I busy myself putting the leftovers in containers and trying to push away the tornado their words are conjuring in my mind. I can’t think about this right now. It’s just making me sad. It’s making me want to ask him. Why, though? It was only a kiss. A stupid kiss. Aiden’s been upfront with me from the beginning. I need to let it go and not think about how soft he felt under me.
Or the way, when we broke apart, he looked at me as if he may feel all of this too.
CHAPTER TWELVE
AIDEN
“My man.”Jamie shakes his head. “Can’t resist a good cuddle pile.” He smirks, but I’m alarmed by the number of limbs in this bed, all tangled and entwined. I look at Sawyer asleep in his briefs like the morning I saw him sick.
Does he wear any clothes at home?!
Only this time his arms are wrapped tightly around Noah. The other man, who I now know is Camden’s boyfriend, is on the other side.
There are two women entangled tightly together. One I recognize as Sawyer’s sister Jane, but I don’t recognize the petite Black woman. “Who’s the woman with the outrageous face paint?”
Jamie’s brows climb his forehead. “Be lucky she didn’t hear that. That’s Brianna, and the face paint is her makeup. Who the hell knows what they were doing last night. She usually takes it off before she sleeps.” Jamie looks at me. “I should be shocked, but my man collects friends.” He sighs. “Come on. Let’s let them sleep.”
Jamie turns without another word and heads out through the the living room to the back stairs. I follow, but I’m not sure why. Why am I even here right now? It’s Sunday. It’s my day off.
Still, when I woke up this morning, my first thought was of Sawyer and that kiss on my hood. Not just that kiss, but beforethat kiss. I guess it makes sense. I have no one to talk to, and for the first time in my life I had someone talk to me. Not demand. Not yell. Not threaten.
Talk.
For the first time, I had someone listen to me.
I had someone understand me.
“Where are we going?” I follow him down the stairs.
“I need a smoke, and Cam’s on his way. Surprised he didn’t sleep at my house last night.”
“Why would he?”
Jamie turns his head. “He doesn’t like sleeping alone.”
Why am I not surprised? “A little codependent of you all, no?” Jamie side-eyes me as we walk around the building to Noah’s car. “How did you get here?”
“My brother came over this morning looking for Brianna. He dropped me off to wake them all up.”
“Is Brianna his girlfriend?”
Jamie barks out a laugh. “God no. I mean, he wishes, but no. Brianna prefers women and my brother doesn’t understand that she sees him as family. No changing that. She was our sister’s girlfriend.”
“And your brother is in love with her?” What a weird-ass family. “What does your sister have to say about it?”
Shadows darken his eyes. “Well, she’s not alive anymore, but I know that if she knew about it, she’d be laughing her ass off.” He smiles softly. “Would tease the hell out of him.”
Oh shit. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugs. “It’s okay. I wouldn’t say I’ve made peace with it, but I’ve made something with it. Nothing I can do will change it.” Jamie climbs onto the hood of the gray car in the parking lot. “Been trying to cut back on smoking. I know Noah doesn’t like it.”
“Smoking weed?”
“Not the weed itself. He doesn’t mind me drinking seltzers and edibles, but he doesn’t like the smoking. He says I’m hurting my lungs.” Jamie inhales, then tips his head back, exhaling. “It’s hard, though. It’s been my crutch for nearly a decade. Old habits or whatever.” He offers it to me.
“No thanks. I drove.”
“Right. Smart.” He inhales again. “Seltzers work just as well. No smoking required. It’s just that the action of it is soothing to me. I don’t know why.”
