20. Different Person

20

DIFFERENT PERSON

O n New Year's Eve Aster knocked on Trace's door. He hadn't wanted to come to the party by himself, but Raine had the flu and told him not to even come to her house or sit home alone.

"Dude," Trace said when he answered the door. "You don't have to knock. Just come in."

"That's not my way," he said. "Am I the last one here?"

"You are. Where's Raine?"

"She's home in bed with the flu."

"Damn," Trace said.

"No worries. I haven't seen her in three days. I don't have germs. I would have stayed home if I did. Don't want to expose anyone."

"Appreciate it," Trace said. "Knowing you, you wanted to stay home anyway."

He grinned. "I tried it. Raine gave me a hard time. I figured it wasn't that much of a hardship to come here and hang out."

"Never that," Trace said, grinning. "Lots of food too."

He followed Trace into the living room and saw everyone and nodded his head. He didn't know the one guy with Sage Mancini, Trace's sister. But Violet was there, Heather by herself because Luke was working, Daisy and Theo.

"Hey, Aster."

He turned his head when he heard his name coming from down the hall. "Hi, Laurel." He hadn't known she was coming, but it wasn't a big deal to him. She seemed nice enough the few times he'd talked to her.

"Violet said you were coming. All alone?"

"Raine has the flu, but she pushed me to come." He held his hands up. "I'm germ free. She hasn't felt well in a few days and wouldn't let me near her."

He'd told her more than once he was fine, but she got it in her head that because he had open heart surgery last summer he had a compromised immune system. He'd told her he didn't. It wasn't the same thing.

He was surprised at how much of a worrier she was over that.

"Might as well come and hang out with us," Sage said. "I don't think you met my boyfriend at the party last week. We were all just moving around so much. Aster Allen, this is Knox Bradford. He owns Bradford Electrical."

"Zane mentioned you," he said.

"Yeah, I'll be out there at some point. I know you guys can run a lot of the wires, but I'll put the new box in," Knox said.

"Not there yet," he said. "Almost."

"Okay," Trace said. "The girls are all talking shop, men, over here. I've got questions."

"Sweet," Aster said, rubbing his hands together.

"I need you all," Trace said. "On a construction end and then always need medical advice because someone is getting murdered with a tool."

"An hour," Violet said. "Then we are all mingling."

"Yes, ma'am," Trace said, saluting his wife.

At exactly midnight, all the couples were kissing each other, while Heather, Aster, and Laurel raised their glasses and then he left a minute later.

Aster had to admit he had a good time but was out the door fast. He would have had a better night with Raine though.

When he got home a few minutes later, he walked right to his bathroom to get ready for bed.

Once he was in bed, he picked his phone up and noticed a text. It was from Raine wishing him a Happy New Year. She should be sleeping, but he replied since it was only a minute ago.

His phone rang in his hand before he could put it down.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I've been sleeping all day," she said. "My fever finally broke a few hours ago and now I can't sleep. I watched the ball drop. Did you have fun?"

"It was a good time," he said. "Spent some time talking with Trace. Me, Trace, Theo, and Knox."

"Who is Knox?" she asked. She paused and coughed but then stopped once he heard her drinking.

"Do you have a sore throat or anything?"

"Listen to you being a doctor," she said, laughing. "No. I'm all dried out from sweating out this flu. Really, this is the best I've felt in two days. My body doesn't hurt, my fever is gone. I'm not hot or cold. I feel good, just weak."

"Are you drinking a lot?"

"I'm trying," she said. "It was hard for a few days, but now I'm chugging it since the fever broke."

"Good," he said. "Dehydration is the worst. I've felt it."

It was one thing they stressed in the service. Keeping hydrated. A lot of people depend on you.

"It's not great," she said. "But as I said, I feel better. So sorry that you had to go alone, but I'm glad you went. Can I admit that I thought you'd still find an excuse not to go?"

"It might have crossed my mind," he said. "I decided to go and just stay an hour or so, but it was a good time and I got sucked in. They played some games. Not my thing, but I thought of you the whole time. You would have enjoyed that."

"Awwww," she said. "I would have."

"Maybe next year," he said. "We didn't play too many. Just to kill some time. Violet didn't want the guys all huddled, but the girls were talking shop. They wanted to fill Laurel in on some things."

"Laurel was there?" she asked.

"She was. Heather was by herself too. Luke was working. Daisy and Theo, Sage and Knox. Oh, I didn't answer you who Knox was. That is Sage's boyfriend. I didn't meet him at the party last week. I don't think I introduced you to Sage, but it's Trace's sister."

"I've heard about her," she said. "Ivy talks about her. She likes Sage a lot and they work together."

"Yeah," he said. "I was just as happy to let the women chat but couldn't very well say that."

"No," she said, laughing, then coughed again.

"You need to get some sleep," he said.

