My Aussie Guy (My Guy Series, Book 2) Page 5

“Girl, why would you do that to me? I’ve got to go home tonight and sleep on my own.” I’m petrified about being on my own, even though I dorm with another two girls. Addison, I’m sure, will be staying at Parker’s tonight, and I’ll be left on my own in our dorm room, because the others will be out doing something.

  Addison laughs.

  They all do, even Aiden.

  “Shut up, all of you.” I turn to Dane, who’s near Paislee, and give him a knowing look, glancing between him and Parker’s sister. His eyes widen. I nod. He shuts up right away.

  “Why don’t you stay at the house and crash on the sofa bed in the living room?” Parker suggests.

  “Oh, yes… do that,” Addison excitedly agrees.

  Do I really want to sleep on a couch that has who-knows-what left on it? These guys have so many sleepovers.

  “Is it clean, if you know what I mean?” I ask skeptically.

  “No. It’s got stains all over it.”

  My face drops at Parker’s words.

  “I’m only kidding, Elsie. No one sleeps on it. We bought it before Aiden arrived because we weren’t sure about space in the house. So, it’s brand new.”

  Oh, thank goodness. “Okay then. Thanks, guys.”

  We step out into the night. The boys go in one car, and us girls go with Addison.

  On the drive back to the house, I turn around to Paislee. “Where are you staying tonight?”

  “She’ll most likely be in Dane’s bed and then pretend to have been sleeping with you in the morning,” Addison voices her thoughts. I wonder if she meant to say that out loud.

  Paislee’s face is one of shock sitting in the back seat.

  “How?” she chokes.

  “You should really be careful. I saw you both locking lips at the end of the movie.”

  “Oh, I saw that, too,” I say.

  “You’re not going to tell Parker, are you?” There’s fear in Paislee’s voice.

  Addison answers, “It’s not my place to say anything. But know that I don’t want to be lying to Parker, either. So, if he asks me, I’ll tell him the truth.”

  “What about you, Elsie?” Paislee asks.

  I shake my head. “I’m dealing with my own stuff right now. I don’t have time for someone else’s. Your secret’s safe with me. Although, Aiden knows as well.”

  “Are you serious?” Paislee cries.

  I turn in my seat to catch her head fall into her hands. “I’m sure he won’t say anything. If he was going to, he probably would have already. I don’t think he will, though.” Aiden doesn’t seem like the type to get involved in that kind of stuff.

  “Oh, good.” She sighs. “But if you get a chance to talk to him privately tonight, can you tell him to keep quiet about it?”

  “Yeah, if I get the chance. I’m pretty tired, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep after that monstrosity of a movie. It has left me thinking a psycho may burst through the door and kill me at any minute.”

  We all laugh.

  “How are things between you and Aiden?” Addison asks.

  I look toward Addison, who gives me a side glance. “There’s nothing to tell. He has a girlfriend.” I give a fake smile. I’m not going to sit here and tell them how he held my hand or how his closeness affects me in ways I’ve not experienced before. Trust me to go falling for a guy who’s taken.

  “What if he didn’t have one?” Addison probes.

  If only.

  “He does and that’s it. I’m not going to think about all the what if’s when it is what it is right now. He has a girlfriend. I’m happy to get to know him and be his friend.” Even as I say the words, I don’t believe them. A trickle of sadness creeps in. I’d love for him to not have a girlfriend, but I’m not going to wish her away for my own benefit.

  “Long distance doesn’t always work,” Paislee says.

  “And there it is… even if he didn’t have a girlfriend, he’s still going back to Australia in the future, and then where would we be? I’d be upset, and I’m sure he’d find himself another girl.” The car falls silent as I’m sure my tone put out a ‘let’s not talk about this anymore’ vibe.

  Move on, Elsie. Stop dwelling on what can or can’t be.

  Move on.

  Why the hell didn’t I tell her? Damn, I’m such a screw-up. I can hear my sister’s voice chewing me out for being so stupid in the first place. And now Elsie’s staying at the house. It’s like dangling temptation right in my stupid face. I have to tell her tonight.

  “Did you guys like the movie?” I ask, pushing away the dread that’s filling me.

