16. Aurora
Chapter sixteen
Aurora
A nger practically vibrates through me as I sip my wine, trying not to let Aiden’s words ruin my mood completely. The restaurant is quiet, save for the soft buzz of muted conversations. The atmosphere alone should be enough to put me in a better mood, yet here I am, gripping my silverware and thinking about stabbing Aiden with it.
The fact that the highs and lows of my moods have his name stamped on them is starting to weigh on me. I’ve gone from not really thinking about him at all to having my thoughts filled with the sound of his voice, the memory of his touch, the intensity of his gaze. It’s like he’s taken up permanent residence in my mind, coloring every thought, influencing every decision.
Even in this quiet restaurant, surrounded by the soft clinking of cutlery and murmured conversations, all I can hear is Aiden. His words, his laugh, his frustrating ability to get under my skin. And it’s driving me crazy.
I shake my head slightly, trying to dislodge my thoughts.
C’mon Aurora, you’re on a date for crying out loud.
I should be focusing on the man sitting across from me, not daydreaming about my brother’s best friend.
“Are you alright?”
My attention refocuses, and I look up from my plate to see Mark staring at me with concern clear in his eyes. The date’s going well. The food’s pleasant, the conversation easy, except for a few awkward starts in the beginning. All in all, I can confidently say Mark is an okay guy. But is okay enough?
“I’m fine. Just a long day,” I reply, forcing myself to smile and hoping it looks genuine enough to stave off any further questions. No matter how nice a guy is, I’m sure he wouldn’t want to hear that the woman he’s out with is preoccupied thinking about another dude.
“How have things been going for you on the medical side? I heard we had a couple of guys who have to be on the bench for the next couple of weeks due to injuries.”
Mark nods. “Yeah. Just a couple of sprains. Thankfully nothing more serious. Those guys put their bodies through hell though.”
“Seriously.”
“Speaking of which, I formally met Your brother the other day. Let’s just say I now understand why opposing teams know to stay the hell out of his way.”
“Well, That’s for sure. Jax really knows how to make an impression. But once you get to know him, he’s a big teddy bear.” Mark chuckles a bit in disbelief.
“But it’s true, though they really take a beating—there’s always a part of me that holds my breath when Jax gets hit or when I see Aiden go down on the ice. I know they’ve got padding, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t still hurt or that they’re immune to injury. Hell, when he was in high school, Jax chipped his front tooth even with a helmet on. I was surprised when our mom let him continue playing. I thought for sure she’d make him give it up for something less physically demanding. Honestly, I’m surprised he even has front teeth at all at this point.”
“Hopefully things hold out with the next game. I’ve heard the other team plays are even more physical than the last. Though I guess, in all honesty, the injuries and stuff do keep me employed, so maybe wishing for less of them is counterintuitive.” Mark smiles, and I giggle.
The conversation continues, but even with the subject changing from our work to other things, Aiden is still in the back of my mind. When I walked into the kitchen earlier, his back was to me, and he was leaning over the counter, seemingly very tense. In the mess that was our conversation, I never got to revisit and ask what was wrong with him anyway.
I feel a little guilty about that, even though he acted like a complete ass questioning my decisions. What even was that? Just because he’s Jax’s best friend doesn’t mean he has to treat me like a little sister.
“Aurora?”
“Yes?” I look up. Mark is looking at me again with concern, and I realize that even with him being a nice guy, my head is just not in this date. I hate it, but I know we won’t be going out again.
Starter date or not, I don’t feel comfortable leading him on or making him think that a relationship between the two of us is in the cards.
“Is everything okay?”
I smile, feeling lighter now that I’ve realized that things won’t be going any further than they have tonight. Now I just need to find the right words to break it to him without hurting his feelings.
“I’m just tired,” I reply. It’s not a complete lie. I am tired. The past couple of nights, I’ve been up late coming up with some upcoming social media campaigns to continue trying to drum up excitement for the team in the face of their first away game.
I’m not going, unfortunately, but I still want to do what I can. Playing away games is hard enough without being a new team. I’m hoping we have some annual pass holders who decide to ride or die for the team in a different locale.
“This first away game is nerve-wracking, and I keep hoping that I’ve done enough to help build up a crowd on our side, you know?”
Mark nods, and I relax a little. It’s helpful that he understands some of the issues I’m talking about, and I can only hope that things won’t be weird when we get back to work.
*****
I sigh as I close my car door. The day has been long, and I’m ready to do a lot of nothing for the evening. The social media campaigns I presented didn’t get accepted, and I’m feeling a little defeated. Realistically, I know that not every proposal I put forward is going to be accepted. But I’ve been on a pretty great streak with turning things in and getting them approved on the first go.
I know I can probably tweak some things and submit again, but for now, I’m wallowing in self-pity.
It’s hot and muggier than it’s been in days. A hard rain swept through mid-afternoon, leaving the streets steaming. By the time I left work, it’s stopped but left the air thick with moisture.
My skin’s never looked better, but it’s annoying when your fabric keeps sticking to you and taking multiple showers a day is the only way to get through.
It’s either that or walk around feeling like I’m swimming in my own juices. That’s no way to live.
The house is quiet, except for some soft music when I open the front door, but the scent of roasted tomatoes has me breathing deeply.
