Stained Hearts

by Parker Williams

“Another person?”

  “He thinks I don’t know about the guy at school. I’d give anything to make the little bastard suffer. Aiden was devastated for months by it, and there wasn’t anything I could do to take away that pain.” She stood. “You can leave him sleep on the couch if you want. I’ll get him a blanket.”

  “No, he’d be more comfortable in his own bed.” I wiggled around until I could stand, then bent down and scooped him into my arms. “And for the record, I don’t need to make him feel special, because he is.”

  Before she could reply, I carried him to his room. I laid him on the bed, then wrestled him beneath the covers. I turned to leave, then thought better of it. I went back, bent down, and placed a kiss on his forehead. He tilted his head back, then relaxed onto the pillow.

  He looked so beautiful in repose. The difference between Aiden and Brian was night and day. Aiden was pale, with a few freckles on the bridge of his nose, and, as Mom said, cute as a bug. I reached out and tugged the covers up a bit higher, grinning when Aiden sighed.

  I gave him one more kiss on the forehead before I whispered, “Good night, Aiden.”

  “Mm. Night.”

  I left his bedroom, closing the door behind me.

  Olivia was on the couch, riffling through the bag of chocolates. She gave me a disgusted look. “Seriously?”

  “What? He likes chocolate.”

  “Oh, sure. What did you bring me?” She winked, and both of us broke up laughing.

  I sat next to her on the couch.

  “Did you want something to drink?”

  “No, but thank you for asking.” I regarded her curiously. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “What would you say if I told you I was thinking about asking Aiden out?”

  Her eyes popped open. “Like on a date?”

  “Yeah.” I put my hands in my lap to keep them from shaking. “I know I’m older than he is, and—”

  “And healthier. And have more money. And all kinds of other excuses I’m sure you’re going to throw out there. Let me tell you something, Tom. Do you want to know what would make me happy?”

  I swallowed hard. “Sure.”

  “For Aiden to be happy. For once in his life to finally find someone who cares for him. If you can do that, then I’m all for you asking him out.”

  “What if it doesn’t work between us?”

  “What if it does?” She reached over and cuffed me on the arm. “He’s a big boy. He’ll grieve, but eventually he’ll get over it. The thing is, at least there’ll be an ‘it’ to get over. I should warn you, though. Aiden is…. How can I put this?”

  “A big ball of energy wrapped up in a sugar-loving hamster?”

  “Yeah, that. He’s exuberant, and some days his hamster brain goes so fast, the wheel falls off and rolls over the cliff, where it crashes and burns at the bottom. You need to be sure you’re ready for that, because for most people it’s kind of a turnoff. It’s why he doesn’t have many friends besides Noel.”

  I hated the fact that people couldn’t see beyond their limited perceptions of who Aiden was.

  “I’ve experienced his brain, and I find it fascinating. He zips from one thing to the next, then zoom, he’s off on a different tangent. And it’s far from a turnoff, because it’s part of who he is.”

  She drew her lips into a tight, thin line. “If you want to date my brother, you’ve got my permission. To be honest, anyone else probably would have given up after his meltdown.”

  “He thinks he can’t be loved, but I know for certain he’s wrong.”

  “Oh? How so?”

  I nudged her with my elbow. “Because you love him, so that’s something right there.”

  She sighed. “Sometimes I think it’s hard for him to remember that. He gets frustrated when I… well, for lack of a better word, nag. I don’t mean to. I want him to get out and meet people, but he’s always been shy. Then that one lousy fucker played with his head so bad, it left him afraid to try again. And then, when he gets up the nerve to talk to a guy he likes….”

  “The guy scares him again. I get it. I was a dick, and I didn’t mean to be.”

  “Well, at least we can agree on that.” She snickered. “You weren’t. How could you know what he thought was going on between you? I’ve never seen him like that before. He was excited, and a few days he pushed me out the door so he could call you.” The silence between us stretched out longer than was comfortable. Fortunately, Olivia eventually clapped her hands, breaking the quiet. “What do you think about me pouring us a scotch and we dig into the chocolate?”

