Page 15 of Falling With You

I looked up at Jersey and nodded. “Oh, yeah, I forgot she has a teenage son. You tutor?” I asked.

“Not often. But that was a special case. Anyway, I really don’t think I can eat another bite.”

“I don’t think I can either,” I said. I pushed my plate away, even though it was completely clean. “Okay, I think I ate half of what was on this table.”

“Well, you haven’t really been eating for the past week. I’m glad that you stuffed your face.”

I looked up. “Well, Violet, I’m not going to pass up wings, nachos, and the best salads ever,” I said, laughing.

“Hell no, you’re not,” Violet said, leaning back as she patted her stomach.

I stood up from the table and stretched, ignoring the way my skin hurt. My whole body still hurt, and I was grateful that it hadn’t been worse, but it still wasn’t the best.

“I’m going to use the restroom, I’ll be right back.”

Violet stood up too, and I shook my head. “I can go by myself. I’m safe here.”

“You can go by yourself, yes, but I thought girls traveled in packs to the bathroom.”

“Just let me go by myself. I promise I’ll be good. I’ll be quick.”

Violet gave me a long look but then nodded before sitting back down.

It didn’t matter that I figured that Violet actually did have to use the restroom, I just wanted to do one thing on my own and prove that I could. I was probably being an idiot, but I couldn’t help it. Inside, I was shaking, trying to get back to my old self. It wasn’t going to be easy.

I turned the corner down the hall and smacked right into a very hard chest.

A hard chest that I knew. Intimately.

My hands went to Aiden’s pecs, and I looked up, blinking.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft.

“I’m fine. Sorry for bumping into you.”

“I’m sorry, too.” He took a step back, and I missed the warmth, but I told myself that was fine. “The guys told me you were here.”

“The food was amazing.” I looked down at his bandaged hand and swallowed hard. My eyes burned, but I ignored it. I would not cry. I would not.

“You and Dillon did a great job.”

He looked down at his hand and snorted. “Dillon did a great job. I just ordered him around.”

“I guess you’re good at that.” I winced, annoyed at myself for saying it like that. But Aiden just smiled. The action brightened his face. I’d missed that smile. But I told myself it was fine. I didn’t deserve that expression. Because he had been hurt because of me.

“We should talk. Soon. We need to.”

I met his gaze and shook my head. “No. We can’t. We don’t need to.”

I turned away. I couldn’t stand to look at him. Not because he had done anything wrong. But because every time I saw him, I remembered what had happened in that alley, and I remembered that it was my fault that he was hurt. I just needed some time apart.

We had already needed time apart before the attack, and this just solidified it.

He reached for me, but I quickly took a step back.

When he cursed under his breath, I just sighed.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”