“Does that mean you trust him?”
Aiden felt a thrill rush down his spine as he thought back to the tight hiding space and Darren’s closeness during the GN inspection. Darren had asked him the exact same question then. Maybe he’d not meant it to come out that way, but it had, and Aiden had answered in the same way he was going to answer Rick now.
“I do. And… I think he trusts me, too.”
Aiden couldn’t escape that reality any longer, what he felt was true in the core of his being. It was a betrayal to him and to his love for Claudia, and yet he couldn’t help but confess it. He’d been fighting his downfall until now, still did when the guilt became too much, but their mission to Earth had changed something. Shifted the balance within him, knocking him off-course. The more he got to know Darren, the more he was drawn to him, and soon he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop it. The craving, the need, the desire… the explosion brewing inside him.
Rick drew his eyebrows together and started playing with the buttons of his leather jacket. He looked at the frames of the holoscreen mounted on the side wall, then stared out into the dark universe. “I think most people are not inherently bad. It’s the circumstances that make them do things that might be bad. And I don’t pretend to know or understand Howe, but maybe, if those circumstances had been a little different for him, his choice would have been, too.”
Rick’s words crashed into Aiden, throwing his mind into chaos yet again. If Darren Howe had had the choice of not killing Claudia, he would have picked it. Aiden knew that in his bones and not just because of Darren’s confession from the night in the mess hall. If it hadn’t been a matter of life and death, if she’d been willing to listen to what he’d had to say… there was a chance she could be still alive, wasn’t there?
There were just too many variables. Too many parameters that needed to align and not go wrong. But even if she had letDarren go, what about Marcus? He’d always been obsessed with Claudia, he knew everything about her, how capable she was. Would he have bought whatever lie she’d tell him?
Rick reached over and squeezed Aiden’s hand, perhaps seeing some giveaway of his inner turmoil on his face. “Sorry, Aiden, I didn’t say that to stress you out. It just looked like… you two might actually get along. Maybe even…”
Be friendswas what Rick wanted to say, but didn’t. And he was right. Maybe with time, once they’d both healed enough, they really could be.
Shaking his head, and likely that line of thought, Rick smiled. “I’m just glad you are okay. I really am.”
Aiden squeezed his friend’s hand back. “I’m glad you are here. Safe and with me.”
His heart swelled when Rick smiled fondly and for the first time ever, he was the one to initiate a hug. Rick let out a surprised noise, but recuperated quickly, chuckling as he hugged Aiden back.
“I am glad to have my best friend back, too. You’ve no idea how worried I was,” he exhaled, pulling away to give Aiden his personal space back. “Promise me there won’t be any more secrets from now on. Whatever happens, I’m in it with you.”
“I promise. No more lies.”
“Good.” Rick grinned. “Now, when do I get to meet the rest?”
With a smile, Aiden walked Rick out of the conference room and led him to the mess hall, where they found Bea rummaging through Nyle’s cupboard of snacks. She grabbed a nuts and corn mix and plopped onto an armchair, waving Rick over to join her as she gave someone directions to the Maine’s docking bay over the phone. Aiden assumed it was the merchant delivering the cooling bracket.
Leaving his friend in her care, Aiden checked the rest of the bridge for Darren, but didn’t find him anywhere. He hadn’t been in the cockpit when they’d waked past it, but that still left quite a few places to check. Remembering the earpiece he’d all but forgotten he was even wearing, Aiden tapped it and turned it back on.
“Darren?” he tried.
“Hey… How did it go with your friend?”
Aiden smiled at the hint of genuine concern.“He was a bit overwhelmed, but took it well, all things considered.”
“I’m glad.”
This time, Darren sounded relieved, like he’d hoped things would turn out well. Something warm and fuzzy settled in Aiden’s chest and he simply enjoyed it until it eventually passed.
“You said you wanted to discuss something? Where are you?”
“Cargo hold. I should be done in about twenty minutes, so meet me at the conference room?”Darren suggested as Aiden spun around and headed for the main elevator.
“Cargo hold?”
“I’m sorting out the bracket delivery.”
Aiden hummed to himself and pressed the elevator’s button. “Shouldn’t Bea be doing that?”
Not that there was anything wrong with Darren doing it per se, but with the talk to Rick fresh in Aiden’s mind, it seemed to be the last thing a prince should be doing.
“I don’t really mind. Got nothing better to do anyway.”
Aiden’s mouth curved up in a smile of its own accord. “Do you need help?” he blurted out without really thinking.
