Page 37 of The Catch

Ames scoffs. "You could say that. You cheated, Aidan."

"It was only a kiss."

I snort but keep to my task. Even without looking, I can sense Aidan bristling at my presence.

"Can we talk in private?" He asks.

"Saint," she says. "Do you think kissing counts as cheating?"

I nod. "Of course, if you were monogamous. You?"

"Yeah. I can understand attraction to someone else. A crush you have on a friend for example. But the moment you take action to make something else happen, that's too much."

I glance at her. I shouldn't make much of the tone with which she saidcrush on a friend, so I fold a sweater and put it in the box.

I nod again. "You're supposed to choose each other, always."

"Ames—" Aidan runs his fingers through his curls. His accent comes out stronger. "Please. I wasn't going to risk what we had but—"

Ames stops putting clothes in the box and faces her ex.

Her mouth is pursed with anger. "But you did, Aidan. You did. Whether it was a kiss or more it wassomethingthat broke the trust I had in you."

"We were so in love, Ames—" Aidan tries again. "I broke up with her. I choose you."

Ames shakes her head. "It's too late."

"It's been a month. Your things were still here. I thought it meant you needed some time…" He straightens and stands up taller to look me in the eye. "Let us speak in private, please."

"I'm not leaving unless she asks me to," I say. "And even then, I'll fight it. I don't trust you, Aidan."

Ames grabs my sleeve and pulls me closer, even if her eyes stay on her ex. "I didn't want to confront you. Have to look at your face and say goodbye. I'm here now. I'm taking my things— especially Abuela Meche's piano."

Aidan's eyes land on the point where Ames touches me. "I wrote my album on that piano— Ames— we can fix this."

By instinct, I step closer to her. Aidan's eyes narrowon me.

"You know how important that piano is to me." Ames glares at her ex. "I brought it here so high with the hope it was meant to be. I don't know how to play the piano, but the man who promised me forever did. How special, I thought. How meant to be. Then you went and decided to, what? Give it a go with someone else? Kiss her and see if she would be there to catch you after you grew the balls to break up with me? What was it, Aidan?"

I keep a short distance from her— use the momentum to stand even closer. I'm only happy to be her bodyguard, if she needs one.

"Come on, luv." Aidan palms come close in a pious pose. "Is a kiss really enough to break us up?"

"Yes, it is," she says. "A kiss can ruin everything. Just seeing you come out of that room with her— Aidan, I simply don't trust you anymore."

"Ames…"

"Just tell me why. Where did we fail?"

The guys come into the walk-in closet, unconcerned by the tight quarters. We're all about the same height, just about the same as Aidan, but packing twice as much muscle mass.

"Bloody hell." Aidan takes a step back.

Logan's frown is severe on the musician. "The piano is safe in the truck."

"The piano bench, too?" Aidan asks.

Ames rolls her eyes. Bear and Logan glare at him. No one responds to his question.