26. Levi

CHAPTER 26

Levi

Sweat dripped down my back as I tightened the last screw on the cabinet hinge. The chalet I was working on was coming together faster than I’d expected, but the distraction was welcome. I missed having Aiden working beside me. Missed how much he added to the project with his eye for detail, his vast knowledge of color and design, and even his sharp wit. I just plain missed him despite the words we exchanged last night. But I’d vowed to myself that I would give him the time and space he needed.

Work always had a way of steadying me, keeping my hands busy when my head threatened to spiral.

The sound of footsteps broke through my focus. Not heavy, purposeful strides, but hesitant, uneven ones, like someone wasn’t sure they should be here. I turned, half expecting a lost tourist.

Instead, it was Aiden.

His usual fire was replaced by something unguarded. The jacket he wore hung open, and his breath fogged in the cold air. Pink flushed his cheeks from the chill—or maybe nerves—but his bright, searching eyes locked onto mine.

I couldn’t move. Could barely breathe. Seeing him after yesterday, after everything, sent a jolt straight to my chest.

“Levi,” he started, his voice shaky but determined, “I need to talk to you.”

I straightened, my hands tightening around the screwdriver I’d been holding, and waited him out.

He winced, his shoulders curling in slightly, but he didn’t look away. “I—God, I messed up. Big time.”

The words I’d held onto, the ones I thought I’d throw at him if he ever came back, stayed stuck in my throat. Frustration warred with something softer, something that had been waiting for this moment. “I’m listening,” I said, my voice quieter than I’d planned.

He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling like he was gearing up for a fight. “I’ve been a coward. I convinced myself I wasn’t running, but that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Running from you, from this—whatever this is—because I was scared.”

His words hit hard, cutting through the frustration I’d clung to. “Scared of what?” I asked, leaning against the counter, my grip on the screwdriver loosening.

“Of everything.” He threw his hands up, a bitter laugh escaping. “Of how you make me feel. Of how much I want this. Want you. Of losing control, of losing me. And Nicholas—he called me out. Told me I was being a dumbass—okay, no, that’s not entirely true, but he set me straight.”

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth despite myself. “Smart guy, your brother.”

Aiden huffed out a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, he’s right. I’ve been overthinking and second-guessing everything because it’s easier than admitting the truth.” He met my eyes again, and the vulnerability there knocked the breath out of me. “Levi, I’m falling for you. And it scares the hell out of me, but I’m done fighting it. I’m done fighting you —done fighting us .”

His voice cracked on the last word, and something inside me broke.

I stepped forward before I could stop myself, closing the space between us. “You mean that?”

He nodded, his eyes glistening. “Yeah. I do.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, my chest tight and aching. “You’re not the only one who’s scared, Aiden. I didn’t plan for this either. It’s been fast, but…” I reached out, brushing a thumb over his cheek, my voice dropping. “I’m falling for you too. I’ve been falling for a while now.”

“Then what are we doing?” he whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of hope and uncertainty.

I smiled, leaning in closer until our foreheads almost touched. “Fixing it.”

Before I could say another word, Aiden released a breath, his hands gripping the front of my jacket like he was afraid I might slip away. His lips crashed into mine, fierce and unrestrained, as if he were pouring every ounce of regret, longing, and need into the kiss. His warmth flooded me, a contrast to the biting cold around us, and I kissed him back just as desperately, my hands sliding to his waist to pull him even closer.

The kiss deepened, and everything else faded—there was no chalet, no cold air, no past fears. Just Aiden and me, tangled together in a moment where nothing mattered but this. His lips were soft but insistent, his breath coming in sharp gasps as we clung to each other like a lifeline.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us gasping for air, his forehead rested against mine, our breaths mingling in the stillness. “I want to do this,” he said, his voice steady despite the tremor that still lingered. “But I don’t want to lie to you, Levi. I want to be with you—I do. But I also want to see the world. I want to take on projects in new places, live in different cities for a while. And I know that might not fit into your life here.”

His honesty hit me like a gust of winter wind—not because it was sharp or cruel, but because it was proof he was opening his heart to me. He didn’t shy away, didn’t sugarcoat his words. “My life is here—my family, my farm, everything I’ve worked for,” I said, exhaling slowly.

He winced but nodded. “I know. And I’d never ask you to give that up.”

“And I’d never want you to give up your dreams either,” I added, stepping closer. “But maybe… we don’t have to choose. Maybe we can find a way to make it work.”

He blinked, hope flickering in his eyes. “How? You’d be here, and I’d be… everywhere.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I said, my voice steady with determination. “You could travel, take the projects you want, and I could visit you when I can. And when you’re done, you can come back here. To me. To us.”

His lips parted, his expression unreadable for a moment before he exhaled sharply. “You’d really be okay with that? With me coming and going?”

I reached for his hands, lacing my fingers through his. “As long as you come back, Aiden, I’ll wait. And maybe, when the farm’s quiet in the off season, I could come to you. I’ve never been much of a traveler, but if it means being with you…”

He let out a shaky laugh, his grip on my hands tightening. “God, Levi, you’re— This is why I’m falling for you. Why I want this so much.”

I smiled, brushing my thumb over his knuckles. “Then let’s do this, baby boy. Let’s make it work. Together.”

His forehead rested against mine, his breath mingling with mine in the cold air. “No more running,” he whispered. “From us, from what I want. I promise, Daddy.”

“No more running,” I echoed, pulling him closer, sealing the promise with a kiss that tasted of hope and determination.