Page 23 of His to Cherish
“David,” hot guy said, extending his hand. “You can tell the wild animals I’m David.”
“Chelsea. I heard Trina say she’s met you,” I said, taking his hand in mine. “Something about Chicago. Are you here visiting?”
His blue eyes flashed and that laugh evaporated as if sucked from the air. “Something like that.”
He gave Aidan a look, one I couldn’t understand, and pulled his hand from mine.
“And I know who you are,” he said, turning back to me and standing up. “I’ve heard a lot about you, actually.”
“Shut the hell up.”
The growl came from Aidan. It was deep and angry, and my smile disappeared when my eyes snapped to his. I’d never heard him sound like that before. Had I made a mistake in coming over to say hello?
Perhaps I was pushing another boundary I wasn’t fully aware of.
“Don’t be a dick,” David warned, flashing me a grin before rolling his eyes. “He’s all bark, no bite. I’m going to go bug Declan, and say hello to Trina and the animals.”
I laughed softly as he smacked the back of Aidan’s shoulder. On his way to the back of the restaurant, he smiled at my friends and flicked his hand in a wave toward all of them.
“Friend of yours, I take it?” I asked when I looked back to Aidan. At the expression on his face, my smile vanished. His anger and tension, not to mention the overwhelming sadness radiating off of him, was clear. If I hadn’t known him before tonight, I would have stayed a dozen yards away from him. His “back the hell off” vibe was obvious to anyone.
“Don’t do that,” he scolded. I pulled back with a jerk.
“Do what?”
“Drop your smile and act sad for me.”
I frowned. He was acting different right now than he had previously. I glanced back at my table and considered walking way.
“Shit. I didn’t mean it like that.” I pulled my eyes back to his and he scrubbed his hands through his hair. “I don’t want to take my shit out on you, and you’re always so quiet when I’m around. Seeing you laughing with your friends was good. I don’t want you to stop just because I’m here.”
“I didn’t,” I declared confidently. It was true. The only thing that made me lose my smile was the way he barked at David. Then I lowered my voice and leaned in. I knew I was risking saying something that could make him go arctic like he had last night, but I’d consumed enough margaritas to risk it. “I don’t act sad around you, Aidan. Iamsad.”
His nose twitched and he looked away.
There was awkwardness tonight. A tension I didn’t understand or know why it was suddenly between us, but it was long enough that I felt the need to escape.
Odd, considering I usually wanted to burrow closer to him and wrap him in my arms.
“I’m going to go.” I took a step away, pointing my thumb in the direction of my table. My friends’ laughter could be heard from across the room. Declan had told us before that our volume increased with each successive pitcher we drank, and I no longer doubted him. Based on Paige’s loud laugh vibrating through the air, I figured pitcher number four had just been delivered. “I’ll see you later?”
I bit my lip waiting for him to answer. He didn’t owe me anything—he never had. Yet my hands trembled as I thought back to last night. Had bringing up Shane really ruined everything between us?
“Chelsea.”
“What?”
He rolled his lips and studied me. It was unnerving, but not completely unwelcome. The man was giving me a case of emotional whiplash. “How are you getting home tonight?”
“A cab.” I shrugged. “We usually share one.”
He nodded before letting out a breath. “Let me take you home.”
“You don’t have to. We’re usually here pretty late.”
He pushed off the bar and took a few steps closer to me. I had to tilt my chin up at him to see his eyes, and when I did, they made my heart skip a beat. “I’ll wait.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, giving in far too easily.