  “Those are for Aiden.”

  “And you think he’s going to miss one box?”

  “Do you honestly think we’re going to stop with one? Go pour.” I reached for the box of truffles and tore the plastic off. By the time it was unwrapped, Olivia was back with two glasses of amber liquid. I held the chocolates out and watched as she took one and bit into it.

  “Oh my God. Aiden’s going to freak. Is that orange?”

  “Yeah, it’s an orange liqueur. Good?”

  Her eyes widened. “Good? I don’t know that I’ve ever had an orgasm this amazing.”

  I cackled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  The two of us sat on that sofa, eating chocolate, sipping drinks, and talking about someone I hoped would forgive me enough to let us have a chance to know each other.

  Chapter Eight

  “YOU ATE all the chocolate?”

  I jerked upright to find Aiden leaning on his walker at the side of the couch. He was holding an empty box and glaring down at me.

  “You bastards ate all the chocolate. You didn’t even leave like one lousy maple? Nobody likes the damn maple.”

  The boxes were spread out on the table, and there wasn’t a shaving left. I groaned and sat up, Aiden still glaring at me. “I’m sure there’s something somewhere.”

  He picked up one box after another, turning each over and watching as the papers fluttered to the ground. “Thirty-seven kinds of chocolate, you said. You brought them for me, you said.” His eyes popped open. “The cocoa survived, right?”

  Guilt weighed heavy on me, and I turned away.

  “Oh, goddamn. You’re kidding? You drank the chocolate too?”

  “Actually I think we ate the powder. Or maybe we snorted it. I can’t be sure.” I groaned and rubbed my stomach. “In my defense, it was Olivia’s idea.”

  He put his hands on his hips and sneered. “Tell me you’re at least going to have the decency to get sick.”

  “Yeah, no. Sorry to disappoint.”

  He spun the walker around and headed for a closed door. When he got there, he slammed his fist on it. “Get out here, you traitor!”

  A few seconds later, the door swung wide, and Olivia stood there, her hair tangled and knotted. “What. The. Fuck.”

  “That’s what I want to know. You two ate all my chocolate?”

  She at least tried to affect innocence. “What? No. Of course not.” She looked to me for help.

  I shrugged and gave her a nod.

  “Oh, that’s why my mouth tastes awful.” She trudged toward the bathroom. “I need to brush.”

  “I can’t believe you!”

  She whirled around, looking more than a little green. “Deal with it, junior.” She stormed toward the bathroom, then looked over her shoulder. “For the record? It was good!”

  The door slammed, and Aiden grunted. “You both suck.” He hobbled over to the couch and flopped down, looking thoroughly dejected. “I can’t believe you two.”

  “Aiden—”

  He jutted out his lower lip. “I woke up and wanted chocolate-flavored sugar, and now I get to sit here disappointed.”

  “Aiden?”

  “And you?” He waggled a finger at me. “You’re the worst of all. You brought it in the house and teased me with it. Then you give it to my sister!”

  “Aiden!”

  “What!” His che
eks flushed. “Sorry. What?”

  “I happen to know that Lincoln makes a mean chocolate-chip pancake, and he’s been known to make them more chocolate than pancake.”

  He licked his lips. “Really?” He sighed. “I’m usually cranky after my pill, and last night I had three of them, so… yeah, there’s that. I’m sorry that I was in such a bad place last night, and I’m sorry I snapped this morning. I mean, I woke up in the mood for sugar, and it was all gone. I was bummed, but didn’t need to be a dick.” He turned a hopeful gaze toward me. “So, you’re talking a lot of chocolate, right?”

  “Yup. And I know for a fact that he keeps chocolate whipped cream under the counter for special guests.”

  “Chocolate….” He narrowed his gaze. “What are you doing? Getting back at me for being a jerk?”

  “No. I’m asking if you’d like to have breakfast with me.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry, are you…?”

  “Asking you out? Yes. Yes, I am.”

