Page 4 of Stuck with You
“Pretty sure you didn’t.”
I scowled at him and continued packing, trying to ignore the sense that he was watching my every move. I really didn’t like him being in my house, let alone my room. I also didn’t need a running commentary on what I decided to pack.
“So, the sexy silk pajamas?” he continued. “I’ve watched enough chick flicks to know that all girls wear them to sleepovers. You’re going to need them for our pillow fights.”
“I hate to break it to you, Aiden. But those movies aren’t real.”
He gasped. “You lie…”
“And why are you watching so many chick flicks anyway?”
“Join me for a movie night, and I’ll show you.” He grinned. “We might not spend much time actually watching though…”
I shook my head and let out a frustrated breath. I wished I hadn’t asked. I should have known better than to encourage him. Ignoring his antics was pretty much my one and only defense against the guy.
“And do you really need all those books?” he asked, as I pulled an armload off my shelves. It was definitely more than I needed for a couple of days, but thanks to Aiden’s two-minute countdown, I was rushing. I didn’t have time to pick the books I might like to read, so I was going for sheer bulk in the hopes I’d have plenty of options. The fact Aiden was watching so closely wasn’t helping me think straight.
I blew a hair off my face and turned to him with my arms still full of books. “Aiden…”
“Yes?” He looked the picture of innocence, as though he wasn’t here solely to irritate the crap out of me.
“Get. Out.”
He chuckled but thankfully obliged. “You haven’t got long left by the way,” he said as he turned to leave. “See you downstairs in a few seconds.”
I shoved the pile of books in my bag and somehow managed to get the zipper closed. I didn’t have time to shower, but I quickly changed my clothes and brushed my teeth before gathering some cosmetics from the bathroom. I cringed as I looked at my appearance in the mirror. My brown hair looked so wild even a bird would have questioned whether it would make a good nest, and without makeup on, my skin was pale after a bad night’s sleep.
“That’s definitely been more than two minutes, Clary,” Aiden called up the stairs. “Do you need me to come back and help you pack again?”
My blue eyes flared with annoyance, and I tore my gaze away from the mirror to glare in the direction of his voice. Aiden was infuriating, and he knew exactly how to get under my skin. There might have been a virus plaguing the world right now, but being stuck in quarantine with Aiden Moore suddenly felt like a much bigger problem.
“Claaary?” He called my name again with a droning voice, like he was searching for me in a game of hide and seek.
I let out a groan, grabbed my bag from my room, and dragged my feet back down the stairs to meet Aiden at the front door. He grinned brightly when he saw me and took the duffel bag out of my hands before turning to walk to his truck. He whistled as he walked, clearly getting far too much satisfaction out of the situation.
I grumbled under my breath as I went to follow him.
The next few days were going to be agony.
2
Clary
One highway and a handful of streets separated Aiden’s house from mine, and even though it was walking distance away, it felt like I was moving to the other side of the country. No, worse than that, it was like being sent straight to the depths of hell for the next few days without any chance of escape.
I let out a sigh as my house disappeared and leaned my head against the window of Aiden’s truck as I watched the streets whiz by. It was strange how quickly things had changed since the lockdown restrictions were announced. Nothing ever happened in our sleepy little town, but even Harford was feeling the burden of the pandemic.
Shops had gradually been shutting this week, and stricter rules were being announced daily. Only a few days ago, I’d been hanging out with my friends, but now you could only spend time with those people in your household. Unfortunately for me, that small circle of people now included Aiden Moore.
There was almost nobody on the streets as Aiden drove us to his house. We only passed a handful of cars, and there were barely any pedestrians on the sidewalks. The few people who had decided to leave their houses appeared to be out exercising, and some had surgical masks covering their faces. It felt like the world had pressed the pause button. None of this felt real.
The truck slowed as we reached Aiden’s house, and with a mixture of dread and frustration, I stepped from the vehicle. Aiden’s home was gorgeous and looked like something out of a magazine. The front yard had a lush green lawn, which was bordered by perfectly trimmed hedges. The house was freshly painted in a dark navy color with white trim on the windows. It even had a white picket fence, like many other houses on the street.
My family’s house was simple in comparison. We lived in a small two-bedroom cottage that was cute and filled with character. Most of our furniture came from garage sales, and thanks to Mom’s good taste, she somehow made the eclectic pieces work together. It wasn’t like my parents were poor, but their priorities were very different from a lot of people in town. They spent most of their money on travel. It was one of the things I loved most about them.
I must have been admiring Aiden’s house for too long because a deep chuckle came from behind me. I turned to find him walking around the back of the truck, my duffel bag in hand. “Are we going inside or are you just going to stare at the house all day?”
“Just sizing up my prison for the next few days,” I replied.
