I shake my head, “You really just say whatever you think? Do whatever you want, whenever you want?”
He looks at my mouth for a beat and his voice dips low when he says, “I’m not doing whatever I want right now.” He leans in, his eyes searching mine in the darkness, like he’s waiting to see the moment I accept what he’s saying. Like he’s asking for permission?…Like maybe he’s going to…
“Heyo!” Tyrone throws the back door open.
“Well! What exactly is going on in here?” Steven chirps beside him.
Aiden drops his hand from my face and says, “It isn’t what it looks like.”
“Looks like? Ew! No,” I say.
“Uh huh,” Steven smirks.
“Ew?” Aiden mutters.
I throw my thumb in his direction, “This dummy didn’t listen to me and jammed the door.” I turn and grab a case of beer and shove it in Aiden’s gut. “Here, now we can take these.”
I grab a case as well, then climb down from the van. I feel weird and tingly and my chin is on fire and I’m noticing every blink of my eyes. Like I’m remembering anew how weird they are.
Great. Now my own blinks are bothering me.
No, not my blinking.
Him.He’s bothering me.
But it’s fine. Any day now he’ll announce he’s got somewhere else to be and he’ll go. But now even the thought of him leavingbothers me which absolutely cannot be happening! I cannot get invested in someone else. This is why I don’t make new friends. I don’t cozy up to repeat customers.
Everyone leaves.
Aiden will too.
And I can’t let it affect me when the time comes. Somehow he’s working his way into the community. Daily coffees. Training crazy dogs. Joining in at every town event. Helping. Watching. Being…friendly.
But I can’t do it. I can’t be his friend.
I won’t.
CHAPTER 18
Aiden
Grrrrr
Scratch
Scratch scratch scratch
Bloody hell.
“Stuart. No. Sit.” I call out from the kitchen. I was one step away from the garage door. Good thing I hadn’t put in my headphones yet, he’d’ve busted the front door down.
I walk through the house and let in my furry friend.
“You’ve bested that latch again, eh?” I ask as I scratch his ears. “Come, let’s run around out back and get you tired out before I take you home. Won’t keep your mum up all night, yeah? How’s that sound?”
The dog releases a happy bark.
I release a sigh at myself and the fact that I think a bark is particularly happy. And that this mutt’s supposed happiness is bringing me an embarrassing amount of joy. Turns out I’m a dog person. Weird.
