Page 33 of Heart Strain

Aiden’s face flames with color. “Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. In front of you, I mean.”

Holden swallows his food, then says, “You can say whatever you want in front of Jameson, Aiden. The three stooges aren’t good to him, either.” Aiden looks confused, so Holden continues, “Chief Caputo, his son, and Jameson’s brother aren’t exactly good to him.”

“Well, I know, but still, it’s his family.”

Seeing that his face is still painfully red, and guessing that it’s embarrassment burning him up since he didn’t even crack a smile at the three stooges joke, I say, “Don’t worry about it, Aiden. Holden’s right. There’s nothing you could say that’s going to offend me because they’re my family. Our relationships are too complicated.”

Holden and I both take another bite of our food, giving Aiden a minute to calm down. “I guess I don’t really blame him,” Aiden finally says. “My mom has some… issues and I take care of her so…”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Holden says softly, laying his hand over Aiden’s where it’s lying on the table.

“It’s okay, Holden. Thanks, though. This has been my life for a long time. I’m used to it.”

Holden’s eyes flick to me in question, so I shrug my shoulders. I’ve spent so much time avoiding the other guys I have no idea what Aiden’s mom’s issue may be. Turning his attention back to Aiden, he changes the subject. “Hey, you know you can call me Holds, by the way.” My eyes widen at him. “What?” he asks. “Almost everyone does.”

“Oh, I thought maybe that was just your friend Gavin’s nickname for you.” I can hear the bitterness in my voice and I cringe. When Aiden discreetly removes his napkin from his lap to blot his mouth, I suspect he’s hiding a smile. For fuck’s sake, I sound like a jealous boyfriend.

Holden regards me curiously, shaking his head. “No, Foxy. Even Drix calls me Holds.”

“He does?”

He nods back. “I’ve always been kind of surprised you don’t. I thought maybe you didn’t like it or you were scared after me asking you not to call me the dreaded nickname from my youth.” Then he says, “What?” to Aiden.

Aiden’s whole body is shaking in his chair, and his face is turning almost a purplish-red now, contrasting with his hair in an interesting way. “F-f-foxy?” he finally sputters.

Then, just like that, the conversation shifts from its turn to serious back to joking around; Aiden teasing me and telling stories of things he’s seen on the job. The three of us spend a pleasurable afternoon together, and we make Aiden promise he’ll come back the next time he has a day off.

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