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nineteen

*NOEL*

W hen I wake up a couple of hours later, I expect to feel sore and sticky, but instead I am cleaned up and well-rested.

Well, a little sore, but in a good way. Aden has also changed the sheets.

I am not sure how and when he did that – I must have been completely out of it.

Aden is not lying next to me anymore, and the house is filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee.

This time I brought my own spare clothes, but make sure to pack Aden’s sweater, the one I borrowed , into my bag. There is no way I will ever return that one! In the bathroom, I notice that Aden has prepared fresh towels for me.

I have known it all the time, but still, the realization hits me like a brick: He genuinely is a kind guy.

The full package, actually. Aden is handsome and successful, yet kind to those he loves.

He is interesting and a tad mysterious, quiet but not boring, and he definitely knows how to fuck a guy.

It gives me a stitch to know that I have no family I can introduce him to. ‘ Hi Mom, meet Aden, he is my partner’, are words I will never be able to say. That ship sailed long ago. My mother doesn’t care about me, who I like or date, she never has. All she cares about is her addiction.

“Shut up,” I mutter to myself, smacking my cheeks slightly. No gloomy thoughts!

I might not be able to introduce Aden to my family, but I definitely can proudly show him off to my friends!

And I have awesome friends who are incredible, generous, and who are very happy for me whenever something good happens to me!

With more positive thoughts, I finally make it into the shower. I clean myself up properly and dress in fresh clothes before hurrying down the stairs to meet my boyfriend.

Aden turns once he hears me approaching, smiling at me. I make sure to run over to him and hug him, like a lovesick puppy. He doesn’t disappoint me and puts an arm around me, hugging me tight. “Coffee?” he asks.

I nod. “I can’t go without one so early.”

“I wasn’t so sure what you wanted to eat, so I put out an assortment of different food.”

He wasn’t kidding. The table is full, with ham, cheese, eggs, some veggies, and he even made pancakes. “You know, if you asked me now, if I’d want to marry you, I’d do it on the spot.”

Aden laughs. “Good to know I will get you with food.”

It’s not just the food. It’s the act of service, the way he seriously considered me and my feelings. It’s too cheesy to say it out loud, so I settle for kissing him. With cups of fresh coffee, we both sit down just as Aden’s phone lights up.

He frowns when he gazes at it. “That’s Lynn.”

“Oh shit, hopefully Mateo didn’t fuck up!” I exclaim. “You know, he normally wouldn’t. He is like one of the sweetest guys ever. So, I am sure if something happened, then it’s more a misunderstanding. Or maybe they didn’t click. That could be possible too.”

“Noel.“ Aden interrupts me. “Take a breath. Lynn isn’t complaining.”

“What is she writing?”

Aden takes a sip from his coffee. “She says: Incredible night! That Mateo guy knows what he's doing with his limbs. Finally, a guy who knows how to fuck me!”

I can’t help but groan. “And here I was, worried for him! Why did I even ask?”

Aden raises his brows. “Do you want me to write something equally inappropriate back?”

I perk up. “Yes!”

Aden types something on his phone before putting it aside again and taking a sip from his coffee. The answer doesn’t take long to come. When Aden opens the message, he just chuckles.

“What? Tell me?”

“I told Lynn that you are incredibly flexible and that I had the best fuck of my life.”

I snort into my coffee. There is something about Aden talking dirty when not in bed that’s just so contradictory to how he usually behaves. It’s his proper appearance and his calm demeanor, paired with saying something like that. “And her reply?”

“She said she is happy for us, but that Mateo just made gagging sounds.”

I grin while adding honey to my slice of bread. I used to love that when I was a child. There was a time in my life when things were good. Mom and Dad were clean for a short time, and Mom was happy, I guess. It only lasted a couple of months, not even a year. Bittersweet memories.

“That’s fair,” I say.

“How is your schedule this week?” Aden asks.

I wiggle my brows. “Are you asking so you know when to ask me for a date?”

Aden nods, business as usual, while he looks at his notebook, scribbling something down. “Exactly.”

Okay, somehow, whenever I try to tease him, I am the one who ends up flustered. How is that fair? Well, I guess I can’t help it. “I am free today but working a double shift tomorrow.”

“Then how about you stay until tomorrow?”

I need to try hard not to stare at him, flabbergasted. Man, everything about this relationship is so different than anything I’ve experienced before. “Is that okay?”

“Of course, or I wouldn’t have asked.”

“Then I’ll stay. Other than tomorrow, I think I will be working the whole week. I am jumping in for my co-worker at the bar, but also, have my shift in the club. I am only free on Wednesday evening.”

Aden looks at me thoughtfully. “You work a lot, Noel.”

“Yeah,” I mutter.

“I don’t want to pry,” he continues. “But is there a reason for that?”

I shift around nervously, unsure if I should tell him or not. But then I remember how open he was about his family life. “My father left me quite the debt,” I admit. “Technically, don’t need to work that much, but I want to pay it off faster than the plan I set up originally.”

Aden looks surprised. “You should not have inherited your Dad’s debt, especially with your mom still being around!”

“Yeah, I know,” I mutter. “It’s also thanks to my mom and her committing credit card fraud and buying things in my name. I was not able to fight it after his death, because a lawyer and lawsuit would have cost me a lot.” I pause. “Can we not talk about it, please?”

“Let me look into it,” Aden offers.

“What?”

