Something Gained (USC Series Book #1)

chapter forty-three

SOMETHING GAINED
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BROOKLYNN

Holding his stare, I watch as Aidan weaves his way through the lingering bar-goers. I do not know why I hold his gaze. Maybe I am too afraid to find out what will happen if I don't or exhilarated to find out what will happen if I do.

He walks up the stairs, taking very few strides with his long legs to reach our table. I point a brow up at him when he approaches. Aidan places both hands down on the table, looking at me at an even eye level.

It is a quiet stare down and I am sure, if I looked to my side right now, Anna and Brinley would be exchanging confused looks.

"Something you need?" I ask, feigning nonchalance towards this whole situation. In reality, it ignited my whole body with heat. I can feel my nipples hardening against the fabric of my ribbed top and heat pulse in my core. God, he doesn't know what he is doing to me right now.

"You are coming with me," he snarls, his body not moving as he waits for me to make the first move to leave my booth.

"Am I?" I keep my eyebrow raised in challenge.

He doesn't respond, gripping his firm hand around my wrist, dragging me out of my booth. Working through the mounds of people that have crammed into here tonight for New Year's, Aidan doesn't lose me, much to my surprise.

The people thin out, and the entry to the hallway enters my vision. Adjusting to the lighting for a brief moment, Aidan continues down the hallway, some wanderers standing astray in the hallway. Aidan keeps his grip on my arm. Not too hard, but not loose enough that it would be easy to lose me.

It all happens at once. I hear a door click close and before I could even think of some way to argue with him right now, Aidan speaks. "Why did you break up with me?"

"I already told you. I needed some—"

"Uh-uh," Aidan interrupts, dismissing me with the wave of a hand. His body bends forward, both arms propped up behind him, taut muscular arms straining against the thin material of his shirt that doesn't leave much to the imagination.

"That is the real reason," I argue, raising my voice a bit.

"I don't doubt that it is, but I have a very strong gut feeling there is something else that might be bothering you as well." Aidan looks up at me through hooded lids, pointing an accusing finger at me, and I feel like I am being scolded by a teacher back in elementary school.

I look around the room, shooting to the corner before back to the sink beside Aidan, doing anything I can to prevent looking at him at this moment. His stare is still locked on me. I can tell because it burns through my skin, igniting a fire in my body that won't settle or calm.

"Please don't feed me some bullshit lie. Please—" his voice cracks with raw emotion "—everyone I talk to since walking away from you that day has made it their mission to talk the most shit known to mankind. So, please, just tell me the fucking truth."

I look up at him, finding him staring at me as I suspected. At a loss for what to tell him, I leaned against the wall and shrug. "I don't know what to tell you or what you want to hear."

He inhales, muttering under his breath, "I don't know what I want to hear either," most likely only for it to reach his own ears.

"Here's something I want you to hear. I love you. I love you so fucking much it consumes me. My mind and heart are like two planets in your orbit. They revolve around you—solely you—every waking and sleeping moment. And no matter how fucking hard I try, they will continue to do that. You wanna know why? Because I fucking love you. I can't think of a time before you or think of a time after you, after experiencing how it feels to love you. That is what I want you to hear," Aidan finishes.