“Like how the cops thought you attacked me because of the girl who’d accused you before.”
“Right. And they were both false accusations. But still, people remember them whether they are true or not. I didn’t want that for Ray.”
“He was falsely accused?”
Aaron shook his head and his jaw got ridged. “Not falsely.”
“What?” She sat up straighter and wished he’d hurry up and talk.
“Look, it was a long time ago. A very long time ago. Ray was thirteen, and there was this girl in whatever city we were living in at the time that he liked. Really liked.”
“Did she like him back?”
“I don’t even think she knew he existed. Not at first. Not until the flowers started appearing.”
Her world stopped. “The flowers?”
“Please don’t freak out.” Aaron grabbed Sloan’s hands and held them in her lap. “Like I said, it’s just a coincidence.”
Too much of one. “What about them? What did he do?”
“He sent them to her house. Put a few in her locker. I bet he spent all of the money he’d made helping Old Lady London on those flowers. He never signed them, though. Never once. So she just assumed they were from someone else.”
“Who?”
“Me. Like I’m the flower-sending type.” He laughed nervously. “Anyway, Ray finally got up the nerve to ask her to meet him. It was outside of some dance. He walked toward her with a single red rose in his hand. But, I guess the girl had had a few friends come with her. When they saw it was Ray, they started laughing. Giggling like girls do, but it embarrassed the fire out of him.”
“Sounds horrible. Why would they laugh at him?”
“Believe it or not, Ray wasn’t always the stud-muffin he is now.” He smiled sadly. “Anyway, it hurt him, and I never knew him to like another girl until we got here. I knew he liked you. I also knew I did too. And I knew I couldn’t let him win you.”
“I’m not a prize.” She wasn’t sure she liked that Aaron kissed her just to win.
“It’s not like that. Yeah, I knew Ray had the hots for you. The walls knew it. It wasn’t that big of a secret. I had every intention of moving over and letting him have you. But then… I kissed you. And I couldn’t stop. I wanted you, Sloan. I want you more than anyone I’ve ever known.” He moved closer, like he was going to kiss her again.
Her mind raced, not knowing if it was an appropriate time to kiss. They had just been talking about his brother who had feelings for her. And now…
Thank goodness, he backed up. He cleared his throat and ran his hand over his face. “And it’s scary. I’m not scared of your stalker. I’m scared of how I feel about you. And if you feel the same way about me.” Aaron jumped from the bed and started pacing the floor. When he got to talking, he didn’t stop. “I know I’m not my brother. I’m not the good one or the saved one. Ray had his moments, but he really is a good guy, and I know I shouldn’t act this way around a girl he likes. I know I’m a jerk for kissing you when I knew how he felt about you, but…” He faced her. His eyes intense. “I know how I feel about you too. I think I’ve made it fairly obvious.”
“You have.” Her throat was so dry. This had been one of the most stressful days she’d had in a long time. Still, Aaron was there to protect her. She had a nagging feeling though. She couldn’t stop thinking about Ray. “What happened with the girl he sent flowers to?”
“Nothing.
She laughed.
“He stopped wasting his money on her. He moped a while. I saw a note he wrote her once, saying how he wanted to kill himself over her. I did some stealthy big brother bonding, and he got over it. See why I didn’t want to tell you?”
She nodded. A sick feeling knotted her stomach. “The day he was supposed to go see Boyd, did he come home instead?
“I didn’t see him. Didn’t mean he wasn’t there.” He stared at her strangely. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s not Ray. He’s not the one stalking you. Boyd’s the liar, not Ray.”
“I know.” She tried to shake the thoughts from her mind. “I know it’s not Ray. I’m worried about him. That’s all.” Okay, she wished that was all. It seemed a bit more than a coincidence that Ray had bought flowers for a girl he liked and left notes without his name. Then again, thousands of boys did that. Wasn’t it some sort of rite of passage or something?
“I can see the wheels turning in your brain.” Aaron sat back down on the bed. “Come here.” He pulled her to his chest and rubbed her hair. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out tomorrow. You’re not going to school, are you?”