I nod as I slide out of his car and he follows me in.
“Can I help you?” I ask, heading towards the first aid kit. He looks at me inquisitively as if he doesn’t understand my question. I point to his bloodied knuckles, “I’ll clean and bandage them.”
His head tilts slightly, examining me. “No, you need your rest. I’ll be fine.” Another hint of a smile flashes on his face, is he not used to someone helping him?
I grant myself one last glance as I walk towards my room.
Aiden plops down on the couch and grabs the worn-out book from the coffee table. His feet dangle off the edge about a foot. Our couch is way too small for his massive frame, it makes me laugh a little.
I lay down in bed and wait for the tears to come, but they have all been used up. I laugh at myself, to think I even cried over that asshole. It’s the shock of the events that upset me, the way Ian spoke to me. I’m an idiot for even considering sleeping with him. How juvenile of me to get so upset over a guy I have only known for three months.
I’m happy that Aiden had hit him. I don’t like violence, but it felt nice to have someone stick up for me. A man to take charge of a situation that upset me, he seems like a gentleman. A sense of calm washes over me as I wrap the blankets tighter around me and I slip into a dreamless sleep.
Three
Aiden’s first week with us passes by in a confusing blur.
I spend the better of the week in bed, drowning myself in sappy heartbreak movies and tissue boxes. I keep away from Aiden, wanting to confide in him more, but not wanting to bother him. I can’t shake the way his green eyes drink me in when I stumbled sleepily into the kitchen the next morning. Or maybe it’s a hallucination created by my insecurity to make me feel better about being cheated on.
I learn a few things about this otherwise mysterious man over the course of a week.
He enjoys his coffee black, two cups every morning. He reads while watching the news; how he does it, I do not know. It takes complete silence for me to get lost in the pages. When he concentrates, his brows furrow and his edges harden. I don’t think I’ve seen a more defined jawline in my life.
My unexplainable interest in him bothers me.
Why do I care so much? Why does his presence affect me so thoroughly?
I barely know him, yet I can’t resist the magnetic pull I feel whenever he walks into a room, towering over everyone and demanding attention with one breath. But I just got out of a relationship, bouncing from one man to the next isn’t me.
Still, I can’t deny this one-sided attraction.
Maybe it was the way he spoke to me when I was at my lowest. That must be it. He made me feel better during such a humiliating time and I’m just feeling grateful. I’m humoring myself anyways. Someone like him will never be interested in someone like me, a schoolgirl drooling over her best friend’s much older, and very successful brother.
∞∞∞
“Em.”
The gentle sound of Ashley’s voice wakes me. I rustle in my blankets and peek up, seeing her next to the bed, cradling a box of chocolates.
A smile instantly creeps on my face. She’s given me so much space since that night. School was over, and I had nowhere to be. She knew I needed to relax in solitude, and she granted me that.
“Ash.” My voice is thick from sleeping so much.
She sits down beside me on the bed.
“I know we haven’t talked much. I’m so sorry about last weekend. I didn’t know your brother would fight him. I ruined your first night of seeing him in so long.” Guilt laces my voice.
“Are you kidding me? I spent the last five days with him while you were in here. I’m already sick of him,” She jokes, her smile sympathetic. “First off, Aiden fights...everyone.”
I try to imagine it. He definitely has the build for it, and he takes obvious care of his body by the glances I caught of him with his shirt off after he came inside from a long run.
And I remember the rage in his eyes that night. But to me, he is gentle. I feel a little less special about Aiden saving me now that I know him fighting is a regular thing and not because of the way Ian treated me.
“Oh.” Is all I manage to say.
“You okay?” Ashley twirls a lock of my brown hair around her finger, concern plastered on her face.
“I know I’ve been sulking, but I do feel better. Where did you go that night when we got home by the way? I was going to talk to you but ended up talking to Aiden,” I question quietly.
“Yeah, I was really surprised when he practically kicked me out of the car once we pulled in the driveway. I’ve never seen him be so nice to someone before. He normally doesn’t care about anything.” She laughs, but her eyes pan downward in confusion.
“I thought you said he fights a lot?” I’m confused. “Obviously he likes confrontation.”
Ashley shakes her head. “He does, but it’s different. He talked to you. You were in the car for half an hour. The confrontation happened with Ian. But with you, he looked concerned. It’s just normally not his thing.” She shrugs, looking at me with curious eyes. “He filled me in on what Ian said, so I’m assuming that’s what got him heated. I still can’t believe he did that to you!” She balls up her small fist as her face scrunches in anger.
“Honestly, I don’t want to talk about Ian anymore. I can’t believe I thought he loved me. How stupid. We barely know each other.” I lament in an exhausted voice.
“It’s normal to be upset. Yes, you weren’t together long, but you were comfortable enough around him to think about…you know.” She sighs.
The silence draws out for several long seconds before Ashley jumps up with a smile. “Let’s dress up and go out tonight!”
“I don’t know, Ash.” I throw the comforter off me. The idea of fun does sound good though.
“Please,” She pleads through batted lashes.
“Fine.” With a sigh, I cave.
“I’m coming too.” Aiden calls down the hall in a serious tone.
We burst out into laughter.
I wonder how much of that conversation he heard.
“Protective older brother much?”
“It isn’t me he wants to protect.” Ashley whispers with a sly smile.
∞∞∞
Aiden is in Portland, an hour and a half drive away.
I’m guessing he’s looking for apartments there. I wonder what he does, what his major was. He exudes confidence and wealth when you look at him, I just have no idea what his career path could be.
My curiosity on a high, I search our small house for Ashley. I find her on the couch with her laptop open, typing violently against the keyboard.
“Ash? You okay?” I assess her behavior, her fingers meticulously and harshly combing the keyboard with a little more force than necessary.
She clicks one more button before slamming her laptop shut. Turning to me, she slaps a manufactured smile on her face. “Yeah, I was just sending my English teacher a few choice words on an e-mail for giving me a seventy on my final. It was an essay about ‘love’, which is supposed to be subjective!”
“Miss. Parks?” I ask with a laugh.
She makes an air check mark and huffs. “Yup, that’s the one.”