I should’ve known that this night will be a disaster the moment Cole and Kim walked into the theatre room together.
Or when Xander’s jaw ticked.
Or when Aiden watched the scene with cold calculation.
We all sit facing the huge TV that occupies the entire wall. Hell, it’s the same size as cinemas’ screens. The leather sofas can easily swallow a person. There’s even a place to put hamburgers, chips, and beer.
Kim and I settle for soda. I ignore the fact that Aiden snatches the regular coke and thrusts a diet coke in my hands. I told him before that diet coke is only lower on calories but isn’t healthy. However, I let it go this time.
If there’s anything I learnt from being with Aiden, then it’s to pick my battles.
Right now, the most important battle is to know what the hell he has planned for Kim.
When I tried to slide in beside her, Aiden dragged me and sat me between his parted thighs.
He’s all around me and surrounding me. His chest hovers inches away from my back, but I can taste his scent mixed with the after-shower gel. Every breath I take is filled with his overpowering presence. He seeps under my skin and settles in my core with a harsh wave of lust. Aiden isn’t even touching me, but he doesn’t need to. It’s like he owned me since the first touch.
The air ripples with the promise of his skin on mine. I clench my thighs together and focus on the screen.
Today, Arsenal plays the most important games of the season in the European Champions League. If I were with Uncle, we’d be hotblooded Gunners cheering our hearts out like Xander and Ronan.
They jump like rabbits on crack, shouting and even kicking imaginary balls. They even speak in thick cockney accents that posh folks shouldn’t even have heard of. It must be due to mingling with other football fans.
I wonder if Aiden can speak cockney, too.
The theatre room fills with fan cheers, the commentators’ enthusiasm and Xander and Ronan’s fanatic madness.
Cole and Aiden are the calm types of audience. Cole says some ooh and aah’s, but he never moves from his position.
Kim sits beside me and Aiden with Cole on her other side, drinking her second — or third — beer.
She might be an Elites’ fan, but she doesn’t care much for the Premier League.
While Ronan and Xander shout, curse, and throw chips and snacks everywhere, Kim watches them with keen interest like they’re the game.
In a way, they make an entertaining show. When Arsenal is on the run, they kick balls with them. They throw imaginary free kicks and bump shoulders when something good happens.
I’m laughing by the time they sing along fan chants in an off-tune. Kim laughs, too, with her eyes half drooping. When she finishes her beer, Aiden pushes another one into her hand and she accepts it with a sloppy smile.
I cut him a glare. “Are you trying to get her drunk?”
His cold gaze remains on the screen, but he doesn’t appear all that interested in the game. “She’s already there.”
“Aiden.” My voice lowers as I half-turn so my back rests against his bent thigh. “What are you doing?”
His metallic gaze slides to me in a slow, predatory way. Just like that, Aiden’s loathsome, psycho side comes out to play. Just because I overlook his nature sometimes doesn’t mean it disappears.
“Do you agree to what I said earlier?”
“Not until you tell me why.” I thin my lips in a line to avoid lashing out on him and causing a scene.
“Wrong answer.” And just like that, his attention shifts back to the game.
I push away from him, but he traps my elbow in a deathly grip, forbidding my escape.
With a frustrated sigh, I scoot closer to Kim as much as his clutch allows.
Her navy blue striped dress reaches the middle of her thighs and is bunched at the bottom. A flush covers her cheeks and her pupils dilate. She’s definitely at the drunk stage.
I try to snatch her beer away. God knows what Aiden has put in it. I want to think that he wouldn’t hurt Kim and that he’s not the type to drug women, but he’s a psycho demon who doesn’t stop until he gets what he wants.
Kim isn’t a person to him. She’s just a means to an end.
She pulls her beer closer to her chest and pouts as if I wanted to take her favourite toy.
“Kim. Come on, you drunk enough.”
“Nah-uh,” she slurs. “I’m totally sober, Ellie.”
For the next few minutes, I try and fail miserably in breaking her up with her beer.
Aiden watches with that emotionless coldness that I want to slap off his face.
I don’t know how he figured out how Kim becomes wild when she’s drunk, but he’s using it for his advantage.
The first half of the game ends with nil to nil. Xander and Ronan finally sit down. Ronan devours chips like a starved soldier at war while Xander throws hard glances in Kim’s direction.
When the European Anthem plays, she staggers on unsteady feet and sings her heart out with it. In slurred German. I knew she has German classes, but I didn’t know she’s this fluent.
Ronan puts a hand on his heart and places the bowl of chips up as if it’s a cup and sings along. In gibberish.
Cole chuckles “Well, what the hell.”
He stands so Kim is between him and Ronan and sings Ode de Joy in a more perfect German than Kim’s — though it’s probably because he’s not dead drunk like her.
