to reach a decision without me. I was not okay with this.
I paced around my room, clutching my phone tightly to my ear. “Mom, this is crazy. You guys can’t actually expect me to go live with the Moores.”
“I’ve already told you that Jade working at the hospital is fine—”
“It’s not just that,” I interrupted.
“Then what is it?”
Her question made me hesitate. It was no surprise she’d ask me why, but I wasn’t prepared to explain my reasoning. Why couldn’t Mom just trust me?
“Clary?”
I was going to have to tell her, and I swore under my breath before I responded. “I can’t stay there because it would mean living with Aiden Moore!”
The line went silent for a moment, and I could sense Mom’s confusion. “What are you talking about?” she asked. “He seems like a sweet enough boy to me.”
Of course, he did. It appeared that just like everyone else in our backward town, my mother had been fooled by the charms of the high school’s star football player. All the locals worshiped him like a god, and while he might have looked like the offspring of some heavenly being, he definitely didn’t act like one. He was just about the most annoying guy on the planet, and while I didn’t really hate anyone, I was willing to make an exception for him.
“Mom, I can’t stand the guy. Living with him is going to be torture. Surely there’s somewhere else…”
“I’m sure he’s not that bad. And, torture or not, at least you’ll be safe.”
“I wouldn’t be so certain,” I muttered.
To most of the guys at school, I was invisible. I wasn’t a loser or anything, but I was slightly nerdy and quiet. I easily disappeared into the background around my more outgoing friends. I didn’t particularly want to be the center of attention, so I was completely okay with my place in the world. Guys rarely bothered me, and that was great because most of the guys at our school were immature idiots.
Aiden was different though. He saw me. His gaze always sought me out, and he seemed to relish in taking every opportunity to get under my skin. He was the king of those immature idiots, and I could only imagine how bad lockdown would be with him.
“Look, it’s just for a few days until we can get home.”
“I know, but…” My voice drifted off as the front doorbell rang. My head whipped in the direction of the sound. “Please tell me you didn’t tell Jade to come now! I haven’t even had a shower.”
“Well, you better get a move on,” Mom replied. “We love you, and we’ll call as soon as we have more news.”
“But, Mom...”
The phone disconnected, and I lowered it from my ear as annoyance flickered through me. “Just great,” I muttered. Mom barely even gave me a chance to convince her to reconsider.
The doorbell rang again. Apparently, Jade was in a rush this morning. “I’m coming!” I yelled as I ran to answer it. I yanked the door open and felt the blood rush from my skin.
Jade was nowhere in sight, and instead, I found just over six feet of male perfection standing in my doorway. Aiden Moore. His lips curved in a smile as he looked at me, and I tried to ignore the tingles that prickled across my skin in reaction. I’d been at school with the guy for years, but all that time hadn’t diminished how the air around me seemed to crackle whenever he was close. I often wondered if he too felt the sparks of irritation that sizzled between us. He was probably too busy thinking about how amazing he was to notice though.
I rubbed my arms as I stared at him, trying to get rid of the static. It had only been a week since I’d last seen him at school, but even in that short span of time, it felt like I’d forgotten just how good-looking the guy standing before me was.
Aiden’s greenish-blue eyes reminded me of the clear ocean waters Mom was admiring in Mexico right now. They were so light you couldn’t help but stare at them, and if it weren’t for the hints of green, I would have suspected he was partly related to the White Walkers from Game of Thrones. His dirty-blond hair was always slightly messy because he was constantly running his hand through it—just like he was doing now. His jaw might have looked like it was carved from stone, but his