17. Aiden
Chapter 17
Last night, I got to watch one of my best friends and the love of my life celebrate together. It still amazes me that I’m included in this life that we’re planning together. They could have told me to fuck off the minute I fucked up, but they gave me a second chance. One that I’ll never take for granted.
Unfortunately, I had things to take care of at the office this morning, so I left after breakfast to head there. No matter how hard I try to concentrate, my mind keeps straying to Oliver. I could spend every waking second with him and never get bored. He’s truly a light in all of our lives. And watching how he took care of Leland made me fall in love with him even more.
“Mr. Powers?” Molly’s voice filters through the intercom. “There’s someone here to see you.”
My brows furrow at who it could be. She would just send the guys in, and no one even knows I’m working today. “Who?”
“Your father.”
What the fuck? Did he not get the hint the last time? Instead of letting him back into my office or waiting for him to cause a scene downstairs, I get up from my desk and jerk my office door open. I make my way to the front lobby, and he’s standing there with a petite brunette by his side. “What are you doing here?” I ask, not even trying to hide my anger.
“I wanted to introduce you?—”
“I thought I made myself perfectly clear the last time you were here. I don’t want anything to do with you or your new family. You lost that right when you insulted Oliver.” I look at who I’m assuming is Darlene. “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt here and assume you’re a good person. If that’s the case, get the fuck away while you can. And everything he’s told you about our relationship is a lie. We don’t have a relationship because he doesn’t like that I’m gay.” Her eyes widen, and I laugh. “You didn’t know that, did you? That’s all you should need to know then. Get away while you still can.”
“Aiden,” my dad grits out. “Now isn’t the place.”
I look around the empty lobby and at Molly, who sure as hell knows that I’m gay. Then I look back at Dad. “Are you that ashamed of me that you couldn’t even tell your fiancée that your son is gay? Or you didn’t want to tell her that you call me a faggot every chance you get? I want you to leave me alone. I don’t want to play your pretend game that we’re a happy family. I have a real family now, and it sure as hell doesn’t include you.”
“It’s because of him, isn’t it?” Dad growls, stepping toward me.
“Jace?” Jace and my dad had words years ago when I was still in college. To this day, I still have no idea what was said. All I know is that Dad didn’t contact me again until the last time in my office. Jace has always been huge, so my guess is that he put the fear of God in him. “No. It’s because of you. You have no one to blame but yourself.”
Dad storms toward the elevator, leaving Darlene standing there. “I asked him to bring me here because he said you couldn’t travel right now,” she says quietly. “I had no idea this is how things were between you guys.”
“Now you do. Like I said, run while you can. That’s not someone you want to be associated with.”
Darlene looks at the hallway he disappeared through. “No. I suppose not.”
“Do you have kids?”
She turns back to look at me. “I have two sons and a daughter.”
“That’s not the man you want in their lives.” She nods, and I see tears welling in her eyes because she’s seeing him for who he really is. “Do me a favor. If any of them ever come to you and tell you something that will change their whole lives, don’t shut them out. Be there for them.”
“Aiden, I’m so sorry.” She grabs my hands, and it’s the most motherly thing I’ve felt in a long time. “I promise to always be there for my kids.”
“Good. Do you need a ride home? I can send you in a car so you don’t have to ride back with him.”
“You’re a good man. If it’s not too much trouble, I think I’ll take you up on that.”
I pull out my phone and text my driver, who says he’ll be there in ten minutes. I relay that information to Darlene and head back to my office. I call security when I get there and tell them not to let my father back in the building. After all that, I dial Oliver.
“Hey,” he answers on the second ring, and I relax in my office chair.
“I just needed to hear your voice.”
“Is everything okay?”
“It is now, Darling. What are you up to?”
“Me and Leland are watching Jace work out.” I hear Leland laugh at that in the background, and it makes me smile.
“You are, are you? Is he all sweaty?”
“Who knew sweat could be so hot? He’s all bulgy and muscly right now.”
“Send me a picture.”
I hear Oliver fumble with his phone, and then my phone vibrates with a message. I put the call on speaker and pull up Oliver’s chat screen. Sure enough, Jace is mid deadlift with more weight than I can lift. He has sweat pouring down his shirtless chest, and I totally get why Oliver’s watching him.
“He does that so he can throw you around,” I say with a laugh.
