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I may be stretching, but I was pretty sure it was the latter. If the black-haired man with piercings and a major attitude problem digging through my box of pictures was any proof.

“What the hell?” I snapped. Aiden looked up from his search, a malevolent smile on his face.

“You’re back,” he said helpfully.

“And you’re in my room.” Apparently, we were just pointing out basic facts today.

Aiden gracefully rose to his full height, dark eyes grazing over the room without sticking on anything in particular.

“Josie’s room,” he corrected.

I snorted. “My room. If you have a problem with it, you can bring it up to the school. Or Kace. He works in the admissions office, doesn’t he?”

Aiden was in my face in a matter of seconds. His hand rested on the wall just beside my head. I knew I shouldn’t have been intimidated by him, but his position was an exact replica of another male. Another…

Crossing my arms over my chest to hide my trembling hands, I met his stare indignantly.

He could try to bully me all he wanted, but I would push back. Always. He shoved me, and I shoved him twice as hard.

“She is fourteen, did you know that?” Aiden leaned even closer, and it took every ounce of willpower not to flinch away. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“Josie?”

He nodded. “She is fourteen, and she’s gone. Missing. I would do anything to protect the people I love.”

His breath fanned my face, and the smell of peppermints permeated the air.

…and I really shouldn’t be focusing on his toothpaste.

“And is this the part where you threaten me, again? Tell me you’re going to make my life hell, again? Maybe masturbate in a swimming pool of lost dreams and tears?” I sighed. “Because I hate dramatics. Don’t just threaten me. Man up and take some action.”

Aiden chuckled darkly.

“You have a lot of balls,” he murmured. His hand, tantalizingly soft, brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear.

“No, that’s Tanner.”

Yup. Pretty sure Tanner choked on his own spit at that one.

He really had to learn to swallow.

“But you see, I don’t think you’re going to do anything.” I took a step forward until we were chest to chest. Aiden was breathing heavily, each exhale making his body touch my own. “I think you’re all talk, but no action. I think that somewhere in that fucked up brain of yours, you know I have nothing to do with Josie’s disappearance. But you don’t want to admit it, even to yourself. Why? That remains unclear. Is it because you’re not masculine enough to acknowledge you have a problem? Is it because your dick is constantly flaccid? I mean, a limp dick would make anyone angry. Or is the word I’m looking for hangry? Are you hungry, Aiden?”

I tilted my head back, focusing on the silver bulb in his eyebrow instead of his dark eyes. They were black holes, abysses, and I knew I could get lost in them.

“Now get the fuck out of my room.” I punctuated the final statement with a shove to his chest.

Tanner raised his hand. “Do I have to leave?”

“Were you aware of what your idiotic friend was going to do?”

His sheepish smile was answer enough.

“I saw him enter your room after you left,” he admitted. He didn’t sound guilty about keeping it a secret, only that he got caught.

Asshole.

With an imperious set to my chin, I pointed toward the door.