Chapter Ten

Aiden

B ec’s been avoiding me this entire class. Which is damn impressive, given that Hopper is dressed up as a Demogorgon. Pretty fucking distracting if you ask me. Hop’s been a ball of chaos at home, destroying two pairs of cleats and one of my gloves in the last week, so it felt like a fitting costume.

The Center for Faithful Companions encouraged everyone to dress their dogs for Halloween. Looking around, there’s an Ewok, a Ghostbuster, a classic pumpkin, the works. I was hoping the costumes would give me and Bec something to joke about and help diffuse any tension between us, but she hasn’t made eye contact with me since we walked in. She’s definitely committed to ignoring us. She’s kept her instructions general to the entire class or to other families.

The last few interactions we’ve shared outside of class have left a lot unsaid between us. She was quick to shut down conversation about the past before we really even had a chance to talk much about it. Conversation flowed easily when we met years ago, but now it feels stilted. I don’t know how to fix it, but I know I want to.

During Hop’s makeup class, I could feel Bec’s walls going up, strong and sturdy around her. I could almost see her shutting down in front of me when I brought up the wedding. I don’t know what I said to upset her. I didn’t want to push her further and say anything wrong, so I shut my mouth.

I didn’t want to look like the idiot I clearly am by asking her if she’d thought about us at all over the past few years. Of course she hasn’t. She made it abundantly clear she wasn’t interested when we met, and I should have known that would stand today. Did I really think living in the same city would change anything?

I wanted to tell her that after all this time, I still feel an irresistible, magnetic pull toward her. I wanted to tell her I can’t stop looking at her and waiting for her to look at me because for some reason I can’t explain, I want her to see me. I wanted to tell her that her smile, her laugh, they light up the fucking room and I don’t want to miss a minute of it. I wanted to tell her that even though we don’t know each other well, I sure as shit want to. I want to know everything there is to know about her.

I couldn’t. I couldn’t say any of this to her. Not with the way she looked at me with guarded apprehension. So instead, I walked out of there officially friend-zoned. Obviously, I’ll respect it. Bec clearly doesn’t feel the same way I do, which sucks.

Am I making a mistake not being honest with Bec about how I’m feeling? No. I don’t want to ruin a shot at friendship with her by telling her I’d be interested in a fuck of a lot more than that. At least as her friend, I’ll get some kind of relationship with her.

When I spotted Bec out last night with that asshole, jealousy tore through my gut. Hearing him talk shit about her job, not even getting her goddamn name right, the condescending tone of his voice…it all made me see fucking red. I try to never jump straight to anger. I’ve done everything in my power to avoid behaving like that. I won’t allow it, but fuck, I couldn’t stop the feeling from consuming me. It took everything I had to get Bec away from him so I could deal with it. I know she doesn’t need me to defend her. She’s more than capable. But a rush of possessiveness overtook me, and I just wanted her away from him. Bec is a beacon of light in the dark, and anyone who wants to dull her shine can go to hell. She doesn’t deserve to be spoken to like that.

Afterward, she ran out of the restaurant so quickly, I didn’t have a chance to make sure she was all right. I can’t imagine his words didn’t sting, no matter the type of confidence she exuded when we first met. I know firsthand that the image you project to the world doesn’t necessarily match what’s happening inside your mind, and I haven’t seen that same confidence since I moved back to town. Not yet, anyway. And while I’m proud of her for not letting that asshole see her shaken, for not wasting energy on someone so beneath her, I want to make sure that the soundtrack playing in her mind didn’t absorb any of his idiotic opinions. I don’t want his misogynistic bullshit poisoning her sense of self-worth.

Fuck, I need to stop thinking about it, I’m getting pissed all over again.

“Okay, everyone, that’s it for today. Have a safe and happy Halloween! Don’t forget to take a family photo at reception to show off your pets’ costumes. We have a photo booth set up and treats for your furry trick-or-treaters.” She walks to the dry-erase board on the far wall and starts erasing her notes from today’s lesson.

I want to talk with her about last night, but as she wipes the board clean, her hips sway from side to side and I can’t take my eyes off her perfect ass. Fuck, probably not the best way to show her that I respect her wishes to be friends and friends only.

Dom and Ellie invited me to a party around Thanksgiving, and I assume Bec will be there too. I need to clear the air, if not to make these weekly training classes less awkward, then at least to make sure we can hang out in the same group of friends without making each other uncomfortable. All I want to do is spend my time getting to know her, but she’s clearly not on the same page.

I stroll to the board, where it looks like Bec’s starting to jot notes for the next class, tugging Hopper along gently by his leash. “Hey, uh, Happy Halloween, Bec.”

Smooth, Aiden.

“Happy Halloween,” she says. When she turns around to look at me, I see a flash of her smile from the hotel bar where we met. God, what I wouldn’t give for a second chance right now. We were different people then, but does that really mean that there isn’t a chance of us being good for each other now? Lost in my thoughts, she pulls me back. “About last night. I’m so sorry. God, that was embarrassing. I hope I didn’t ruin your date. She is absolutely gorgeous, Aiden. I’m really happy for you.”

“Uh…huh? Oh shit, you mean Evie?” I chuckle. “I promise you weren’t interrupting anything, she’s…”

“No seriously, it’s great that you’re getting out there after your move and everything. I hope I didn’t make it too weird and you both enjoyed your night together. If she’s going to be spending more time with you and Hop, you can even bring her to classes with you if you want. It’s important for everyone in the household to be on the same page and using the same training techniques to give Hop the best chance to catch on…”

Holy shit, she is going off in a whirlwind and not even remotely close to seeing what really happened last night. I’m fucking dumb, of course she’d assume I was on a date. I’ve got to stop her before she spirals.

“Bec, wait, wait, stop.” I cut her off, pulling her hand into mine to get her attention. When she falls silent, I drop her hand, reminding myself to keep my distance like she wants, even though it goes against my instincts. “Are you talking about Evie? The blonde woman who arrived right before you left? That was my sister. She’s a graduate student at the University of Columbus. We try to catch up a few times a month.”

“Oh, uh…well, that’s not what I expected.” Her face scrunches up, and I can’t help but notice how cute she is when she’s embarrassed around me. Seems to be a trend with us lately. “And somehow, I’m even more embarrassed now, knowing I ran like that. Ugh, sorry, you obviously caught me at a really bad time, I was a little frazzled. Please apologize to her for me, I was so rude. My date turned out to be a nightmare, and I was trying to make a clean exit, and I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“I think ‘nightmare’ might be a bit too generous,” I reply. “The guy was a fucking idiot, Bec. I’m sorry he couldn’t appreciate how lucky he was to be sharing a table with you.” She lets a smirk slip by and, god, I want to bite that lip.

“Damn…I was really hoping you hadn’t heard just how terrible the whole date ended. That’s humiliating.” She tucks a stray curl behind her ear, looking down.

“Bec, look at me.” I wait for her to slowly give me her attention. When she does, I swear the room blurs into nothing. It’s just her and me. Well, her, me, and Hop, who won’t stop chewing on my shoelace. “Don’t be sorry, not for one second. His arrogance and stupidity are a reflection of him, not you. He couldn’t possibly understand that he made the biggest mistake of his life treating you like that.”

I can feel a heavy weight lift off my chest as I watch her absorb my words, her face slowly breaking into a shy but stunning smile. I hope with everything I have she doesn’t give that fucker another thought. She’s worth more than he could ever imagine, and the dumbass let her slip right through his fingers. Then again, so did I.