Chapter 2 Scared You Might Like Me

I chuckle at their reactions.

"Scared you might like me?" I taunt Aaron with a smirk.

He quickly recovers, taking a step back from invading my personal space, as if to protect himself from me.

"That's the spirit, Eva! That's what I'm talking about. Tell him who's in charge," Juliet loudly cheers in support beside me, and I can't help the grin that splits my face.

Aaron's expression is a mixture of puzzlement and annoyance.

"I won't give in to your little game, Anderson."

Juliet whoops and cheers beside me. Satisfaction and pleasure unfurl in my chest as a wide smile takes over my face, my eyes gleaming.

If Aaron is rattled enough to address me by my last name for the first time in ages, then that means he's really put off by the idea of my challenge.

Does he really hate me that much?

Weirdly, the thought doesn't affect me as it had done mere seconds ago.

My mission for the night suddenly evolves as I climb down the stool, stepping confidently towards Aaron.

My new mission for the night is to get Aaron Coleman to finally stop running from this... whatever this is between us. We both claim to dislike each other, so maybe facing it head-on will clear the air once and for all.

It will be a decisive moment.

A final showdown.

When I come to his feet, I tilt my head up, smiling brightly. Good thing I'd gone all out with the makeup, I can't imagine how striking my red lipstick will look from his angle.

Aaron is over six feet, while I'm five feet, ten inches, which is kind of tall for the average woman.

But still, with my height, he's towering over me, his gaze intense with an unnamed emotion.

"Don't be too chicken, Coleman," I address him by his own last name in a low, challenging whisper that flutters up to his ears because the DJ has just turned down the volume of the electro-disco music that's been blasting for the past hour.

Around us, the rest of the partygoers fade into the background as we get locked in a silent standoff.

Something prickles my skin when the sudden realization that I've never been this close to Aaron hits me.

I've never looked into his eyes like this deeply before, and most certainly have not been this close to him for long.

His eyes are an odd shade of blue. It's like a mixture of sunny sky and a dark ocean at night.

When our kiss happened that night in middle school, we'd been playing that game from the pits of hell: truth or dare.

Some hellion had dared Aaron to kiss me, and so he did, a quick and awkward peck.

Right now, the proximity between us is anything but a game. There's hardly any space, with my chest almost touching his torso.

Aaron's eyes blaze with something fierce and challenging, and I swallow deeply, thinking that this might be a mistake.

But surely, it can't be. Aaron is known for his competitive streak, as the girls like to say. I don't know all his history, but I think it's safe to say that confronting him like this requires nerve.

The rivalry he feels for me might push him to see this through. I don't know if I'll be able to handle the fallout, but the tension between us has built for years, and tonight feels like the time it finally snaps.

"Don't regret this, Tangerine," Aaron quietly says, his eyes still swimming with that fierce, determined emotion.

My smile is shaky as I reply, "Trust me, I'm ready to see this through."

Annoyance flickers in his eyes at my response, and I start to feel like I'd said the wrong thing.

Is there anything wrong with my response? He told me not to regret it, and I'm committed to facing whatever comes next.

I've never understood my feelings toward Aaron, and I'm confident that no matter how this confrontation ends tonight, it will bring some clarity.

A warm hand snakes around my wrist, jolting me from my thoughts. I glance down to find Aaron holding me.

Before I can say anything, he pulls me through the throng of our dancing classmates' bodies and away from the raucous bar.

Juliet's shouts are muffled by the loud music the DJ has turned up again.

We come out into the cool night as Aaron continues to lead me down the alley, his pace determined.

"Wait, slow down!" I say when I nearly stumble over my heels.

Aaron stops, his breath harsh and fast.

He doesn't turn to look at me, but the edge in his voice, with his head bowed like that under a streetlight, tells me that he's reached his limit.

And it occurs to me that it's not because he's swept up in some game.

But he's breathing that hard and talking with an unrestrained edge to his voice because all the years of rivalry and tension have finally boiled over, and he wants to settle this now. Once and for all.

"You've set this in motion, Tangerine, and there's no stopping it now," he says darkly, his grip firm on my wrist. Then, as if making a decision, he pulls me to follow him, his presence overwhelming in the quiet alley.