Page 10 of Vain (Tempest #2)

Chapter Ten

MATILDA

True to his word, he held me until I fell asleep. Then, like a thief in the night, he stole a piece of my heart as he snuck out and went back down to his room.

Given the door’s state, sneaking might be pushing it a bit.

Seeing it hang off its frame popped the bubble of calm he had wrapped around me.

I stared at the lock, my fingers twitching to turn it three times as tears filled my eyes.

It felt like a tight band had wrapped itself around my heart, squeezing it tightly.

I couldn’t move from the spot, couldn’t tear my eyes away from the lock until Aiden stepped in front of it and removed it from my view.

“Woah, hey, what’s wrong?” He pulls me close, sliding a finger under my chin to tip my head back.

I fight back the tears, but a few stubborn ones slip free and run down my cheeks. He wipes them away with the pad of his thumb, his face a picture of concern. And yet, I have nothing to give him. What can I say that won’t make him look at me like I’m a neurotic basket case?

“Talk to me, Tilly.”

I sigh, which comes out more like a hiccup. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I’m being stupid.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

He dips down and presses his forehead to mine, and we stand there like that for a moment while I get my shit together.

“My guess? A lot has happened, and you’re feeling a little overwhelmed. Most of that’s probably even my fault. I’d say I’m sorry, but then I might not be standing here with you in my arms.”

I huff out a laugh. He’s kind of an ass, but at least he’s honest about it.

“I need to call someone to get the door fixed.”

“I already spoke to Greyson. He told me to tell you it’s taken care of. Someone is coming to replace the door with a new one this afternoon.”

I wince and look up at him. “Was he mad at you?”

“For kicking the door in? Or for coming to the top floor to begin with, when I was explicitly told not to?”

“Both?”

“Maybe to start with, until I explained I heard you scream and thought it was the stalker making his move, so I charged in without thinking. I think he forgave me after that because we both only have your best interests at heart.”

“And now? You don’t exactly have a good reason for being here this time.”

“Sure, I do. My girl’s here.”

“Your girl?” I blow out a deep, stuttering breath before I take a step back.

“Alright, I’ll give you that play, but I meant what I said. You’re my girl, Tilly. I’ll give you time to get your head around it, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“How magnanimous of you,” I snap, feeling pushed into a corner, even though I quite like the thought of him pushing me into a corner and?—

“What’s that look on your face for?” he murmurs, a knowing grin on his lips.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I whirl around and grab my hoodie off the sofa, ready to slide it on, but Aiden stops me by placing his hands over mine.

“It’s warm out. Far too warm for a hoodie,” he tells me softly.

I look out the window at the clear blue sky and force myself to swallow the sharp retort.

“I know. I’m used to it.”

“I know you are, but what I’m trying to say is you don’t need it. I’ll be right beside you. Nobody is going to notice with what you have on anyway. And even if they did, and they felt idiotic enough to say something, I’d cut their fucking tongue out.”

My mouth drops open in surprise. He reaches up and closes my mouth before tugging the hoodie free from my hands and tossing it away from me. Instead, he slips his fingers through mine and leads me toward the door.

“Do you need anything else? Actually, it doesn’t matter. We can always come back and grab it. First, let’s get you fed.”

Still in shock, I let him lead me out, stopping only once we reach the doorframe. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, feeling as if I’m about to force myself through some kind of invisible barrier. I tap my leg with my free hand three times before I take a step over the threshold.

He watches every move I make, but he says nothing.

He patiently waits for me as I shore up my defenses.

I tug down the sleeve of my gray Henley even though I know it covers everything, just like my jeans cover everything else.

I guess it’s the thinness of the top that makes me wary.

If someone ran their fingers over the material, they’d feel the uneven and bumpy skin beneath it.

I look at Aiden, who is waiting me out, and realize he’s already seen me naked.

He’s seen all my scars, and he’s still here.

He still wants me. What does it matter what anyone else thinks?

I nod and tighten my grip on his hand. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“That’s my girl.” He kisses my temple before walking me to the stairs.

I let my mind drift as we head down. I like it when he calls me that.

I’m sure there are feminists around the world rolling their eyes at me right now.

Belonging to someone isn’t exactly something anyone aspires to, yet I know—or at least I hope—that Aiden doesn’t mean it negatively.

It sure as hell doesn’t make me feel anything negative when I hear it.

The opposite, actually. It makes me feel wanted, like I belong.

That’s an unusual feeling for me. I’m the girl who can be the most popular person in the room but also the loneliest. Or at least I was before I took a step back from it all.

I thought I’d miss it, but I really don’t.

I love being a part of the movie scene, but I hate the fame that comes with it. The irony is not lost on me.

“There she is. Are you hungry? I was just about to make some breakfast.” Marley grins at me as we walk into the kitchen. That grin gets even bigger when he sees my hand in Aiden’s. I try to pull it free, but Aiden tightens his grip until I give up.

