That doesn’t mean I’ll stop probing him.

We’re walking through the long hallway when I ask. “Were you a quiet kid?”

He narrows his eyes. “Have you been talking to Lev?”

That means Levi knows more about him than he’s letting on.

I lift an eyebrow. “Maybe.”

He grips me by the shoulder and pushes me to the side of the ninth tower.

My back hits the stone and he sandwiches me between the wall and his hard body.

“Don’t talk to Lev.”

“Why? Are you afraid I’ll figure everything out and you won’t be able to blackmail me with sex anymore?”

He lifts my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “You can lie to yourself and think that I’m blackmailing you with sex any day, sweetheart.”

The amusement in his tone pisses me off.

“Isn’t that the truth? If it were up to me, I’d vote for the story without the sex part of the deal.”

“Hmm. Is that why your tight pussy begs for my cock the minute I’m out of you? Or is that why you demanded, and I quote, Don’t you dare fucking stop?”

I block his mouth with a hand and search my surroundings with my cheeks in flames.

Damn him and his dirty mouth.

I’m almost sure he’s doing it on purpose to make me squirm at school.

He removes my hand to reveal a sly smile. His fingers thread in my hair, tugging the band free. And just like that, his poker face returns. “Don’t talk to Lev. I mean it.”

“If you have nothing to hide, why shouldn’t I?”

“It’s not about that. He won’t tell you anything.”

“Then what is it about?”

He scoffs and resumes walking. Aiden just freaking scoffed at the mention of his cousin.

I keep up with him, tying my hair back, and watching his body language intently. There’s something about his reaction that I can’t put my finger on.

“By the way,” I probe. “Isn’t Levi your cousin? Why did he specifically choose Cole for the captain position and not you?”

“Because Nash appears normal and he’s all about compromises and team spirit.”

Appears normal? As in he isn’t?

“Wow. Levi must take football more seriously than you. I guess that’s why he went professional and you won’t.”

He stabs me with a glare. “Are you done?”

“Done with what?”

“Idolising Lev.”

It hits me then. I suppress a smile. “You’re jealous of him.”

He remains silent, but I know I’m on point.

“You are.” I laugh. “Why? Because he was so popular? He had all the girls and the attention? Even Jonathan came to RES so many times because of him, and not you.”

“I don’t give a fuck about any of that.” He wraps a hand around my arm. “I told you not to idolise other men in front of me.”

“Does that mean I can idolise them behind your back?” I taunt.

He gives me the stink eye.

I laugh. “Is that a yes?”

“That’s cheating.” His expression darkens. “And you know my rules and my reaction to that.”

Geez. Only the level of Aiden’s possessiveness would consider idolising other men cheating.

Now that I think about it, if Aiden idolises any other woman in front of me, I might flip.

Hell. I dislike the woman he lost his virginity to and he didn’t even speak that highly of her.

I poke him as we continue walking towards our class. “Don’t worry, King. You’re popular, too. Levi is just more approachable.”

He continues glaring at me as I laugh. It’s fun to get on his nerves. It’s almost as if our roles are switching.

Maybe I really need to have a talk with Levi and see if he would tell me anything. I’ll have Astrid there to loosen him up.

God. I’m starting to think with a manipulative mind like Aiden’s.

Down the hall, Silver and Adam walk to class together. She doesn’t have the scarf or the bruise today. She must’ve done a killer makeup job to make it disappear.

Wait. Silver and Adam?

Now that I look closer, they’re not walking together or even talking.

However, their steps are almost in sync.

Wait.

It’s Adam.

He’s a few steps behind her, keeping his footsteps in sync with hers.

It stands out because he’s tall and buff and his steps are usually wide. He wouldn’t walk in moderate, elegant steps like Silver.

The latter is scrolling through her phone, appearing oblivious to her surroundings.

But is she oblivious to Adam’s existence, too?

Although they’re both bullies — Adam more so than Silver — they never struck me as being close. She wouldn’t have testified against him last year if they were.

But maybe I was wrong.

Silver slips inside the class. Adam pauses and meets my gaze.

It’s brief, barely a second, but it’s enough to send chills down my spine.

Stay the fuck away.

I can read it in his eyes even if he says nothing.

Stay away from what? From whom?

He couldn’t have known I noticed the creepy way he hangs around Silver.

The moment ends when he quickly breaks eye contact and strides into class.

“Hmm. Interesting.”

I jolt at Aiden’s contemplative voice. For a second, I forgot he’s there.

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing you need to worry about, sweetheart.” He watches the place where Adam just stood. “It’ll be taken care of.”

I gulp. He couldn’t be meaning what I think he’s meaning, right?

Adam is a fucking bastard, but no one deserves Aiden’s wrath.

But then again, maybe the bastard shouldn’t have glared at me.

Or bullied me and Kim.

Or had creepy vibes around Silver.

He had it coming.

“Ellie!” Kim runs towards me and interlaces my free hand with hers. “Morning, King. Stop taking my best friend away from me.”

“Morning, Reed.” His poker face is on. “And no, I don’t share.”

I suppress a smile as Kim laughs.

It makes me fuzzy inside to see her happy. She deals with lots of demons and even though she doesn’t tell me, it breaks my heart to see her being an adult to her baby brother when she wants the whole teenage life.

In class, Aiden finally lets me go. That’s only because Ronan pulled him to the side to tell him about his last night bang — in all explicit details.

Aiden listens with a poker face.

I wonder if he ever tells his friends about our sex life or the way he fucks me. I mean, he always talks dirty and he’s not the type to be embarrassed.

For some reason, I don’t think he does. Even though he doesn’t seem like it, Aiden is a private person. I never heard him brag about anything — unless he uses it to put someone in their place.

Oh, and he’s possessive to a fault. He definitely would never let others think of me in a sexual way.

I smile at that.

“So?” Kim turns in her seat to face me. Her elbows are on the desk as she cradles her face with both hands. A stupid joyful gleam shines in her green eyes.

“So what?”