Page 46 of Obnoxious Bad Boy

“Um... are y-you... are you that guy from the tattoo shop in town?” she asks, barely controlling a stutter.

“That’s me. You can come over and see for yourself when you’re eighteen.” I wink at her, knowing that unless her taste in men changes by then, it’s gonna be her birthday present to herself.

Aaron grabs the box of sugar. “Thank you so much, Veronica, but we really have to get going.”

At least he can be the rude one.

The disappointment in her eyes is obvious, but I can’t be available to any girl who wants to talk to me all the time. At least I’m glad to see Aaron isn’t all about showing me off.

I wish her a great evening, wave, and we’re off, heading toward the trees growing beyond the stable grounds. We walk past several paddocks and barns, and I entertain myself by watching Aaron’s ass shift under the tight pants as he moves. I can still sense Veronica’s gaze on us though and only relax when we reach the woods.

“Wow, you’re popular,” Aaron laughs nervously.

I step away from the horse when it lets out a whinny and shakes its head, because that thing could kill both of us if it wanted to. I know it’s stupid, and horses aren’t known to maliciously attack people, but I can’t help being intimidated by the sheer size of this animal.

“A double-edged sword. People recognize me, and unless I’m someplace where strangers literally can’t see or access me, it always ends up like this. I don’t want to complain, because this parasocial relationship people have with me is what made me popular, but sometimes it just feels like a rock that I can’t shake out of my boot.”

Aaron nods, but even though we’re out in nature now, he doesn’t try to hold my hand, as if the earlier interactions spooked him. I’m grateful, because we are still close to the stables, and there could be walkers around. “It’s hard to stay anonymous in Springton.”

“Tell me about it,” I say and move closer, so our shoulders touch. He was so excited and eager to bring me here, and while I know I’ve done nothing wrong, I still feel as if his worsening mood is my fault. Because of course we can’t have peace unless we’re hiding. “I’m sorry about all this. What did you want to do?” I ask as we stop in the middle of a small clearing.

“Would you like to feed him?” Aaron asks with a tentative smile. In the woods, next to his white horse, in the riding gear, he looks like a fairy-tale prince. “His name is Snowley Darcy the Second,” he says with pride.

I blink, and the gloomy mood lifts from my heart. “This horse is so fancy it’s a junior?” I ask but don’t dare approach as Aaron pats its muscular neck. “Does it have a family tree too?”

He laughs and hands me a little cube of sugar from the box Veronica gave us. “Yes, but he’s called the second, because he’s my second Snowley. I got my first one when I was a kid, only learning to ride.”

How rich is he? It doesn’t really matter, but it strikes me that he might not even be able to imagine some of the things I’ve been through. Do we only work so well because our relationship is still new?

“Is he not gonna bite me?” I ask, pulling away when Snowley’s nostrils widen, and he leans closer, hypnotized by the sweet morsel in my hand.

Aaron wraps his arm around me. “No, he’s very gentle. Look.” He holds out a cube of sugar on his palm and the horse picks it up with his lips.

I exhale when a soft breeze combs through my hair. Aaron pets his horse’s forehead and whispers something to him, as if they were sharing a secret. “It’s almost as if he’s your best friend.”

He gives me a soft smile. “I wasn’t exactly the most popular kid in high school. And then in college I only made a real friend last year, so Snowley and I are definitely best buds. I’m sure it’s hard to imagine for someone as outgoing as you.”

I laugh and weigh the sugar cube in my hand, staring at the beast’s huge brown eye. A part of me is still wary of standing close to Aaron after the sudden meeting with Veronica, but the green trees form a protective wall around us, and I relax, finally offering my open hand to the horse. I freeze when its big teeth come close to my flesh, but he picks up the treat with the soft lips.

I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’ve been holding and stroke Aaron’s back. “I’m not that outgoing. Truth is, I feel best with people I trust, where no one can record me. Hate it that everyone carries little cameras around nowadays. It’s a minefield, and anything I do might end up with me losing a limb.”

“We can’t have that. These fingers are far too important.” He smiles and lifts my hand to kiss it.

Aaron is so sweet yet transforms into a demon when we’re in bed. The perfect combination. It’s a shame I can’t allow myself to have all of him, but such is life. “I think people just don’t understand you. That’s why you had a hard time finding friends,” I whisper, meeting his eyes.

“I made peace with the fact that I don’t click with everyone. It can hurt sometimes, but it’s okay. I prefer a few connections that really matter. Snowley, Matt, and… wait… there was this one other guy…” He grins and gives me a kiss.

My body throbs with heat, and I pull him close, savoring the sweetness of his lips for as long as it feels safe. It sounds almost like a joke, because we don’t know each other that well, but I also feel that we’ve clicked in ways I don’t with most people, and I end up with his head under my chin as we hug.

My heart beats faster when I tighten my arms around Aaron’s sweet, compact form. “I came to Springton because of a guy.”

“Oh?” He strokes my back, never moving away, and even though we cuddle often when we’re alone at my place, it feels so intimate when I know it’s not a prelude to sex.

“I know, stupid,” I admit, smelling his hair. “He was my type, and I really wanted to make us happen, because I couldn’t date like any other person. And since he was a student here, I came over and settled in Springton. A year later, he was tired of not being able to tell anyone, and left town to move in with someone else.”

“How did it make you feel?” he asks in that gentle voice of his and it strikes me that the only other person who knows, Yasmin, never asked me that question.

Maybe she didn’t want to make me feel bad about my choices, since she didn’t like my ex from the start, but it's nice to have someone I can discuss this with. “Like I was an idiot. I wanted that relationship to work so I ignored all the things that made us incompatible.”