Page 36 of The Catch

"And are we sure we're not maiming Aidan?" Bear asks. "Not at all?"

"Not unless he refuses to release my stuff," she says. "In which case we're only intimidating him."

"We're perfectly set up," I explain. "Logan, you focus on scaring him with your murderous frown. Bear, you intimidate him with your size. Dom…"

I study the man who's a tight end. He's tall and muscled but has a friendly face, and I'm not sure he can play a fearsome role.

He stares at me like he takes offense at my hesitation.

"Dom, you do your best," I say. "At the very least, you can look pretty and challenge him that way."

Bear chuckles. Logan smirks. Ames laughs.

"Hey!" Dom complains. "I thought you're here to be the pretty one. Show Aidan you're a threat and you're living with his ex. Intimidate him that way. Who knows what you two get up to alone at night, right?"

I grin and gaze at Ames. "Should we put ideas in his head?"

She bites her lip, but there's a hint of humor and nerves in the gesture.

She settles for a nod. "That might be fun, if it comes to that. After throwing that smoothie in his hair, we all know I'm not above a little petty revenge."

"Then we'll see if it comes to that," I say.

Like I'm not neatly split in half, wondering if I should push it while in front of Aidan, or if I should be good and simply follow her lead.

We get to Aidan's building and wait until Damián arrives with the truck. Once he has parked in the right spot, the group goes up to the musician's condo. All of us carry armfuls of moving supplies, a few boxes and moving blankets included.

Aidan's condo is one of the larger ones on the top floor. We stop at his door.

I motion Ames forward with a wave of my hand, and give her a little bow. "Do you want to do the honors?"

She nods and rings the doorbell. "He'll be waiting."

Her eyes are locked on the door, and she doesn't notice how the guys and I fall into formation behind her.

The door opens. A shift in Ames' posture betrays the tension she feels, and I put a comforting hand on her back. The handsome Irishman finds her first, mouth set in a meek smile. It curls into a tense, fake version when he sees the five of us standing around Ames.

"Oh— hi," he says. "I didn't realize…"

We didn't plan it, but my friends square up their shoulders in unison. It makes them look bigger, taller, stronger. The moving supplies turn into shields. I don't take my hand off Ames.

"I brought help," Ames says.

We are her guard.

Aidan moves aside and lets us all in. We spring into action at once. The guys wrap the piano in the blankets, while I shape up a box and follow Ames.

Aidan follows us as well. "Ames… can we talk?"

"You can talk." She leads me to the bedroom and I can't lie, I'm not comfortable. "I make no promises that I will respond."

This is the place where they slept together. Where he read poetry or whatever to her. This room knows the sounds she makes while I don't.

I feel sick, but I hide it. I'm in no position to feel a burning distaste in my stomach. Still, I follow her.

"I get it," Aidan says. "You're hurt."

We move into the walk-in closet, where I help her grab her clothes and put them in the box.