She knew she was close to her parent’s house, there was no reason she couldn’t walk home. It was still warm enough that she could make it home without worrying she would freeze, or she could call and ask for a ride…
But, when she shifted to do exactly that, he tightened his grip and rolled towards her.
Fuck.
She couldn’t just leave him like that, not after everything they’d admitted in the dark last night. She couldn’t remember falling asleep because they’d stayed up and talked for hours, sharing things neither one probably meant to.
It made her feel a little more human and a little less vulnerable about sleeping with him so soon, but she still had no idea what the hell to say now. Did she have to do a walk of shame? Was that a real thing?
Did it only count if it was a one night stand, and they were still strangers? He’d spoken like he had every intention of seeing her again, and they didn’t feel like strangers, so…?
Closing her eyes, Lynn settled back against his side. She didn’t exactly want to leave, and she figured if he had to work, he probably had his alarm clock set. No need to wake him up before his shift at the garage started. She’d feel like a real ass if she did that.
He sighed in his sleep and nuzzled his nose against the top of her head.
Inside, she was screaming, because she wasn’t used to allowing people into her space like that. But, she had to admit that it wasn’t so bad. He didn’t feel like he wanted to hurt her, his hold on her was gentle, and if he didn’t care in some respect, he would have been up and ready for her to leave already.
Her mind settled slowly as she drifted back to sleep, her palms pressed to Aiden’s bare chest.
∞∞∞
The sun was up by the time both of them woke up, Lynn on her side and Aiden spooning her from behind. She’d put her clothes back on at some point during the night, and he was still in his boxers, so Lynn felt more comfortable than she would have if they were still naked. She wasn’t really ready for anyone to see her naked in the daylight, that was for sure.
“Good morning,” He said softly.
“Good morning,” She whispered.
“You sleep okay?”
She nodded.
“Yeah. You’re a cuddler and you talk in your sleep though, didn’t expect that,” She said with a small laugh.
“Well, that’s embarrassing,” He chuckled.
She patted his hand affectionately.
“It was cute, didn’t bother me.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve slept next to anyone, so I apologize in advance for anything I say or do when I’m asleep.”
She didn’t think that was necessary, but she didn’t say that.
He rolled over and stretched, reached for his phone.
“Shit, it’s getting late. I have to get to work soon, I said I’d be in at nine. If I had more time I’d made us breakfast, but…,” He trailed off as he looked over at her.
“It’s fine, I should get back to my car and head home. Check on Jessica, make sure she survived the night.”
He nodded as he laughed and stood, pulling on his uniform for work. She watched out of the corner of her eye, unsure of how to proceed.
Do I kiss him?
Do I shake his damn hand?
Fuck, but she felt awkward.
She began to pull her belongings together; earrings, panties, her purse. She stuffed everything inside her bag and moved towards the front door so she could put her shoes on…which were still in the car.
Knowing she’d have to get her feet wet, she pulled the door open and headed for his truck anyways, wincing at the wetness between her toes. She hated that feeling, but it was better than loitering inside and letting the awkwardness rise between the both of them.
So, you did it.
You promised yourself you would wait for something truly special, and then you slept with him the first night you two hung out.
“Fuck, I’m an idiot,” She spoke softly to herself.
When she stepped back inside, he glanced at her questioningly. She held up her shoes and bent forward to put them on. Her line of vision met his discarded hat from the night before, and she couldn’t help but blush.
It didn’t matter how fucking magical the night before felt to her if it was the only night they ever shared, because she gave it up like a hussy.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
“You okay?”
She looked up, unaware of the fact that he’d obviously been studying her.
“Yeah, I’m just tired. A little hungry too, but I’ll grab something on the way back to my apartment.”
He just nodded and wrangled up his own belongings. Wallet, keys, she watched as he stepped into his trusty work boots.
“Okay, you ready to go?”
She nodded silently.
He motioned for her to step outside first, and she did, walking directly to his truck without hesitation. As she slid inside, he looked around.
“You hid that money, didn’t you?”
She nodded slowly.
He just laughed and shook his head.
Lynn settled in for their ride, unsure of what she was supposed to do now. Make small talk? Bring up their awesome sex from the night before?
“Ya know, when my sister mentioned you to me a couple of months back, I kind of blew her off. I was sure I’d fuck up your guys’ friendship if I dated any of her friends. I was also a little hesitant, because I didn’t know if you’d be as amazing as she made you out to be.”
She looked up at him, surprised.
“I had a good time last night.”
She smiled.
“Better than all those one night stands you apparently have?”
He rolled his eyes and looked at her seriously.
“Don’t believe everything you hear. Last night was the first time I’ve been with anyone in a year and a half, and I have a good reason for it.”
“I don’t believe everything I hear.”
“Must not, because here you are, with me anyways. I’m not that kind of guy and I don’t want you to think I am.”
