5. She Didn’t See History Repeating #2
My shoulders hiked up to my ears. I looked helplessly at too many impulse purchases to carry. “A…taxi?” Was there a taxi in town? Rideshare? In a pinch, I could always call Brooke…
“I’ll take you home.”
“Aiden, I don’t want to trouble you.”
“It’s on my way.”
“Is it…really?”
Now, it was his turn to look at his feet. A shrug followed. Yolanda had been telling the truth.
Feeling braver, I challenged him with a grin. “I’ll accept on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“Stay for lunch.”
His eyes widened. “You’re inviting me to your place?”
“Let me cook for you. I haven’t had someone to spoil in such a long time.”
That only made his eyes pop open even wider.
Too much, Lola. “I… I mean…” I tugged frantically on the sleeves of my pink cardigan until his hand reached out to stop me.
“I’d like that,” he said.
Aiden waited patiently while I finished shopping. Outside, he opened the passenger door and offered his hand to help me into his truck. I was grateful he didn’t seem to notice my sharp breath in when his rough palm touched mine.
He tugged my seatbelt to make sure I was safely strapped in. He’d done that last time, too. But now, I swear I didn’t imagine that his hand lingered on the buckle a little longer, a wisp of mint sighing near my shoulder.
“Oh!” I said, startling him back in his seat when I arched forward to grab the new book sitting on his dashboard. “ Flowers for Algernon . I read this one not long ago!”
“Yeah?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Did you like it?”
“I loved it. I cried for a whole day after I finished.”
“A whole day, huh?” He grimaced. “Maybe I should save Flowers for Algernon for the weekends then.” He flashed a wry smile at me before starting the ignition. “I don’t need Harry giving me more crap than he already does. Do you have any lunch-break-appropriate recommendations?”
We talked about books for the short drive home. Well, I gushed on and on about reading, and Aiden sat beside me, his eyes carefully trained to the road, turning to acknowledge my rambling with a nod every so often, but not saying much at all. He never said much.
By the time I fumbled my key into the old lock and kicked my shoes off by the door, excitement tingled all the way down to my bare toes.
Aiden lowered the grocery bags to the wooden floor— all of them.
“I can carry some,” I’d said, reaching for a bag, only to get a playful swat shooing my hand away.
“I’m sure you can,” he’d said, “but I want to do it for you. I like being useful.”
He also insisted on taking off his boots before coming inside.
Hunched over, his fingers made quick work of the laces, but my eyes had already found the fine strands of silver threading through his dark hair.
I traced a finger along my collarbone, wondering how much softer that spot beside his temples would feel.
But as my gaze continued to drift over him, fear gripped tight around my throat.
Shoes not lined up. A bag carelessly tossed on the floor. The cardigan I’d thrown on top of the whole mess instead of hanging it in the closet where it belonged.
The icy whisper of Chris’s voice curled around my chest.
You know what happens when you’re careless, Lola.
My heart slammed against my ribs, but not from the anticipation of inviting Aiden to lunch. No, it pounded in pure terror. Frantic, I fell to my knees beside him, desperate fingers clawing at the mess.
“I-I’m s-sorry,” I choked out on a strangled breath.
“For what?” Concern etched Aiden’s voice. When his head jerked up, I flew back, flattening myself against the wall like a shadow, the rough brick digging into my spine. “Lola?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the worst. “I’m sorry for the mess.”
The lightest brush of Aiden’s fingers grazed my shoulder before slipping away. “A bit of mess never hurt anyone.” A chuckle rumbled in his voice. “Not that there is any.”
I dared to lift my eyes. Aiden was lining his boots up next to my shoes, and when he met my gaze, his grey eyes were soft. He wasn’t angry. Not at all.
I peeled myself off the wall and offered him a shaky smile. He accepted with a dip of his chin. Something about that simple movement always made my stomach twirl. Actually, everything about this man made my soul sing. My cheeks hot, I dropped my eyes back to our feet.
I clapped my hand over my mouth, trying to trap the laughter threatening to burst out.
Aiden’s eyebrows rose.
“Your socks,” I wheezed.
“My…” He followed my gaze to his feet. Pink socks with cartoon eggplants, peaches, and water droplets. A deep shade of red burned up his neck all the way to the tips of his ears. “Goddammit. Sorry, Lola. I forgot.” He rushed to tug the pink socks off and stuff them into his boots.
My chest shook with laughter. “Where did you get those?”
“Harry.” Frowning, he shook his head. “Another one of his hilarious Christmas gifts.”
“They actually are hilarious, you know.”
“Careful. You might end up on his Christmas list.” Aiden glanced around the hallway. “Where should I drop your groceries?”
“The kitchen’s this way. Follow me.”
And he did.