Page 30 of Stained Hearts
He picked up one box after another, turning each over and watching as the papers fluttered to the ground. “Thirty-seven kinds of chocolate, you said. You brought them for me, you said.” His eyes popped open. “The cocoa survived, right?”
Guilt weighed heavy on me, and I turned away.
“Oh, goddamn. You’re kidding? You drank the chocolate too?”
“Actually I think we ate the powder. Or maybe we snorted it. I can’t be sure.” I groaned and rubbed my stomach. “In my defense, it was Olivia’s idea.”
He put his hands on his hips and sneered. “Tell me you’re at least going to have the decency to get sick.”
“Yeah, no. Sorry to disappoint.”
He spun the walker around and headed for a closed door. When he got there, he slammed his fist on it. “Get out here, you traitor!”
A few seconds later, the door swung wide, and Olivia stood there, her hair tangled and knotted. “What. The. Fuck.”
“That’s what I want to know. You two ate all my chocolate?”
She at least tried to affect innocence. “What? No. Of course not.” She looked to me for help.
I shrugged and gave her a nod.
“Oh, that’s why my mouth tastes awful.” She trudged toward the bathroom. “I need to brush.”
“I can’t believe you!”
She whirled around, looking more than a little green. “Deal with it, junior.” She stormed toward the bathroom, then looked over her shoulder. “For the record? It wasgood!”
The door slammed, and Aiden grunted. “You both suck.” He hobbled over to the couch and flopped down, looking thoroughly dejected. “I can’t believe you two.”
“Aiden—”
He jutted out his lower lip. “I woke up and wanted chocolate-flavored sugar, and now I get to sit here disappointed.”
“Aiden?”
“And you?” He waggled a finger at me. “You’re the worst of all. You brought it in the house and teased me with it. Then you give it to my sister!”
“Aiden!”
“What!” His cheeks flushed. “Sorry. What?”
“I happen to know that Lincoln makes a mean chocolate-chip pancake, and he’s been known to make them more chocolate than pancake.”
He licked his lips. “Really?” He sighed. “I’m usually cranky after my pill, and last night I had three of them, so… yeah, there’s that. I’m sorry that I was in such a bad place last night, and I’m sorry I snapped this morning. I mean, I woke up in the mood for sugar, and it was all gone. I was bummed, but didn’t need to be a dick.” He turned a hopeful gaze toward me. “So, you’re talking alotof chocolate, right?”
“Yup. And I know for a fact that he keeps chocolate whipped cream under the counter for special guests.”
“Chocolate….” He narrowed his gaze. “What are you doing? Getting back at me for being a jerk?”
“No. I’m asking if you’d like to have breakfast with me.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, are you…?”
“Asking you out? Yes. Yes, I am.”
His bottom lip wobbled. “Why?” He scooted away a bit. “When we talked last, you said I was a good friend.”
“And you are.” I put a hand on his knee, hoping to keep him from moving farther away. “And you’re also someone I want to get to know better. I wasn’t kidding when I said you were a good friend, but the best relationships start by getting to know each other as friends.”
