viciousness. Aiden had heard her crying as she left, seen the proud plume of her ponytail drooping as she’d climbed into the car. Aiden never let his own head drop like that.
What did it matter how people left? What mattered was that they did.
Aiden abandoned his essay and went to sulk cross-legged on his bed, pulling his bear into his lap for comfort.
It was almost ten o’clock at night. Harvard usually went to bed early so he could get up and practice, but Aiden supposed that wouldn’t be the case anymore. He’d have constant late nights now that he was dating.
“You might be in a single-parent family now, Harvard Paw,” Aiden told his bear. “I’ll do my best, but you know I’m not the responsible type. You’ll probably run wild from lack of supervision and eat picnics belonging to hikers. Or babies belonging to hikers. I don’t know, I foresee hiker-related tragedy ahead.”
Harvard must be having a wonderful time on his date. He had forsaken all his captainly duties in the pursuit of romance. Those freshmen needed him. Would nobody think of the freshmen? Aiden certainly wasn’t going to.
Just as Aiden was contemplating the demise of the entire fencing team, the door opened. Harvard walked in. He’d got dressed up for his date. He was wearing a nice button-down shirt and his gray wool coat, but the coat sat differently now than it usually did. His shoulders were slumped underneath it.
Aiden cast aside Harvard Paw and leaped up from the bed. Harvard barely seemed to notice. He shut the door, and then leaned back against it. Then he slid bonelessly to the floor.
“Aw, did the date go badly, buddy?”
—thank you, thank you, God, thank you—
“No?” Harvard offered, as though he weren’t sure.
“No?” echoed Aiden, who needed to be sure. “Did it go well?”
“I think…,” Harvard said at length. “I think… too well?”
“What does that mean?”
No answers were forthcoming; Harvard seemed to be in a state of shock. He just sat there, back against the door, staring at the wall.
Earlier, Aiden had casually called Harvard’s mother, acquired this awful girl’s full name, and found her on all forms of social media. She updated frequently, usually about the lousy music she enjoyed. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t already thought to check her accounts tonight.
There was a new post—a picture of Harvard looking adorable and attentive and holding a double scoop of chocolate ice cream. Underneath the picture was the caption When you think he might be THE ONE!!!!!! #bestnightever.
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
Aiden was perfectly aware, had always been burningly aware, that Harvard was one hundred percent boyfriend material. He’d dedicated his entire life to making sure nobody else caught on. Now all Aiden’s efforts had come to nothing.
“I know what to do!” Aiden declared. “Give me your phone. Right now. Don’t question me, this is an emergency.”
Harvard, seemingly on autopilot, handed over his phone. Aiden stared at it, devoting intense contemplation to the task ahead. Then he swept his hair back with one hand, and with the other he began to tap out some messages.
After seven minutes, he offered Harvard his phone back.
Harvard blinked at the phone as though he wasn’t entirely sure what it was. “What…”
“Congratulations!” Aiden told him. “You’re now blocked on every form of social media Shirley possesses.”
“Cindy,” murmured Harvard. “I’m what?”
That was the beauty of this result. Now that the girl was out of Harvard’s life, Aiden didn’t have to remember her name anymore. She had nothing to do with them.
Shock was clearing from Harvard’s face and being replaced with a gathering fury. There was no gratitude in this world.
“Aiden, what did you do? What did you say to her?”
Aiden shrugged lazily. “Nothing much. The usual stuff I say when I get impatient—the type of message that makes guys stop being infatuated and block me. I was going for speed and effectiveness, not finesse. And voilà. You’re welcome.”
His roommate scrolled through his own phone, making indignant faces at Aiden’s messages. When he came to one message in particular, he dropped his phone on the floor.
Yeah, Aiden might have gone too far with that one.
“I didn’t ask you to do this! I didn’t want you to do this. I would have let her down kindly but firmly,” said Harvard.
“I couldn’t take that chance,” muttered Aiden.
“Why did you do this?”
Aiden opened and closed his mouth, then opened it again and said decidedly, “You were upset. I was trying to solve your problem for you.”
“That wasn’t my problem.”
“Then—” Aiden