Right. He was an impenetrable wall of granite.
“The day you called me from the airport in Oregon,” she started. “When you were with your mom.”
Shit. Impenetrable, he reminded himself. Effing impenetrable.
“You told me you were moving there. And we couldn’t be together anymore.”
Aiden shot a longing gaze at the front door.
“I loved you then.”
He snapped his head back to her. Blinked. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I still love you.”
It was all he’d wanted to hear for as long as he could remember. The unflappable optimistic part of him wanted to scoop her into his arms and bury his face in her wet hair, tell her he loved her, that he’d love her until he died. Maybe longer. And if this were a movie instead of his life, if the screen faded to black, and the cameras ceased rolling, he’d do just that. The End would appear in curly script, and they’d live happily ever after.
But this wasn’t a movie. And this wasn’t The End.
In the real world, there’d be a tomorrow and a day after tomorrow. And in a week, or a month, or a year, when Sadie got skittish—because, face it, that’s what she did—she’d bolt and he’d be left to pick up the pieces. How much more would it hurt then?
He didn’t want to know.
“Aiden.” She took a step toward him. He stepped back. Tears swam in her eyes and he barricaded his heart. He was doing the right thing. “I love you,” she said.
“Stop saying that, Sadie. Please.”
She retreated, just one step, and nodded. Actually nodded. Her easy acceptance was harder to take than if she’d crumbled at his feet and begged. Not that he wanted her to. God, just her being here had flipped his world. He didn’t know what he wanted. Minutes ago, he’d been so sure, so solid on his decisions…and now…
He had to get away from her. Away from her beautiful face and the emotional one-two punch of her confession and her pleading eyes. “I’m sorry, Sadie. I can’t,” he gritted out.
He opened the front door, waiting for Sadie to call his name. She didn’t. And when he looked out the front window, he was almost surprised to see her run for her car and close the door. The engine turned over. The headlights came on.
She was leaving.
And Aiden hoped to God he’d done the right thing.
Chapter 18
Aiden turned to walk away from the window—there was no way he could watch her drive off—and nearly plowed into his dad’s broad chest. Evan raised his eyebrows in a quick show of apprehension before skirting the both of them and launching up the stairs.
Just like when they were kids and Dad was about to yell.
Aiden stood eye to eye with his father now, but the sight of Dad’s scar puckering as he scowled still scared the bejeezus out of him. Not that Aiden was about to let it show.
“Not now, Dad.” He started to push past him but Mike blocked his path. Aiden pulled his hat off and shook some of the water off of it. “I’m serious.” He tried again but his father stepped in front of him.
“Sit down.” His face was angry. His scar twitched.
Aiden knew he was pushing his luck. He unzipped his jacket and dropped it by the door, then sat on the edge of a chair, wishing he could follow Evan up the stairs.
Mike lowered himself onto the sofa with a heavy sigh. “I’m guessing that was Sadie.”
Aiden took off his cap and twisted it in his hands. “Yeah.”
“What did she want?”
He shrugged, refused to meet Mike’s eyes. “I don’t know.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
Aiden said nothing.
“Your plan is to let her go, then?”
Aiden’s anger sparked. “She let me go, Dad.” Shouldn’t everyone be able to see that? “I proposed to her, and she said no.”
“Yeah, well, you still brought her to your bed, didn’t you?”
Aiden ducked his head. “It’s what she wanted. It’s all she wanted.”
“Yeah. I’m sure you didn’t want that.” The sarcasm in Dad’s voice was thick.
Aiden lifted his chin, nostrils flaring. Mike had no right to corner him. He was the hurt party, here. And anyway, shouldn’t he be able to count on his own father taking his side? “I went through this with Harmony once already,” Aiden said, launching into the internal speech he’d given himself earlier. “The start and stall, the way she’d leave and come back—”