Chapter 7
AIDEN
Aiden was in trouble.
So, so much trouble.
The worst part was that he couldn’t even go to Mathew about his issues. When he’d first realized he was interested in Reese’s ex-girlfriend, it hadn’t seemed terrible.
Well, no. That wasn’t exactly true. It had seemed terrible. He’d just found a way to excuse it.
The years Aiden hadn’t been close with Reese could have given him an easy out. He could claim he hadn’t known who Lily was, and then he’d gotten attached before he understood the full mess of it.
But now?
Now, he couldn’t talk to Mathew because the guy could read people better than anyone Aiden knew. Mathew would take one look at him and know he was hiding something. Then he’d inevitably get to the bottom of whatever Aiden was keeping from him.
And Mathew wouldn’t be so nice about discovering the truth. He’d made it perfectly clear that family was off-limits.
Aiden paced the break room. Today, at least, he didn’t have to deal with Mathew’s scrutiny. Jason’s wedding was this evening, which meant Mathew was occupied, and Aiden had a little time to figure out how to explain that what he felt for Lily wasn’t temporary.
Maybe it had started that way. Maybe he’d told himself it was only curiosity. Attraction. A few dates with a beautiful woman who made his pulse jump.
But after talking with her in the truck? After watching her bare what she considered her weaknesses and then look at him like she was bracing for him to walk away? He couldn’t pretend this was casual.
Heck, when she’d admitted she was jealous over his past and didn’t want to hear about the other women he’d dated, something in him had softened. He thought it was kind of cute. Of course, jealousy wasn’t something he loved.
But Lily hadn’t used it to accuse him. She’d named it, disliked it, and tried to be honest with him about it. It made him like her more, not because she was insecure, but because she was being real.
The girls he’d dated before were all far too confident as if they didn’t have flaws of their own.
Lily?
That woman was confident, but it was different, somehow. Her confidence was in herself, not what she brought to the table. She liked who she was as a person while being aware she could improve.
It was so refreshing.
And she was an open book! He didn’t get the feeling she was interested in hiding anything about herself.
Aiden dragged a hand down his face, letting it stop at his jaw. His pacing slowed, and he stared at nothing in particular as he forced himself to accept just how deep of a hole he’d dug for himself.
Lily was honest. He was not, at least not with this current situation. Not fully.
He wanted Lily Taylor. He wanted to court her. Date her. Make her his. That had never happened before.
What had happened to him?
“Nurse Stone, we need you back in the ER. There was a motorcycle accident. Get him checked in and take his vitals.”
Aiden glanced toward the door and found the doctor on staff tonight. He gave the man a curt nod and strode from the room.
The patient wasn’t in good shape, but things could have been worse. He’d been wearing a helmet, thank goodness, but his clothes were practically in shreds.
Aiden frowned as they wheeled him in.
What kind of person rode a motorcycle while in a suit? Didn’t he know better? There was far more appropriate attire when getting on a bike.
“Royce Meyers?” Aiden asked when the patient didn’t open his eyes at his approach. “I’m Nurse Stone. I’ll be getting you checked in.”
Royce opened his eyes, though it seemed to take a great deal of effort. He gave a small nod, and Aiden wheeled him back.
It didn’t take long to get his patient situated. Aiden assured him the doctor would be in soon, then headed out.
Fast footsteps clacked down the hall, and he glanced up from his tablet to see Penny running toward him.
He was too stunned by the look of fear on her face to utter a single word, and she didn’t seem to notice he was there.
She shot past him like a stray bullet and darted into the room he’d just vacated.
Aiden backtracked a few paces until she came into view again.
She was holding Royce like he was her whole world.
That strange feeling in Aiden’s chest stirred to life again.
The connection he had with Lily was different from anything he’d ever experienced. He knew he wasn’t going to be capable of letting her go easily. No matter how hard he’d tried to convince himself that his feelings would fade away, he knew better now. She consumed his thoughts.
The little expressions she made. The way she blurted out things that would have made a lesser man run. The honesty in her eyes, like she was willing to show him the pieces of herself she wasn’t proud of and hope he stayed anyway.
This was more than simple infatuation.
This was a connection, and he had a feeling that severing it now would hurt more than he knew what to do with.
Royce found his gaze, and Aiden dipped his head before heading down the hall to find the doctor.
Love like that needed to be cherished. Protected. Fostered.
The love he witnessed between Penny and Royce was the kind of thing he’d always assumed belonged to other people. Men like Mathew and Reese. Men who knew how to be there for a woman.
But what he felt simmering between Lily and himself was beginning to scare him in a way that felt almost like hope.
What was he going to do when Mathew and Reese found out?
Without thinking too long about the consequences, Aiden shot Lily a text.
Aiden: I can’t stop thinking about you.
He didn’t get a chance to wait for her response before he was pulled into another emergency. The next several hours stayed busy, but his thoughts kept shifting back to Lily and what his life could be like if he didn’t have to hide his attraction to her from his friends.
By the time he tossed his keys onto the counter at home, the sun was coming up.
Parker stood in the dimly lit kitchen with a coffee in hand.
Aiden dragged a hand through his hair, fully aware he looked like a mess after last night’s shift. By the amused look on Parker’s face, it was probably worse than he feared.
So he did what any brother would and glowered at him.
“You don’t have to look so smug. I haven’t seen you head out for that so-called job you said you have lined up.”
Parker lifted a brow. “Sheesh. I didn’t realize you would be in such a mood today.”
Rolling his eyes, Aiden reached over his head and pulled the scrub top from his body.
He still wore a fitted, long-sleeved Henley, but at least he wasn’t covered in a full shift’s worth of grime.
“It’s hard to be chipper when the embodiment of perfection is staring at me first thing in the morning. ”
His brother snorted. “Embodiment of perfection? What is that supposed to mean?”
