Chapter 4

CLAIRE

By the time I finished the last chart and shut down the computer, my eyes burned. First days were always draining, but this one felt like three stacked together. I am feeling like I've been ran over by a truck with all that has happened today.

I stepped outside and pulled my phone out to call a ride home.

Daniel's post was the first thing on my screen.

A rooftop full of people, players I had already examined today, drinks, lights, the city behind them. Text over the photo: Pre-season kickoff. Everyone's welcome.

I stared at it for a few seconds.

Going home meant quiet. Too much quiet. The kind where my brain would replay Aiden walking out of my exam room and all the inappropriate thoughts I had while examining him.

The rooftop meant noise, people, something else to focus on. I opened the rideshare app before I could overthink. While I was waiting, my messages flashed.

Aiden Frost: Claire, we need to talk.

Aiden Frost: Just answer once.

Aiden Frost: About the blood test.

Aiden Frost: You saw the photos.

I deleted the thread.

He could spam me all he wanted. I wasn't covering anything for him, and I definitely wasn't feeding his ego by reacting to his shirtless photos. Ugh, those pictures were to die for to be honest. I could stare at them forever. 'No, don't" I said out loud to myself, scared anyone heard me I looked around. Phew, no one to be seen.

When the car pulled up, I climbed in and let the city blur by.

The music from Daniel's rooftop was already spilling into the stairwell by the time I reached the top floor. I stepped out onto the terrace and took in the scene. Lights strung overhead, people talking and laughing, music vibrating under my feet.

I smoothed my coat automatically, suddenly aware that I hadn't changed. No dress, no heels, just my work clothes and a tired face.

Too late to fix that now.

"Wow," a voice said behind me. "You actually came."

I turned.

Madison.

She walked over, drink in hand, eyes already scanning me from top to bottom. "You look… very medical," she said. "Did you come straight from the hospital or is this your party outfit?"

"Team facility," I said. "And I wasn't planning to stay long."

She laughed. "Daniel throws huge parties, you know. He likes girls who match the energy." Her gaze dragged over my clothes again. "You don't really… match."

"I'm not here for Daniel," I said calmly.

Her smile sharpened. "Good. Because you're not his type anyway." She leaned in a little. "Honestly, you just look plain next to everyone else. It's not really a fair comparison."

The words stung more than I wanted to admit, mostly because she said them like she was stating a fact.

"I'm here to support the team," I said. "That's all."

I stepped to the side to move past her.

She shifted with me, blocking my path, then put a hand on my shoulder and gave a quick shove. It wasn't massive, just enough to throw me off balance. My heel slipped on the concrete, and I felt my weight go backward. The edge of the terrace tilted in my vision. For a second, I was sure I was going down.

A hand caught my arm.

Another wrapped around my waist and hauled me upright in one smooth pull.

I landed against a solid chest.

"Careful," a familiar voice murmured near my ear.

Aiden.

My heart slammed against my ribs. He kept his arm firm around my waist until I steadied my feet. When I looked up, he was not smiling.

His eyes were fixed on Madison.

"What are you doing," he asked. His voice was low, but it carried enough that people nearby turned their heads.

Madison stiffened. "Relax. She tripped."

"No," he said. "You pushed her."

His grip on me tightened for a second like he was reminding himself I was still upright.

Madison's face shifted. "You're overreacting. I was just messing around. She doesn't belong here anyway. Daniel has a certain standard. She is clearly not his type."

The humiliation burned hot in my chest. I didn't need defending. I didn't want to be the center of this. Aiden's face changed.

"Daniel's type is irrelevant," he said. "She's not here for him."

Madison crossed her arms. "Then who is she here for?"

The rooftop had gone quieter around us. I could feel eyes on my back. On us. I opened my mouth to say something, to shut this down and walk away. Aiden spoke first.

"For me," he said.

Every sound around us seemed to pause.

Madison blinked. "What?"

Aiden shifted, stepping closer so his body brushed mine. He didn't let go of my waist. If anything, his hand settled there more firmly.

"She is my girlfriend," he said, clearly enough for everyone around us to hear.

My brain stalled. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. He did not look at me. He kept his gaze locked on Madison, like this was a fact that didn't need my confirmation.

A few people near us went silent. I saw someone's eyebrows shoot up. Someone else whispered. Madison stared at me, then at him. "Since when?"

"Since now is enough for you," he said.

Before I could object, Aiden turned toward me and lowered his head.

His hand slid lightly up my side, then he tilted my chin up and kissed me.

It wasn't a soft, testing kiss. It was certain. Warm. Sure of itself. The kind of kiss that said this was not an act, even if I knew it was one.

My thoughts scattered. For a second, all I could feel was his mouth on mine, the steady pressure of his hand, the way the noise around us vanished. His lips were the only thing I could focus on in this moment. They felt amazing. Then he pulled back.

My lips tingled. My heart was racing. He finally looked at me then, and there was something in his eyes I couldn't read.

"Excuse us," he said.

He reached down and took my phone straight from my hand before I had the sense to close my fingers. I watched him flick his gaze over the screen, he saw the empty space where our thread used to be.

Then he tucked the phone into his own pocket.

"Hey," I said, finally finding my voice.

"We need to talk," he said quietly.

He led me past Madison and the rest of the players, his grip steady as he headed for the rooftop door.

I heard a few people murmur behind us. I didn't catch the words. My face felt hot, my thoughts still scrambled from the kiss and the way he had just rewritten my social status in one sentence. By the time we reached the rooftop door, my heart hadn't slowed. I looked up at him, ready to demand my phone back and an explanation.

He opened the door instead.

"Come on, Claire," he said. "We're not doing this out here."

He guided me through the doorway and down the first few steps, still holding my wrist like he had no intention of letting go. And just like that, my night shifted from a simple attempt at distraction to something else entirely.

I had arrived at the party alone.

I was leaving it as Aiden Frost's "girlfriend" in front of everyone.

And I had no idea what he planned to do with that.