My stomach growls, reminding me that I skipped lunch and only ate a few snacks here and there. I couldn’t wait to get home and cook something, but now that I know someone else has already started, I’m looking forward to eating even more.
“I’m home,” I call out, announcing my presence as I drop my bag in the foyer and toe off my sandals.
“We’re in the kitchen,” Jax replies as I move further into the house. The closer I get to the kitchen, the more complex the scent gets and the more my mouth waters. When they finally come into view, I’m surprised to see Jax sitting at the bar counter with a beer in his hand and Aiden bent over in front of the stove. “Welcome home, sis.”
I smile, a bit confused but appreciative of the welcome. If there’s food being cooked, it’s usually me or Jax who does it. Other than a sandwich or something light, I rarely see Aiden in the kitchen. I thought the man lived off protein bars or the blood of na?ve virgins. Seeing him bent over inspecting a dish of what looks to be roast chicken and potatoes wasn’t on my bingo card of things to happen in my life.
“Thanks,” I say, trying to cover up my surprise. “Something smells amazing.”
Jax gestures to Aiden, who still isn’t paying me any mind. “I don’t know what got up his ass, but Aiden decided to make dinner and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
I try to catch Aiden’s eye, but he bypasses me and goes straight to the refrigerator, only sparing a glance at Jax. “You could get your lazy ass up and get the plates.” When Jax laughs, he sighs and finally looks at me. The expression in his gaze isn’t one I’m familiar with, and I don’t know what to make of it. “It’s ready to eat if you’re hungry.”
“Yeah, okay,” I reply with a slow nod. Aiden doesn’t say anything more. He dons a pair of oven mitts and grabs the casserole dish, moving it to the table. I follow, not knowing what else to do in this situation. Suddenly, thoughts flash through my mind, like something’s wrong. Whatever is going on seems way too serious.
“Is everything okay?”
Jax turns around with plates in his hands.“Yeah, everything’s fine. Why? Did something happen at work today?” He walks over to the table and sets the plates down. “Oh, I meant to ask how your date with Mark was. Stacy told me she saw you two out and you were laughing it up together.”
“Who’s Stacy?” I ask as I sit in my usual seat.
“Just one of the puck bunnies that hangs out at the rink. “ Jax replies vaguely as he takes a seat. He passes me an empty plate. “Don’t dodge the question. How was it? Do I need to threaten bodily harm?”
I roll my eyes at his ridiculous display of overprotectiveness. “No. The date went perfectly fine. Mark is a nice guy.” Aiden makes a noise, and I turn to look at him.
“What? He is.”
Jax clicks his tongue as he serves up his plate, staring down at me. “Yeah, but is he someone you want to go out with again is the real question.”
“No.” I don’t hesitate with my answer. I’ve been mulling over the same question since getting home, and I’m just as sure of my answer now as I was then. “I could see us being friends, but I don’t like him in that way.”
I glance up at Aiden when I say that, but I’m surprised to see him scowling at the helping of potatoes on his plate. What’s with him? At least Jax seems to be acting normal.
“Nothing wrong with that,” Jax says with a decisive nod.
I agree, and we settle into relative silence as we dig in. That first bite is like the purest form of heaven. The chicken is spiced wonderfully, and the potatoes are perfect. I don’t even care if I burn the roof of my mouth as I take another bite. I groan at the hint of rosemary and garlic in my bite before chewing furiously and turning to Aiden.
“Oh my gosh. I didn’t know you could cook like this.”
Aiden glances up at me, and for a second, I’m sure he’s not going to say a thing, but when his lips quirk into a grin, I smile back.“I’m a man of many talents.”
I giggle but roll my eyes. “Clearly. I think we should put you on food duty at least once a week if every meal is going to be this good.”
He shrugs before lifting a forkful of potato to his lips. “I’m fine with that. Eating out so much is shit for my game as is.”
“True,” Jax chimes in agreement. I smile at Aiden before turning my attention back to my plate.
“Also, I think I owe you an apology.”
I frown and look up at Aiden’s words. “Are you talking to me?”
He looks pained but determined. “Yeah, I’m talking to you. I’m sorry if you got the wrong impression after our conversation a few days ago. I wasn’t trying to question your ability to take care of yourself or make your own decisions. Jax does that enough, and I know you don’t need me harping on ya.”
“Hey,” Jax exclaims, trying to interject. A look from Aiden has him sighing and going back to eating. I narrow my eyes, wondering where this is coming from.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to get an apology. But I still don’t know how to take it. Aiden has never apologized to me before about anything.
“Thank you,” I say gingerly, feeling it out. “I appreciate it.”
Aiden nods once, quickly. “I forget sometimes how much like my old man I can be. I don’t want to subject either of you to that shit.” That has me perking up. Rarely does Aiden mention his dad, and the few times he has in the past, it’s always superficial.
Jax speaks up before I can.“We get it, man. You don’t have to explain.”
“I do,” Aiden insists. His words are directed at Jax, but his gaze is steady on me. “Just because I get into it with him doesn’t mean I can take it out on you two. You don’t deserve it, and that’s not the kind of guy I want to be.”
I nod slowly, taking in his words. Figuring out what to say is damn near impossible, so I let Jax fill the silence and log away the information that’s just been offered.
There’s something there that I’m not understanding, and yet I can’t help but be gluttonous about another piece of the puzzle that is Aiden being revealed in front of me.