by Jae
Kade quickly moved away from Del, suddenly very conscious of their closeness.
"Thank you," Del said lamely in answer to Sophie's compliment. "I'll go and have that shower now." She strode away, and Kade self-consciously kept her gaze off the long, muscular legs.
"Your friend..." Sophie began. "How long have you known each other?"
Kade looked at her in alarm. Why is she asking about Del? Did she see? Does she suspect anything?
But her mother didn't seem upset, just deeply in thought.
"A few months. Why are you asking?" Kade regarded her suspiciously.
"Oh, I thought it would be longer than that. She just... she seems to know you so well," Sophie said, looking at the point where Del had disappeared around the corner.
Compared to you, even the janitors in my office building know me well. Still, her mother was right. In just a few months, Del had gotten to know her well. "She does. Del made every effort to understand and accept me." Only lately had she begun to realize how important that was to her – how important Del was becoming.
"It's a good thing to have in your life," Sophie said, much to Kade's surprise. "I need a shower too." With that, she quickly walked away, leaving a baffled Kade behind.
CHAPTER 31
AIDEN TOOK A sidelong glance at Dawn as they slowly walked toward the house. They had never visited Evan together before. Dawn had spent at least one afternoon each week with Evan, and Aiden had gotten better at visiting her too, but until now, they had never gone to visit her as a couple.
It shouldn't have been a big deal, but Aiden felt strangely self-conscious about it. She was unsure how to act toward Dawn in front of Evan. She didn't want to give Evan any room for wisecracks about their relationship by indulging in PDAs, but she hadn't said anything to Dawn, afraid of hurting her. Also, visiting a family member together and accepting Evan into the family seemed to be one of the "steps" toward a long-term commitment about which Dawn had talked.
"Stop worrying," Dawn said, picking up on Aiden's mood. "Evan will still be here. Her foster parents decided to give Evan another chance, and I doubt they are going to change their minds, especially after you called them to talk about it again."
That wasn't what Aiden had worried about. She had finally convinced Jill and Roger that punishing Evan any further or throwing her out would only encourage her to hide things better and make sure not to get caught in the future. They had agreed to give Evan another chance and start again with a clean slate.
Dawn reached for Aiden's hand and squeezed it encouragingly as they stopped at the front door.
Stop being so goddamn self-conscious! Aiden scolded herself and gently squeezed back.
Jill let them in.
Aiden barely resisted asking her how Evan had been and if she had caused any more trouble since they had last seen each other. Trust her not to fuck up again, she repeated to herself what Dawn had told her a dozen times.
"Evan is upstairs in her room," Jill told them. She wasn't as enthusiastic to see them as she had been at the very beginning, but she was also not as resigned and skeptical as she had been just a few days ago.
Aiden felt Jill and Roger were finally beginning to develop a more realistic outlook on Evan and on the big sister of whom they had expected so much. At the beginning, they had been overjoyed to find out Evan had a sister because they had thought it would instantly change things for the better. They had expected Aiden to work a miracle, and when it didn't happen, they were disappointed – in Evan, in Aiden, and in themselves. Only now were they beginning to realize Evan needed time and trust from them too, not just from Aiden.
"I know she's still grounded, but it's such a nice day outside. We wondered if you would make an exception just for this afternoon and let her go out for a few hours under our supervision?" Dawn asked with the soft smile Aiden could never refuse.
Jill thought about it for a moment. "I suppose she deserves a little reward. She voluntarily gave up the last of her marijuana yesterday. We didn't even know she had another bag hidden somewhere. Yes, taking her out for a few hours would be okay," she decided with a smile.
Aiden and Dawn exchanged a grin, glad to hear Evan was doing the right thing even without any outside pressure. They made their way upstairs and knocked on Evan's door.
Evan was lounging on her bed again, lazily flipping through a book without reading much of it. She grinned when she saw Dawn and gave a more reserved nod to Aiden.
"Hey, you," Dawn said. She stopped and directed an expectant glance at Aiden, letting her do the talking.
"We thought you might like to go for a walk or do something else with us," Aiden said. She still felt a little awkward and insecure interacting with Evan. She was good with kids, but talking to teenagers didn't come naturally to her. "Jill already okayed it."
Evan didn't look as happy as Aiden had expected. "Go for a walk?" she repeated, looking as though they had suggested a walk over glowing embers.
"Or do something else," Aiden said again. Apart from the driving lessons, she didn't know what to do with Evan.
"We could go skating," Dawn said. "I have my skates and the rest of the equipment outside in the car."
Evan still didn't seem overly enthusiastic, and Aiden was almost glad about it. She wasn't exactly eager to go roller-skating either.
"I bet she doesn't even have skates," Evan said, pointing at Aiden.
"No, 'she' doesn't," Aiden confirmed with a sarcastic undertone, letting Evan know she didn't appreciate being talked about in the third person.
Dawn was unimpressed by their objections. Her enthusiasm was unbroken. "I thought she could borrow your old ones," she said to Evan.
