Page 5 of Get Me (The Keatyn Chronicles 6)
"But what?"
He rolls off me. "I just want it to be perfect. The perfect night. When we look back on it, I don't want you to remember crying. I don't want you to remember questioning my feelings or thinking I walked out on you. And after seeing your script for tonight . . ."
"You read ahead?"
"Yeah."
I roll over on my side and run my hand down his chest. "In my script, we did it."
"And it was a perfect moment where we both knew it was right. I want that for you. For us."
"Nothing about us has ever followed a script."
"I don't want it to. And, deep down, I don't think you want it to, either."
"So, what do you wanna do?"
"How about a bath?"
"No sliders?"
He grins. "No sliders."
My eyes follow his naked butt as he goes into the bathroom and turns on the water.
A few minutes later, he brings me out a fluffy robe. I snuggle up to it. "It's warm."
"They have a towel heater."
"Nice."
I follow him into the bathroom and add a bunch of bubbles to the bath.
Once we're in the tub and I'm leaning against his chest, I say, "I'm tired, Aiden."
"I know you are, baby," he says, kissing my shoulder. "Just think. Tomorrow at this time, we'll be back at the loft."
"A day of relaxation before I start to work."
"Do I get to come watch you film?"
"You watched every one of my play practices."
"That's because you're amazing."
"It had to be boring."
"It wasn't."
"I'll let you come if you promise me two things: you won't get jealous and you promise to leave if you get bored."
"Deal," he says, cupping warm water in his hand and pouring it across my chest.
I run my fingers lazily down his arm and notice something.
"Aiden, did you take your wish bracelet off because it didn't look good with your suit?"
He holds up his wrist, chuckles, and shakes his head. "Well, I'll be damned. You were right."
"What do you mean?"
"You told me it'd fall off once I got my wish."
"What did you wish for?"
He pushes my hair off my shoulders and kisses my neck. Then his mouth is against my ear. "I wished that someday you'd trust me enough to tell me the truth."
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18TH
The story of us.
9:30am
I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Aiden knew I was lying. It all makes sense now, though. His wanting to be my friend. His sneaky ways of getting to know me. I thought it meant he wasn't interested in me, but what it really meant is that he loves me.
I know he loves me.
I was going to say it to him last night. And he knows it, since he read the script.
Just let things settle down a little. Don't plan it. Just tell him when it feels right.
I think about when might be the perfect time.
Then I frown.
"What's the frown for?" Aiden asks.
"Oh, I was just thinking."
"About last night?"
"Yeah."
"And you're disappointed?"
"A little, yeah. I thought it was going to be perfect."
"It was perfect, until Whitney pulled you on stage."
I smile. "You're right. It was."
Aiden rolls onto his side to face me, gently trailing his finger down my thigh. "Maybe instead of writing the script and getting sad when people don't follow along . . ."
"You remember me telling you that at rehearsal?"
"Boots, pretty much everything you've ever said to me is permanently ingrained in my mind. It's all the story of us."
"As opposed to my scripts, which are the story of me?"
"Exactly. What if we write new ones together?"
"Like, collaborate? Hmm. That might be a good idea. I mean, especially since most of my old scripts were already cast."
"Brooklyn?"
"Yeah. There's still a lot there that's unfinished. At least now you understand why I can't see him. Remember Labor Day when I went to his tournament and how upset I was?"
"You told me that he was stupid. Then you said that you were stupid."
"I was. In lots of ways. It was bad enough to watch him sneak into a cabana and get it on with some girl, but what was worse is that Vincent, the stalker, was there. If Brooklyn hadn't done what he did, I wouldn't have left. I would've been a sitting duck. I went with no security and didn't tell anyone I was going. I really didn't think Vincent would fly across the country on the off chance I'd be there. It was a big blow, both to my confidence and my heart."
I start to say something else, but Aiden kisses me hard.
"What was that for?"
"I don't need to hear any more. I get it."
"What do you get?"
"I need to teach you how to live life unscripted, because we're going to be better than anything you ever imagined." He lets his comment hang there for a moment, then says, "So, what are you going to do about the stalker, now? Will you be able to go back to Eastbrooke?"
"Definitely not. That's why I lied on stage. So everyone would hate me and, hopefully, forget about me over break. I want all my friends at Eastbrooke to stay safe."
"Do you think he would go there?"
"Yes, I do. He went to Oregon where Cush--he's the guy I lost my virginity to--moved. He visited his school and asked if they had any new students. Any new girls, specifically. He even went to Cush's house and knocked on his door. Thankfully, Cush didn't know anything. So, even though it was hard to just leave my friends without telling them what happened, I know it was in their best interests. And that's part of why I didn't want to tell you the truth. I didn't want you to be in danger. After B won the tournament, a photo was delivered to him. One photoshopped to show him being shot, his brains blown out of the back of his head. It was awful. Vincent sent a similar one of Tommy to my mom."
Aiden studies my face then runs his hand down the side of it. "You're amazing, you know that? I knew who you were, and surmised that you were the one who was being stalked, but I didn't imagine it to be this bad. How have you been handling it all?"
"My acting skills have come in handy. But those times in the chapel were when I couldn't hide it. I couldn't act. Not with you."
"After that girl was killed, Riley said you told him that you were being stalked. Something about a guy in Miami."
"That was Vincent, too. He showed up at the club because he heard Damian was doing a surprise performance. He made me dance with hi
m. He'd gotten a tattoo just like mine, only on his wrist. When we were dancing, he rubbed his tattoo on mine. Said it was like our tattoos were making love. It was horrible. He was going to make me leave with him. Said he had a gun and would shoot Damian if I didn't go quietly."
"Were you going to go with him?"
"Probably. I was running my hands all over him, pretending like I was into dancing with him, but I was really frisking him. I had checked everywhere but his ankles when he rubbed the tattoo against me. I couldn't pretend anymore. I'm sure it was my horrified look that made Riley knock him down. When I told Dallas that I was afraid he had a gun, he panicked because of his situation."
"His situation?"
"Yeah. His dad is a senator and has received threats against his family. The story in his home state is that Dallas was arrested for drugs then sent to military school. Instead, he came to Eastbrooke. Apparently, Eastbrooke's campus is very secure."
"So, if you're supposed to be in hiding, how are you going to be in the movie?"
"What did I tell you about the role?"
"That you got a really small part in a really big movie."
"It's the third Trinity movie, Retribution. I play Trinity's daughter, who gets kidnapped."
Aiden's eyes get big.
"I know, right? It's crazy if you think about it. I was going to have to leave Eastbrooke in March to shoot the action scenes. They got the cast to sign non-disclosure agreements so that word wouldn't leak out about me being in the movie until it was officially announced. Although, lately, things have not been going according to plan."
"Tell me about your plan. I want to help."
"No. You can't help."
"I want to."
"That's part of why I didn't want you to know, Aiden. I'm very serious about this. You have to promise me, that no matter what, you won't get involved."
"I can't promise that."
"Then I can't see you anymore." I turn away from him, my eyes quickly filling with tears. We made it through all of this. All the lies. But this is a deal breaker.
"Keatyn," he says, trying to turn my face toward him.
I hold my chin firm, then get up. "I'm sorry. I have to go."
He grabs ahold of my arms and looks deep into my eyes. "What aren't you telling me?"
"I told you everything."
"No, you haven't."
"I may look fine on the surface, Aiden, but there's only so much I can take." I pull out of his arms and start shoving stuff into my bag.