She didn’t know what to say other than, “ I don’t think you’re like that. I didn’t know, obviously, because all I’ve had is word of mouth to go off of. But, I had a good time last night, too.” He laughed.
“You were hammered.”
“Not too drunk to know what I was doing, I assure you.”
He looked over at her again, and she was awestruck for a second.
“Yeah?”
She nodded, smiled.
“Yeah.”
Aiden didn’t say anything for a while as they drove, Jessica’s house getting closer and closer.
“I’m not the kind of guy that’s gonna blow up your phone. I don’t want you to think that because I didn’t message you, that I wasn’t interested. I was. I just didn’t know if you were, too.”
Music to my ears.
Lynn smiled at that.
“I’m the same way. I figured if you wanted to talk to me, you’d let me know, and then Jessica took matters into her own hands.”
He laughed, nodding.
“Yeah, she’s a great wing-woman. She just left you with me!”
Lynn couldn’t deny that because that’s definitely what happened, but could she really be mad about it? She’d gotten the best end result she could have gotten, no matter how anxious the impulsive decision made her.
“I’ll have to thank her when I see her today,” She joked.
“Same,” He said as they pulled into Jessica’s driveway.
Lynn eyed her car across the street and glanced at him.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem.”
They gazes met over the center console, the same one she’d used to hoist herself into his lap only hours before, and she blushed. Feeling nervous as hell, she opened the truck door and hopped out, unsure of how to react- and then swiftly climbed back inside to kiss him.
She could
clearly see the surprise on his face, and the pleasure, as he kissed her back.
When she pulled away, he smiled.
“Thanks for the dick!”
Mortification flooded her system as he responded with a laugh and a, “Thanks for the pussy.”
Oh fucking Christ, I said that out loud-
She slammed his door closed and waited until he pulled away to head to her own car, where she promptly pulled the rearview mirror in her own direction so she could see her reflection.
“We talked about this! We promised ourselves we would save ourselves for Jesus before we gave it up so early!”
She felt so stupid now that she was alone with herself. Yes, she was a grown ass woman, and could do whatever she wanted to. Yes, Aiden was a grown ass man and there was nothing wrong with that they did.
Still, Lynn never went home with a man she wasn’t even dating! Looking over, she saw that Jessica’s car was still in the driveway, and it was more than likely way too early for her to be awake.
So, she texted her instead.
Lynn: I did a thing last night, and it’s all your fault!
She didn’t get a response, and she knew that she wouldn't, because it was obvious that Jessica wasn’t awake yet, and she probably wouldn't be for hours. It was still early as far as hangover time went, so she more than likely had at least a few hours before she heard back from her.
Still, it felt like an eternity as Lynn drove back to her empty apartment, only stopped for breakfast along the way.
How can I possibly be this hungry after all the tequila I drank last night?
Her phone dinged as she was walking through her front door, and she hurried to set her food down before swiping her fingers across the large screen.
Aiden: Looks like I'll have to use that twenty dollars for a turtleneck since you decided to mark me!
Lynn choked on her morning coffee when a picture came through next, one of a large black hickey on the side of his neck.
Drunk Lynn was apparently a bad, bad girl...
Still, she couldn’t help but laugh at the photo, wondering how in the hell she was able to mark him with a hickey that large in the short time they were rolling around the bed together. She almost felt a sense of pride as she eyed the photo before she texted him back.
Lynn: I won't lie and say I'm sorry.
There, that was to the point, right? Nothing says 'I hope we get to fuck some more,' like taking the credit for a hickey the size of Texas on the side of his neck. She thought about that all the way back to her bedroom, where she sprawled out across her bed, food in hand.
Yeah, she'd had a long night. She'd gone all in with a complete stranger that didn’t feel like a stranger and still she was confused about it.
She was still confused fifteen minutes later, when she drifted off to sleep, phone in hand.
Chapter 9
Green eyes were narrowed in on Aiden from across the parking lot. He had no idea she was there, but now wasn’t the time to reveal herself.
Now wasn’t the time for much of anything…yet.
She’d seen him with that whore from the bar, Jessica’s friend. It made her lip curl in disgust at the thought of him sharing anything with that slut, but she couldn’t change that it happened.
She couldn’t do much of anything until she had a little more to work with.
Aiden had no idea what she had in store for him and his little plaything, no idea at all. She was going to make him hurt as badly as he’d made her hurt. He was going to suffer as much as possible by the time she was done with him, and that was a promise.
She lit a cigarette and watched him speak to a customer, a smile on his face. She remembered the way his mouth felt against her skin, the way his breath hitched when he said her name. Sure, it’d been a while, but she knew him. Better than any bar-hopping-tramp could ever know him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and smiled down at the screen like he’d just read the funniest joke on the planet, and it made her stomach curdle with jealousy.