“Breakfast sounds great, Marley. What are you making?”

“Well, I’m open to requests as you’ve caught me before I’ve started. Are you in the mood for anything in particular?”

I bite my lip and think about it for a minute, but Marley’s smirk tells me I’m not fooling anyone. Given the choice at breakfast, I pick the same thing I’ve picked since I was a little girl.

“Banana pancakes with chocolate chips and a bowl of strawberries.”

He winks at me. “You got it. Aiden?”

“That sounds good, actually. I’ll have the same. Do you mind if we grab some coffee and wait out on the deck? It might be nice to get some sun before it turns into Satan’s hell hole out there.”

I snort, laughter erupting from me at his description. Marley chuckles, too, just as Greyson enters the room.

“What did I miss?”

“Aiden, trying to adjust to the heat,” Marley answers.

“Ah.” Greyson’s gaze drops to our joined hands. He says nothing, his eyes taking on a thoughtful expression for a minute before he shakes his head.

The man is very protective of me, which is hardly surprising. He’s been more of a father to me than my actual dad ever was. He likes Aiden, I can tell, but I was Greyson’s girl long before I became Aiden’s. Crap, now he’s got me thinking that way too.

“I see there has been a new development,” he says, his tone neutral.

I bite my lip. Aiden lifts our joined hands and kisses the back of my palm.

“There has been, yes,” Aiden confirms before I can find my voice.

“You think this is wise, given everything that’s happening?”

Again, there is no anger in his voice, just mild curiosity.

“I think my mama didn’t raise no fool. I knew Tilly was special the second I laid eyes on her. I might be young, but I wasn’t born yesterday. A man worth his salt doesn’t waste time playing games. Tilly deserves better than that.”

He turns his head so he can look at me, a sparkle in his eye. “I’m one lucky fucker that she’s even looked at me twice.”

“You don’t own a mirror?” I joke, making him wink at me before he faces Greyson once more.

“My point is, she can do so much better than me. I know this, you know this, hell, I’m sure the world out there is ready and waiting to tell her that for themselves.

But I’m willing to put in the effort and show her every day why taking a chance on a nobody like me will be the best decision she’ll ever make. ”

Marley presses the back of his hand to his forehead. “If that doesn’t make you swoon, nothing will.”

I giggle as Greyson sighs and looks at him. “Nobody swoons anymore. You’re getting old.”

“You’re older than me,” Marley huffs as he doctors the mugs of coffee, handing one to me first, then to Aiden.

“I know I am. That’s how I know you’re old, too.”

“Whatever, old man. Let’s leave the young’uns to soak up the sun while I make some breakfast. You can keep me company.”

“I can barely contain my excitement,” Greyson deadpans as we head out to the backyard with our drinks.

“Are those two always like that?” Aiden laughs as he places his coffee on the table before sitting down in one of the chairs. I move to take the other, but he guides me to sit on his lap, taking my cup from me as I get settled before handing it back.

His hands slide to my hips. I tense, but when they stay above my clothes, I relax a little. I sip my drink, looking out over the lake that’s calm and placid today.

“It’s pretty out here. Reminds me a little of home.”

I turn to look at him before placing my drink down and curling up into his lap. “Tell me about it.”

“What, Tempest?”

“That’s where you’re from?”

I feel him nod as I tuck my head under his chin. His hand comes around and rests on my thigh as he starts talking about the town he grew up in.

“It sounds like something out of a Hallmark movie.”

He chuckles. “I guess it does a little. We have some interesting characters for sure.”

“How long have you worked for Price Security?”

“I was twenty-two, so about three years now. I’d finished my EMT training and was thinking of joining the fire department when the opening at Price Security came up.

At the time, I thought it would be temporary, something to give me time to figure my life out a little, but I loved it there, and the rest is history. ”

“You never wanted to leave? Tempest, that is.”

“I never really had the bug to leave like so many of my friends did. I don’t know, maybe it was how I was raised.

I was, along with my brother. Seeing the love and acceptance my parents had for each of us, regardless of our backgrounds, had a profound effect on me.

In a way, it made me want things most men my age don’t want until later on. ”

“Like what?”

“A home, a wife, a family of my own. That’s a lot to put on anyone, but someone in their early twenties?” He lets it hang for a minute, so I lift my head and look him in the eye.

“You didn’t find someone who wanted to give it a try?”

“I thought I had. Turns out she was willing to try with just about anyone.”

I wince.

“Yeah, glad I found out before we went any further. And now I’m here with you, so I can’t complain shit didn’t work out. Clearly, it didn’t work out for a reason.”

“I don’t know how to tell you this, Aiden, but your ex was a fucking idiot.”

He’s silent for a beat before he cracks up laughing.