“You’re being weird.”
He…didn’t know?
Aidan shook his head and ducked over his food. “Whatever, man.”
~*~
This was the tricky part. He hated that he had to ask for this kind of help, of all helps, but it couldn’t be avoided, and time was of the essence.
“Wait out here?” he asked Carter in the driveway of Sam’s house. The sun was fast setting, the last dull glimmers flitting along the roof of Sam’s battleship car.
Carter took off his helmet and pulled out his phone. Ready to call Jazz no doubt. “Yeah, that’s fine.” The screen of his phone lit up, flashing blue across his face, highlighting the small smile there as his thumb moved across the keys.
Not wanting a front row seat to the Jockstrap & Jazz Sexting Hour, he put his back to his former charge and headed up the back sidewalk with several deep breaths. He attempted to do something to his hair – impossible curly mess that it was. It needed cutting, just like he needed a shave, just like his hoodie needed washing and his cut needed oiling…
Later. This sudden logjam of belated responsibility would make him crazy if he didn’t parse it out one chore at a time. Right now, he needed to get to Greg, which meant going through Erin’s dipshit boyfriend, which meant –
He was at the door sooner than he thought he’d be. He wasn’t ready. Tensing, holding his breath, he knocked politely.
His insides grabbed, a physical pain searing through him as Sam opened the door. She wore loose jeans and a fitted sweater that highlighted her figure and made her seem thinner. Had she lost weight since he’d last held her? Had she been so devastated that she’d had trouble eating? Her beautiful face was like a homing beacon for him. He wanted to wrap her long braid around his wrist and unwind it slowly, piece by piece, until he could bury his hands in the heavy blonde waves and smell the floral notes of her shampoo.
God, he was a sap.
God, he loved her so much.
“Hi,” she said with a brave little smile, knuckling up her glasses. Her cute slip of a nose just didn’t hold them well. “What’s up?”
“You’re gorgeous, you know that?” he said before he could catch himself, errand blasted away by the joy of seeing her.
She blushed.
“I mean, really, truly, honest to God gorgeous as all hell. Inside and out.”
Her head tilted, color coming into her cheeks. “Aidan.” A reproach…and a soft, lingering tone that said so many things. She missed him, and that was encouraging; that enabled him to take a deep breath.
“Right,” he said. “I need to ask a favor, is why I’m here. Can I come in?” He lifted his hands, showing her his empty palms. “No funny business, I swear.”
She stepped aside. “Of course. I’m making dinner.”
He sat down at the kitchen table, stomach rumbling as he smelled whatever she had going in the skillet and knew he wouldn’t be allowed to stay for the meal. Boyfriends got dinner; people who needed to grow up got audiences, but that was it.
She went to the stove, picked up a wooden spoon and stirred, releasing the tangy smell of heating onions and garlic. “Are you okay?” she asked, eyes darting over, full of concern.
He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “Mostly. I’m working on a way to get Kev back.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded, face crimping with a sudden burst of emotion. “Good. That’s…good. I…” She looked at him again, falling silent. “God, Aidan, if I could help in any way…”
“You can, baby,” he assured. “And you’re not gonna like it, but it could be huge for me. For Kev.”
She took a deep breath too, and nodded. “Okay.”
“I need Erin to get me in contact with Jesse. He knows somebody I need to have a little chat with.”
She considered a moment. “This won’t affect Erin?”
