Page 25

Aiden

F uck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I’d never thrown clothes back on so fast in my whole damn life. There I was, thinking I’d do some sexy phone sex thing, and I’d gotten something better dangled in front of me. The bigger question was how I was going to make it to Joe’s house in time. I’d never gotten there that fast. I’d have to run for part of it and then I’d be sweaty and gross.

Jesus.

I grabbed my jacket and shoes, shoving my phone into my pocket as I bolted out the front door.

My lungs burned as I ran as fast as I could, not stopping until I was a little over halfway there. I wasn’t big on working out, only doing physical exercise, like running, when I was forced to in school. To say that I was out of shape was an understatement.

When I reached the front door of Teresa’s house, I mostly stopped sweating, but I was still out of breath. Checking my watch, at least it had only taken me fifteen minutes to get there. A new record. Apparently, I could be motivated by sex. And Joe. Joe was a pretty good reward.

I looked like a damn mess. My hair was all over the place and I was probably all flushed from running. It didn’t stop me from marching up to the front door and knocking. When Teresa answered, she seemed surprised to see me, but then I remembered what she’d said the last time I’d been there. About how Joe needed to give her more of a heads up about visitors.

“I... take it he didn’t tell you I was coming by?”

Teresa rolled her eyes. “He didn’t.” She huffed loudly, but then sighed. “It’s all good. I think he needs your company today, anyway.”

What the hell did that mean?

That was when I noticed it: Teresa’s eyes were red and puffy and the usual happiness that filled the house was noticeably missing. Something was wrong.

She stood to the side and let me in. A cartoon played quietly on the TV and McKenzie was in front of it, hugging a little stuffed rabbit. Even she was more subdued than normal. Whenever I came over, she would run and start talking my ear off. But not today.

I walked to the basement door, filled with trepidation. I’d never been so unsure of anything in my life. Sweat rolled down my back once more, but not from running this time.

The door creaked open, and I called down the stairs. “Joe? ”

There was a shuffling, and then he appeared at the bottom step. “There you are. You got here just in time.”

Seeing him set me at ease, the knots in my stomach uncoiling as I descended the stairs. That cock-sure smile was planted on his face like nothing was wrong. Maybe something was happening to Teresa and McKenzie that didn’t impact Joe, but the closer I got to him, the more I realized that wasn’t the case. The way his shoulders were held so stiffly told me that whatever was going upstairs carried over to him as well.

“What’s... Is everything okay?”

Joe’s smile didn’t quite meet his eyes as his arm wrapped around my shoulders and led me further into the room. “Why wouldn’t everything be okay?”

That he wasn’t saying my name, or even calling me sweetheart, had all those feelings of worry flooding back. I pulled at my jacket before sliding out of Joe’s hold.

“Don’t—don’t do that with me. Your sister was clearly upset when I got here and now you’re hiding something from me. What’s wrong?”

Joe’s shoulders drooped. I’d never seen him look so unsure about anything. “I’m just glad that you’re here. Is that enough?”

It had to be bad; I got that much, but I wished he would give me more. “I can help, but unless I know what happened, I can’t do that. ”

Joe ran his long fingers through his thick, black hair and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s been a shitty day. Part of it doesn’t even feel real. I can’t even begin to think about how to explain it.”

“Try me.”

He laughed. “I should give you a little more credit, huh, sweetheart?”

That was all it took. Him calling me sweetheart once, and I melted for him all over again.

“Yes, give me all the fucking credit. I’m damn amazing. Here for you. One hundred percent. You need a shoulder? You got it. There’s a trusty one right here.” I awkwardly patted my shoulder and Joe laughed softly before coming over and wrapping me in a hug.

“My parents called today.”

I didn’t know a lot about Joe’s situation with his parents, but I knew enough that his relationship with them had been strained since he graduated from college last summer. That was why he was living in his sister’s basement.

“What did they say?”

He tensed up. “Gave me some bullshit ultimatum. I’m not going to do it. I’ve lived under their thumb for far too long and I like the freedom that I have here. Maybe that’s selfish.”

“It’s not selfish.” My hands traveled up and down his back, rubbing soothing circles to calm him. It was sort of nice to be there for him like that .

What was selfish was how I was a little bummed that this was the direction this visit had turned. I’d come over hoping for one thing, but it wasn’t all bad. Joe wasn’t used to asking for help or letting people know when he needed them. He’d reached out to me in the best way he could in his time of need. I meant more to him than just a quick roll around in the bed and it made me feel even better about my realization that he was my person.

We made our way to the bed, curling around each other, and that was it. There was no hurry to take off clothes or do anything else. It was comforting to just lay there and hold each other until we fell asleep.

T he incessant buzzing of my phone woke me up. Everything was so damn quiet, and I had no idea what time it was. When I could finally pull my phone from my pocket, I cringed at the time. It was after nine at night and I’d run out of my parents’ house so fast without saying anything.

“Hello?” I tried to be as quiet as possible, slipping from the bed to answer the call from my mom.

“Where are you? I was this close to filing a missing person’s report. I swear to God, Aiden. Between you and your brother, you two are determined to give me gray hair before I’m ready for it. ”

Looking over at the bed, Joe was still sound asleep. The last thing I wanted to do was wake him up if the day had really been as bad as he’d made it seem.

“I’m hanging out with Joe. I don’t know if I’m coming home tonight.”

Mom huffed loudly. “You couldn’t tell me that before you left? Come on. You were my one hope that I had at least one child who wasn’t going to be wild. Nope. Forget it. Please don’t do anything stupid.”

I fought back a laugh, checking on the bed one more time. Joe’s eyes were open now, but he hadn’t moved from his position. Once I hung up the phone, I pulled my shirt over my head and made my way back over to him. The second my thighs hit the edge of the mattress, he sat up, a filthy promise dancing behind his eyes.

“Is that so, sweetheart? What do you have planned?” The way his voice was thick and husky with sleep sent a shiver down my spine.

My shoulders lifted in a shrug. It was now or never. “Dunno. Maybe you can try to put a baby in me.”

It was out in the open.