Aiden had nearly made it to the hallway when he stopped.
Slowly, he turned, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
“Honestly, I have no clue. I know we haven’t been on the best of terms…”
“Best of terms?” Aiden strode toward his brother and pointed a finger at him. “You stole my first girlfriend.”
Parker let out a bark of laughter. “I did no such thing. She told me she wasn’t dating you and you guys weren’t exclusive.”
“But you knew I was seeing her. You knew—”
“Look, Aiden, I was just a dumb teenager who got caught up in the excitement of a girl a grade older than me paying attention.” His hard stare softened. “And back then, that was… nice. You were the cooler older brother who everyone liked. I just wanted that, too.”
There was a note of longing in his voice.
Aiden wanted to sneer at his brother. To point out that Parker had always been the likable one. He’d always been the one to get away with stuff when it came to their parents. He was the perfect child, while Aiden had a knack for getting in trouble.
But that instinct faded when he really took Parker in.
His brother looked almost vulnerable.
Scratch that. Aiden had never seen Parker looking so helpless. It was like he didn’t have even a lick of the confidence Aiden had witnessed throughout their teens.
It was hard to push his brother around when he could relate.
Aiden sighed. “You know, she told me about that night.”
Parker lifted his head. “What?”
“Christine. She said you were a better kisser and better looking. She said no one could compare to you, and I’d better watch out because you could have anyone you wanted.”
His brother’s jaw slackened. “No, she didn’t. Even if she did, there’s no way she believed it. She was probably just getting back at you. Didn’t you move on like… really fast? You know have a track record of not sticking around with girls.”
Aiden shrugged. “I guess it’s possible she was trying to get a rise out of me.” He offered Parker a small smile. “But I can’t say it didn’t work.”
Parker scratched at his jawline, then smirked. “You’ve been holding onto that this whole time? Is that the reason you’ve hated me so much?”
Aiden laughed. “I guess, but I think it’s time we put that stuff behind us. What do you think little brother.” He peeked at his Parker.
“I think that’s a great idea, I’m ready to have my brother back. It’s been a bummer not getting along with you.”
“Well, I’m sorry I haven’t been the best host. I’ve got a lot on my mind lately.”
He tapped his temple.
“Want to talk about it?” Parker took another sip of his coffee. “I don’t have to leave for another hour.”
Aiden’s knee-jerk reaction had him wanting to tell Parker where to shove it.
But his gut told him this might be the only chance he had to get some clarity.
“There’s a girl.”
Parker didn’t react. His expression remained smooth and nonjudgmental. Just… waiting.
Aiden blew out a breath. “The problem is that she’s Reese’s ex.” He winced as he said it. “And Mathew’s cousin. Both of them would have my head if they knew I was sneaking around with someone who means something to them.”
Parker scoffed. “Why?”
Aiden’s head snapped up. “Well, isn’t it obvious? Because I don’t settle down. I go through women like—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.”
Aiden’s mouth snapped shut.
Parker set his mug down, his expression going serious. “Look, clearly this woman means something different to you.”
“How can you tell?” Aiden demanded. “Because I don’t think they’ll see it that way.”
“I don’t know. Based on the way you’ve been wound tight since I got here. You’re carrying stress around like a load of bricks on your shoulders.” Parker studied him. “What are you so worried about?”
Aiden was speechless.
Parker wasn’t tearing him down or telling him to back off for the sake of his friendships. He was acting like this was perfectly normal.
“Well, that Mathew and Reese will never speak to me again.”
Parker shook his head. “It’s not that. Dig deeper.
” When Aiden didn’t immediately have an answer, Parker sighed and continued.
“Look, I’m not interested in dating or even falling in love.
But I do want to have a family. I want kids.
I want to make a difference with the next generation.
And up until this point, I figured we had something in common.
Settling down didn’t interest us.” He gestured in Aiden’s direction.
“But based on this? I’d say you’ve changed your tune.
This girl means something to you, even if you’re not prepared to admit it. ”
“Yeah,” Aiden whispered. “I can’t for the life of me figure out why, but I don’t want to mess this up.”
His brother snickered before placing his mug in the sink. “Well, if you feel this connected with her already, then don’t worry so much about what others will say. You do you.”
Aiden stared at him.
Parker must have seen something in his expression, because he held up a hand. “That does not mean hide behind technicalities or let everyone else find out after it’s already serious. I mean, don’t let fear make the decision for you.” His voice softened. “And do right by the girl.”
Aiden looked away.
That was the part he wasn’t sure he knew how to do.
“I don’t know if it will be that easy.”
“No one said it would be easy.” Parker was quiet for a long moment. “Let me put it this way. If we had a sister, would you be upset if Mathew or Reese wanted to date her?”
“Maybe?”
“But if she was happy, would you step back and let it happen?”
Aiden nodded.
“Why?”
“What do you mean?”
Parker sighed and tilted his head until he was looking at the ceiling.
“Because you’d never say your friends aren’t good guys deep down.
Despite any mistakes they’ve made in their lives, you believe they deserve happiness.
So give your friends some credit. They might say they don’t want you dating someone they care about, and they might have a right to be upset if you hide it.
But if they see you’re serious, and if you’re honest with them, they won’t stand in your way forever. ”
Aiden didn’t believe a lick of what his brother was suggesting.
Mathew maybe… eventually.
But Reese? They’d grown apart so much he wasn’t sure he knew his friend well enough to make that prediction.
He expelled a long breath. There was only one thing his brother said that made sense. This connection wasn’t going away and he did deserve happiness.
And if he wanted it to be real, he couldn’t keep pretending honesty was optional. He just needed a little more time to figure out how to get there.
At least, that was what he told himself.