Page 54 of Settling the Score

‘Every week, when I’m home.’

‘How is he?’ He couldn’t look at her.

‘I mean, it’s prison,’ she muttered. ‘But it’s low security and he’s well-liked.’

Something tightened inside Aiden but one side of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. ‘I can imagine that.’

‘He’s studying, too,’ she said. ‘He’s learning French, if you can believe it.’

At that, Aiden laughed. Nico was not exactly the most cultured guy you’d ever meet.

‘And he’s sober,’ she said, softly. ‘I mean, I wish on every star there is that he hadn’t gone away, but at the same time, Aiden… you know what it’s like to live with an alcoholic.’

He turned then, bracing the top of his butt on the bureau instead. ‘He was never violent with you,’ he said, knowing that to be the case but still desperately seeking her reassurance. Because if he found out that the older guy had ever, ever laid a finger on Sienna, and that that had also been because Aiden hadn’t been around to keep her safe, then he had no goddamned idea what he’d do with himself.

‘Of course not. Dad’s as gentle as they come; you know that.’

‘Yeah,’ he said, eyes locking to hers in a way he couldn’t shake. ‘I know.’

Silence fell in the room. Heavy and pervasive.

‘Do you ever see him?’ For a second, she frowned. Like she was confused. ‘My dad,’ he clarified.

She was very still for a moment, and then she took a few steps towards him. ‘Yes.’

He clenched his jaw. It was like prying open the door to a room he’d intended to keep permanently locked shut.

‘He disappeared for a spell, but he’s back in town, even comes to church, sometimes.’

Aiden made a short, deranged sound. Not quite a laugh, so much as a scoff. ‘To save his immortal soul?’

‘I mean, he’s got about as much right as the rest of us to try.’

‘Nah, not by my reckoning.’

‘Probably just as well you’re not the big guy, then,’ she said, then sighed. ‘Not that I necessarily disagree with you.’ She moved another step closer. ‘I take it you don’t see him?’

‘When I came back to town, a couple of years back, I needed him to sign some papers to do with the house.’

‘Your house?’

He shrugged, a bit dismissively. ‘It was either buy the house for him or risk him coming back into our lives, asking for money. Contacting Mom. It was a small price to pay to keep him the hell away from us.’

She looked away, staring at a point over his shoulder, aware of how conflicted he must have been about giving his father anything, even when she understood his reasoning. ‘I didn’t realise you’d been back. I was… surprised.’

‘I was in and out in twenty-four hours. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.’

‘Did you—’ She clamped her lips together, physically stopping herself from asking whatever was on her mind.

He waited though, somehow sensing it was important.

‘I mean, did you even think about seeing me, Aiden?’ The words were heavy with a mix of anguish and accusation.

‘Honestly? I mean, Ithoughtabout it, yeah. But I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea. I was heading right back to my life in New York, just as soon as I could.’

‘Right,’ she said, nodding a little uneasily, then crossing her arms. He wanted to know what she was thinking. Feeling. But he didn’t have any right to ask. ‘So, how was he?’

He was trying to keep the conversation neutral, avoiding the fact he’d let her down,again, by coming to Ashbury Falls and not looking her up. Which was a pretty fair way to feel. Wouldn’t it have been normal to go grab a coffee or something with a girl who’d once meant the world to him? It wasn’t like she still meant the world to him – he’d moved on, so had she. They could have shared a pot of coffee and some pie and just shot the breeze, for old times’ sake.