Desired by All and He Threw Away 69

Chapter 69 

But my eyes still find him. 

He doesn’t notice me.or maybe he does and chooses not to show it.thats the thing about Aiden- hes impossible to read unless he wants to be. 

he stands there cool and untouchable the calm in every storm, and for some reason that calm feels cruel right 

now. 

I glance down at my phone pretending to check a message that doesnt exist. anything to avoid the sting thats rising sharp and unwelcome. i scroll through nothing thumb moving over the blank screen pretending i dont feel that same hollow spot in my chest widening. 

pretending the emptiness i felt earlier isnt settling deeper colder. 

The night hums around me. Glasses clink. someone laughs too loudly near the bar. and through it all i can still feel the ghost of Aiden’s hand on my back the echo of his voice when he told me to relax. 

except i cant. 

I dont and the worst part is Im not even sure if its Dylan’s shadow still clinging to me – or Aiden’s. 

i draw a slow breath tasting the faint salt of nerves on my tongue and look away before i let myself wonder which one would hurt more. 

Aiden’s POV 

The crowd is thinning out but my mind’s nowhere near this room. 

i stand near the window watching the reflection of the city lights ripple across the glass.the low buzz of conversation drifts through the air soft and scattered. 

somewhere behind me Taylor’s laugh rings faintly- a sound that should be comforting but instead feels like static something i cant quite tune out. 

but Im not thinking about that. I can’t afford to. 

My focus is Dylan. His words. The mess he’s already begun to spread.the damage hes capable of if he decides to open his mouth to the wrong people.i can still see the look in his eyes tonight–cornered furious, desperate. 

desperate people are dangerous and Dylan’s the kind who would rather burn a bridge than walk away quietly. 

That’s the threat I need to contain. 

my fingers drum absently against the glass a quiet rhythm that steadies my thoughts. Control. Its always about control, the minute you let emotion in it starts to crack the surface. 

that is why i cant think about Taylor’s trembling hands when she faced him down.or the way she looked at me like she wasnt sure if I would save her or consume her. 

she is stronger than she realizes.i saw it tonight- the way she stood her ground the fire in her voice when she called Dylan out.but she is shaken and i know it. Anyone would be. 

+25 Bonus 

She thinks I don’t notice. Maybe that’s for the best.l assume her nerves are still shot from the confrontation from Dylan’s venom.i assume thats whats making her pulse race what is left her glancing around the room like shes waiting for the floor to shift beneath her. 

it doesnt cross my mind that maybe it isn’t fear at all. 

That maybe what unsettled her most tonight… was me. 

i take another drink letting the burn of whiskey settle in my throat and look out over the city again.the lights shimmer in the dark glass–distant untouchable. somewhere in the reflection i catch a glimpse of her across the room.shes pretending not to look this way pretending she isnt watching me. 

and for a fraction of a second i almost forget myself, then i turn back to the view shutting the thought down before it can take root. 

There are bigger things to deal with. Dylan. The fallout. The headlines that can’t exist. 

Taylor will be fine. 

She has to be. 

P