining hall and then your pig stunt, he’s definitely going to need some time to warm up to the idea. But he hates Lucas so knowing us dating will piss Lucas off will give you a tiny step up.”
“I’m sorry, pig stunt? What are you talking about?” Aiden’s whole expression shifts. Not angry or offended. Just…blank, like he genuinely has no idea what I’m talking about.
My stomach twists, and I fold my arms across my chest. “Seriously? We’re still doing this?”
He blinks once, slowly. “Ana, I’m not doing anything. I’m asking what the hell you mean.”
“You and Lucas putting a dead pig in my bed while I was sleeping,” I say, forcing each word out. “Smeared its blood all over me. Ringing any bells?”
Aiden stares at me.
Not evasive.
Not smirking.
Not guilty.
Just stunned.
“Annalise,” he says, voice dropping to something almost careful, “I have never, never, put a dead animal anywhere near you. And I sure as hell have never put blood on you.”
My throat goes dry, but anger pushes past it. “So, what, it magically appeared in my bed?”
Aiden shakes his head, slowly, like he’s trying to piece together a puzzle that makes no sense.
“I swear I have no idea. Lucas never even mentioned it to me. I don’t know if he didn’t because he guessed I still wasn’t over you or if he just knew I wouldn’t go along with it, no matter who it was, but I promise you I didn’t know.”
Aiden leans in, voice softer, still sincere. “I’m owning up to all the stupid shit I’ve said and done since that night at the Staggering Ox. I’ve let my jealousy cloud my judgment, and I bought into Lucas’s lies, but I swear I wasn’t involved in that. And I’ll never hurt you like I did ever again.”
“Okay.”
“What do you mean, ‘Okay’? Just like that?”
“Yeah. I forgive you. I think I forgave you before we even made it to the beach house.”
“Well then, I’m also sorry I took so long to catch up.” He says with a wink.
“Yeah, yeah. But you still haven’t told me what you’re going to tell Lucas.”
He’s quiet for a moment, jaw flexing like he’s running through all the possible answers. Then, simply, “The truth. That you’re with me.”
I look back at him, searching his face. “And you think that’ll go over well?”
“No,” he admits, a smile tugging at his lips. “I don’t, but I don’t care.”
I blink at him. “But he’s your friend?”
Aiden laughs under his breath, low, sharp, humorless.
“Ana, Honey, he’s been making up lies about you and trying to hurt you for years, not to mention possibly attacking you via pig.
I wouldn’t respect or be friends with anyone who has pulled that shit, but it’s taking every ounce of restraint I possess to not put him through a wall as soon as I see him for what he’s done to you. ”
Something in his voice makes my pulse jump. It’s not only anger, it’s raw, primal protection.
“I need you to know,” he continues, his tone softening a fraction.
“I haven’t stayed single because I wanted to play the field.
I stayed single because I hadn’t found someone I cared enough about to want to share my life with.
” He leans closer, his eyes dark and unwavering.
“And I know this sounds insane because, as you pointed out, we barely started dating, but I’m sure about you, about us. For as long as you’ll have me.”
For a moment, I can’t breathe. He says it like it’s already decided. I study him, caught between wanting to believe him and wanting to run. I can’t decide if his certainty terrifies me or comforts me. Maybe both. And all I can do is hope he still feels that strongly for me after tonight.
“Sooo, when we get back to my room—“ he starts, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
“You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you like me.”
I pause, staring up at him and smiling. “Maybe I do.”
The silence that comes over us is no longer uncomfortable; it feels like the beginning of something real.