"Old ones?" Evan's brow furrowed. "I only have one pair."
A mischievous smile deepened the dimples on Dawn's cheeks. "Not any more. I drove by that little shop yesterday and got you the skates you said you wanted when we were there to pick out mine. I hope that's okay?"
Evan blinked. "Yeah, it's... it's great, of course, but I didn't fulfill my part of the deal yet, and I don't want charity," she said gruffly.
Deal? Aiden wondered. She's acting like they're businesswomen, not friends.
"Oh, you mean I haven't learned how to skate yet?" Dawn gave her a challenging grin. "You'll just have to wait and see. I'll skate circles around you today."
"Ha!" Evan snorted but didn't say anything else.
Dawn moved closer and sat down next to her on the bed. "I thought you'd be happy to get out of here for a while," she said quietly, almost sounding a little disappointed.
It tugged at Aiden's heartstrings, and she suspected it didn't leave Evan cold either. Maybe Evan didn't want to go skating with her. Maybe she wanted it to be something she only shared with Dawn. "You two could go skating without me," she suggested. "I've never been skating before and would only slow you down."
"You've been ice-skating," Dawn said.
"Oh, yeah – exactly twice in my life. Remember our first date? It's a wonder you wanted anything to do with me after the way I humiliated myself on the ice that day." Aiden exaggeratedly shook her head.
Dawn grinned. "You were cute."
Evan abruptly stood. "Do you want to reminisce about the happy days of your courtship, or do you want to go skating?" she asked with a gruffness she often displayed when feeling a little uncomfortable.
Aiden could understand that. She didn't want to hear the intimate details about her sister's possible relationship with Kade's niece either. That thought made her think of something. "We can even drive by Laurie's and see if she wants to come with us, then you don't have to be alone with us old grannies," she offered.
"Hey, speak for yourself, sweetheart," Dawn protested. "I'm still young and spry."
Half an hour later, they put on their skates at the edge of the almost empty skate park. While Aiden was still trying to figure out the buckles and get used to the stiff plastic that didn't allow her to bend her feet, Evan and Dawn were already racing around in
wide circles. Jesus Christ! Is that what they have been doing all month? It seemed a little dangerous and made her worry about Dawn, but she could hear Dawn's laughter as she raced along side by side with Evan, her blond hair trailing in the wind behind her. My God, she's so beautiful, so full of life and joie de vivre, the sudden thought shot through her mind. I hope I never do anything to make her lose that.
"They're really good at this," a timid voice said next to her, interrupting Aiden's brooding.
Aiden turned to look at Laurie Matheson. It was strange to see the familiar Matheson features with such a timid expression. She had never seen these self-doubts on Kade's face. Because she never lets you see them, not because she doesn't have them.
"If we try hard enough, I bet we could be just as good in a few weeks," Aiden tried to encourage her. She offered Laurie her hands, and they struggled to their feet, awkwardly balancing each other.
Dawn expertly came to a stop next to them. "Need a little help?" She pointed over her shoulder. "Evan is an excellent teacher. She'll have you skating in no time."
A slight blush crawled up Evan's face. She was visibly pleased about Dawn's compliment, but at the same time, she looked a little uncomfortable at being handed the job of teaching a whole class of skating novices. "First, I need you to let go of each other. You can't skate if you cling to each other like scared rabbits."
Aiden looked at Laurie with a shrug and slowly let go of her.
"Now lean forward a little. Not too much, just bend at the waist." Evan corrected Laurie's position with a hand on her back but didn't touch Aiden. "Bend your arms too. You use them to build up momentum. Now step off with one foot and just skate in a slow rhythm." She demonstrated it.
Laurie was the first one to try it. It went well enough until she wanted to stop and didn't know how. She flailed her arms, overbalanced, and fell. "Ouch," she mumbled as she rubbed her backside.
Evan helped her up. "Now you," she ordered, nodding at Aiden.
"Did I mention that I don't like skating?" Aiden grumbled. "Ice-skating was bad enough, but at least falling on the ice was not so bad. If I fall now..." She stared at the rough, hard concrete. "This could really, really hurt."
"Falling might hurt, but it doesn't mean you should let that keep you from trying," Dawn said calmly.
Aiden stared at her. Is she talking about skating or about commitment? she wondered.
"Come on, fearless Warrior Princess, try it!" Dawn prodded.
Aiden sighed and carefully pushed off with one foot. Quickly, she put it back on the ground and skated along with both feet firmly on the ground for about a yard.
"Push off again!" Evan called. "Alternate your feet."
Evan looked entirely too amused for Aiden's liking. Calm down, she told herself. Don't get angry at her just because she enjoys being better than you at something. Dawn had told her it was good for Evan to realize others weren't infallible either and could still be loved.
Aiden pushed off again and began to skate. Left, right, left, right. Hey, this isn't so bad after all!
"Don't look at your feet!" Evan ordered.
Aiden looked up. The movement shifted her balance, and she fell backward.
Strong hands grabbed her flailing arm and kept Aiden upright.
