“Do you have to leave?” Quinn asked between kisses.
Aiden shook his head and then Quinn guided him to his bedroom. Just because the kids were asleep didn’t mean Aiden and Quinn had to be.
* * *
Aiden openedhis eyes and glanced over to the clock on Quinn’s dresser. It was just after one in the morning. He turned to look down at Quinn whose back was to him, his body perfectly fitting into Aiden’s arms.
Aiden watched him sleep and that guilt crashed into him like a semi. There was this part of Aiden that kept saying he should tell Quinn the truth, get it all out there so this growing relationship wouldn’t be hurt by what he had done. But there was another part that said he should bury it so far down it never saw the light of day, because if it was all revealed, he would for sure lose Quinn. For the first time in his life, he couldn’t make a decision.
He couldn’t imagine his life without Quinn or the kids in it. They were everything to him already.
Quinn shifted around in the bed and then opened his eyes. He smiled at Aiden and reached out to touch his arm. At that moment, with those trusting eyes on him, Aiden opened his mouth to say what was weighing on his mind. He just didn’t want this elephant to remain between them, but then he heard Haley call out.
“Dad? Dad?”
Quinn smiled. “She has nightmares,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
He rolled out of bed and threw on some lounge pants from his drawer, then left the room. Aiden laid there for a moment. He loved Quinn. That thought was running through his mind. He had to be honest with him so they could forge ahead with nothing but the truth between them.
Aiden got out of bed, grabbed his pants from the floor and slipped them on, then padded out of the bedroom and into the hallway. Aiden walked down to Haley’s room and peeked his head in. Quinn was sitting on the edge of the bed, his arm wrapped around Haley, and he was whispering something to her.
Aiden smiled at the exchange in front of him. That was something he’d miss out of if he told Quinn the truth and Quinn chose not to forgive him. How could he lose that? Haley lay back down in the bed, and Quinn kissed her forehead. Aiden backed out of the room and went back to Quinn’s bedroom.
As much as the guilt felt like it would eat him alive for not being honest, he tried to rationalize it by telling himself that it beat the alternative of having Quinn hate him for the betrayal, and then losing Quinn and the triplets in the process. Aiden closed his eyes and released a sigh as he got back into bed. His papa was right. He should have just been straight up from the start.
Quinn walked into the room and pushed his lounge pants down and slid under the covers beside Aiden.
“Everything alright?” Aiden asked.
Quinn nodded. “Yeah, she’s good. Sometimes she just has these dreams and needs me to rub her back till she falls asleep again.”
Aiden’s arms circled around Quinn, and he kissed the back of his neck. “They’re lucky to have you, and so am I.”
Quinn twisted around so they could look at each other and leaned up to brush a kiss on Aiden’s lips. He looked into Aiden’s eyes and said, “We’re lucky to have you.”
Aiden ignored that squeezing feeling in his chest and tightened his arms around Quinn as his head fell back on the pillow. Now wasn’t the right time to come clean regarding the truth. He just needed a little more time, and he prayed to whatever gods were listening that the little family he’d just found wouldn’t slip through his fingers because of his rash manipulations. The rest of the night passed with very little sleep.
17
Quinn
Aiden walked into the living room and went straight to Quinn. “Hello again,” he said, leaning in to give Quinn a kiss.
Quinn laughed after they separated. “We just saw each other fifteen minutes ago.”
Aiden smirked and shrugged. “I enjoy kissing you. What can I say?”
Quinn enjoyed hearing that, almost as much as he enjoyed being kissed. Over the past six weeks, things had been going great with them. The kids loved Aiden just as much as Quinn did, even though neither Aiden nor he had actually said those three words. He felt them, though, and strongly believed that Aiden did too.
“I was thinking that we could have my dad watch the kids for us tonight and either go out or have a romantic evening in. Your choice.” He brushed another kiss across Quinn’s lips.
The kids loved Rafe and had spent the evening with him on a couple of occasions. In theory, it sounded like a great idea, but Quinn had just one thing he needed to do after he got off of work and then Aiden could have him to himself.
“I like the idea, but I have an appointment right after I leave here. Maybe we could meet here once I’m done? It shouldn’t be too long, and then you’ll have me for the rest of the night.”
Aiden tilted his head. “Appointment? What kind of appointment?”
Quinn shrugged. “Just something I need to take care that can’t be put off. Nothing big. Just a checkup” He hated not being completely honest with Aiden, but until he was done with the appointment, he didn’t want to share the details about it.
