Chapter 28
Aiden
I nervously followed behind Skye as we made our way into the affinity gym. Being back on campus was psyching me out. Between the attack and my mother trying to kill me, I wasn’t feeling great.
I’d met with Dani, the secret Healer who worked in the Health clinic, as soon as we’d gotten back to campus. She reassured me that my sudden tight chest and trouble breathing was not related to my physical health, then recommended I see a psychiatrist.
Ha. The only options here on campus were fucking Wyatt or his nightmare ex. So that wasn’t happening.
I needed help, though. I went back to my old dorm room for just a few minutes to grab some of my old clothes –I had some legendary band t-shirts I’d never give up if I could help it– and my hands itched when I caught sight of my old pack of cigarettes in the trash.
I’d ignored them, but after I found a half-filled bottle of vodka under my bed, my body became hyper-aware of all the dangerous things I’d kept in that room. A packet of pills in my desk drawer was practically burning a hole through the desk before I left the room with shaky hands.
They were still a little shaky, now. As I watched Skye in front of me, her long, straight hair in a glossy sheet down her back, I felt a little better.
We hadn’t even been here one full day, and I felt sick every time I turned around.
The only thing tethering me to earth was Skye, so that’s what I focused on.
Or, mainly, how her ass filled out her leggings.
As if sensing I was having a confusingly horny meltdown behind her, Skye reached back without turning to face me, holding out her hand in a silent command for me to take it. I held that pretty hand like a lifeline, my breathing evening out as she gently squeezed, reminding me she was right here.
We were both here, and we were safe. Everyone was safe.
Well…not everyone. People had died. But at least our friends were safe.
Skye led me up the rows of bleachers, heading toward the side with a busted out light. I huffed a laugh, wondering if our shadowy Prince was close by or if Skye just naturally gravitated toward dark spaces now.
Skye slid into the second closest seat to the corner, pulling me down next to her.
She was still holding my hand as she rested her chin on her other hand, her elbow on the armrest. “You okay, angel?”
I shook my head, not even attempting to lie.
Skye furrowed her brow, then brought my hand to her lips, kissing my knuckles gently.
“What can I do?” she asked.
I shrugged. She could slow my heart rate, but that wouldn’t get rid of my anxiety, as Dani had just explained.
“It’s just a lot,” I said.
Skye nodded. “Too bad Wyatt fucking sucks, otherwise you could actually get some counseling.”
I snorted. “That’s true.”
“There are other counselors here, right?” Skye asked.
“Yeah. Wyatt’s ex…whatever is taking some students.” I said lightly.
“Oh, fuck that.” Skye muttered, saying something about the bun bitch under her breath as she turned away from me.
I grinned, then glanced past her, noticing the new guy was sitting not far away, and…he was watching us.
What the fuck was in the air today? Why was everyone checking out my Key?
I had the sudden urge to bare my teeth at him like an animal, not at all liking the way he watched Skye. He had that perpetually pissed off, bad boy vibe about him, yet he watched her like he was into her.
That was dangerous.
Skye would totally be into that.
I scowled.
“Aiden?”
I blinked, focusing back at Skye.
“Is that something you want? Counseling?”
I shrugged, my attention straying back to the asshole and his smug expression. He looked at Skye like he was starving, and I knew for a fact Skye was into that, because I looked at her the same way and she loved it.
Fuck, this wasn’t good. His hair was long on top, falling into his shockingly blue eyes. It was the perfect type of contrast that chicks were into.
Bad.
This was bad.
He didn’t look very funny, though, so I had that going for me, at least.
What has you distracted, angel? Skye’s voice purred into my mind.
You met him yet? I asked her, keeping my gaze on him. I swear the fucker hadn’t blinked.
Skye continued kissing my knuckles. Yes. I literally ran into him earlier. He was pissed about it.
Seems like he’s pissed about a lot of things, I commented as my eyes locked onto Skye’s lips. Holding eye contact, she barely slipped the edge of one of my fingers between her lips and I jumped in my seat, pulling my hand back quickly before checking no one was watching.
Well, no one besides the fucking new guy.
Don’t pay attention to him, Aiden, Skye said, sounding exasperated.
I don’t like how he’s looking at you, I growled, pulling her hand so that she practically rolled out of her seat.
She giggled, then slid onto my lap. Everything is fine, Aiden. Relax.
This is not a relaxing position, I said. You’re right over my dick–
“Well, isn’t this cute.”
