Page 32

Chapter 32

Aiden

“Tonight was amazing,” Casey gushes on the sidewalk of the entertainment center where she just hosted her party. “Where are we off to next?”

With impatient finger taps on my thigh, I will the valet to hurry. “Home,” I mutter.

“Mhm…” She presses herself into me, running her fingers down my chest. “I love the sound of that.” Her middle finger makes a lazy drag across my belt. “I missed you so much, Aiden.”

Usually, that sensual tone would have me throwing her over my shoulder and rushing to the car, but I simply ease her off and guide her forward, taking my key fob from the valet. There’s a soft frown on her face when I get into the driver’s seat.

“That was the part where you’d say, ‘I miss you too, Casey.’”

Without a word, I pull out from the spot.

“What gives, Aiden? You’ve been such a dead log all night. Why the hell would you show up to my party if you weren’t up to it?”

Because I’ve got the worst parents in the world.

“I’m tired, Casey,” I reply instead.

“Thus my question: why did you come?”

I could give her the answer that would please my folks. Although I’m exhausted, I’m done with playing hard to get, Casey. I’m in love with you. I didn’t want to go another night without seeing you and telling you how I feel.

Yeah, I’d surely score major points with that answer, but it’s hard to lie when another woman has been on my mind all night.

“Are you going to answer me?” she snaps. “I hate when you get withdrawn like this. All night, you’ve been acting like you’re doing me a favor by hanging with me, when we both know it’s the other way around.”

I throw a surprised glance in her direction. Did Casey know what my parents were up to all along?

“What?” she asks, scowling even more. “You might be the hockey star of Hempton, but there are guys who would’ve fallen over themselves to share the spotlight with me tonight. Consider yourself lucky, instead of acting like a total dick.”

Heaven knows I don’t fucking need this. “Look, I’m taking you home. Tomorrow, we press the reset button. Tonight is a shit-show—”

“No. I’m coming home with you. Don’t you dare—”

A sudden shrilling bursts through the speakers and I almost sag with relief from seeing Cameron’s name on the screen. Perfect timing. I press the button to answer the call.

Then immediately wish I hadn’t.

“It’s her, Aiden,” Cameron greets me urgently. “Scarlett made that call.”

“What call?” I ask, confused. It can’t be the one I’m thinking of.

“The night we got caught, it was Scarlett who called security. My IT friend sent the footage. Not only was there no one else in the vicinity for at least half an hour, we saw her get on the phone right after you ran past her.”

“That can’t be true,” I mutter in disbelief.

“I’m going to send that part of the footage,” Cameron replies. “Listen, man. I’m sorry. I know you were into her and everything—”

Casey gasps. I sigh.

“—but I told you to take things slow. I hope you took my advice.”

“Cam, I gotta go. Casey’s here with me.”

A pause, then he blurts, “What are you doing with her ?”

Jesus. I think I’m going to buy him a filter for his birthday. Without replying, I end the call. Casey’s eyes are throwing daggers at me. “Who the fuck is Scarlett?”

“No one that concerns you,” I reply, taking the right turn that leads me to her neighborhood.

“What are you doing? I said I’m not going home. Is this why you want to get rid of me? You’re going to be with her, aren’t you?”

“Casey, I don’t need this right now.” My entire body has gone numb. My mind is trying to find an explanation behind what Cameron found, because there’s no way Scarlett betrayed me.

No fucking way—

My body hurls to the right as Casey suddenly grabs the steering wheel, pulling it toward her. “Are you fucking crazy?” I thunder, easing her off, my foot sinking down on the brakes. Lucky for us, there’s no one coming behind us on the quiet neighborhood street.

“You’re not going to dump me like some trash then go off to some bitch. I won’t have it,” she pants, definitely looking crazy in the moment. “I’m done letting you punish me for something I did years ago.”

“I’m not trying to punish you, Casey. Not everything is about you. I’m taking you home, then I’m going to handle an issue that could ruin my life.”

God, I hope it’s not what it looks like.

To my surprise, she drops back in the seat with a deep sigh. “Okay, fine, but when you’re done with that issue, you’re making it up to me.”

I grunt in response while steering the car back onto the road. I don’t want to think about anything but confronting Scarlett. She has some explaining to do.

Casey plants a kiss on my cheek right before opening her front door. “I hope it works out for you,” she says, her soft smile taking me back to when things weren’t so complicated, when her emotions didn’t change at the drop of a hat. I give her arm a squeeze before heading back to my car.

Now, the hard part.

With one swipe of my thumb, I open the chat with Cameron and within seconds, confirm that what my best friend said was true. This is Scarlett, clear as day, cell phone pressed to her ear, her body turned in the direction where the guys were doing damage. She can’t talk her way out of this, but I’m quite interested in making her try.

It’s almost ten, which means Scarlett should be home. Then again, she could be anywhere. It’s obvious I don’t know her as much as I’d thought. Making a call to report some wrongdoing, that’s one thing. Lying about it, playing the victim when we pranked her, that’s diabolical. It resurrects my suspicion that she’s working for someone. Working to crush me.

But, who?

My cell phone rings, and I ignore Mom’s call, keeping my eyes on the road. There’s no doubt she’s going to be thrilled when she finds this out. The ringing stops, then the system announces a text message from her. I approve for it to be read. So long as I don’t talk to her.

‘Sweetheart, I know you’re still with Casey, but you need to know this. I went over to Scarlett’s and offered her one hundred thousand dollars to dump you. She didn’t even hesitate to take it.’

My heart pauses as I stare at the screen. An impatient horn sounds behind me and I realize I’d come to a stop.

Pressing gas, I dial Mom’s number. “I don’t believe you,” I greet.

“Sweetheart, I have the check stub to prove it. Even then, if you don’t believe me, you could always go see her. I’m sure she can’t wait to go cash it in the morning.”

The triumph in her tone makes my heart sink. Twice in one night, Scarlett? This isn’t looking good for you.

Or us.

“Why the hell would you do this?” I ask, not sure if my fury is directed at her, Scarlett or myself.

“It sounds like you’re upset with me, when you should be grateful,” she replies. “I simply made things easy for you.”

“Easy? How is any of this easy, Mom?”

“You were trying to tiptoe around her feelings, but it’s obvious she doesn’t care about you. I exposed that gold-digger. You should be on bended knees, thanking me. Imagine if you’d gotten serious and married this girl.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. Now, keep doing the right thing so our family can be whole—”

Her voice cuts as I abruptly end the call. I don’t know how tonight will end, but one thing’s for sure, our family will never be whole again.