  His bottom lip wobbled. “Why?” He scooted away a bit. “When we talked last, you said I was a good friend.”

  “And you are.” I put a hand on his knee, hoping to keep him from moving farther away. “And you’re also someone I want to get to know better. I wasn’t kidding when I said you were a good friend, but the best relationships start by getting to know each other as friends.”

  He nibbled on his lip, reddening the skin.

  I reached out and stroked a thumb over it. “Don’t do that.”

  “Are you asking because you….” His eyes misted up. “We’re not going to get there and you’ve got a date waiting, right?”

  As I suspected, the scars still ran deep.

  “I can honestly say that I’m not interested in going out with anyone but you.” Then I thought about it and realized I needed to be honest with him. “You need to know, though. About a year and a half ago, my husband died. He had cancer.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you. That’s the reason I was nervous about asking you to go out. Plus, there’s the whole age difference.”

  “Are you going to ask me to call you daddy?”

  I reared back, horrified at the thought. “What? No!”

  Aiden chuckled. “Then I don’t think the difference in years means a whole lot.” He reached out and took my hand. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I like you. And I’ve got no problem taking things slow.”

  “Okay, then.” I stood up and pulled his walker closer. “Breakfast?”

  “And you’re going to be okay being seen in public with me?” He waved at the walker. “It doesn’t exactly scream date material.”

  The fact that he was willing to try spoke volumes, but the hesitancy, the hurt that others instilled in him, angered me. Why did people have to be such assholes?

  “I can carry you, if you prefer. The mode of conveyance doesn’t mean a damn thing. Neither does the opinion of other people. They’re not the ones I’ll be sitting down with.”

  He gripped the handles of his walker and pulled himself up. “Then let’s go have chocolate.”

  “You mean, breakfast.”

  He waved me off. “Potato, potahto.”

  “Should we ask Olivia to join us?”

  He scowled. “Are you going to ask your mother?”

  Now, that was a horrifying thought. I could just see her with Aiden. Oh God. The pinched cheeks, the hovering, the coddling. “Hell no.”

  “Then there you go.” He looked over his shoulder. “Livvy, Tom is taking me to breakfast. And guess what? You’re not invited!” He snickered. “Let’s get out of here before she comes after me.”

  With that, we hurried down the hall as fast as Aiden could go, both of us cackling the whole way.

  And I loved it.

  AFTER HIS third stack of pancakes, Aiden leaned back in the seat, rubbed his flat tummy, and groaned. “Oh, damn. I might not eat chocolate again for a month.”

  I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out the box of nonpareils that had fallen out of the bag in the car. “I guess I’ll ask Olivia if she wants these, then.”

  His eyes widened, and he drew in a breath. “Those are my favorites.”

  “You said chocolate cream donuts were your favorite.”

  He waved a dismissive hand. “That was before.” He pointed to the candy. “Those are my favorites now.” He wiggled his fingers. “Gimme.”

  I handed over the box, and he snatched it from me and proceeded to rip off the plastic. After tearing open the flap, he poured a mound of the confections into his hand and popped them into his mouth, giving a happy hum. It was fascinating, the way he threw himself into everything he did. Whether simple conversation or eating, Aiden lived in the moment and made each one count.

  “Do you like movies?”

  “What?” He ate the last of the candy straight from the box, then licked a bit of the chocolate from his lips. “Movies? Yes, I like them.”

  “What would you say if I asked you to go see one? With me.”

  He frowned. “I’m not sure.”

  “Me and you, a tub of popcorn loaded with butter and salt. I’d even spring for sodas and chocolates.”

  He was torn. I could tell.

  “I promise not to ditch you or meet up with someone else. You’ll have my entire attention, assuming you can handle that.”

  He blew out a breath. “You heard, huh?”

  “I did. What he did to you was beyond disgusting, and I’m sorry that happened.”

  When he ran a finger over the tabletop and refused to look up, I thought there was something he wasn’t saying.

  “Aiden? What’s going on?”

