Aidan’s expression crumples.
“Don’t.” I scowl at him.
He rubs his eyes with a hand. “I guess I deserve that.”
“I guess you do.”
“What can I do to make things better? I’m so sorry. Again.”
My eyes narrow. “What do you really want, Aidan? Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“I’ve just gone out for lunch.” He shrugs a shoulder. “And I saw the story about the yacht and Greece, and I suppose James’ birthday party, and I wanted to see for myself that you’re alright.”
I gesture at myself. “Here. Fine.”
Of course—he’s seen the kiss with Edward. Which has seemingly sparked some more jealousy from an unexpected direction. Or he’s trying to find a way to monetize it himself.
He gives me a critical look. “You don’t look fine. I know you, Theo. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes, and you look, well, rough.”
“Fuck off,” I say irritably. “I definitely didn’t answer the door for a critique. I didn’t sleep. I’ve got stuff going on. It’s fine. And you lost the right to worry about me. Now, would you kindly go back to whatever you’re meant to be doing and leave me alone? Please.”
Miles glowers at Aidan, who speeds up at last to the point.
“I just wish things could be different. That we could have another chance. Because… because I want you back. I want another chance. We deserve another chance.”
My gaze bores into him. “You’ve completely lost the plot.”
Aidan frowns. “Theo. I miss you. And I love you.”
“Well, I loved you too, back then, for a minute, for the record. But it’s not enough. Not after the way you’ve treated me. That’s no way to treat the people you love, Aidan.”
His face matches the pink tulips spilling out of the large containers on either side of our studio door, spring bulbs I planted last fall. Back when I thought things were going great with Aidan. He thought it was hot that I liked working with my hands, and he loved watching my reels set to music on my social media channels, where I restored furnishings or made over someone’s home together with Ethan. Not that he ever stopped being jealous of Ethan. And I don’t want to mention Stef’s name around Aidan in case he gets to meddling or who knows what.
“You love me?” Aidan entreats, giving me hopeful eyes.
“Past tense. Long ago.” I fold my arms tight across my chest and stare him down. The wind ruffles his glossy brown hair. He looks like he stepped from the pages of a magazine fashion shoot, and for all I care, he could go slip right back into them, out of sight. At least I can close a magazine. Aidan on my step is another issue. I’m definitely not inviting him in, the karmic vampire that he is.
His expression softens. “I knew it. Theo, I’m here because I love you. I think we deserve a second chance—I deserve a second chance. I made a big mistake.”
“You dumped me by text!” I hiss at him.
“I… panicked. I didn’t know what to say to your face.”
I frown. “You could have tried, Aidan. That was beyond weak. At any rate, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Aidan frowns too. “Don’t I matter anymore? I mattered a lot to you before.”
“Actually, no. You don’t matter to me now. You had your chance and blew it. Then you hooked up with some other guy right away.”
He looks tearfully at me. I screw my face up. Fuck, he knows I have a hard time when he’s upset. “I’m sorry.”
I sigh, glowering at him.
“Please. Theo. Take these flowers, at least. I saw them and thought of you because I know you would love them.”
He’s right that I love flowers, and especially spring flowers. “All the tulips in the world don’t make things better, Aidan. It’s over.”
“Because you have someone else?” he tries carefully.
