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“It’s not nothing when you’re looking at me like that,” he pointed out. “So, you might as well go ahead and spit out whatever thought is in that devious little mind of yours.”

Vini snorted softly and took a bite of her food. He did the same, determined to wait out whatever it was that she had on her mind. Aiden wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know, but it was better now than her blurting it out randomly and catching him off guard. At least now he could be semi-prepared.

Vini rolled her eyes when she realized what he was doing. “It really is nothing,” she insisted. “I just find it interesting how many times you’ve said ‘we’ like you and Janae are a couple picking out matching towels or something. It’s cute.”

Aiden nearly choked on air as he thought back to his own words. It was true he was saying we, but that was because it was Janae and him who were doing things together. What else was he supposed to say?

“It just sounds real couple-y, you know?” Vini added.

“We’re not a couple,” Aiden said. “And I’m not saying it some kind of way on purpose.”

“Oh, I know that, but it’s still cute. And you have to admit, it feels good to be around her like this, doesn’t it?”

Of course it did. But was that something Aiden could really admit to? “It’s just . . . We’re just doing each other a favor. It’s not like I have a choice.” Fuck. When he saw Vini’s eyebrows raise, he knew he’d once again said too damn much.

“That’s the second time you’ve implied that staying with Janae is your only choice. At first, I thought you meant because you didn’t want to commute.”

“I didn’t. I don’t.”

Vini shook her head. “No, there’s something more going on here, and I’m not letting this go until you come clean. What is going on with you? Why are you acting like it’s this way or nothing at all?”

Aiden’s chest tightened as he tried to figure out a way to get her off his trail. He didn’t want to lie to her. She was his best friend. But worrying her wouldn’t do anything to change the situation. “Vini, it’s not a big deal.”

“It must be if you’re spending all this time trying to hide it rather than just using the gift of yapping that God gave you. Now, I’m not saying you have to tell me everything going on in your life, but damnn it, Aiden. I found you sleeping in the shop.” Her voice took on a note of frustration that battered against his defenses. She was so sincere that he was stuck between the rock of not wanting to worry her and the hard place of wanting to just set the words free so she would stop wondering.

“It’s just . . .” he started, trailing off before he sighed deeply. “It’s my dad.”

Vini frowned. She had never met the man, considering he never visited Peach Blossom, and Aiden had never taken her to visit his hometown. There wasn’t really anyone he cared to see besides his grandmother anyway. His relationship with his dad was strained enough, and the relationship with his dad’s wife wasn’t any better, even if she had been present for most of Aiden’s life. He didn’t consider her his mother, and he knew for a fact she felt the same.

“What about him?” Vini said.

“He . . . got involved in some stuff and it’s affecting me too. That’s all,” Aiden said, trying to keep things as vague as possible. When he saw Vini’s confused frown, he groaned softly. “Are you really going to make me explain it?”

She crossed her arms and squared a look at him. “Honestly, yes. And it sounds like you need to talk it out.” She pursed her lips before sighing and looking away. “I’m not going to judge you if that’s what you’re worried about. You can talk to me about whatever. You know that, right?”

Aiden’s chest warmed as he watched her try and fail to look nonchalant. He smiled. “Look at you getting all emotional about our relationship.”

Vini scowled at him. “Don’t call it that. That sounds perverse and you’re like my brother . . . and a man.”

“I’m like your brother who’s a man. Got it,” he joked, laughing when her scowl deepened.

“Stop trying to change the subject and tell me exactly what happened with your dad,” Vini said as she picked her fork back up. “You don’t talk about him much, so I kind of forgot you didn’t just spring up like a weed in the crack of the sidewalk.”

“Sometimes your love feels a lot like pain,” he replied, giving her a flat look. When she waved at him to continue, he took a deep breath and steeled himself for her reaction. “My dad took out utilities and credit in my name and now it’s past due.”

Vini’s eyes went wide, unblinking. Her fork was frozen halfway to her mouth as she stared at him. He tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but the expression on her face let him know it clearly was a bigger deal than he’d initially thought. He didn’t know how he should respond, but he hoped keeping it light might prevent her from popping off and unintentionally making him feel worse than he already did. He knew she wouldn’t try to make him feel bad on purpose, but regardless, it would have the same effect of making him feel like he couldn’t handle his own life and needed to be bailed out. He was an adult. He shouldn’t need to be bailed out by someone else. He should be able to stand on his own two feet and handle things himself.

“It’s not a big deal, really,” he said, hoping to break the uncomfortable silence with a bit of positivity. “I already talked to him, and he has a plan for settling things so we can fix my credit again soon.”

“What the hell are you saying, Aiden?” Vini’s voice was deathly calm, and the chill of it hit him squarely in the chest. Before he could respond further, she continued talking, her voice picking up speed and volume like a runaway train going downhill. “What do you mean your dad took out bills and debt in your name? Did you know about it?”

“It’s fine, Vin. He and I talked about it whe—”

“Did you talk about it before he did it or after, when you found out?” She froze, her eyes widening, and Aiden swallowed hard. He could see the moment when everything made sense in her mind, and he cursed himself for choosing a best friend who had more than average critical thinking skills. “Aiden . . . why aren’t you answering the question?”

He sighed and looked down at his food. “Do I really need to answer it? You’ve already formed your own opinions about the whole thing.”

“I’ve not formed anything.” When he gave her a look, she sighed and shook her head, though there was a hint of a smile on her face. “Fine. I have formed my own opinion, but only because you aren’t saying anything. So, all I have to go on is the fact that the man who never even came to visit you for Christmas or your birthday has somehow gotten ahold of your credit, and now you keep throwing out how you have no options.”