There was no way he’d fall for the new girl. He didn’t do relationships; that’s what he told her. He’d told her he didn’t have the time to put into a relationship, and since then, he’d been single…until the one from the other night came into the picture.
At first, she’d been okay with him seeing other women. She knew in her heart that they’d get back together, of course they would.
He loved her.
He had to.
He just didn’t realize it, yet.
Her green eyes combed over every inch of Aiden as she smoked her cigarette down to the filter. She’d done this so many times, and never gotten caught, that she was completely comfortable with the sunlight beating down on her pale skin. She was fine with the fact that if he turned and looked slightly to the left, he would more than likely see her.
“He’s mine,” She whispered to herself as she flicked her cigarette out the window.
Aiden would be hers again, no matter the circumstances, and that was a promise she knew she could keep.
Chapter 10
Lynn stretched her arms over her head and sighed. It was early Monday morning, and she didn’t have anything to do other than get back to work. She hadn’t heard from Aiden all weekend apart from a couple of back and forth texts, but she figured it was high time she stop obsessing and get her ass into gear. There was no reason she had to put her life on hold anymore, they’d already gone as far as any couple could go.
Don’t dwell on the fact that you let him milk your cow.
She cringed at the crude analogy her brain had handed over like a present as she started her coffee pot and waited for the steaming nectar to finish filling her cup.
Her apartment was filled with sunlight today, and thankfully it was clean. She didn’t have many chores to get done besides doing a load of dishes, and that wouldn’t take much of her time up anyways.
Her phone dinged as she lifted it from the counter.
Aiden: Hey, I know you’re probably busy, but I would love to see your crazy ass again. Let me know when you’re free, I’ll be around.
Lynn choked on her coffee, unsure if she should be offended or not. That was either the rudest or the most romantic summoning she’d ever received.
“Okay then,” She said as she swiped her fingers over the screen.
Lynn: I’m free whenever you are, just let me know.
Aiden didn’t text her back right away, and that was fine, because she needed to brush her hair and put her makeup on so she could feel at least semi-human again.
Looking in the mirror, she decided to push her hair back in a headband and call it a day.
Ding!
She read the response she’d gotten from Aiden.
Aiden: I’m not really up for going out to the bar, but if you want me to meet you some place I will. Or, we could just hang out here.
Here being his place, where she’d already been…naked.
She couldn’t tell if it was a booty call he wanted, or to actually get to know her, but she supposed it wouldn’t hurt to find out. She didn’t have plans for the evening, so why not?
Lynn: I’ll meet you at your place, what time?
Aiden: After 6:30 work?
Lynn: See ya then
Simple, sweet, and to the point.
After thinking about it all weekend, Lynn decided to find her backbone again. Either it would work out or it wouldn’t, and either way she’d be fine. Disappointed as hell, but fine, because if she could survive what she’d already been through, she could survive anything.
She finished applying her makeup, and once she was satisfied, she picked up her laptop and got to typing. She had no point to her newest book, only her most recent trauma to fuel the fire beneath her fingertips.
It was hard, sure, to use such personal pieces of herself to tell a story. But, it was almost therapeutic, because she could put it all out there sprinkled amongst the pages, and she didn’t have to discuss it any further.
; If anyone wanted to know the truth, all they had to do was look for it.
Read between the lines.
It wasn’t that hard for her to get to work as she immersed herself in her own fictional world where loved always reigned supreme and happiness always won out.
∞∞∞
Lynn adjusted her cardigan as she pulled her boots on. She wasn’t running late, yet, but if she dallied anymore then she would be.
Aiden was already waiting for her at his place across town, and she hadn’t even started driving yet.
She briefly wondered what he had planned for them.
Okay, she knew damn well he more than likely had noting planned, because he wasn’t that kind of guy, but she liked him anyways.
She typed his address into her GPS because her sober brain wouldn’t be able to find his house with a map and a pair of binoculars. She still had no idea how they’d gotten to his place from where they started, but it didn’t matter now.
The roads were packed, and she realized it was rush hour traffic she was fighting through. She should have known she’d hit rush hour before she left, but oh well. She still had time, and neither her nor Aiden were in a rush.
Although, she was starting to get nervous. It got worse with every mile forward, too, and there was nothing she could do stop it. She hadn’t liked anyone since Jake, and that meant a lot.
She wasn’t looking for someone to fill a void or occupy her boredom. She was done with playing guessing games, and all she was looking for was something concrete that she could hold on to.
Aiden had told her he was looking for the same thing, so…
When she pulled up to the first of his house, she hurried to turn down the radio and make sure it was the right one…
And, saw him sitting outside watching her.
She squealed to herself as she hurriedly rolled up her windows and tried to look busy. His gaze didn’t leave her as she stepped out of her car and rounded the other side, choosing to walk right across the grass instead of using the driveway.
The house looked noticeably different when Lynn was sober, something that had her giggling.
“What’s so funny?,’ He asked.
She gestured towards his house.
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