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“You don’t need to explain yourself,” Aden says. “You did what you had to do to survive.”

“You could have called the police back then, but you didn’t.”

“You know, I saw this young guy with a can of macaroni in his hand, and I just couldn’t look away,” he says after a while. “I just couldn’t.”

He saw me shoplifting that time, and instead of calling the police, he not only bought me the can of macaroni, he added a whole bag of groceries to it and handed me enough money to get through the next couple of nights. He even handed me an address for a shelter.

“You saved me, and it was my turning point. I stopped running away, and I guess I started to turn my life around.” I look at him. “I know for you it wasn’t big—”

“It was,” he says, to my surprise. “It was my turning point, too. I didn’t remember it was you , but I never forgot that years ago, I met this young guy who pulled me out of my depression.

I was at my lowest back then, but just looking at you and hearing you thank me, so genuinely, really pulled me out of my slump. ”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

I wait for him in case he wants to tell me more, but he stays silent. I guess he isn’t quite so ready to share everything yet. Not so long ago, that would have made me insecure, but now I don’t mind. He doesn’t need to tell me everything immediately. I know he will eventually.

“What did you do afterwards?” Aden asks.

“I went to the address you gave me, the homeless shelter for young men. They helped me stay safe, and I got a job,” I say.

“I cleaned toilets first, then eventually got a job at a fast-food chain. I even finished school. I wanted to study too, but I just… You know, my dad’s debt kept looming over me. ”

“You achieved a lot,” Aden points out. “You need to be much prouder of how you turned your life around than you are, Noel. You had zero support at that time. Mateo and Sterling weren’t in your life then, but you pulled yourself out of the pit. You are leading a successful life now.”

“Well, I had a kind stranger reach out a hand to me, when I needed it the most,” I say. “Sometimes that’s all a person needs.”

“I usually don’t believe in fate,” Aden brushes his fingers through my hair. “But this is almost too much to be a coincidence.”

“You have a point,” I admit. I never believed in fate either, because if I did, it would have made my situation even worse. But now, with Aden, it feels like it was worth the struggle. “Is it weird?” I ask.

Aden keeps brushing through my hair softly. “What’s weird?”

“If we both hadn’t been at our lowest, we might have never met. Maybe we would be entirely different people today. So, in a way, I am glad life brought me to you, as much as I hated the steps I had to take to meet you again.” I pause. “Is it weird to think that way?”

“Not at all,” Aden says. “I think the same.”

Chapter 27

*NOEL*

I feel drowsy when I wake up, noticing that I am in Aden’s bed. I have no idea how he managed to drag me up there, but apparently, Aden can just do anything. One look at my watch tells me it’s 10 a.m. already–insanely late for me!

Aden is not in bed anymore either, but I take the hint of the smell of coffee coming through. Well, no time to waste!

Jumping out of the bed, I rummage through the half of the wardrobe Aden emptied for me to keep my stuff in.

I don’t want to wear any of my clothes, though, so I grab one of Aden’s sweaters and a pair of boxers, and head to the bathroom.

My face doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would, or maybe it’s just because Aden nursed me so well.

There are only two ugly scratches from my mom, and some light bruising. Nothing makeup can’t hide.

Ten minutes later, I am walking down the stairs, ready to tackle the day.

Last night was a disaster, but it does not detract from all the things I achieved beforehand. The altercation with Mom may have been unavoidable, so better to have it over and done with now, than waiting for it to happen.

“Aden!” I call out, and before he can turn around, I wrap my arms around him from behind. My man is standing in the kitchen, making breakfast for me again. “You are spoiling me.”

“Well, you put up with quite a lot concerning me and my work, I feel like giving something back,” he says.

“You feel like giving something back?” I blurt out. “After I am the one bringing all the drama to you?”

He touches my hand softly. “You did not bring all the drama into this relationship. Actually, I think you have dealt with some drama that wasn’t yours. Remember my family and my brothers?”

“That’s something else.”

“Why?”

“Because your family isn’t a drug-addicted alcoholic who assaults you and wishes you dead.”

“Maybe,” Aden says. “But it still eats at me, and you didn’t even need a moment to consider. You just came with me and had my back. To me, it’s not different just because our family drama differs.” He pauses. “Are you feeling a bit better, Noel?”

