Page 21 of Stained Hearts
Galen pitched his voice low, probably because there were usually people around. “He makes you happy.”
“Well, yeah, he…. Wait.” His implications were altogether too clear now. “No, it’s not like that. He’s a friend.”
“Okay, if you say so.” There wasn’t a note of contrition in his voice. Then he said the weirdest thing. “Being happy isn’t bad, you know.”
“I am happy. I’m adjusting to life again as a single man, and I’m finding my center.” Wow, that sounded like New Age crap. “I’m not ready to be involved with anyone.”
“Oh no. Of course not. He’s just a friend, like you said.”
There was mirth in his voice, and I hated it. “I’m… I’m telling Robert on you.”
Yup, real mature. It was worse when Galen cracked up.
“Do you want me to have him call you when he gets back?”
Oh hell no. Galen would have Robert’s head so full of lies, I’d end up having to kill them both.
“Nah, that’s okay. Don’t bother telling him I called.”
Even as I said it, I knew there was a snowball’s chance in hell that Galen would listen.
I was so screwed.
Chapter Six
“SO, TELLme about Aiden.”
Galen was lucky he hadn’t arrived to dinner at our parents’ house, because I would have taken him out back and tied him to the tree. It started when Robert called, claiming he wanted to check in on me. When he started hinting about Aiden, I hung up on him. Twice.
Then Mom called and said we were having Sunday dinner and I had to be there. Like an idiot, I agreed because she offered homemade blueberry pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert. I loved her pies, and she damned well knew it.
“There’s nothing to tell.”
And there wasn’t. He hadn’t called me since that day, and when I tried to call him, he didn’t answer. The worst thing about it was that I was letting myself get twisted up in knots over it. I’d left probably a dozen voicemail messages asking him to call me, and by the end, I was just asking him to let me know he was all right.
Finally, in desperation, I tracked down Olivia, who told me Aiden was fine. I breathed a sigh of relief because I was so happy to hear that.
Then she threw in the zinger.
“Look, I don’t know what happened—Aiden won’t tell me—and I won’t deny I’m worried. He’s… fragile.”
I snorted because there was nothing fragile about that kid. He had a set of brass balls three times bigger than most guys’.
“I don’t mean his body. I mean his heart.” She sighed. “He’ll be pissed if he knows we talked, but he likes you. And I don’t mean as a customer. You’re the first person in a long time to make him feel like he’s not broken. You cared enough to listen to him, and he needed that. He talked about you constantly, and I was worried he’d get his heart broken at some point.”
“But I—”
“Not saying you’d do it intentionally. It’s just…. How can I put this? Aiden’s never had a boyfriend. He’s never even had sex, as far as I know. He’s wanted someone who would see him and care for him, and he thought maybe that person might be you. It’s totally okay if you don’t feel the same way, but maybe give him some space. His emotions are a jumble right now, and he’s not sure which end is up. He’s been working night and day to get your project done. And I mean that in the literal way. When I get up in the morning, I find him in the same spot he was in when I went to bed. He’s had it nearly done a few times, then had to redo sections because they weren’t right, according to him. He’s taking longer than normal because he wants to make your glass something special. He’s not happy with it because it’s not perfect and it has to be because once he gives it to you, he knows he won’t see you again.”
And holy shit, that thought hurt.
“Tom? Where are you?”
Mom’s strident voice jerked me back to the present. “Sorry, I was thinking.”
She put her hand on my arm. “Are you okay?”
Was I? To be honest, I wasn’t sure anymore. Aiden occupied my thoughts pretty regularly now. There was a dull ache in my chest every day because he hadn’t called. I hadn’t wanted to examine my feelings too closely, but now how could I not?