I dropped my forehead to the back of Skye’s shoulder, and she giggled again. I looked up just in time to see a look of disgust on Mia’s face. She and Willow were in the row ahead of us, taking their seats.
“Skye, you have to come see our new room,” Willow said, pulling up photos on her phone. “We have a kitchenette!”
I felt bad for a second. Skye had been getting ready to go check out the besties’ room before I showed up.
“You cook?” Skye asked Willow as she pulled her hair into one of her signature high ponytails.
My mouth went dry. I loved when Skye put her hair up. Usually, it gave me the urge to bite on her neck, but right now I wanted to pull that ponytail while I fucked her from behind. She shifted her weight on my lap and I held in a groan.
“Of course not,” Willow’s scoff pulled me out of my horny haze. “I’m a trophy Key, Skye. My rich Link will get us a chef.”
“Your ‘rich Link’?” Mia asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah!” Willow said brightly. “Not you, obviously, but one of my Links is out there, and they’re rich…or they’ll know how to cook. We’re either going to be sugar babies, or a new wardrobe will be in order since we’ll be eating so good.”
Skye snorted while Mia rolled her eyes. Even my lips twitched into a smile. Willow was ridiculous, but she had her funny moments.
More students were filling up the bleacher seats, now.
My gaze caught on Carla Martin, hugging her shoulders while Anton Davis spoke to her.
He looked…bad. Super strung out. Carla just looked exhausted.
Watching her now, I couldn’t believe I’d ever given her the time of day.
I hadn’t told Skye yet, but there was a small part of me that was starting to feel kind of…
gross when I thought about how many women I’d been with.
I added that to my mental list of shit to talk to a therapist about.
Skye leaned back into me, catching my attention.
Who’s staring now? She raised an eyebrow before her silver eyes flashed toward Carla.
I chuckled. There’s nothing to look at in that direction, I promised before kissing the back of her neck. Skye whipped me with her hair as she swung her ponytail around to her other shoulder, giving me more space on her neck and encouraging me to keep going. Are you actually jealous?
Are you? She fired back the reply so fast, she must have been anticipating the question.
I glanced over my shoulder, finding new guy’s eyes on Skye again.
And he still didn’t look away when he realized I was watching him.
Who the hell was this guy?
The two of us stared each other down, a silent challenge of wills while Skye rubbed along my lap, seemingly unaware of what she was doing while she spoke to Willow and Mia in front of us.
What a joke. My Key was nothing if not a tease. She knew exactly what she was doing to me. Now whether or not she knew what she was doing while letting new guy watch…
He tilted his head slightly, finally breaking eye contact so he could watch Skye practically grind on me. Part of me wanted to give him a smug grin, but another part of me wanted to incinerate him.
In fact, I was getting so pissed that Willow yelped.
“Aiden, you’re burning the seat!” Mia hissed.
The heat cooled instantly, and my fists relaxed against my will. Skye slipped an arm around my neck and pulled me in for a sort of hug, then whispered in my ear.
“If you don’t calm down, I’ll have to punish you later.”
“You act like I don’t want that,” I growled.
Skye huffed a laugh. “A real punishment, Aiden, not something fun.”
Well fuck.
I squeezed my eyes shut, then breathed out slowly, willing myself to relax.
“Alright everyone, eyes up here.”
I opened my eyes to find Skye watching me carefully before she spun around, pressing her back to my front so she could face the makeshift stage.
Coach stood on the stage with his hands on his hips, wearing his usual track suit and ballcap. Murmurs sprung up around the auditorium, students muttering about why Coach was here instead of Headmaster Earl.
Where’s Earl? Skye’s voice floated through my mind.
Willow replied before I could, and I realized Skye must have pulled us all into a mind link together.
Wyatt says he’s missing.
The small trickle of sadness in my chest was not mine. I squeezed Skye’s shoulder gently.
I was starting to regret tattling to Skye about Wyatt and Carissa.
I’d thought it would be funny. That maybe Skye would come up with some fun way for us to get back at him, but I’d been wrong.
Super wrong. She’d played it off like it was no big deal, but it’d hurt her.
It was in little moments like just now where she’d tense almost imperceptibly at the mention of his name, or when she changed the subject quickly if he came up.
I was pretty sure I’d woken up to her sniffling one night, too.
Thinking back on what I’d seen, it was pretty obvious Wyatt was telling Carissa off. She’d been mad as hell, maybe even hurt when she stormed away.
Unease washed through me. I needed to tell Skye what I’d really seen.
He wasn’t at the battle, Skye said.