"I've been sleeping all day," she whined.

"You're not a very good patient," he said. "I didn't expect that of you."

"No, I'm not. I haven't had the flu in years. I normally get a cold at least once a year. Hard not to with the germ monsters I'm around, but I get a flu shot and normally am okay. Not this year."

"You can't even blame the germ monsters," he said. "You haven't been around them in a while."

"I think I got the flu at the doctor's office a few days ago."

"You went to the doctor? Everything okay?"

"I was going to surprise you with it once it was all set but might as well tell you now. I went to get birth control."

"Oh," he said. "Nice."

"I thought you might like that. I'll start the pills next week. So another month before I feel comfortable enough."

"Not a problem," he said. "Always covered the big boy up."

She burst out laughing. "Oh my God. Why can't I be around you when you're cracking jokes like this? You totally are a different person around the guys."

He didn't like hearing that. "Do you think I am?"

"Yeah," she said.

"Does that bother you?"

"I don't think so. Maybe I'm just a little jealous. How come you can't be this funny and laid back with me?"

He hadn't realized he wasn't. "I don't know," he said. "I haven't put much thought into it. This is all new to me. I'm trying, but it doesn't come off or flow the same."

"What is new to you?" she asked. "Being in love?"

"You're the first," he said. "But more than that, just having a girlfriend. I haven't dated anyone seriously before. I'm always watching my actions."

"Don't do that," she said. "Don't make me wonder if you are doing things for me rather than being you."

"It's not that," he said. "I think I'm more concerned about doing something that would upset you."

"That is so sweet," she said. "But why would you think that? Is it because your parents always went out with friends and partied? How is your parents' marriage? Can I ask that? How are they with each other?"

He pursed his lips. "I guess they are fine," he said. "I don't remember them fighting that much when I think about it. They each have groups of friends they do things with and then together. They keep a lot of things separate in their life in regards to finances."

"My parents never did that. It's all together. But I know a lot of people who keep it separate. I think it's a couple's decision."

"It is," he said. He wasn't sure why they were talking about this.

"Well, I don't want you to worry about not being who you are," she said. "Don't think about other people or what you know from your parents."

It was hard to do that. "Don't you look at your parents and think things?"

"I do," she said. "But those things don't make me not act the way I want. My mother is nothing like me. My father is a combination of River and Brooks. He can be crude like Brooks but politically correct like River. Depends on the situation. I think you're like that. Though I haven't seen you being crude."

"Get me in the right group and I could put your brother to shame."

She laughed. "See, I want you to be comfortable enough to make comments like that around me. I'm not some prude because I'm an elementary school teacher."

"Has that happened to you before? People think that?" He wasn't sure why that never stuck with him, but he had to admit, he did say she was pure to him.

It wasn't because she was a teacher though. It was more her personality.

She snorted. "Yep."

"Who?" he asked. He got comfortable on the bed. Seemed like she wanted to talk a bit. "Your ex?"

"I wasn't a teacher at the time we were dating," she said. "So not really. He knew me as a kid. I mean he knew me better than most. At least I thought he did."

"Forget about him," he said. "He's out of your life."

"He is," she said. "But after him, there were other men I dated and I could tell they thought I was this nice sweet teacher of young kids and I should be perfect or something. I shouldn't drink or swear. I should be a role model."

"You're all those things," he said. "That is true. I haven't heard you swear though, but you like wine."

"That is right. Swearing isn't done much, but I could and have. I think I told you before, aren't you someone different at your job than with your family and friends?"

"I am," he said.

"So am I. I just hated to be with someone who didn't seem to understand that."

"I understand that."

"You do," she said. "And now I want you to loosen up. Be yourself. Don't stop and not say something or act a different way because you aren't sure how I'll react. That is all I'm asking of you."

"That's not too much to ask," he said.

He heard her yawn. "Sorry," she said.

"You need your sleep," he said.

"I probably do," she said. "I've missed you. Not trying to be clingy, but I had plans to see you more when I was on vacation and now I'm going back to work after tomorrow and we'll be back to weekends."

"If you're feeling up to it tomorrow, I can stop over," he said.

"I don't want to get you sick," she said. "I want to try to go twenty-four hours without a fever."

"So you can go back to work on the second?" he asked, smiling.

"Yes," she said.

"I'll be fine," he said.

"Nope, not risking it."

"That is unnecessary," he said. "I'm a big boy."

"Just like the other one you wrap up?"

He laughed. "Yep."

"See how much fun that interaction was," she said.

"Yes, it was," he said.

"I love you, Aster. And no, I'm not going to be one of those women who says it every time I hang up the phone. I'm just saying it now because I feel it and miss you."

"I love you too," he said and then hung up a second later.

He put his phone on the bedside table and shut the light off.

Surprisingly, he was sleeping in seconds and might have had a smile on his face.