I sighed, slipped the phone back in my pocket, and then dashed to my car. Ice-cold rain fell from the sky in buckets, the drops enormously huge, smacking the ground with athwack! I slipped behind the wheel of my Jeep, shivering and damp. Without letting the car heat up, I pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward my Daddy. He always warmed me up in the best ways.
THIRTY-FIVE
SASHA
Will Grigor
This isn’t good.
LINK
The walls of the room closed, and a hive of bees took up residence under my skin the moment I opened the video. The buzzing echoed in my head as my heart stuttered.
Jealousy charged through, spiking my anxiety. Ten times worse than anything I felt when Daddies at the club on Daddy Night touched and came onto my boy. Some kid climbed into Aiden’s lap like he belonged there. The edges of my phone case bit into my palm.
Dusty
LINK
Is there something I need to know?
I’m trying very hard not tojump to conclusions.
Ace
Heading your way.
I’ll explain when I get there.
You have nothing to worry about.
There are no conclusions to jump to.
Dusty
See you soon. Drive safe.
Aiden said I had no reason to worry, but that didn’t stop the insane thoughts dancing around in my head. I read back through our messages. Then read them again.
I tossed the phone on the bed and stormed away, only to turn back toward the phone. I grunted in frustration, shoving my hands through my head, and forced myself to move away. Again.
Hawk hopped from the chair where he’d been curled up, licking my hand and whimpering.
“I’m okay, buddy.”
I wasn’t, though. I couldn’t unsee the guy kissing Aiden. He wasmyboy. The desire to rip the kid limb from limb barreled into me, knocking me for a loop.
“God, Hawk. I’m a jealous asshole.”
I glanced at my watch. Aiden said he was on the way. I could keep it together until he arrived.
Maybe.
My teeth ground together, jaw popping as the upper teeth gritted against the lower ones. Before the accident, hooking upwith a guy Aiden’s age was the norm. Maybe I needed to look for a boy a bit older. Aiden couldn’t even drink. He’d barely gotten the chance to live.
The beehive went nuts. Anxiety at letting him go, at finding a different boy, felt worse than watching him get mauled by a cute boy. There were no other boys.
Taking a deep breath, I picked up my phone to watch the video again, reminding myself of Aiden’s words—nothing to worry about and no conclusions to jump to.
