Bad Boy Ink (Get Ink'd #5) - Ali Lyda Page 0,13

the consulting work, still struggled to pay all my bills and my grandmother's.

“He doesn't look like he needs a job at all.” I scratched at the back of my neck, still feeling the prickling heat that came from wondering if I had done something wrong. The difficult part about being a people-pleaser was learning to live with the discomfort when someone wasn’t pleased with you. “If anything, I should be pissed at him for trying to take it from me.”

Bryan surprised me by putting a hand on my shoulder and squeezing. “You should know better than that, Bryce. Appearances can always be deceiving. Aiden really does need that job. Or, at least he's convinced himself that he does. A lot is hanging on his ability to land it.”

Something in my chest softened. But it was still impossible to wrap my mind around the idea that some smart, handsome, computer genius kid had a future that was dependent on a single job. Especially one like the FBI—it’s not like it was going to pay bank.

“Why is it so important to him?” I asked.

“That's not my story to tell.” Bryan smiled gently. “But Aiden really is a good guy underneath it all. He looked out for me when no one else did. Just because he had a wealthier start than ours doesn't mean he doesn't have his own shit going on. Maybe try to be a little more understanding around him and he might be able to shrug the chip off his shoulder.” Bryan's nose scrunched as he spoke. “Then again, that chip is pretty fucking big.”

“No joke.” It felt like there was a belt strapped around my chest that was slowly cinching tighter. That, and the fishhook of curiosity regarding Aiden’s plight, were making it difficult to focus. I was good with people—or at least, I usually was. The fact that I might have gotten this so wrong didn’t sit well with me.

Bryan started to walk toward the parking lot. He waved to me as he went. “See you at work later, Thor! Good luck today with your nemesis.”

I didn't like to think of Aiden as a nemesis. I didn't even like to think of him as competition, truthfully, despite the fact that he was. I simply liked the challenge of a grumpy face. Especially a grumpy face that was so adorable, even when it was scowling. Honestly, I'd begun to think of our banter as a type of flirting.

Aiden had beaten me to our technical forensics class. He also managed to secure a seat in a group up front, which left no room for me. The professor walked in with his laptop open and ready, so I took the nearest free seat. The professor set his laptop on the podium and connected it to the projector without a word. The light flickered, and then his slides came to life on the massive screen hanging behind him.

“By now you should have connected with your group partner. I'm going to hand out case studies today.” He gestured at the screen. “As soon as you see your case study, you are welcome to exit the room quietly and find a space to start working. I'll be meeting with you in a few weeks to see how the analysis is going.”

After that, it was a process of waiting as he put up, case-by-case, each group's work. After each new slide, two people would stand and pack their bags and quietly exit the room. It was almost silent in the lecture hall, aside from the clicking of the keyboard as the professor flipped through the slides. We were all pumped, the energy of the remaining students practically crackling in the air.

Well, almost all of us. Aiden managed to look still and sour for the entire class. I didn't think I'd ever met someone who was so determined to be unhappy.

Finally, my and Aiden’s names came onto the screen and I could not help the thrill of anticipation. Even if my partner was a turbo crank who viewed me as an enemy. As soon as the case popped up, I jotted down all the information in my notebook. There was a zing of energy that ran from my fingertips to my toes at the idea of cracking this case. I glanced at Aiden hoping to see at least a glimmer of excitement…

But I was disappointed. He looked like the same morose motherfucker he always did. Still, I put my stuff in my bag and followed him