Page 22 of How to Hack a Hellhound
Aiden nodded. “They’re all a bit… different.”
“Yeah, that’s an understatement,” I snorted. “They’re not human, I think. I think they’re dangerous, but not to us. I think they’re only dangerous to certain types of people.”
Aiden seemed to mull that over, and he nodded again. “I’m ok with Jude and Corbin, and once I get to know Dexter and Liam, I think I’ll be ok with them too. I wouldn’t want to ride alone with them to the coffee shop for a while, though. But if you’re in the car, I’d be ok. Is that what you’re worried about? How we’ll get to and from work? Jude already said he’d always be available to drive us.”
“How would you feel about living in close proximity to them, and to Toby? Toby will inevitably try to be your best friend, but you just let me know if he comes on too strong. He’s a little awkward and clumsy, but he means well,” I said.
“Did you know the guy who kept me was going after Toby?” Aiden asked quietly. I gave him a reassuring squeeze, because I knew this was hard for him to talk about. “It had been a long time by then, and I knew what it meant. I knew when he captured Toby, he’d kill me. Sometimes that made me mad, but mostly, I kind of felt relieved. And then I felt really guilty, because I didn’t want anyone else to go through what I went through. I tried to convince him that I would be a better boyfriend and that we didn’t need to ‘break up,’ as he called it, but he said he and Toby were soulmates.” Aiden sort of shrugged.
“Whatever you felt was valid, Aiden. You were in a totally fucked up situation, and anything, any emotion, is ok. You were traumatized, and your brain coped however it could. Don’t ever feel guilty about that,” I insisted.
Aiden pulled away and sat cross-legged on the couch facing me, and I turned to face him too. The corners of his mouth were tilted into an almost smile.
“You sound like my therapist,” he joked.
“Well, obviously she knows what she’s talking about, then,” I said.
“She could help you, too, Q.”
I gave a shrug. He was probably right, but I figured working with Liam and hunting down the fuckers who were responsible would help me just as much. I didn’t want to talk things through. I didn’t have a year of trauma to work around. Yeah, it had been scary and fucked up, but I hadn’t been in that basement for more than a day or two.
Aiden seemed to know not to press, because he asked, “So, what’s the complicated part? It seems like you trust them, and I don’t mind living here and getting rides if it’ll keep us both safer. It seems like a really nice place. Jude even said there’s trails in the woods that are totally safe and protected. I used to hike and do yoga and stuff, and my therapist keeps trying to talk me into doing that stuff again.”
“Yoga?” I asked, looking at him. He was pretty flexible, and I guess I could see Aiden doing yoga. “You should do yoga again. It’s supposed to be, like, good for spiritual shit or something.”
He laughed. “Yeah, not sure I’m up for a class full of people I don’t know.”
“I’d go with you. We could find a class that doesn’t have too many people.” I would hate it, but I would do it for Aiden.
“Really?” he asked.
I nodded. I’d definitely look into it. I couldn’t stall any longer, though.
“So, the thing about Liam… he’s kind of a computer hacker or something. He hacked my laptop and was keeping an eye on me through my camera,” I said.
Aiden tilted his head and then asked me, “And how do you feel about that?”
“Now you sound just like a therapist,” I laughed. “I guess it’s weird, but he saved me last night because he was keeping tabs on me, and that’s kind of reassuring.”
Aiden nodded.
I blew a breath out. “So, this place… it has cameras.”
Aiden nodded again. “Yeah, I noticed them outside on the trees and stuff. Honestly, it was reassuring, like you said.”
“Yeah, but they’re also inside. Like, in the living room. And kitchen. And my room. But they’re not in the bedroom that would be yours, and Liam has promised to take out the one in the bathroom.”
Aiden looked at me, cocking his head. “There’s a camera in the bathroom?”
“Yeah, but Liam assured me it didn’t point at the toilet,” I added. I wasn’t sure that made it much better, but I suddenly really wanted Aiden to be ok with this.
“So…” Aiden paused, obviously thinking. “All the common living areas have cameras, along with your bedroom. But the bathroom and my room have no cameras. Who watches them?”
“Just Liam, I think.” I wasn’t totally sure, and I’d have to double check that with him.
Aiden cocked his head at me. “And how do you feel aboutthat?” he asked.
I laughed, glad he wasn’t freaking out, at least. He seemed totally calm and not triggered in any way. “I’m more worried about howyoufeel about it.”
