On the Outside (Caught Inside #3) Read Online Free

did.”
    “I was also drunk,” I shot back angrily.
    “You didn’t seem like it.” He ran his hand through his ruffled hair, which was sticking up with a cowlick on the side. “Believe me, if I thought you were incapable of making sound decisions at any point in time I wouldn’t have touched you.”
    The sincere look on his face made me realize he was telling the truth. The small pinch of my gut also reminded me that—at the time—I had wanted it.
    As memories began flooding back, the guilt began to grow. I remembered feeling exceptionally vulnerable and loving the good attention I was receiving. Being an up-and-coming tycoon, Aaron was also a common target of NYC’s tabloids and well-known around the city. The fact that he was okay being seen with me while the rest of NYC shied away from me spoke volumes. By the end of the night, Aaron had become a hero of some sort.
    I shook my head. “It was a mistake. I…we shouldn’t have…”
    “Harper, if this has anything to do with Riley, we’re broken up, remember? Besides, isn’t she with that douche, Blake? I still have it in my right mind to sue that bastard. He nearly broke my nose!”
    I refrained from telling him that he'd deserved more than just a punch in his face. Shaking my head, I ran my nails up and down my scalp. “No. It shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t even have been talking to you…”
    “Don’t act like this was the first time we’ve spoken after the breakup.” A cocky smile spread across his face. “Admit it, you wanted me for a long time and you finally got me. So…should we do this again later?”
    My mouth dropped open. Without saying a word, I stood up and stomped over to him. Expecting a kiss or something, he leaned down toward me only to be met with a slap on the face.
    “Never call me again,” I growled.
    He blinked in surprise and let out an angry cry. “You have got to be the stupidest person ever. You’re forgetting that I have ties with half of the city’s top investors. Good luck finding work in New York again.”
    I took a step back, but did not falter. If I broke the best friend code the night before, I certainly wasn’t going to break it again. “Try to scare me all you want, it’s not going to work. Goodbye, Aaron.”
    “Suit yourself. You can find your own way out.” He spun on his heel and headed for his bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.
    Taking a deep breath, I began to get dressed while trying to push a nagging thought out of my mind.
    I have to tell Riley.
     
    ***
     
    “Pick up, pick up, please!” I muttered, listening to the familiar sound of Riley’s ringing phone. It was about the tenth time I’d called her in an hour, and though I knew there was a three hour time difference between California and New York, I was pretty sure she should have answered it by now.
    Ring, ring, ring—all it does is fucking ring!
    “Ugh! This effing blows.” Not wanting to hear her voicemail intro again, I groaned and chucked the phone across the room, not caring whether or not it would break. Luckily, it merely bounced off the wall and landed safely on top of my bed. Realizing how close I just came to spending five hundred dollars I didn’t have, I sighed with relief.
    About five minutes later I heard the telltale buzz of my phone. My eyes lit up as I dove for my bed and grabbed my cell. It had to be Riley. Who else would want to call me? Heart thumping against my ribcage, I eyed my screen and pouted. It wasn’t Riley. Hell, it wasn’t even a phone call! I frowned as I stared at a text, which came from a number I didn’t recognize.
     
    Nice seeing your mug all over the internet.
     
    “What kind of cryptic message is that?” I muttered. I turned to look over at my laptop, which was lying dormant on the little table by my bed. Having purposely avoided all technology for a week, the battery was drained and would take some time to turn on. Figuring the text was sent to a wrong number, I tried to