Page 41 of The Romance Rivalry

At the library, I make my way up to our spot among the old poets. I’m ready to see Aiden, I’m ready to apologize for slacking off, and most important, I’m ready to work.

What I’m not ready for is seeing Aiden sitting in our seats next to someone else. Her hand rests on his arm and the body language is unmistakable. She’s leaning into his side. His head bows a little toward her as they talk. I’m interrupting something... intimate. I’m an intruder.

The sudden pain in my chest makes it hard to breathe. My hands ball into fists of their own accord, and in a panic, I turn on my heels to escape. I don’t want to barge in on them.I can’t stand to see the uncomfortable expressions on their faces as I arrive, making it clear they’d rather be with each other than have to play nice and polite with me. It’s not my business who she is and what they do together behind closed doors, or at the library.

Except when I turn to leave, I run right into a library cart filled with books waiting to be reshelved, knocking it over. The crash echoes throughout the huge library, and at this moment, I wish for this small little spot of the earth on which I stand to open up and swallow me whole.

I bend down to gather the books and place them back on the cart. A well-worn pair of sneakers comes up beside me and meets me on the ground, strong hands reaching for scattered books alongside mine.

“You okay?” Aiden asks.

I look up into curious, concerned eyes. He gives me a small smile, as if letting me know it’s safe, he’s safe, if I want to talk.

But my mind is a jumbled mess.

I look back over my shoulder to the table where he just was. No one else is there. Great. I scared away his girlfriend.

“Where’d your friend go?” I ask. My face immediately heats. Why did I ask? Why don’t I have the self-preservation skills to just not say anything at all?

His eyes widen when he realizes I caught him. He shakes his head. “Oh, that’s, um, not a friend.”

“No? You two seemed tight. Is she one of your tropes, then? Looks like you’re gonna end up winning this thing after all. First to fall in love and all that.” I rise to my feet and pull my bag onto my shoulder. I stare at the stairs that lead to the exit.

I look anywhere but at Aiden.

He gently grabs my arm before I can bolt for the doors.

“She’s not a friend.”

I roll my eyes, because he said that already and I heard him, I get it.

He tightens his grip on my arm just slightly enough to get my attention, to pull me from all the conclusions I’m drawing in my head.

“She’s not more than a friend, either.”

He doesn’t go on, doesn’t elaborate. But his gaze bores into mine, and though I’d rather look anywhere but into his eyes, I don’t look away. What is he trying to tell me with his eyes that he can’t tell me with his words?

He’s a writer, after all.

Or maybe the message he’s sending me right now is that it’s none of my business.

I clear my throat and pull away. “We should get to work,” I say.

He looks at me for one second longer, then nods and leads the way back to the desks.

I pull out my laptop and open it up. It flickers to life backto where I’d shut the screen down, putting it into sleep mode from earlier.

I take a seat, pull out my glasses, and glance at my phone for any new texts.

“You’re supposed to be working on our lit project, not trolling me online.”

I whip my head around, ready to deny the allegation. But that’s gonna be a little tough, considering his page is right there, filling my laptop screen. And since he’s leaned over my shoulder, his face is mere inches from mine, hand on the table, crowding my space. I’ve suddenly lost the ability to speak.

Or breathe, for that matter.

I had been checking a review I posted this morning, wondering how it was performing. The view count had been lower than I expected. Either the algorithm is starting to bury my posts, or my followers are just not as interested in my content anymore. But even though I was late leaving for the library, I couldn’t help but do a quick scroll through the comments.

And that’s when I saw it—the now familiar handle@aidentheguyreadsromance.

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