“He called you?” Ren echoed, again sounding shocked.
“After his mom called him, yeah. I walked to the dorm so he wouldn’t be alone,” I added, hoping to appeal to his romantic side.
“Wow,” Ren remarked, sounding impressed and somewhat charmed by my efforts. It seemed Aspen didn’t exactly feel the same way, at least now that he’d had a chance to think back on it and feel embarrassed by how he’d acted. But having him fall asleep on me had been one of the cutest things I’d ever experienced in my life. He was like my prickly, hissy kitten that just wanted to be held but wouldn’t admit it. “Well… I mean, I could tell you but I don’t really want Aspen getting upset with me.”
“I’m not going to tell him that I know anything,” I clarified. “I just need to understand what’s going on so I can try to help.”
Ren groaned lightly, looking conflicted as he wrung his fingers together nervously. When he glanced over to Maddox for assistance, Maddox scoffed and held up his palms.
“Don’t ask me what to do. I’m still not sure I believe they’re even hooking up,” he said.
“You want me to take a video next time and send it to you?” I offered, and he gave me a withering stare.
“I’d rather give birth.”
“Keep taking Ren’s loads raw all the time, and you might end up living that dream.”
“Enough,” Ren said, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. “Okay, yes, fine. I’ll tell you. But please don’t be too obvious, Aspen is weird about people knowing his personal business.”
“My lips are sealed, Sir.”
He explained about how Aspen’s mom was an alcoholic, and how Aspen and his sister had tried everything to get her to stop, and some days were worse than others. With Aspen gone for school and his sister having moved away for her husband’s job, things seemed to be getting worse on that front. He went on to describe how guilty Aspen felt about being away from her, but that this was the closest school he’d been able to snag a scholarship for, and how he was always sending her money for rent and bills.
My stomach sank lower and lower as he talked, but his explanation was clearing up a lot of mysteries for me. No wonder Aspen was so fucking stressed all the goddamn time. It was unfair, that someone like him would have to deal with so much bullshit. I wanted to help, more than just being a shoulder for him to lean on at 3:00 in the morning. But I wasn’t sure how I could manage that yet.
I thanked Ren for his help, and sent the two of them off before holing myself up in my room and collapsing on my bed to stare at my phone screen.
I know you don’t want to talk to me right now, but I kind of need to know if you’re swinging by to pick me up for our shift. If not, I need to start walking.
I sent the text, and heaved a sigh, rolling over onto my side. Shit. Things were so much worse for him than I’d thought. But what could I do? And asking wasn’t an option, he’d only distance himself from me more if he knew what I’d found out. Add on the fact that he didn’t want my, or anyone else’s sympathy, and it was a recipe for disaster.
I’ll be there.
His response was straightforward and blunt, but I was still relieved. If he could stand being in a car with me, then he didn’t completely despise me or anything. I’d known that, deep in the logical recesses of my brain, but it was nice to get a confirmation.
Glancing at the time on my phone, I decided I had a little time to plan my strategy before Aspen came around to pick me up.
ASPEN
PULLING INTO THEdriveway of Caelyx’s house, I put the car in park and groaned, rubbing my palms over my eyes. I didn’t want to see him. I didn’t want him to see me. I was so fucking embarrassed I wanted to bury myself alive, and he was only making it worse by acting like nothing was wrong and nothing had changed. Like I hadn’t completely humiliated myself by experiencing a bout of temporary insanity and dialing him up in the middle of the night for the world’s un-sexiest booty call, then falling asleep on him like a fucking toddler all tuckered out from a tantrum.
At least if he’d made fun of me about it, I could chew him out and tell him to fuck off. But he wasn’t making fun of me. All of his texts had been likehow are you feelingandI’m here if you need to talk about anythinglike we were in some lame after school special. Like I was some basket case that couldn’t handle my own business. Like it wasn’t enough that he’d charged down the street on his metaphorical white horse to come rescue me from my self-imposed tower of crybaby bullshit.
Cringing, I groaned again, practically squirming in my seat as I remembered how I’d let myself actually nuzzle into his shoulder and cuddle into his chest like we were on our fucking honeymoon or something. My toes curled inside my Converse, as a wave of embarrassment so palpable it was actually painful vibrated down my entire body. I wanted to quit my job, abandon my degree, and go live off the grid.
When he appeared in the doorway of the house, closing and locking it behind him, I had to curl my hands into fists to keep myself from putting the car in reverse and peeling the hell out of there. He looked basically flawless as always, with the sun shining down to reflect off his thick, golden waves of hair and a vintage denim jacket stretched perfectly across his broad shoulders. Everything always fit him like he was a damn model in a men’s fashion magazine.
He slid into the passenger’s seat, eyeing me with a hint of caution as he smacked the door closed.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” I answered, even though I really didn’t want to.
“How’s your day going, Cupcake?”
Staring ahead through the windshield, I resisted the urge to sigh.
“Peachy.” I didn’t need to look over to him to know he was staring at me. When the hellwasn’the staring at me?
