Hard to Handle (Love in the Balance 2)

Aiden shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I can’t do this again.”

Shane’s phone buzzed and Keena announced into the intercom, “Mr. Alberts is here.”

“I’ll be down in a minute,” Shane answered. He let go of the button. Aiden stood to leave. When he reached the door, he halted at the sound of Shane’s voice.

“Crickitt gave me one more chance than I deserved,” he said. “Just one.”

Aiden swallowed hard and nodded without turning around. Then he opened the door and let himself out.

* * *

“Drinks at Bo’s Tavern,” Perry said, leaning into Sadie’s cubicle on Friday evening. He frowned at her. “What’s wrong with you?”

She was numb, that’s what was wrong with her. This time, when Aiden walked out, she hadn’t cried. Hadn’t curled into a ball and wept like last time. Also unlike last time, she hadn’t had to ignore his calls and texts, because none had come. He’d shut her out completely.

And the horrible, awful truth was that she understood why. And she didn’t blame him one bit. He’d been nothing but transparent and loving and she’d been her normal, obstinate self, hiding behind her Great Wall of No Emotion. Which may have been cute when she’d first met Aiden. May have been endearing after they’d spent a little more time together. But now? Now that sex was in the picture…now that Aiden had declared his love for her…yeah, not so much.

Perry cleared his throat and Sadie mumbled something about having plans tonight. She gathered her things, left the building, and climbed into her car. But instead of going home for the fourth lonely night in a row, she drove to Crickitt’s house. Maybe if the pool was installed, Sadie could drown herself in it.

She knocked on the front door, still unsure of what she’d say, and pretty sure Crickitt already suspected something was up. Aiden was Shane’s cousin, after all. Word had to have traveled.

Crickitt opened the door, dressed in a casual cotton dress. “Sadie. Hi.” She frowned, gave Sadie a once-over. “Were we supposed to go out tonight?”

“No. I just stopped by.”

Crickitt conked her head. “Brain not functioning lately, I’m telling you.” She stepped aside and Sadie walked in, admiring what Crickitt had done with the place. She’d moved into Shane’s monochrome world and infused it with color. From the paintings on the walls, to cherished knickknacks, Crickitt’s eclectic style was showcased in each room.

They crossed to the kitchen, and Crickitt opened the narrow wine cooler on the far wall. “Red or white?”

“What will get me drunk the fastest?”

Crickitt slid her a smile and extracted a bottle, using an electric wine opener to uncork it. She poured Sadie a glass of red and joined her at the counter. “All right. What’s going on?”

Sadie looked at her glass and frowned. “Aren’t you having any?”

Crickitt shook her curls. “I have to write up a proposal tonight. I’d better not. So…?”

Sadie took a drink from her glass. The wine sat in her mouth, flavorless, tasteless. Like everything else in her life since Aiden had walked off her stoop and rode off into the rain. Even the sun didn’t feel warm on her skin anymore.

She blinked over at Crickitt who sat, eyebrows elevated in anticipation.

“Aiden and I had sex,” Sadie blurted. “A lot of sex.”

Crickitt smiled and inhaled, probably to squee, but then her face fell. “You don’t look happy about it. Was it…bad?”

“What? No. It was amazing. I mean, I don’t have anything to compare it to, but if it got any better, he would’ve had to poke me with a stick when he finished to see if I was still alive.”

Crickitt laughed but sobered quickly. “I don’t understand. You look miserable.”

“I am miserable.” Sadie gave her the rundown. The abandoned ballroom, Aiden’s bedroom, the tree house, her apartment…all the way up to the part when he demanded to know how she felt about him. “I couldn’t say it, Crickitt. I couldn’t say it because I don’t know. I knew once…but then Aiden hurt me so badly…” She shook her head. “And Trey…I thought I was in love then, but how could I love someone who would do that to me?” She took a breath. “Aiden”—saying his name hurt, but she said it again anyway—“Aiden keeps saying it. That he loves me, that he loves me so much. He looks into my eyes and into my soul and—”

Sadie’s breath hitched and fat tears escaped her eyes. She covered her mouth as she sobbed. Ah, there they were. She knew they were in there somewhere. A few minutes under Crickitt’s shimmering, doe-eyed stare and Sadie loses all control. The woman could bring water from a rock.