5. Aiden

5

AIDEN

The phone rings, and I almost let it go to voicemail. I've avoided everybody today because I sure as fuck don’t want to talk to anybody. I'm still reeling from last night and May telling her family that she's not in anything serious. As if our two years together has meant nothing to her.

Yeah, we talked about keeping it light and easy, but she had to have known how I felt. Fuck, my stomach drops just thinking that she doesn’t feel the same. I mean, that’s pretty much what she said last night.

The phone rings again, and even though it's not her ringtone, I pick it up and see that it's Colt’s wife. Immediately, I hit the answer button. “Hello. Kinsey?”

“Aiden, yeah, it’s me.”

I grip the phone tighter. “Is everything okay?” I ask, meaning is May okay. Kinsey’s never called me before, so something has to be up.

She clears her throat. “Uh, yeah, look, I know this is weird me calling you, but I can't stay out of this.”

I sigh and lean against the wall and throw my head back. “Stay out of what?”

She stutters. “You... You and May.”

I’m shaking my head and spit the words out. “You heard her. It’s nothing serious.”

She’s silent and then clears her throat again. Kinsey’s probably uncomfortable making this call. Hell, I’m uncomfortable with it. “You're right. I heard her say that. And I also talked to her after you left. First of all, I can't believe you've kept this hidden for two years. And then second of all, if you care for her, you need to come to dinner tonight.”

I run my hand through my hair in frustration. “I'm not coming to watch May go on a date with another man. I'm not a glutton for punishment.”

“Okaaaaay, I was thinking you were going to come to dinner and claim her as your woman but—"

I interrupt her. “She doesn't want me. You heard her. Why would I put myself through that—or, hell, the rest of you, for that matter?”

“Aiden, what I heard was my best friend say that she feels things for you and doesn't want to get hurt. Now look, I feel like I'm already going behind my husband's and my best friend's back by calling you, but if you feel anything for May, you better come to dinner because you know as well as I know that any man would be lucky to have her, and she's not going to be single forever.”

Fuck. I know that Kinsey's right, there's no doubt in my mind. I know that half of Whiskey Run would be after her if they thought they had a chance. Kinsey interrupts my thoughts. “And one more thing. If you hurt her, I'll kill you.”

Before I can tell her that there’s no way in hell I’d ever hurt her, the phone goes dead. For the first time since last night, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. There's no way I'm not going to shoot my shot. I have to at least try. May is worth it, and I don't have much time. I pick up the dumbbells and set them on the stand before running upstairs to shower.

As soon as I'm done, I head over to Colt’s house, and even though I usually just walk right in, tonight I ring the doorbell. I already spotted the strange vehicle in the driveway, and it's fucked up knowing that another man is inside trying to get with my woman. And yeah, that's right: May is my woman.

Colt answers the door and looks surprised when he sees me. “What are you doing here?”

“I came for dinner,” I tell him and push him to the side and walk on in. We've been friends for a long time, so I know that he's not going to not let me in.

“Uh, sure, man. Come on in. Make yourself at home,” he jokes.

We’re walking through the house when he nudges me in the ribs and whispers, “This is good. I’d like you to meet Jeremy anyway... see what you think about him.”

I grunt. It’s either that or I tell him exactly what I think about some man wanting to be with May.

When we walk into the dining room, Kinsey is already setting an extra plate, and I’m right next to May. “Thanks, Kinsey, I'm sorry I'm late,” I tell her as I sit down. I scoot my chair over closer to May, and I hear her tiny gasp when my leg hits her thigh.

Kinsey smiles at me. “It’s fine, you’re not too late. You know you’re welcome anytime.” She gestures between me and the stranger across the table. Thank fuck he wasn’t seated next to May because chances are I’d be asking him to move. “Aiden, this is Jeremy. Jeremy, this is Aiden. He works with Colt, and well, he’s a friend of the family.”

“How you doing?” I ask him with a scowl. I can feel Colt’s eyes on me. We've literally been through hell together, and he knows me probably better than anyone, so chances are he has to know that something is up. Jeremy looks between May and me, obviously confused about what's going on.

“I'm good,” he says. I take this moment to check this Jeremy out. I don't even know what Colt was thinking. There's no way he's a match for May. Just looking at him, he looks timid and weak. That's not the type of man that May needs. She needs someone she’s going to butt heads with and then spend hours making up with. That’s me. I’m that guy.

I look over at May. “How about you? How you doing? You look pretty tonight.”

She gets flustered and drops her fork on her plate. “I'm good. Thank you,” she says.

Kinsey starts talking about the kids, and I put food on my plate from the serving platters on the middle of the table. I'm not hungry, and even though the dude doesn't deserve it, I can't stop giving Jeremy dirty looks.

Colt interrupts and says, “So, Jeremy, I was talking to May the other day, and she is thinking about going back to school to get her RN degree. That would be something if she took one of your classes at the college.”

