I closed my eyes, letting the pain from Landon fill me for a moment.
I hadn’t really allowed myself to think about him for too long.
Guilt was threatening to drown me from all sides. Landon. Levi. Aiden being hurt. Rejecting Wyatt. Rafe…
Aiden’s warm breath fanned across my face before he pressed a kiss to my temple. He squeezed my hip gently, and I blinked back into reality.
His warm brown eyes were intent on mine, seeing more than I wanted, as usual.
“Everything’s okay,” he murmured.
I nodded. He was right.
Everythingwasokay.
“Skye?” Willow asked. “Are you in the…at home?”
Aiden and I made eye contact. Something about that question was off.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Yep. Home sweet home.”
“Ah, good. Everyone there okay?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “Zephyr’s being a mother hen.” I chuckled nervously.
“Ooh, yes. Tell me about your brother so I don’t have to talk about mine.”
I snorted. “He’s fine,” I sighed before sitting on the bed while Aiden rummaged around for some clothes behind me. I grabbed my bottle of water from the night before. “I feel like he doesn’t want me going back to school.”
Willow scoffed. “Tell that hunk of man to lay off.”
I choked on my sip of water, and Aiden looked at me in alarm. I waved him off.
“‘Hunk of man’?” I repeated, and Aiden chuckled.
“Come on, Skye, I know he’s your brother but you have eyes. I mostly like girls and even I know Wyatt’s attractive.” I could practically hear her eye-roll through the phone.
I shook my head, holding back my grimace at the mention of Wyatt, and how hot he was.
I also hadn’t allowed myself to think too deeply aboutthatwhole situation, either. I didn’t know what we were supposed to do next. Zephyr had a book on rejections within Chains, but I hadn’t brought myself to read it yet. I wasn’t even sure if I’d really, fully rejected Wyatt or if I’d be willing to hear him apologize.
“What’s going on with you?” I asked, my voice flat even to my own ears.
Willow began to talk, but I tuned her out. Aiden came to my side again, trailing his fingers down my back affectionately before kissing my forehead. Then, I watched slack-jawed as he stripped from his damp clothes and slipped into my bathroom.
“Skye?” Willow’s tiny voice came from my phone speaker.
“Sorry,” I replied a little breathlessly, which was annoying. I’d seen Aiden naked a million times. We’d literally just made love in the beach sand and here I was, panting after his bare back. And ass. Afantasticass,as far as men’s asses could go. Though, there were two more man asses I hadn’t gotten to see clearly yet, so maybe–
“–and don’t even get me started on Wyatt,” Willow finished her sentence with an audible sigh. “Dad ispissedhe’s not coming home for another break. I’m like, why would he? He’s never wanted him home before, it’s so stupid, but my mom keeps asking for him–”
“Wyatt’s not going home? Where is he?”
I cringed at how earnest I sounded. Not hearing from Wyatt or Rafe since the situation at the academy had me a little on edge. Even with the rejection towards Wyatt, I’d expected…somethingfrom him. Definitely not complete silence.
“With his boyfriend,” Willow snarked. “Wyatt either goes to the Palace or stays at the academy over breaks.”
“Right,” I croaked. I swallowed nervously, hearing Aiden step into the shower on the other side of the wall. I imagined the water trailing over his muscled torso while he pushed the wet curls out of his face, and I swear my knees buckled slightly.
