“For what it’s worth, you do look good with Mandi,” Aiden said. “I’m happy for you, if that’s what you want.”
“She took up smoking,” I said, fiddling with the edge of my towel. “Well, vaping. Same difference.”
“Oh.” Aiden paused to lick more sugar off his lips. “Well. Maybe she’d quit for you.”
No. No, she wouldn’t. Not in a million years.
“Maybe.”
“Eat your breakfast,” Aiden said, nudging the bag of donuts. “Long drive ahead of us.”
Right. One last long drive, and then this was all over.
26
Aiden
“You look like hell.”
I glanced up from where I was mixing inks for my nine a.m. client, silently cursing myself for agreeing to an early appointment in the hopes that I could catch up on all the people I’d pushed back last week.
Morgan filled the doorway, blocking the light from the front of the shop, holding a tray of two takeout coffees in his hand.
I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came to mind. The truth was that Ifeltlike hell, but Morgan didn’t need my bullshit this early in the morning. Even if he’d already been up for hours.
“Figured something was up when you didn’t bring me coffee,” he said, setting the tray down at my elbow.
“Stomach ache,” I said, which was true at least. My stomach had knotted up the moment I’d gotten into the car with Carter yesterday and hadn’t relaxed since. Especially not when he’d awkwardly kissed my cheek and whisperedbye, Aidenlike I was never going to see him again.
Hell, maybe I wouldn’t. Maybe he’d avoid me for the rest of my life. If he was planning on going back to Mandi after all…
“Mmhmm,” Morgan said, leaning back against the client chair. “Wouldn’t have anything to do with Carter, would it?”
I looked up at him. “Wow, you read my mind.”
“Don’t be sarcastic,” Morgan said. “That’s my job, I’m the sarcastic one.”
“Uh huh.”
After a quick ink swatch, I screwed the lids back onto the pots of ink I’d been working with and set the mixed colors aside, less excited than I could have been to be back at work.
“So you didn’t tell him,” Morgan said.
“What makes you think he didn’t reject me after I told him?” I asked.
“He didn’t reject you. If he’d rejected you, you’d be sad. This is angry. Angry means you’re mad atyourself, because you don’t get mad at other people.”
“Oh, I thought about decking his mother,” I admitted.
Carter hadn’t deserved that. And maybe if his mom hadn’t been such an ass, things would be different.
Maybe we’d both still be curled up in bed, trading kisses and promises.
“I saidpeople. Mrs. Kowalski isn’t people.”
I snorted. “You can be such a bitch when you wanna be.”
“She started it.” Morgan shrugged. “I don’t like her. Never got why you liked Carter, considering what she was like.”
