“I know you do.” I smile. “And I did too. It was fun, easy. He made me laugh a lot, but…”
“But.”
“I got home,” I say slowly, “and Neptune was already fed. He was tired, happy. He had this ridiculous pink plushy as a pillow.”
April goes quiet for a moment. “Oh.”
“I didn’t even have to ask him to take care of him—he offered,” I continue. “He carried my luggage up the stairs, fixed my fridge, and then spent the evening taking care of my dog as his own.”
“That’s… wow.”
I nod even though she can’t see me. Neptune looks up at me, as if understanding how I am feeling right now.
“And then,” I continue, “I find a note on my fridge.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, of course, he was well aware the fridge was empty since, you know, he worked on it.”
“And?”
“This man went out of his way to fill up my fridge with options for breakfast.”
April sucks in a breath. “May.”
“I open the damn fridge,” I keep going, because now that I’ve started, I can’t stop, “and there were eggs, and Greek yogurt. There were also these amazing bagels that were very clearly homemade. Raspberry jam and a ton of fruit. Bananas, apples, blueberries, and orange juice, coffee, tea, and milk.”
There’s silence on the line, then, “Do you think he went shopping for you?”
“No, I don’t think so.” I shake my head slightly. “I think he took things from his own fridge and stocked mine so I wouldn’t wake up to nothing.”
April exhales sharply. “That is absolutely fucking precious.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “Right?”
“He took care of your every need. Without you even asking.”
I stop walking. Neptune sits down immediately, as if he understands I need a moment to process my life right here in the middle of the street.
“Yeah,” I say softly. “Without me even asking.”
And that’s when it hits me.
Not in a dramatic way. Just a slow, unsettling awareness.
I had a great time with Finn because he makes me feel wanted, seen, and even desired.
But Aiden… Aiden makes me feel held.
“What are you going to do?” April asks, pulling me out of my own thoughts.
“I have no fucking clue.”
A call-waiting beep cuts in before April can say anything else.
“Hold on.” I glance at my phone. “I’m getting a call from work.”
I tap the screen and answer.
