Page 61 of Small-Town Secrets
"Promise," I confirmed with a heavy heart. It was about time that the twins learned the truth. I knew I couldn't draw this out forever. I only needed to find the right moment.
* * *
"The twins are in bed," I said to Aaron when I found him in the living room. He sat on the couch with Sarge on his lap. The dog lazily looked up at me as I came in.
"Good. I think today went pretty well."
"It did," I agreed. Trying to figure out how to approach the topic I needed to bring up with him, I sat down on the couch next to him. "Chris was kind of upset to find me in your bed," I started.
Aaron laid his arm around my shoulders and I relaxed a little bit, feeling his warmth seep into me. "He's still thinking about that?"
"He's going to be thinking about it for a while. That's just how he is."
"I see. Does he not want you to date again?"
I met Aaron's gaze. "Can you blame him?"
"No, I guess not." My alpha sighed. "I wish you'd never gotten with Howard."
"I know." I gave him a short kiss just to remind him that those days were over now and I was withhim."I wish I'd never met him too, but he helped me for a while." That part I couldn't deny.
Aaron rested his hand in the nape of my neck and stroked his thumb through the fine hair in the back of my neck, making it hard for me to focus on what he said next. I noticed the hint of regret in his tone as he spoke, though. "We would have managed without him if... things had been different."
"But they weren't." I couldn't keep thinking about the past and wishing I'd made other choices. That was no way to move forward. "The boys will learn that this isn't a bad thing. We just need to give them a chance."
"We need to give them a chance to give us a chance?"
"Pretty much." I gave my alpha a smile. He kissed me. The dog whined a little bit, as if he was jealous. I had to laugh as we broke away from each other and I saw Sarge stalk off with his tail held high.
"He'll be okay," Aaron remarked. “And as for the twins, I'm happy to give them as many chances as they need."
"I know." I ran my thumb along his jaw line, as I thought about my next words, feeling some fine stubble underneath my fingertips. "Chris is also still wondering about the pictures in the family room. If we leave things to his imagination for too long..."
"You think he's going to come up with the wildest theories?"
"He will. He's seven. To him, anything is possible. We need to tell him what actually happened. And we need to do it soon."
A shadow fell over Aaron's face. "How soon?"
"You don't need to be scared."
"I'm not scared. I just want to know what the plan is."
"I haven't made a plan yet... But I was thinking, maybe we do something as a family tomorrow and then we break it to them gently when we get home."
"Tomorrow," Aaron repeated as if it was a statement rather than a question.
"Short notice, I know, but the longer we leave it, the harder it's going to be. I waited too long to tell you too. I don't want to make that mistake again."
"I can see that," he said, and I watched his Adam's apple move as he spoke. He could tell me that he wasn't scared all he wanted, but I knew he was. I even kind of liked it because it showed he cared. "How do you think they're gonna take it?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "They'll be shocked for sure. Don't expect too much from them."
"I'll try not to."
"They probably won't be ecstatic, but we'll get there, okay?"
"Okay." Aaron exhaled, and something about his expression shifted, as if he'd formed a new resolution in his mind, though I wasn't sure what it was. "What would you like to do tomorrow? As a family, I mean."
