Something Gained (USC Series Book #1)

chapter seven

SOMETHING GAINED
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BROOKLYNN

I crossed my legs as I sit on the lounge in Aidan's house. It is our second time working on our assignment. My eyes are skimming over information through the textbook. It is relatively silent. Occasionally, we exchange a question or piece of information but that's about it.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" Aidan blurts, breaking the silence. My eyes shoot up to him, slightly popping out of my eye sockets.

When I mean slightly, I mean practically falling out of my face.

"Um... yeah. Only one," I say, feeling awkward.

He nods, surprised, and goes back to skimming over the information in the textbook.

I'd only had one official boyfriend and it barely even lasted six months. It was freshman year and a guy, Blake, in my biology class, asked me out on a date. The date was alright and after a few more dates; he asked me out. I said yes, and we dated for almost six months. Besides that, I have had no other boyfriends.

"How long did it last?" Aidan interrogated, focusing back on me. What is it with him and questions today?

"About six months. Not too long." I shrug. "What's with the sudden urge to ask so many questions?"

I let out an awkward laugh and removed my stare from him and peered around the room.

I can sense him move and I glance over at him. He rested his arms on his knees, his biceps flexing and revealing his impressive muscles.

"Well, I thought that if we are going to be working on this assignment, all semester we might as well get to know each other." He sits back up, his back resting on the chair. His butt is sitting on the edge of the seat and his long legs extended in front of him, his sock clad feet crossed.

I nod, sticking my tongue into the side of my cheek, smiling slightly. "So, since we are, y'know, getting to know each other. Tell me, when was your last relationship?"

"If you must know, it was in high school," he says confidently. A cocky grin has made its way onto his face, clearly smug that I'm feeding into this.

"How long?"

"Three years." My eyebrows shoot up. I did not expect for him to have had a three-year relationship. He seems like the most noncommittal person ever from what I've heard.

"Since we are now supposedly friends." He smirks again. "We need nicknames."

I burst out laughing, and he let out a lighthearted laugh. His laugh is deep and melodic. It sounded inviting and warm. It's the first genuine laugh I've heard from him since meeting him.

Nicknames? Really? What are we? Twelve years old?

"As you were saying." I motion for him to continue after my laughing fit subsided, a grin still playing on my lips.

"I've done my research and prepared for this exact moment." I cock an eyebrow upwards. He planned on us having nicknames? "And I've made a list—"

"A list?" I interrupt before he can begin reading out each nickname.

He nods. "Yeah, but I'm not too sure which one I want. So I think we'll have to come back to this conversation later to deliberate further."