Chapter 10: He’s hard

The next day, as soon as Keller walked into the classroom, Aiden was already waiting for him.

"Why didn't you text me back last night?"

Keller avoided Aiden's sharp gaze, his head slightly lowered. "My phone… it died. Sorry."

The silence that followed was heavy and awkward. Neither of them knew how to break it. Keller's mind kept replaying the image of Aiden and Amy kissing, over and over again.

During the mid-morning break, Chloe swayed her way over to Keller's desk, her hips moving like she was on a runway.

"Hey, Keller, can you help me with this problem?"

Normally, Keller would've brushed her off, but today, almost without thinking, he said, "Sure."

From the side, Aiden's eyes flicked toward them, sharp and cold, filled with tiny invisible barbs.

Chloe leaned down, placing a worksheet on Keller's desk. Her wide eyes blinked up at him, lips slightly pouted, a subtle whine in her voice. Worst of all, her loose collar dipped as she leaned forward, exposing just enough skin to make Keller's ears burn.

"I don't understand this one," she said, voice soft and sweet.

Keller stayed focused and patiently explained the problem to her.

"Got it now?" he asked.

Chloe pouted again, her lips forming a small frown. "You talked too fast, Keller. I couldn't keep up."

She rested her chin on her hands, elbows pressing together, deepening the line between her collarbones.

In the back of the room, two boys tossed some notebooks around, laughing quietly. The owners of those notebooks sat obliviously in the front row.

"Come on, Keller, explain it one more time," Chloe whined, tugging gently on Keller's arm. Her movement was exaggerated, and her hand just happened to brush against Keller's chest.

She let out a small giggle and adjusted her shirt—pulling it upward but somehow managing to make the neckline stretch wider in the process.

This time, Keller explained slower, word by word.

At the end, Chloe made a small sound of protest. "I still don't get it. And I can't see the diagram properly."

Without waiting for permission, she dragged her chair closer, pressing her shoulder against Keller's as they squeezed into the same desk.

"Alright, one more time," Keller said, his voice steady.

Chloe's knee brushed against Keller's leg under the desk.

"Okay, now draw a line between these two points…"

But Chloe wasn't paying attention. Her eyes lingered on Keller's face—his sharp jawline, the faint shadow of stubble, the way his lips moved when he spoke. Slowly, her gaze dropped, moving down to his arms, his broad shoulders, and finally his legs.

Before Keller realized what was happening, Chloe took his hand and guided it downward—right onto her thigh.

Keller froze.

Chloe pressed her legs together, trapping his hand there, and let out a faint sigh, her face flushed.

From across the room, Aiden had been watching the entire time. Even at a private school, he'd never seen a girl be this bold.

"Well? What do you think?"

When Keller looked up, Aiden was leaning against a nearby desk, arms crossed, his lips curled into a smirk.

Keller let out a small huff and sneered, "You think that's supposed to mean something?"

Aiden raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh, come on, Keller. Don't act like you weren't enjoying it."

Keller's expression turned cold. Without hesitation, he grabbed Aiden's hand and pressed it right between his thighs.

"Feel that? Soft. Nothing impressive."

The last two words were sharp, spoken through gritted teeth.

Aiden's smirk grew wider. He leaned in close, his breath warm against Keller's ear.

"Then why don't you show me, Keller? Right here, right now."

The words dripped with teasing heat, crawling into Keller's ear and sending a shiver down his spine.

Keller jerked his hand away as if burned, his voice sharp. "You're disgusting!"

Aiden threw his head back and laughed, loud and shameless, his shoulders shaking with the effort.

"Relax, Keller," he said between chuckles, wiping at an imaginary tear in the corner of his eye. "You're way too easy to mess with."

Keller's face was flushed with both anger and embarrassment, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Aiden just stood there, grinning—lazy, confident, completely unbothered.