“Don’t kill my vibe, Captain!” Ronan throws a chip at him. “Sing in the gibberish version we all know.”
I laugh both at his silliness and at Kim’s easy smile and slurred words. It’s worth it if she’s having a good time.
I attempt to stand and join them, but Aiden grabs my arm and stares at a solemn-faced Xander. “Hey, Knight. Maybe you should take Reed home before her parents worry.”
“No!” I shout at the same time as the song cuts off.
All eyes turn to me as if I’m the maniac who just suggested that Xander, Kim’s archenemy, should drop her home.
My cheeks heat as I cut Aiden a harsh glare, he would’ve been flamed or even embarrassed if he were anywhere near a human being status.
I jerk to my feet and pull him outside of the room. I’m surprised he follows without a word.
“Don’t move, Kim,” I tell her and address Xander. “And don’t touch her.”
Cole nods in my direction as if in assurance. I don’t know why I trust him, but I do.
Ronan seems oblivious to the whole mess, busy stuffing his mouth with chips and snacks.
Once we’re outside, I slam the door shut and walk into Aiden’s space. “Stop using Kim to force me into doing things.”
“And if I say no?” He’s cool, so cool, it makes my temper hit the roof.
“Kim is my best friend.”
“I know that.”
“Then how can you suggest to send her home with her tormentor? What if he hurts her? Are you going to take responsibility for that?”
“I don’t take responsibility for other people’s shit. Besides, if Knight wanted to hurt her, he would’ve done that years ago, not now.”
“That’s not the point!”
“Then what is?”
“If you want my trust, you can’t use my best friend’s wellbeing to threaten me. That’ll make me trust you less not more.”
“If you agreed, I wouldn’t have used this method. Stay away from Jonathan and I’ll stay away from Reed. It’s an easy bargain.”
The fact that he insists on that makes me more curious about King Enterprises’ tycoon. However, I’m not curious to the point of risking Kim’s wellbeing.
Aiden knows he got me where it hurts.
“Fine!” I slam my shoulder against his arm as I go back inside, seething with pent-up anger.
I clutch Kim’s elbow, halting her drinking competition with Ronan. “We’re leaving.”
“Naww,” she whines. “Look, Ron is teaching me how to take shots.”
“Ron?” Xander scoffs, his shoulders crowding with tension.
“Come on, Kim.” I drag her, but she might as well have turned into stone.
“I’m staying.” She squirms free and goes back to Ronan as if he’s holding baby Jesus instead of a bottle of beer.
My attempts are futile no matter how much I try. It’s impossible to control Kim when she’s drunk.
Aiden smirks at me from his sitting position beside Cole.
Dickhead.
During the second half, Kim is cheering with Ronan non-stop.
“Why do you say Gunners?” she asks him.
“Because it’s Arsenal, babe!”
That earns him a smack at the nape from Xander.
Ignoring Aiden’s attempts to get me to sit between his legs, I join Kim, Ronan, and Xander. After two beers, I loosen enough to cheer for the team. The game is too exciting and fast-paced not to enjoy it.
When Arsenal scores, the four of us pull each other in a group hug. Cole cheers from the background, and a strong hand grabs me by the collar of my shirt. I wiggle Aiden off and continue celebrating.
I’m so mad at him right now. The least he can do is to not ruin the game for me.
There are still fifteen minutes in the game when Kim collapses on one of the chairs, snoring softly. I move her to a comfortable position and return to watch the rest of the game.
Ronan, Xander and I argue about the substitute players that came in the second half.
The game ends one to nil. We could’ve done better but we’re on the way to the championship.
I celebrate with Ronan and Xan and even Cole who joined us near the end by singing ‘We are the champions’.
A phone rings. Kim’s.
I fish into her pocket. Her mum.
Shit.
She’ll ground Kim if she returns home in this state. I dig my teeth in my bottom lip as I contemplate a solution.
“Spend the night.” Aiden quips from behind me. I startle and that only makes him push into my back more.
“What? No.” It comes out more surprised rather than cold.
“Just spend the night with Reed.” He sighs heavily. “Don’t make everything so difficult.”
My options are limited. I can ask Aiden to drive us the small distance to Kim’s house and have her grounded. He can drive us to my home and put Kim in a bad light in front of Aunt and Uncle.
“Fine, but I’m locking the door.”
I take the phone outside where there isn’t noise and answer Kim’s mum. I tell her Kim is spending the night with me and that she’s already fast asleep. She agrees without questions. Then I call Uncle and after geeking about Arsenal’s win, I tell him I’m spending the night at Kim’s.
Weird. It doesn’t feel bad to lie to Aunt and Uncle anymore.
When I return inside to where the guys — except for Aiden — are celebrating, my spine jerks upright. He’s watching me with an unreadable gleam that resembles the first day we met.
I’m definitely locking the door tonight.
