42. You Were An Asshole #2
I put down my fork and sit back in my chair, lost for words. It’s never occurred to me before, but Chris has always been such a champion for my career progression. And here he is, once again putting me forward for a role that would help me move my way up in the industry.
He tells me about the salary and explains what the role entails, which sounds too good to be true. Morgan watches the conversation with a smile, staying quiet, which is very unlike her.
Once he’s finished talking, I consider his offer silently while he watches me closely. “Can I think about it? With everything going on, I don’t want to make a drastic decision without at least weighing up all my options.”
Chris nods. “Of course. I just need to know in the next week or so, though.”
“I’ll let you know by the end of the week.”
After all the work talk is finished, we fall into easy conversation while we finish dinner.
Noting the fatigue on Morgan’s face, I offer to clean up before I leave, but Chris waves me off, telling me he’ll sort it out, and sending his wife to have a shower.
I’ve always been a little in awe of their relationship, and I feel a tightening in my chest when he kisses her forehead and tells her he’ll bring in a hot chocolate for her to have in bed.
He walks me to my car, and after promising to be in touch to let him know about the job, I head home, my thoughts all a jumble. When I park my car, I send Aiden a message to say I’m home and to come up if he wants.
When I get out of the elevator, I’m only slightly surprised to see Will sitting on the floor beside the door with his back against the wall.
“Hi,” I say, unlocking the door and looking down at him.
“Hi,” he replies, getting to his feet.
“Do you want to come in?”
He nods and follows me inside.
Sensing that this conversation is going to be draining, I walk to the fridge and pull out a bottle of wine. I rarely drink, and this bottle has been sitting here since Jake and Bri’s wedding weekend, but with how my last forty-eight hours have been, I don’t think tea is going to cut it.
Pouring us each a glass, I stand behind the bench and watch while he takes a seat on one of the stools.
“So,” I say after a few moments of silence.
“So,” he echoes, finally looking at me.
“What’s up?”
He lets out a breath before replying. “I wanted to check on you. I hadn’t realised stuff with your dad was this serious. I’ve wanted to reach out for a while, but with how things have been between us, I didn’t know whether you’d welcome that or not.”
This is the Will that I’ve missed. The big brother figure who cared about my wellbeing just as much as Annelisa’s.
“It’s been rough - I won’t lie. Aiden has been really supportive, but he lost his mother a few months ago. I worry about burdening him too much with all of this when he’s still going through his own grieving process.”
Will nods. “He seems like a great guy. I’m glad you found someone who will be there for you.”
I don’t know why, but having Will tell me he likes Aiden is comforting. It’s strange how, three years on and after everything that’s happened between us, I still want him to approve of the man I’m with.
“He is honestly the best man I’ve ever met. Present company excluded, of course.” I give him a smile, and his shoulders drop a little.
“I don’t think I deserve to be put in that category these days, T. I was a really shitty friend to you after everything that happened with Annie, and you were right to shut me out after how I handled it all.”
I lean my hip against the bench and pick up my glass.
“True. You were an asshole. And it really fucking hurt. I lost a sister and a brother all at once, and it felt like I was being punished for something that wasn’t my fault.
” I choke a little on my words before taking a large mouthful of wine.
“But I’m trying this new thing where I don’t hold grudges for things that people did in the past. So I’m willing to move on from it if you promise never to do anything like that again. ”
He gets to his feet and comes around the bench, wrapping me in a hug that I sink into. A tear appears in my eye, and I squeeze both eyes shut to keep myself from crying.
“I can one hundred percent promise I will never be that dickhead ever again.”
“Good. Because you were, indeed, a big dickhead,” I reply, my words muffled against his chest.
He laughs. “The biggest dickhead.”
I hear the apartment door open and we both look over to see Aiden standing there.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he says, looking from Will to me, confusion written all over his face.
“Will just popped around to check on me,” I say, as Will takes a step back.
“Are you okay? Did something happen at the hospital?” Aiden immediately moves forward, stopping in front of me when Will moves aside.
“I’m okay. It’s just been a bit of a draining day.”
“I’m going to head off,” Will says, nodding towards the door.
I step around Aiden and touch Will’s arm. “Thank you. I mean it. I’m glad we talked.”
He gives me a small smile. “I’m glad we talked, too. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“I’d like that,” I reply, and he waves goodbye to us before heading out the door.
Once we’re alone, Aiden pulls me into his arms, and I allow myself to draw comfort from his embrace while I fill him in on the events of the day. By the time I’m finished speaking, the emotions have worked their way to the surface, and the tears that I’ve been holding back start to flow.
He wipes them away and kisses my forehead. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed. I think you need a good night’s sleep and we can talk about it all more in the morning.”
I nod, and we start the process of getting ready for bed. Once I’ve had my shower, I join him on the bed, and allow myself to drift off while he holds me close, feeling safe and loved.