CHAPTER 98: FALLING FOR HER

Aiden’s POV

I saw her the second she stepped out of the school gates.

Alexia.

She looked flustered, her cheeks slightly pink, her lips parted as if she’d just been caught doing something she shouldn’t. And that—that alone—was enough to make my blood heat up.

Why did she look so guilty?

What had she been doing?

Who had she been with?

I leaned against my car, watching as she scanned the area, clearly distracted. When her gaze finally landed on me, she froze for a second, and I caught the subtle way she straightened her posture, like she had to compose herself before walking over.

Interesting.

She was hiding something.

The moment she reached me, I tilted my head, studying her. "Why are you so flustered?"

Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly masked it. "I’m not."

Liar.

She made a move for the car door, probably thinking she could avoid whatever conversation she knew was coming.

Too bad for her, I had other plans.

Before she could slip inside, I reached for her wrist, tugging her toward me with just enough force to catch her off guard. She gasped, her body colliding with mine, and I took full advantage, wrapping one arm securely around her waist.

She barely had time to react before my fingers tilted her chin up, forcing her gaze to mine.

And then, without a second thought, I kissed her.

Hard.

Her breath hitched against my lips, and for a split second, she didn’t respond—too shocked, too caught off guard. But then her body softened, and I felt her instinctively lean into me.

She tasted sweet, just like I knew she would.

I deepened the kiss, savoring the way her lips moved against mine, the way she melted before suddenly realizing what was happening.

She pulled back with a gasp, her hands pressed against my chest. "What the hell was that?"

I didn’t answer immediately. I just smirked, letting my gaze flick past her—to where he was.

Professor Sinclair.

Walking away.

His posture was stiff, his movements clipped, and even from this distance, I could see the tension in his shoulders.

Yeah. He saw.

Good.

Alexia must’ve followed my line of sight because the second she spotted him, realization dawned across her face.

Her breath caught, her entire body going rigid.

"You—" she started, looking up at me with wide, furious eyes. "You did that

on purpose! You... you—"

I arched an eyebrow, amused. "I what?"

Her hands balled into fists against my chest as she glared at me, her frustration radiating off her in waves. "You jerk! You knew he was there! You planned this!"

I shrugged. "So what if I did?"

Her jaw dropped. "So what—Aiden!"

I had seen him.

That stupid professor.

I didn’t miss the way his gaze softened when he looked at Alexia—the way his eyes lingered on her just a little too long, as if she was something precious to him. It made my blood boil.

And that’s exactly why I kissed her.

To prove a point.

To him.

To her.

To myself.

She was mine.

Even if she didn’t realize it yet.

Alexia was still staring at me, her expression a mix of shock and fury, her lips slightly swollen from the kiss. My kiss.

"You asshole," she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper as if saying it out loud would make the situation any less real.

I leaned against the car, smirking. "What? Didn’t like it?"

Her face turned red, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. "You know that’s not the point!"

I tilted my head, pretending to think. "No, I think it is the point." My voice dropped, teasing. "Unless... you’re mad because you did like it?"

She opened her mouth—then snapped it shut, her glare deepening. "I hate you."

I chuckled, stepping closer. "You don’t hate me, Alexia."

She took a step back, her pulse racing. I could see it, right there at the base of her throat, the way her body betrayed her.

I lowered my voice. "You’re just mad because you didn’t see it coming."

She scoffed, trying to regain control. "Oh, I saw plenty, Aiden. Like the fact that you only did that because Professor Sinclair was watching."

I smirked. "And?"

She gasped. "You’re actually admitting it?"

"Why not?" I shrugged. "He needed to see it."

Her mouth fell open. "You’re unbelievable."

I leaned in just enough to make her breath hitch. "And yet, here you are, still standing in front of me."

She turned away so fast I almost laughed, yanking open the car door and practically throwing herself inside.

I took my time getting in, watching the way she sat stiffly, arms crossed, her body practically radiating rage.

I started the engine, glancing at her. "Relax. It was just a kiss."

She turned her head so slowly it was almost menacing. "Just a kiss?"

I fought the urge to grin. "Yeah. No big deal, right?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You are insufferable."

I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, watching her from the corner of my eye. "You didn’t answer my question."

She sighed, exasperated. "What question?"

I glanced at her, voice low. "Did you like it?"

She stiffened.

For a long moment, she didn’t say anything.

Then, quietly—so quietly I almost missed it—she whispered, "That’s not the point."

But it was.

And we both knew it.

I watched her, relishing every second of her frustration. God, she was adorable when she was angry.

She huffed, stepping back and yanking the car door open before practically throwing herself inside.

I took my time walking around to the driver’s seat, sliding in beside her, knowing full well she was fuming. She sat stiffly, arms crossed, her face turned away from me.

Silence stretched between us, thick with tension.

Then, finally, I said, "You’re overreacting."

She spun toward me, her expression a mix of disbelief and anger. "Overreacting? You ambushed me with a kiss—"

"A hot kiss," I corrected with a smirk.

Her glare deepened, and she smacked my arm. "A manipulative kiss, Aiden! You knew he was watching!"

"And?" I challenged, meeting her glare head-on. "Did it work?"

She gaped at me. "Work?"

I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice. "Why do you care so much that he saw?"

Her lips parted, but she didn’t answer right away.

I watched as the frustration in her eyes shifted into something else. Something uncertain.

Something she wasn’t ready to admit.

A slow smirk tugged at my lips.

"Thought so," I murmured, turning my attention back to the road as I started the car.

She huffed again, turning away, but I caught the way her fingers brushed against her lips absentmindedly.

She was thinking about it.

About the kiss.

About me.

And that? That was exactly what I wanted.

I had gone to work like usual, keeping myself busy with endless meetings, reports, and whatever else needed my attention. But for the first time in a long while, my focus wasn’t completely there. My mind kept drifting back to her.

Alexia.

It was annoying.

No, it was infuriating.

Because no matter how much I tried to push her from my thoughts, she kept creeping back in—her voice, her stubbornness, the way she looked at me when she was mad. It was as if she had invaded every damn corner of my brain, and I hated it.

After work, I stopped by the hospital to see Liz. Normally, being around her gave me a sense of comfort, a familiar kind of peace. But today... today, it felt off. The usual ease wasn’t there, and I found myself growing impatient, restless even.

Because once again, my thoughts were somewhere else.

With someone else.

Liz, of course, noticed. She always did.

"Stay the night again," she said, her voice soft, hopeful.

I should’ve said yes. It would have been the logical thing to do. But instead, I forced a tight smile and lied through my teeth.

"Can’t. Something came up at the office."

She pouted but nodded in understanding, and I left before she could ask too many questions.

Because the truth was, I wanted to be somewhere else.

I wanted to see Alexia.

Even if she was mad at me.

Even if she glared at me the whole damn ride home.

It was stupid—this pull I had toward her. But it didn’t matter. I had already given in to it the moment I decided to pick her up from school instead of staying with Liz.

And when I saw her walking out of the gates, looking flustered, slightly out of breath, and entirely too cute for her own good, I knew I’d made the right choice.

There was something about the way she sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, lips pursed in frustration, that made me want to mess with her even more.

I stole a glance at her, suppressing a smirk.

Too easy.

I knew exactly how to fix this.

Her one weakness.

Food.

Without saying anything, I changed direction, heading toward the drive-in. Because if there was one thing I was certain of, it was that Alexia could never stay mad when there was food involved.