I turn to May, surprised. “I didn't know that.” All this time that we've spent together she's never once mentioned that she was thinking about going back to school. She gives me that look, and I know exactly what it means. Because honestly, we don't do a lot of talking. She clears her throat and looks at Jeremy. It takes every bit of control I have not to reach over and pull her chin toward me. I want her eyes on me and only me.

She nods her head at Jeremy. “Yeah, I was thinking about going back for my master's degree.”

“You should do it,” I tell her. She opens her mouth and then closes it quickly. She’s trying not to look at me, and it’s plain and simple she feels guilty. Hell, she should right now. She’s basically on a date with another man. She’ll definitely be making this up to me once we get everything figured out.

Jeremy says, “Yeah, you should. Jasper University is a great school, and if you'd like to come take a tour, I'd be happy to show you around.”

May clears her throat and looks at Jeremy, and then back at me. Don’t do it. Don’t agree to another date, I tell her with my eyes and a stern look on my face. “Uh, I dunno. I mean, I’m still thinking about it, so I’m not sure.”

After that, the conversation gets a little more stilted. I do find out more about Jeremy, which is a good thing because there’s no way May could be interested in this guy. I’ll give it to him. He’s obviously smart. He’s a professor at Jasper University and teaches chemical engineering, but when he starts to talk about his Lego collection—okay, I’ve heard of people collecting some weird things, but when he starts talking about how he spends most of his free time building Legos well, then yeah, I know May’s not going to find that as a useful way to pass time. I look at Colt, and even he’s surprised by this little revelation.

It’s obvious by the looks around the table that no one is happy with the way things are turning out. Well, everyone but me. I’m fine with Jeremy fucking this up. He doesn’t have a chance with her, anyway. What I can’t figure out is how in the world Colt thought Jeremy would be a good fit for his sister. I look at Jeremy across the table, and it hits me. Jeremy is safe. He’s the exact opposite of Colt and me. His job is safe. I mean, how much danger can there be as a college professor who collects Legos? I wouldn’t say there’s a lot. And I guess I can understand where Colt is coming from, but I know he wants his sister happy, and she wouldn’t be with someone like Jeremy. No, she’d be bored to tears. Maybe I’m biased, but I’m perfect for her. Just like she’s the only one for me.

We rush through dessert, a cinnamon apple Blaze cake that Kinsey picked up at the diner. It’s world famous, but everyone just seems to be eating it and trying to get through this awkward dinner.

After his very last bite, Jeremy says he's about to leave. Colt turns to May. “Why don't you walk Jeremy out?”

She smiles and avoids looking at me again. I've never wanted to punch Colt in the face more than I do right now. He's always been so protective of his sister. Now it's like he's pushing her on this guy. Jeremy says bye to everybody and thanks Kinsey for dinner before he and May walk out the front door.

Colts immediately asks me what I'm doing here. “Did something come up at work or something?”

“No. Nothing like that,” I answer him, and I keep looking at the door that May and Jeremy just walked out of.

Kinsey, God bless her, puts a bag of trash in my hands. “Aiden, will you take this out for me?”

I swear I owe her after this. “Sure thing,” I tell her, and I walk out and dump the trash in the can and then run around to the front of the house and meet Jeremy and May on the porch. He's in the middle of asking her out, and I step up onto the porch to make sure that they both know I'm here. I look at May and dare her to accept.

“You better get back inside. It's getting chilly out here,” I tell her.

Her jaw tightens, and I know she hates being told what to do, but at least she doesn’t tell me no. She puts her hand out to Jeremy. “It was nice meeting you. Thank you for coming to dinner.”

I’m staring at him as he reaches out and wraps his hand around hers. He must feel my gaze on him, and I swear if he asks her out while I'm standing here, I'm going to whoop his ass. Thankfully he doesn’t because as soon as he sees the look on my face, he’s dropping his hand and stepping off the porch. I put my arm around May to make sure he gets the picture. He looks between the two of us, and by the look on my face, he knows what's up. Luckily, she doesn't stiffen up next to me. Jeremy walks off the porch and into his car, and May and I both stand there as he drives away. May pulls back. “What the fuck was that?”

“You’re mine,” I growl.

She starts to laugh. “What, now that another man shows me interest, now you want to make me your girlfriend?”

I lean down until we're at eye level. “In my eyes you've been my girlfriend. I want more.”

The door opens, and Colt stands in the doorway. “What are you guys doing out here?” May doesn’t answer him and stalks inside. I follow behind her. “What is going on?” Colt says behind me.

“Not now, Colt,” I tell him as I watch May grab her coat and put her arms in it. She's hugging Kinsey, and Colt’s trying to figure out what's going on, looking between May and me. Fuck this, I'm done hiding it. It's time...