When she had found her balance again, Aiden looked up and into Evan's brown eyes. "Phew! Thank you."
Evan quickly let go of her and gave a short nod.
They skated for a while, and after landing on her ass or her kneepads a few times, Aiden's fear of falling finally lessened.
"Are you two okay alone for a few minutes? The doc wants to try the half-pipe again," Evan finally announced.
Aiden's eyes widened, and she stared at Dawn in disbelief.
Dawn gave her a brave grin. "Relax. I did it before."
"You fell when you did it before," Aiden said with concern.
"She'll be fine," Evan said, softly touching Dawn's arm. "I wouldn't let her try it if I thought she couldn't do it."
Aiden was touched and also a little amused by the tender care Evan bestowed on Dawn. "All right. We'll watch from over here. Be careful, please," she said to Dawn.
Dawn nodded, her face already a mask of concentration. She followed Evan over to the half-pipe and climbed onto the platform.
Aiden felt all her muscles tense as she watched Dawn inch toward the edge and look down at the steep ramp. Evan took up position right next to her. She spoke to Dawn and pointed at the half-pipe, obviously explaining something. Finally, Evan gave one last nod and moved back a little.
Visibly nervous, but equally determined, Dawn rolled closer to the edge.
Aiden's fingernails drilled into her palm. She only dully noticed it, her whole concentration on Dawn.
Dawn gave a little hop and raced down the ramp.
A crashing sound and a pained cry pierced the silence.
Aiden froze. After a second, her training kicked in, and she forced herself to look away from Dawn – who had safely reached the flat part of the half-pipe – and searched for the source of the cry.
Laurie, who had circled around the half-pipe to get a better view when Aiden had last seen her, was lying on the ground now, whimpering in pain.
Evan raced down the half-pipe, almost falling herself in her haste to get to Laurie. "Hey, you okay?" She very gently helped her sit up.
Only seconds after Evan, Dawn knelt down next to Laurie and examined her with fingers that were a little shaky.
Aiden, who had to circle around the half-pipe, was the last one to reach them, just as Laurie sat up. She saw the blood that dripped from an abrasion on Laurie's forearm, right between where the wrist guard and the elbow pad protected her arm. Sucking in a breath, Aiden moved toward Laurie.
Quickly, Dawn stood and blocked her way. "No." She put a hand on Aiden's shoulder. "I don't think she's badly injured. Let Evan handle it."
Aiden looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Does she even know what to do?" Staying back, doing nothing was not Aiden's forte. She was used to taking charge in situations like this.
"We're at the skate park – that means Evan is in charge, not you. If she wants or needs your help, she'll tell you," Dawn said firmly.
Sighing, Aiden watched Evan gently strip the protective gear off Laurie's hands, knees, and elbows. She pressed a tissue Dawn handed her to the bleeding scrape on Laurie's forearm and brushed tiny pieces of gravel and dirt off Laurie's jeans, softly talking to her the whole time.
Dawn is right. She's handling this well, Aiden realized with a little bit of pride. There was nothing she could have done to help Laurie that Evan wasn't already doing.
Finally, Evan looked up, her lips a thin line. "I think her wrist is broken," she said, sounding upset.
Oh, shit! Aiden looked down at Laurie, who by now was crying tears of pain and fear. And I'm the one who gets to tell her parents – and Kade. Great! "We better take her to a hospital to check it out. Can you walk?" she asked the distraught girl.
Dawn nudged her. "She hurt her wrist, not her legs, sweetie."
Evan took off Laurie's skates and looked up at the two adults. "Can one of you get her shoes from the car?"
Once again impressed by her younger sister and how she handled the situation, Aiden nodded, but then glanced down at her own feet.
"I'll go," Dawn offered and skated over to the car to get their shoes.
When Dawn returned, Aiden and Evan took off their skates and put their shoes back on, then helped Laurie with hers. While Aiden helped Laurie with the right shoe, Evan slipped Laurie's left foot into the other. Their gazes met over Laurie's outstretched legs, and Aiden gave her a nod of appreciation.
Evan gently helped Laurie up. With Evan on one side of Laurie and Aiden on the other, they slowly made their way to the car. Dawn trailed behind them, carrying the skating equipment.
Taking the fastest route to the nearest hospital, Aiden glanced in the rearview mirror a few times. Laurie was pale but had stopped crying. Next t
o her, Evan looked at least as grim. Her face was a stony façade of guilt and anger at herself that Aiden knew only too well.
The only person in the car who at least looked calm was Dawn. I didn't realize she was that good in a crisis. Aiden took a second sidelong glance at Dawn and slowly realized Dawn wasn't as calm and unworried as she appeared to be. Her face was relaxed, but as a psychologist, she was good at hiding her own emotions and keeping a neutral expression. It was the tension in her hands, holding on to the side of the passenger seat much tighter than necessary, that gave her away. She acts like there's nothing to worry about, because she knows Laurie will pick up on what she's projecting and will calm down. And Evan is already feeling guilty enough without her secret hero acting like she did some irreversible damage to Laurie.