  Parker looks at me in the passenger seat then back to the road. “It wasn’t too bad. Addison was pretty jumpy.” He chuckles.

  “So was Elsie. I thought she was going to have a heart attack in the cinema, the amount of times her hand would clutch at her chest.”

  Dane is very quiet in the back, and I think Parker notices it as well.

  “Was Paislee okay or scared out of her mind?” Parker asks casually, as though he knows nothing. I wonder if he’s choosing to be blind to it, or if he actually is oblivious to what’s going on between them.

  Dane coughs. I smirk, knowing he must feel uncomfortable. “Uh… yeah, she was jumpy as well. She had her hands over her face most of the time.” He laughs nervously.

  “I hope you were keeping your hands to yourself,” Parker teases.

  I turn and look at Dane, but his face is unreadable. What seems to be a fake smile pulls at his lips.

  “Pfft… of course.” Oh, he’s good. Wait till the truth is out, though. That’s going to be like a bomb exploding. There’s no doubt.

  “Good. Oi… Aiden, did you talk to Elsie about what I mentioned to you before we went to the movies?” Parker asks.

  Damn him. Don’t bring that up in the car with Dane. It’s like a circle of secrets going on in here.

  I rub my neck. “Uh… no. Not yet. Maybe later, since she’s staying at the house tonight.” The twist in my gut makes me sick.

  “Yeah, you better do that.”

  Silence falls in the car of secrets untold until we get back to the house.

  The girls are already there, sitting on the step. Is it possible to feel scared and happy at the same time? I’m happy to be spending more time with Elsie tonight, though I’m scared about what she’s going to say. Like stabbing-pains-to-my-gut scared. How pathetic is that?

  We climb out of the car, and the girls stand to greet us.

  “G’day, girls,” I say.

  They all giggle, which is the reaction I was going for.

  “It’s night, you clown,” Elsie cracks back like the little firecracker she is.

  “Oh, firecracker, you’re a quick one.” I wink and stroll past her, purposely moving close, so our arms briefly touch. The tension between us thickens. I have to keep moving, knowing how much her closeness affects me. I have a job to do before I can allow myself to be near her. I shouldn’t have held her hand tonight at the movies. I could tell she felt uncomfortable, but I didn’t want to let go, though.

  “Quick and beautiful…” She rolls her eyes. “Boom! There goes my mouth again,” she says.

  I can think of one thing I’d like to do with that mouth.

  Snap out of it.

  I shake my head and head inside the house, following the rest of the gang. I glance at my watch, realizing it’s late. We have practice tomorrow. As I think it, Parker says, “Well, guys and gals, we’re heading to bed. See you bright and early for practice.” He winks and takes Addison’s hand and walks away.

  Addison stops as they’re almost out of the room. “Elsie, the sofa bed is over there. I’m sure Aiden or Dane can help you get it sorted.”

  “Thanks for leaving me in the lurch,” Elsie says sarcastically. I’m sure she knows what’s going down in that room tonight.

  Addison winks and disappears around into the hallway.

  I turn back to the kitchen where Dane and Paislee are pressing against each
other.

  “You pair better figure your crap out, because I’m not sure how Parker is going to handle this situation,” I say in a low voice, gesturing between them as they pull apart, looking sheepish.

  I move toward Elsie, who’s now at the couch, trying to figure out how to set it up.

  “Here. Let me help.”

  She moves back. “Thanks.” Then she looks at Paislee. “He’s right… you two do need to figure this out, because Addison knows, so it’s only a matter of time before everything is out.”

  “What do you mean Addison knows?” Dane’s panicked eyes flick between Elsie and me.

  I raise my hands. “Dude, I said nothing.”

  “Addison saw you both at the cinema, just like we did,” Elsie admits. “You’re not being very subtle.”

  “What she said.” I throw my thumb toward Elsie.

  “And if you’re thinking of sleeping in the same room, you better have a plan of escape.” Elsie waves a finger between them both.

  Dane takes Paislee’s hand and leads her quietly down the hall. That pair have it bad.

  I pull out the sofa bed and glance up. Elsie is looking toward the hallway. I wonder what she’s thinking.

