Page 55 of Stained Hearts
I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. Aiden sat there, his head in his hands. I went to him and sat down.
“She told you, huh?”
“Only that you needed me.” There was a familiar thrum in my chest at the thought. “Wanna talk?”
He shrugged. “What’s there to say? Will it change anything?” He gestured to the house. “They’re all such good people, and I’m… I’m a fuckup.”
I slipped an arm over his shoulder. “Why do you say that?”
He turned to me. “I made her cry! How can you not hate me right now?”
Oh, my poor Aiden. “She cried because she was afraid she’d hurt you.”
He shook his head harshly. “She wants me to leave.”
I chuckled. “I can guarantee you that if I let you leave, she’d castrate me.”
“Why? She barely knows me.”
“You might think that, but she pays attention. Do you know why she wanted you to go into the kitchen with her?” I pulled him a little closer. “Mom vets everyone. She gets the final say in who keeps on coming to family dinner. Last time it was Olivia—today it was you. Why? Because she loves you both. If she didn’t, you wouldn’t have made it into her kitchen. I would have been told in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t to invite either of you again. The fact that she took you to her inner sanctum means you’re family now, and nothing is going to change that.”
Aiden barked a laugh. “I bet she’s regretting that now.”
I blew out a breath and sat back. “Listen to me. No, don’t simply listen.Hearme. I get that you’re afraid everyone is going to leave you behind. I know that’s not something you can just get over. I lost Brian, so I understand that no one can plan for all the eventualities of life. Here, though? You have a family. One who, in time, will grow to love you as their own son. They will always be there for you.”
“And what happens if we have a falling out?”
I figured that question would be coming. “I’ll be honest with you. If you and I have a falling out, we might not see each other again, but these people here? They’ll always be here for you. My parents don’t take sides. During our first big fight, I complained to them that Brian was inflexible. That he was sure he was always right, and nothing could dissuade him from that belief. Mom asked me if he was wrong. It took her almost an hour of grilling me, but I had to admit, no, he wasn’t. See, she wouldn’t take my side, even though I’m the one who buys her Mother’s Day gifts.”
He snickered. “Why do I think Brian was the one who bought them?”
“Oh my God, you too? Icanshop, you know.” I squeezed his neck. “Don’t tell anyone, but Brian did buy them and signed my name to the card. I’m awful at remembering dates.”
Aiden sighed and relaxed against me. “I’ve messed up, haven’t I?”
I kissed him on the head. “No. If getting upset was the only thing it took to mess up, I’d have been out of the family long ago.” I stood. “Come back in, with your head held high, and apologize. I promise you that Mom’s already forgiven you, but it won’t hurt to say it.”
He groaned. “Why do I keep doing this?”
“Do you want me to tell you what I think?”
He nodded.
I sat down again. “I think you’re afraid that everyone will leave you at some point, so you think it’s easier to push them away. They can’t hurt you if you walk away. There’s a problem with that, though. I’m going to walk with you. No matter how hard you push, I’m going to be there, reminding you how important you are. And one day, maybe sooner than you think, you’re going to believe it.”
“I want to. You don’t know how badly I want to believe you’re not going to walk away, but if my legs keep getting worse? What if I’m stuck in the chair for the rest of my life?”
“We’ll deal with that if and when it happens.” I leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Let me ask you something. When I’m older and grayer and you’re still a young man, will you walk away from me?”
“What? That’s a stupid question.”
“You’re right. It is. Now, don’t you think you should trust me the way I trust you?”
“Wow. You’re good at this, aren’t you?”
I leaned in and whispered in his ear, “When something is worth it, you want to be sure you do everything you can to hold on.”
“And am I worth it?”
