Page 8

Aldo

The last few weeks have passed in a blur. Gendry and I have been spending time together, he’s joined me for more football sessions with my cousins, and there have been many stolen kisses between the two of us. Yet, every time things start to get heated, I pull back. I always stop everything before it can go any further.

Why?

Why am I holding myself back? Is it because he’s an alien and I’m still not entirely sure what to expect once our clothes come off? Maybe. Is it because this is the first time I’ve felt things so strongly for someone and I’m terrified that throwing sex into the mix will ruin everything? Certainly. Could it be that I’m starting to regret jumping into this knowing it has an expiration date? That’s not helping.

Fuck, I’m so screwed. No matter how I slice this, someone is going to have their heart broken. Either I stay here and lose Gendry when he goes back to his home planet. Or I leave with him and break my family’s heart for leaving them behind. Is there some sort of clause that allows me to bring my entire family with me if I left with Gendry? Would they even want to explore space with me?

I am a mess. A complete and utter mess. The closer I get to Gendry, the more I can see a real future with him. Despite that, I find myself pulling back more and more, wanting to protect my heart from the inevitable. One way or another, this is going to end with me hurting.

There’s a knock on the door. I let out a long sigh, rubbing tiredly at my face. All of this is leaving me feeling so exhausted and spread thin.

I look through the peephole in my door and my stomach flutters, my heart doing a funny little flip. I felt so upset a moment ago but just seeing Gendry’s face has my spirits rising. Maybe that’s the part of all of this I should focus on; the way he makes me feel.

Opening the door, I look up at Gendry with a small smile. “Hi.”

Gendry’s eyes sweep over me and I swear I can feel his eyes on me. My insides warm in the most pleasant way. When he’s standing here, looking at me like this, it feels silly to hold myself back. All of the reasons and worries that were bouncing around inside my head all fade away, leaving affection that’s grown so quickly since meeting Gendry.

As much as I don’t want to get hurt, I’m tired of trying to keep him at arm’s length. That’s doing nothing but making both of us miserable.

“Hello, Aldo,” he says, handing over the little translating device. I place it into my ear. “Can I please come in so we can talk?”

“Absolutely.” I pull the door open wider, letting Gendry into my apartment. He slides off his shoes and walks into the living room area. He looks like he’s about to sit down but instead, he stays standing, walking around my coffee table, wringing his hands.

My heart drops as I watch him. Something is wrong. It’s obvious Gendry is worried about something. Fuck. Have I self sabotaged so hard that he’s here to let me down gently? Is he leaving Earth earlier than expected?

I walk over to him, placing a hand on his wrist. Gendry freezes but meets my eyes. “What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry,” he blurts out, his face scrunching up when he says it.

“You’re sorry?” He nods his head. “For what?”

“I’ve done something wrong,” he says softly. “Obviously I’ve made you uncomfortable with my affections. I’ve done something to upset you or I’ve crossed some human boundary I didn’t know about. Whatever it is, please tell me and I’ll fix it. Or I’ll take a step back like you seem to want and we can go back to just being friends.” He rubs at his face. “I’m sorry, Aldo.”

I squeeze his wrist. “Gendry,” I say slowly, needing him to understand. “You did nothing wrong. I promise.”

“Then why have you been pulling away?”

I let out a sigh. Now it’s my turn to apologize. “I’ve been an ass,” I tell him. “I got freaked out by my feelings and thinking about the future so I started to pull into myself instead of talking to you about it. I just keep thinking that at the end of all this, someone is going to get hurt.”

Gendry moves his hands, placing them on my shoulders. He looks down at me, his big gray eyes soft yet concerned.

“You are holding yourself back to protect your heart?”

I bite my bottom lip and nod my head.

“I promise to do everything in my power to protect your heart, Aldo.” Gendry takes a steadying breath but it comes out shaky. “Even if that means keeping my distance.”

My heart shatters at the thought. That’s not what I want. That’s the furthest thing from what I really want. Despite the way I’ve done my best to pull away, it seems my heart has found its home already and I refuse to deny myself this. Gendry and I fit together in a way that doesn’t even make sense to my head but somehow makes my heart sing.

I place my hands on top of his before slowly moving them up his arms. Gendry visibly shivers, his skin breaking out in goose pimples as I touch him. He sucks in a sharp breath as my fingers dance over his throat and stop at his cheeks, holding his face between my palms.

“Don’t go,” I whisper, cursing the way my voice shakes. “Gendry, please don’t keep your distance. I want to be with you for as long as I can. I don’t know what we’ll do when it’s time for you to go back home.” I shake my head. “My heart is telling me that you’re it for me and I know it’s really soon to be saying that, but it’s the truth.”

Gendry’s eyes are wide with wonder as I speak, the sides of his lips curling up slightly with a smile. “Hearing these words have made me happier than I thought possible,” he says before reaching down and grabbing the back of my thighs, lifting me up into his arms.

A surprised noise leaves my lips and I quickly wrap my legs around his middle, holding on as he spins me. I can’t help but chuckle as he holds me. My cock is very interested in the fact that Gendry can manhandle me with such ease.

“I promise to care for your heart. I do not hold my feelings back. In all my years alive, I have never once felt feelings like this stir within me. You are different and special and everything I didn’t know to hope for in a matron .”

“What’s a matron ?”

Gendry buries his face against my throat and I can’t tell if it’s an alien thing where he’s trying to sniff me or if he’s embarrassed by the question. He runs his nose over my skin and my cock fills with blood at the sensation. Fuck, I hope he doesn’t mind my dick poking him in the stomach like this.

“Where I am from, we have a trial to show we are worthy to take on a partner. We perform for everyone to see and in our Ancestor’s honor. A matron is our life mate.”

My fingers tighten against Gendry’s shoulders. “Life mate?”

“Yes. I’m sorry if that is too much to say.”

“No, no. It’s okay.” I grab him by the hair, pulling him away from my throat so that I can properly see his face. “It’s okay, Gendry. I might not understand everything that means, but that doesn’t matter. I understand what our hearts want and I’m tired of denying them.”

“What are you saying, Aldo?”

I lean down and kiss Gendry’s lips. He makes a noise that radiates from his chest before he’s kissing me back. His enthusiasm takes my breath away and my heart practically pounds a tattoo against the inside of my ribs. Gendry’s hands tighten against my ass, pleasure soaring through me. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt more horny in my entire life, need courses through me like a raging fire and I know my own hand won’t be enough to calm this heat. The only thing that’ll sate me is finally giving myself over to Gendry.

“I’m saying,” I breathe against Gendry’s lips, panting from the intense kiss. “I’m saying that you should take me to my bedroom.”