  He finally met my gaze, and there was pain in his expression. “You didn’t hear the worst of it. I never told anyone, not even Noel.”

  Oh, crap. What could be worse? “If you want to tell me, I’m here and won’t share.”

  Katy came by and refilled the coffee but didn’t stay to chat like she usually did.

  “His name was Tad. I thought… I mean, he seemed to like me, right? I thought he was laughing at my jokes, but it seems he was just laughing at me.” He sighed. “If anyone wondered if I was really that pathetic, they would have had their question answered when I confronted Tad and told him….” He grabbed his napkin and wiped his eyes. “I told him that I could understand him not wanting to be seen in public with me, but if he wanted to, you know, come over to my place….” He blew his nose. “Wow. Sounds even worse when I say it out loud.”

  I felt so bad for Aiden. I had no idea how hard it must have been growing up, first with parents who didn’t give a shit and then having to use a walker.

  “Should I even ask what he said?”

  The tears were leaving tracks on his cheeks now. “Oh, that’s the best part! He told me as long as my mouth worked, maybe he’d come over.” He broke down, sobbing. People in the diner were looking at us. “And… and… and… I said okay. I figured it was better than nothing, right?”

  Katy started toward us, but I held up my hand, bringing her to a halt.

  I got up, went to Aiden’s side, and held out my hand. I reached over with the other, grabbed his walker and brought it closer so he could get to it. “Come on. Let’s go to the park.”

  He gulped in air as he reached for the handles. “I’m such a fuckup.”

  He wasn’t. He was a young man who wanted—deserved—love.

  “I have to go.”

  He started for the door but stopped when I grabbed his arm.

  “Where are you going, Aiden?”

  The laugh was cold, mechanical. “Somewhere you won’t have to bother with me.”

  When I pulled him to my chest, the emotions he was struggling to contain burst free, and he threw his arms around my neck and clung for dear life. I stood there, in the middle of the diner, with people watching, and stroked his hair, whispering to him that I had him and he was okay.

  Lincoln came storming in from the kitchen and rushe
d for us. “What’s wrong with Aiden?”

  Whatever spell Aiden had been under cracked, and he realized where he was. His eyes went wide, and he pushed away from me. He reached for his walker, lost his balance, and fell forward onto the floor. “Fuck!” He slammed his hand down. “Why can’t I just be fucking normal?”

  Lincoln moved to get near him, but I blocked his path.

  “Leave him alone. I’ll take care of him.”

  Lincoln’s nostrils flared and I thought he was going to say something, but he gave a sharp nod, then turned to the customers. “Sorry, folks. Your breakfasts are on the house.”

  There were murmurs of appreciation from the crowd. Don’t bother with the crying young man, just worry about your fucking free food. Fortunately, I didn’t think Aiden was listening because I’m sure it would have made him feel worse knowing he’d impacted Lincoln’s business, or knowing that someone was paying for the other people’s food.

  I fished out my credit card. “I’ll pay for them.”

  He turned, and I could see understanding in his eyes. “We got this. Go take care of Aiden. He needs you.”

  A terse nod, and I rushed to Aiden, who was still lying in a heap on the floor. I was both grateful and angry that no one else had stepped up to help him.

  I knelt down, running a hand over his back. “Hey, come on. Let’s get you somewhere else.”

  He turned tear-filled eyes on me. “Gonna dump me at home? I can’t blame you.”

  When he struggled to stand, I slipped an arm under his legs and the other under his back, then hefted him up into my arms.

  “Put me down.” There was no heat to his words, and he was trembling.

  “No.” I pulled him a bit closer. “I don’t think you mean that.” I turned to Lincoln. “Could you ask Noel to put the walker in my car? The doors aren’t locked.”

  “No problem.” Lincoln came up to us. “Aiden, if you need us, you know where we’ll be. Okay?”

  His head jerked up and down, but he didn’t say anything.

  I took him out the door, the guests still staring, and walked him across the street to the park. All the way, people watched us, and not one fuck was given. I walked over to the pond and put him down on the bench, then sat beside him.