Page 82 of Crossing the Line
“Ouch,” someone says above me, and I look up to find my server grimacing. “You didn’t even let it ring.”
I try to laugh off my embarrassment. “Yeah.”
The phone immediately buzzes again showing Aiden’s name, and the server raises his eyebrows to see how I’ll react.
I decline the call again and give him a tight smile. “He’ll get it eventually.”
He laughs. “I’d hate to be on your bad side. Here’s the check, but no rush.”
“Thank you,” I say as I get money out of my bag.
By the time I’m left alone, he’s already calling again.
I don’t answer.
69
Aiden
I slam my phone down on the kitchen counter. “She’s ignoring me.” I open a text message to her and start typing.
Me: Claire, answer your fucking phone.
Em comes to look at what I’m typing before I send it. “Ah, the angry asshole route. Good strategy.”
I glance at her before looking at my phone again. She’s right, but that doesn’t stop me from scoffing as I delete the message. Getting to my feet, I put my phone in my pocket.
“Where are you going?” Em asks as she steps out of my way.
I don’t bother looking at her as I answer. “To talk to her.” As I walk to the front door, I add over my shoulder, “Thanks for the coffee.”
Claire’s Airbnb is about a ten-minute walk from here, which is probably a good thing. I could use some time to figure out what the fuck I’m going to say. I still think she lied. What else would Garret be so excited for her to feel once they see each other again?
But if there’s even a small chance this isn’t her fault, I need to know.
Because if this isn’t her fault, she’s worth doing whatever it takes to fix this.
70
Claire
The sun beats down on me as I wait outside the diner for my Uber to take me back to the train station. Aiden hasn’t called again, which I keep telling myself is a good thing.
Even if it doesn’t feel like a good thing.
He was probably just calling to pour salt on an open wound and tell me how great his night was with Sam. I grip the straps of my beach bag a little tighter at the thought.
I can’t believe I slept with him.
Up until now, I had only ever slept with Garret.
The way Aiden pulled out all the stops just to walk away at the end has me feeling used. Sometimes relationships don’t work out. You give it your best shot, and things fizzle. Or you think you’ll be together for a long time, but you learn that it’s not a good fit. If Aiden and I didn’t work out under normal circumstances, I would have been okay with it—the same way I’m okay that Garret and I broke up. But it was all a trick to get me to sleep with him, and I’ll probably never know the reason behind it. A tear threatens to fall, but I quickly wipe it away.
I figured after what happened between him and Sam, that he would have understood better than anyone what it’s like to feel used.
What it’s like to feel betrayed.
Unless he lied about his breakup with her, too. Maybe Aiden was the one who cheated, and Sam was the innocent one.