Page 63 of Stained Hearts
He shuddered a few times, then went still.
“Oh my God, that was…. Damn.”
I barked a laugh that threatened to turn into a sob. It was perfect.Hewas perfect.
And he was mine.
Chapter Fifteen
I WASN’Tsure when or how it happened, but over the next month, more and more of Aiden’s stuff found its way into the house. Clothes filled two of the drawers in the bureau, his music emanated from the stereo system, a few Blu-rays were tucked under the widescreen television, and a pink toothbrush with a glittery purple handle had made a home among my things in the bathroom. I thought about the times I’d picked him up and he’d come out with a full weekend bag that was empty when he left. It was gradual, and he’d been sly about it, but there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he was making himself at home.
And it was good. Snuggling up to him at night, safe and secure. Waking up in the morning and doing things couples did together, like standing at the sink to brush our teeth or going to the kitchen and Aiden making coffee while I did breakfast. All of it was fresh and new, exciting and scary.
I still hadn’t worked up the courage to say the words. I had no idea why. Every time it was on the tip of my tongue, I ended up changing the subject to something else. Still, seeing him curled up on the couch, watching something on television? Having him singing in the shower? All of it was a level of domesticity I knew I wanted more of.
We were nesting, of this I was sure. Building something together. He continued to remind me he hadn’t finished my glass yet, and I insisted I had the artist, and that was so much better. He would laugh, but then say he needed to work for a few hours at least. It went slowly, mostly because he’d finish up his other orders, then start in on mine. Once I knew he had taken care of his other customers, I’d find a way to distract him, and my project would be forgotten for another day.
I knew he’d get it done eventually, and I looked forward to seeing it, but to me, spending time with Aiden was more precious than anything he could create, so if the project took a month or a year, it was fine, because I wasn’t going anywhere without Aiden.
ONE MORNING,while we were sitting down to omelets and hash browns, I looked up and found Aiden, his gaze locked on his iPad, and a thought slammed into me with such ferocity, I couldn’t stop it.
This wasn’t Aiden’s home. It was Brian’s. Sure, there were a few of Aiden’s belongings, but none of his personality. Everything else in the house, from the stainless-steel appliances to the water feature in the living room, to the complementary colors? All that had been Brian. It bothered me more than I expected. I wanted Aiden to be comfortable here, but how could he be if the only things that belonged to him had no real permanence?
“Aiden?”
He peered up at me. “Hm?”
“What do you think about going shopping today?”
His lip jutted out slightly. “Why?”
“Well, if you’re going to keep bringing more of your stuff in, we’re going to need to pick up some things to make you comfortable here.”
His eyes went wide. “I wasn’t trying to—”
“Why? Don’t you want to live with me?”
He shook his head, then stared at me. “You want me to…. With you?”
“Yeah, I do. I think having you here is amazing. You bring a smile to my face every time I see you. It would be a joy to have you living here.”
He gave me a lopsided grin. “Are you serious?”
“I am.” I got up, went around the table, and stood behind him, then reached out and massaged his shoulders. “I want you to live with me, if you want to.”
He didn’t answer. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Before I could ask what he was doing, he had tapped a button and held the phone up to his ear.
“He asked me, Livvy!”
Her squeal was loud enough for me to hear.
I squeezed his shoulders. “You little shit. You’ve been planning this.”
He shrugged. “I hoped, that’s all.” He went back to his call. “What? Oh, sure.” He pulled the phone away and held it out to me. “Livvy wants to talk to you.” He rolled his eyes. “Alone.”
“That’s fine. I’ll take the call into the living room while you finish your breakfast.” I bent down and kissed him, loving how he went limp as I did. When I stood up, he chased the kiss, frowning when I took a step back. “Later, I promise.” I pointed to his plate. “Now eat.”
I strode into the living room and sat down on the couch, then brought the phone to my ear. “Good morning, Olivia.”