  Tonight, I’m going to tell her.

  She needs to know.

  I watch Dane and Paislee walk off. She’s been on campus for five minutes and has found herself a decent guy. And then there’s me, who seems to pick the ones who are just weird, who have girlfriends, and then there are guys like Clifton.

  “Oi… are you going to help set this bed up, or am I doing it myself?”

  I turn toward Aiden. He’s tucking a sheet in around the edges.

  “I’m a guest.” I hold my arms out. “It’s courtesy for the guest to be taken care of.” I take a seat on the armrest with a sweet smile plastered across my face.

  Aiden shakes his head, but a grin pulls on his lips. “You sure you’ll be all right tonight after that movie?” I can hear the mocking in his voice.

  Standing, I pull at the sheet to fix up one side. “I’m not a scaredy-cat. I’ll survive. I might watch a movie on my phone to get rid of the thought of some crazy lady taking me hostage.”

  “I can sit out here with you if you want,” he offers.

  As much as I’d love for him to sit in the bed with me, I worry what might happen if he did. “No, it’s okay,” I quickly reply. The words taste foreign as I speak them, because I desperately want him to stay out here with me. But I know if he does, I will probably say the wrong thing, and then we’ll be left with awkwardness between us. I doubt he even sees that I’m interested in him.

  “Just for a little while.”

  I’m about to answer when I remember something. “Hey, you mentioned you needed to talk to me?” I reach up and pull my hair tie out and let my long brown hair fall over my shoulders. I turn to Aiden, and he’s watching me hungrily. I snap my fingers.

  Aiden blinks a few times then straightens up. “Sorry, I drifted off for a moment. What did you say?” He runs his hand through his hair.

  “You wanted to tell me something earlier.”

  He moves around to where I’m standing. His hands lift and rest on my shoulders. My chest tightens. What is he doing? Suddenly, he gives me a light shove, and I’m tumbling back onto the sofa bed with a laugh.

  “What was that for?”

  He shrugs. “Just because.”

  I pull my phone from my back pocket and then fix my pillow and sit up. I watch as Aiden slips his shoes off then climbs over my legs and settles in beside me.

  “Are you all right there?” I ask, raising my eyebrows with some amusement in my tone.

  “Yep.” He slides a little closer, his arm against mine. What is he playing at? It’s as if he’s doing this on purpose.

  “Hey, have you spoken to your girlfriend lately?” I decide to bring up the inevitable. I recall Addison mentioning tonight about him having a fake girlfriend. What if he’s been lying to me? I’ve never seen him on the phone to her, and he hasn’t shown me a picture.

  His mouth flattens. “No, we… ah… decided to have a break.”

  I can’t help my reaction. My mouth falls open, and my eyes widen. “Oh, no. Really? Are you okay?” I’m not sure what to do or say. Should I give him a hug, hold his hand, or do nothing?

  Clearing his throat, he says, “Yeah, I’m okay. It was for the best.” His gaze doesn’t shift from his phone.

  “I’m here if you ever need to talk,” I reply softly.

  Then his eyes meet mine.

  I could easily lean over and kiss those pink lips. They’re so inviting. Enticing.

  “Thanks. Did you want to watch a movie on the iPad?” he asks, changing the subject rather quickly.

  I put my phone down beside me. “Yeah, okay, but no scary movies.”

  He laughs. “No.”

  Aiden sets the iPad up between us. I wriggle in under the blankets and turn on my side toward the iPad. Aiden has chosen a Star Wars movie.

  “I’ve not seen any of these movies,” I say as I pull the pillow under my head to get more comfortable. Looking up, I’m met with an Aiden whose mouth is open, clearly shocked.

  “You’ve never watched Star Wars?”

  I shake my head.

  “Well, we better go back to the very first one. The way they’ve made these movies is a little all over the place, but we’ll watch The Phantom Menace.”

  “How many are there?”

  “There are eight movies, all intertwined, and then there are two extras where they give you the backstory of characters and pivotal moments to the main movies.” His finger slides down on the other side of the screen, and he changes the movie.

  “I’ll shut the lights off,” I say then start to get up.

