Something about what he said struck a chord. “What if while Dakota was trying to set me up, someone else was trying to set Carter up?”
He nodded. “So, who had an issue with Carter?”
“To my knowledge, none of them. Everyone seemed to love her—especially Dakota.”
He shrugged. “Maybe I’m off base.”
I crossed my arms. “But why would she have gone to the lake to look for me?”
“Exactly. The basement doesn’t have a door that leads to the backyard so it’s not like she would assume you’d leave out the back for some fresh air.” He smirked. “Speaking of, when I went looking for you, I noticed the laundry room window was open.”
“That’s how I escaped.”
“Yeah, I put two and two together.”
He was staring at me, the familiarity settling over us.
“We should head back,” I suggested, averting my gaze.
I felt him staring at me, but he dutifully started the engine.
“So, now that you’ve told the police, does that clear our names?” I wondered aloud.
“I hope so,” he breathed.
I waited for more, but when it didn’t come, I inquired, “What did they say?”
“They took my statement and asked why I waited. I told them about the paparazzi and my concerns about how it would be spun in the media.”
I pursed my lips. “And what did they say about that?”
“Not much. They said they’d be in touch.” He shrugged. “They asked me about the last time I saw Carter. And I honestly only vaguely remember seeing her when you gave her your phone. I was more focused on you.” He put his hand on the gearshift but paused. “I liked the time we spent together.”
“I liked it too,” I murmured, gathering the trash to dispose of it. “But that doesn’t change what happened afterward.”
“I know and I’m sorry. I don’t meet many people who want to get to know the real me or who I want to give the opportunity to know the real me. This is still new territory. So, I’m asking you to forgive me. Please.” I looked at him and the attraction between us was undeniable. There was tension building in the car. “I like you, Brooklyn.”
“I’m going to throw this in the trashcan,” I blurted out, scrambling out of the car with our trash.
It was a short walk to the dumpster, and I needed a second to breathe.
It wasn’t that I didn’t think Aiden was sexy. He was Aiden Black, arguably one of the sexiest men on the planet. And while I was upset that he didn’t come forward until he needed to, a little part of me understood his concern. But what I felt for him was lust and maybe a little residual ‘like’ from the crush I’d harbored for months. But I didn’t feel the same connection I did before because my heart was elsewhere.
If my dream last night was any indication, my heart belonged to—
“Jay,” I gasped, stopping in my tracks.
I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn’t seen him in the drive-thru line, waiting for his order. He wasn’t looking my way and I wasn’t sure if he’d seen me when I walked over, so I tried to act natural as I sprinted to Aiden’s car.
“I have to get back to my car,” I said quickly, clicking my seatbelt.
He looked at me warily. “Oh, okay,” he responded, backing out of the spot. “Are you done with your shake?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
When we were about to drive past Jay’s car, Aiden pulled over and hopped out to throw away his milkshake cup. He didn’t close his door. Even though I told myself not to look, I did.
And I wished I hadn’t.
My eyes locked with Jay’s for a few painful seconds. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining the hurt on his face or if I was just projecting the hurt that I felt. The slam of the door as Aiden got back in the car was the thing that shook me from my trance. Jay pulled off and we were right behind him.
Without thinking, I pulled out my phone, ready to send a text. I stared at the empty message meant for Jay, but I didn’t even know what I could say.
“Brooklyn?” Aiden called my name. From his tone, it was clear it wasn’t the first time.
I looked over at him, wide eyed and completely oblivious to whatever he had said. “I’m sorry. I missed what you said.”
“I was telling you that I have someone looking into who is sending those emails. They should have something by tomorrow.”
Slipping my phone back in my bag, I answered, “That’s good. With our luck it’ll be someone in the IT or Tech program.” I sighed. “The downside to UFIT is the threat of identity theft or something like this. There’s way too many people good at hacking at this school.”
He chuckled lightly. “You’re right about that.”
“Will you let me know what you find out, though?”
“Of course.”
I stared out the window. The closer we got to my car, the more fidgety I became. “Thank you. And thank you for dinner.”
“Let me know when you forgive me enough to let me take you on a proper date,” he said as he pulled up to my car.
I waited until he had slowed to a stop. “Bye, Aiden.”
With a charming smile, he waved. “Bye, Brooklyn.”
…
Chapter Fourteen
I was nervous as I walked through Jay’s apartment door. It was so quiet and if I hadn’t parked right beside him, I would’ve assumed he wasn’t home. My stomach was in knots. I wasn’t scared to see him,