“I do,“ I pause before I can finish the sentence. “I… I don’t,” I finally admit. “But not just because of yesterday. I think it will take a while to truly understand and accept what happened to me, and even more time to let go of it.”

Aden turns around, taking my face between his hands. He doesn’t say anything before he places a soft kiss against my forehead. “It takes a lot of strength to admit to needing some time to deal with a trauma, or to deal with it at all.”

“I realized that I do have people I love in my life. Like you, Ster and Mateo.”

“You are not alone,” Aden verifies.

“I am not alone,” I repeat. “I have my own chosen family.”

“Do you want to move in with me?” Aden asks, surprising me with the boldness of his question.

“Like, completely?”

“Yes. We talked briefly about it, as in you can stay over as long as you want, but as for me, I’d love to have you here with me all the time.”

My heart beats a little faster at his suggestion. Having this every day? Seeing him even on days he is busy at work, and always coming home from the bar to a warm bed?

I would love that, but I am also terrified of giving up more of my independence.

I know it’s not like that. It’s not quite my independence I am losing, because I still have a job and friends, but it’s such a huge step.

“No need to decide now,” Aden reassures me. “I know we haven’t been dating for long, but in the future, I can’t see myself with anyone but you.”

“It’s the same for me,” I admit. “It’s just such a big step.”

Aden chuckles. “And I know you hate change.”

“You said, you didn’t like change either! Didn’t you?”

“I did,” he says. “But apparently, not anymore. Listen, Noel, I meant it when I said you don’t need to decide now. We can keep the status quo as it is for as long as you need. I just want you to know where I stand in our relationship. When you feel ready, I’d love you to move in here.”

I nod. “You know I need a bit of time, but I… I don’t hate the idea.”

“Talking about not hating an idea.” Aden grabs my shoulders and pushes me back slightly. “Is that my sweater you are wearing?”

“That’s a rhetorical question, right?” I grin. The sleeves of his sweater are way too long for me, and his sweater easily covers my butt.

Aden stares at me, his gaze scanning me from head to toe, lingering on my naked legs.

“Like what you see?” I ask with a smirk.

He pulls me closer again, his hand moving from my back down to my ass. The look in his eyes is tentative, though. “You haven’t had breakfast.”

“Don’t care. Can eat later!”

Aden slips his hand into my boxers, squeezing my ass. “And you are really sure you are in the right mind space?”

“Yes, Aden,” I snort. “I came here dressed in nothing but your sweater. I am in the right mind space. Now fuck me, or—”

“Or what?”

“I don’t know! Just fuck me and stop asking questions. Don’t make me beg. It’s not cute.”

His eyebrows shoot up.

Oh, damn it! I just gave him a new idea, huh?

Aden still looks slightly skeptical, but doesn’t remove his hand either, so I wrap my arms around him, looking him straight in the eyes.

“You can take my word for it,” I say. “I would never initiate sex just to numb myself down. And if I wanted to do that, I would straight out ask you to do it for that reason.”

“And I would probably give in to you,” Aden says. “I just like to know what I am dealing with.”

I grin. “You are dealing with me.

“Without any doubt.”

“We had plans for the night, hadn’t we?”

Aden hooks me up in his arms, making me wrap my legs around him while he carries me to the living room. Unfortunately, the dining table there is covered with folders and papers that look important, so the original fantasy has to make way for something else.

Something else is the smaller work desk he has. I don’t even know what he usually uses it for, because he has a separate office after all, but I guess he will use it now.

Aden lets me down there, before digging his fingers into the waistband of my boxers. I hold onto him, lifting my ass up slightly so he can pull them down. When I want to take off his sweater, he stops me. “I like the thought of you being surrounded by me completely,” he smirks.

“You know that this will be yet another sweater you won’t ever get back?”

Instead of an answer, Aden just chuckles and gets down on his knees. I am still processing what he is about to do, when his hot mouth is suddenly around my cock.

“Fuck, Aden!”

Aden lets my cock slip out of his mouth, looking up at me with what I can only describe as a teasing smirk. “I could retort with a boomer take, if you want that?”

“Oh no!”

“Fuck, Aden, huh?” he says. “More like fuck Noel.”

When I groan, he just laughs. “That was lame!” I complain.

“That’s what makes it good,” Aden grins.