  “No, it’s okay. The boys have Alexa. Hey, Alexa, turn lights off.”

  I wait, and the room goes black. Aiden’s face is lit only by the iPad.

  “Wow! I’ve heard about these but have never seen one in use. They must have only just got that.”

  “I bought it when I first arrived. I’ve gotten everything set up, so now we can shut the lights off out here by just saying the words. I have a similar thing at home.”

  “Wow! I’m not a tech-savvy person. I know how to use simple programs on my computer, and give me a phone, I’m a champion. They should make texting an Olympic sport. I’m sure I’d take a gold medal out on that one.” I lift my head and pull my hair out from under me, flicking it behind me to keep it out of my way.

  “I’m sure my sister could give you a run for your money.” He chuckles.

  “I bet any fifteen-year-old could. The way they eat up technology these days. I see little toddlers in carts at the shops, watching their parents’ phones. It’s crazy. I’m sure I’d do it for my kids to just get a little peace and quiet.” I laugh.

  “Kids would be hard work.”

  “Agreed.”

  The movie is ready to go, and I wait for him to hit play. “Are you ready to dive into the awesome world of Star Wars? You will love it.”

  I cock my eyebrow. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

  Reaching down, he hits play, and for the next couple of hours, I’m swallowed up in a world of a young boy, weird-looking creatures, crazy languages, and fighting scenes with light sticks.

  At the end, the credits start rolling, and I glance over at Aiden, who’s passed out. I look at the time on the iPad—it’s three in the morning. Damn, I’m going to be tired tomorrow.

  I turn off the screen and slip his iPad on the floor with my phone. I leave Aiden where he is, not wanting to disturb him. Instead, I roll over with my back to him. Every part of me is highly aware he’s there.

  He’s single now. Well, on a break.

  Even if I end up tangled over him through the night, at least now I’ve got no reason to feel guilty.

  Heat presses against my back, and a weight over my waist startles me awake. My eyes widening, I shuffle slightly.

  “Go
back to sleep.” That accent pulls me out of the panic which was starting to settle in. Then, I remember last night.

  “Get off me,” I grumble, shoving him backward.

  I roll over onto my back while Aiden stretches. He slept on top of the blankets. As he lifts his arms above his head, his shirt raises, showing me that V which causes me to bite my lip. Damn!

  “What’s the time?” he asks.

  Lifting my arm, I rub my eyes and squint at my watch.

  “It’s seven-thirty.”

  Aiden leaps off the bed and takes off down the hallway, cursing along the way.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, sitting up.

  Aiden sits back on the bed, now dressed in his basketball gear, and pulls his shoes on. “I’m late for practice.”

  I furrow my brows and purse my lips. “On a Sunday?”

  Then he stops. His head drops, and laughter leaves his mouth. “Gee, don’t I feel stupid. Those fellas played me.”

  I smile. “Yep, I bet you do.”

  He turns. “You wanna go grab breakfast?”

  I nod. “Sure. Why not?” I reply, secretly trying to compose myself so I don’t leap up and cheer.

  He actually wants to spend time with me.

  Me…

  We walk toward the campus café, my place of work, which reminds me I need to check my hours for next week.

  “So, what are you studying?” Aiden asks.

  The sun heats my back as we walk. I turn to him. “I want to help special needs kids. So, kind of like a speech therapist or occupational therapist. My mother wants me to be a doctor”—I screw up my nose—“or something professional like that.” The word doctor rolls off my tongue like a foul taste.

  “What’s that about? You don’t seem too impressed with what your mother wants.”

  I shrug. “Since she’s a single mom, and she’s slaved away at job after job to get me into college, she feels it’s her place to dictate what I study. I guess that’s why my brother has chosen to travel and keep his distance.”

  “That must be hard,” he says as he turns toward me.

  “It is what it is. There have been plenty of fights and arguments over what I want to study. With every phone call I get from Mom, she has mastered how to make me feel guilty, even though I’m a straight-A student and pass all my classes. It somehow doesn’t feel like it’s enough for her.” Aiden remains silent. “Anyway, enough about me and my drama. What about you? What are your plans with school and travel?”