“You got scammed, and you probably were a minor when it happened. I assume Sterling and Mateo tried to help, but couldn’t?”

“Mateo has his student debt to pay, and Sterling had to look out… rather, still is looking out, for his sister as well.”

“Then allow me to help. You are my boyfriend, Noel. I do have the means and the contacts to help you.”

I want to scream yes . Yes, save me. Please, help me! But how can I accept his help so easily? He barely knows me. Hell, I don’t even know him properly.

Aden reaches out his hand and touches my shoulder. “You don’t want me to help. Am I right?” he asks, tone deadly serious. “Talk to me, to help me understand.”

“It’s just… Fuck!” I brush my fingers through my hair in exasperation. “What if you have enough of me? What if I let you help me, rely on you, and then you are gone, and I am all alone and need to start anew… with my debt and with my life.”

Aden looks at me, the look in his eyes unreadable, then something close to understanding crosses his expression. He looks gentle all of a sudden. “I understand,” he says. “It’s a trust issue, isn’t it? Of course it is. I understand.”

“No, yes, not trust alone!” I blurt out. “I don’t think you are a villain at all. But sometimes things happen, people fall out of love, and then I need to be able to stand on my own two feet.”

“I get that,” he says. “Thanks for explaining it to me. But why do you think I don’t want you to live your life?”

I blink. “Well, you are a gallerist and CEO. You are the embodiment of high society, and I am your bartender boyfriend, who also works in a sleazy club.”

“So what?”

“I can’t quit my job.”

“Of course not,” Aden says. “I wouldn’t want you to quit your job.

Granted, I am not overjoyed about where you work, simply because it’s a dangerous place, but there is nothing wrong with what you do.

I am your boyfriend and partner. I want to help you, but I certainly don’t want you to give up your independence.

I had that type of relationship once, and it ended as a shambles. ”

The last bit of information hits me like a brick. “Is that true?”

“Yes.” Aden clenches his fingers around his cup of coffee before relaxing them again. “My ex-boyfriend was very dependent on me for various reasons and in various ways. It… it was not a good experience for me, Noel, and ended terribly.”

Aden does not go deeper into it, but from the tone of his voice, it looks like the guy pretty much leeched off him somehow. He mentioned having had a very bad experience before.

“I like how much drive you have,” Aden tells me. “I like how serious you are about your work, and how you want to stand on your own feet. I fully support that.”

“You… you don’t mind? That I am a bartender?”

“Not at all.” Aden purses his lips, his expression thoughtful.

“Let me offer something to you. How about I at least hire a lawyer for you? Someone who can help you with freeing yourself from your debt. It’ll take more time to clear it than if I were to involve myself directly, but on the other hand, it will allow you to keep control over it. ”

My head perks up. With that solution, I would have a real chance of getting rid of this unfair debt.

Granted, I wouldn’t be able to have this chance without Aden’s help.

He is the one paying for the lawyer, and it probably will be a top-notch one.

However, if I put my pride and anxiety aside and accept his help, it would also mean I could start looking for a better job, and maybe save some money for an actual course to take. I could find a better bar to work at.

But is it okay? Can I really ask so much of Aden?

“Noel, I am offering this to you because I want to, and because I like you. I know you are not in this relationship for money.”

“How do you know?” I mutter. “I could be.”

“I know. I have a good eye for people.”

“But your ex…”

“I also knew back then,” he explains. “The problem was not that I was na?ve or didn’t see the problem. The issue lay elsewhere. I wanted so desperately to help Emil, even when I knew he was using me.”

Emil. So that’s his name.

“If someone close to you willingly reaches out their hand, it’s okay to take it. If it helps, I promise you I won’t repeat the same mistakes I once made,” Aden adds.

“I think I am completely and utterly in love with you,” I mutter.

Aden raises his brows.

“Oh fuck! Did I just say that out loud?! What’s going on in my head? You probably fucked my brains out last night. Forget I said that.”

“I won’t forget,” Aden says. “Also, you must realize why I offer this to you. I wouldn’t do that for just any person.”

He hasn’t said it, but does it mean he is falling for me too?

“So, I assume it’s a yes. You’ll take me up on my offer?” he asks.

I nod. “Thank you.”

Aden looks equal parts relieved and happy. “I will immediately set you up with a lawyer.” A pause. “So, Wednesday evening?”

“Yes, and since I work so much this week, I will be free on the weekend. That’s rare!”

Aden’s face falls slightly.

“Is something wrong? Are you busy during the weekend?”

“You were there yourself when Oliver cornered me. I have to visit home next weekend,” Aden says.

“Oh shit, right!”

His whole expression is closed off again, but by now, I have figured it’s a self-preservation thing. “I can’t believe I couldn’t manage to get out of it, but it’s my mother’s birthday.”

“If you need help, I’d happily join you,” I offer, before chuckling. “It was just a joke; in case you are freaking out now.”

Aden stares at me.

“I was just goofing around,” I mutter. “I know it’s way too early for you to introduce me to anyone. Let alone your family!”

“But you would?”

“Huh?”

“If I asked you to come with me, you would?”

My eyes widen. “Are you serious?”

“The question is rather: Were you?”

“Aden, if you invited me to come with you, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” I say.

“Are you sure? You know how strained my relationship with them is.”

I don’t have any money to give, but I certainly have my heart and support to give. And I definitely will do that. “I am coming with you next weekend. Make sure your mom expects one more person.”