“He can throw me around any time.”
“Where’s Toby?”
“He had to meet Zac and Vince at Inferno. Will you be home soon?”
“Yes, Darling, I will be. I’ll bring dinner. Will Leland still be there?”
“Probably.”
“Good. I’ll bring extra. I lo…” I cut myself off before I finish that thought. I refuse to tell him I love him for the first time over the phone. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Aiden.”
The call disconnects, and just from hearing his voice, the shit show with my dad disappears.
What he says or thinks of me no longer matters.
After my call with Oliver, I found myself rushing through the rest of my work to get back home to him. When I pull in, Toby’s car is already parked in the driveway, and Leland’s car is still there. I grab the bags of food from the passenger seat and make my way into the house. When I open the door, laughter filters through the foyer. It’s been so long since any of us had any fun, and I’m sure Oliver and Leland have a lot to do with why we are now.
Oliver and Leland are in the middle of a racing game, laughing and shoving each other, trying to get the upper hand.
“Get him, Baby!” Toby says, cheering Oliver on from the sidelines.
I shake my head with a laugh. “I brought food.”
“Thank you!” Oliver and Leland say at the same time and burst out laughing. Jace jerks his head for me to follow him into the kitchen.
When we get in there, I set the food on the counter, and he crosses his arms over his chest. “Why didn’t you call me when your dad showed up?”
I knew Molly would call Jace. She knows what he usually does to me. “I handled it. I don’t think he’ll be coming back anymore.”
“Molly said he no longer has a fiancée?”
I shrug. “I didn’t hold back. No one should be subjected to his toxic bullshit, especially since she has kids.”
“I’m proud of you,” Jace says gruffly. He grabs my arm and pulls me into his chest. He’s the only one that I ever melt for like this. I like the alpha part of my personality, but something about Jace makes me crave his dominance. Jace kisses me, and he hasn’t kissed me like this in a long time. There’s usually a power struggle between us, but this kiss is sweet. I wrap my arms around his waist and gladly accept it. Jace’s hands come up to my face, and he tilts my head the way he wants it. My fingers dig into the muscles of his back, dragging him closer.
It’s not just Oliver that I need in my life. It’s Toby and Jace too. They started the healing from my dad, and Oliver finished it.
Jace backs me up until my ass hits the counter and presses himself fully against me. It’s almost like he’s needed this as much as me. Jace pulls away and pecks my lips a few times before stepping back. “What was that for?” I ask.
Jace shrugs and starts unloading the containers from Oli’s favorite Chinese food place. “I felt like you needed it. You’ve dealt with your dad’s bullshit for a long time and finally told him to fuck off.”
I nod and start helping him. “I no longer hear him talking shit anymore. Oliver standing up to him in my office that day made me finally see that I’ll never have a relationship with him.”
“You don’t need him,” Oliver says, and I turn to see him walking into the kitchen. He walks in and wraps his arms around me from behind. “I knew something was up today.”
“I would have told you, but honestly, I just wanted to hear your voice.” I reach behind me and pull him between Jace and me. “I got your favorite.”
“Oh,” Oliver groans. “I’m so sucking your dick for this later.”
“Can we save the dick sucking until I go home?” Leland comments. He pulls a chair out at the table and flops into it. “I think I’ve had my fair share of seeing Oliver in action.”
“Are you sure?” Toby taunts, making Leland roll his eyes. “I think you liked seeing my Baby’s greedy asshole.”
“It was hot,” Leland agrees. “But I have a limit on how many times I see a bunch of big dicks pounding into my best friend.”
Oliver laughs and joins him at the table. Jace and I start piling up plates before joining them. “So, you think I have a big dick?” I ask just to get a rise out of him. But it’s Leland, so he just laughs.
“You know you do. How do you fit that thing inside you, anyway, Oli?”
Oliver sputters a laugh. “It’s not without great difficulty.”
Jace slings his arm on the back of Oliver’s chair. “But you look so fucking good while you do it.”
“I don’t like it here anymore,” Leland grumbles. “You are a bunch of freaks.”
I’ve seen Leland fall into depression more than once while we were growing up. He seems fine on the outside because he’s gotten good at hiding it. I’ll just make sure Oliver checks on him, and we have him at the house more, with or without the sex party. Losing Leland would kill Oliver.
I’ll do anything to make sure that never happens.