Page 21 of Twisted (Never After)

I’m so mad I don’t have my camera, or I’d sneak some pictures to send to her.

Ever since my father introduced Julian and I when I first got back, I haven’t been able to stop looking for him everywhere. And when I look, I usually find him. It’s a sprawling estate, almost as big as the boarding school I attend, but I’m convinced Julian’s moved in and has made himself at home while I’ve been gone.

At first, I kept “casually” running into him whenever I had the chance, but it only took a few times of him either sneering down at me like I’m annoying or ignoring my existence altogether for me to take to hiding in dark corners and watching from the wings.

It’s confusing, my fascination with him.

I don’t feel butterflies like when I stare at Aidan. More like fire that’s sizzling beneath my skin, Pop Rocks exploding in my stomach one by one until they make my body tremble and heat flare between my legs.

“What are you doing?”

Aidan’s whispered voice sends my heart into my throat, and I spin around, my hands moving out to grab his shirt in my fists as I push him back violently.

“Shh!” I press my finger to his mouth.

Aidan smiles, his dimples creasing the apples of his cheeks, and my heart starts to calm into a smoother rhythm.

“Who were you spying on?” he asks.

I narrow my gaze. “None of your business.”

Footsteps sound from where my father and Julian just were, and I panic, grabbing Aidan’s hand without thinking and hauling him down the hallway.

Julian Faraci already looks at me like I’m an annoying bug that needs to be squashed; I don’t need for him to find out I’ve been stalking him in my spare time.

Aidan follows easily, his fingers tightening around mine as he lets me lead him blindly. We race through the halls and don’t stop until we’ve made it back to the rooms where our live- in staff stay, including Aidan and his mom.

I stop, out of breath from running.

“Now what?” Aidan laughs, squeezing my hand before releasing it.

Shrugging, I take a second to stare at him. It’s the first time I’ve seen him since I’ve been back, and until I met Julian, Aidan was the one who took over all my thoughts. I could barely wait to see him again after so many months of being gone at school.

Now that he’s standing here in front of me, that familiar fluttering takes flight in my stomach, and a slow smile breaks across my face.

He steps in close, his gaze growing darker. “You look good, princess. All grown up, huh?”

My cheeks heat.

A woman’s voice rings out from the staff break room a few doors away, and Aidan tilts his head, grabbing my hand again and pulling me with him.

“Come on,” he says, dragging me along until we reach the last door on the left. “No one will find us in here.”

And nobody ever did. At least no one until Julian.

I glance down at my lap, the phone screen jostling with my shaky legs. It’s open on my text conversation with Aidan. I cringe when I see the numerous strings of messages he’s sent over the past few days, all of them going unanswered. Then there’s my latest one asking him to meet me here. But he didn’t respond.

Maybe he didn’t get the message? Or maybe he’s so mad he won’t show up.

My stomach rolls and tightens, sending a shot of nausea up my throat.

I close my eyes and count back from ten, telling myself that everything is fine and there’s no reason to worry, repeating the phrase like a mantra. It’s a tactic my guidance counselor taught me when I was in primary school, back when I used to have anxiety attacks before tests, terrified I would fail and have to face my father’s disappointment.

To be honest, it’s never really worked. The only thing that’s ever calmed me enough to quiet the racing thoughts is my camera.

The door swings open, the sudden noise in the quiet space causing my eyes to shoot open and my heart to jump.

Aidan flashes me a wide grin, showcasing the dimples in his cheeks. He glances behind him into the hallway before closing the door and walking toward me. The hem of his purple shirt lifts slightly as he runs a hand through his bouncy brown hair, and when he reaches the bed, he sits down next to me and grasps my hand in his.