Page 76 of Not As Advertised

“What can I do to help?”

Aiden didn’t reply. I racked my brain. He’d want to get to the hospital as soon as possible. I could book him a flight while he got ready.

“I’m just going to head to the airport and get on the first flight they have for LA.” He paused for a minute, thinking. “Can you clear my calendar for the next couple of days? It’ll be faster if you do it rather than worrying about getting Miles up to speed. And let Jack know I’ll call him when I can to explain?”

The emotional distance between us increased when he gave me work tasks instead of answering what I could do to helphim. I did everything I could not to let the hurt show on my face. He didn’t need to deal with my issues right now.

I didn’t follow him when he returned to the bedroom to throw on some clothes and chuck a few more into an overnight bag. Instead, I unlocked my phone, which I’d brought down with me, and began searching for a flight. Next, I went to the front door, where he usually dropped his wallet when we got home, grabbed his card, and booked the flight.

By the time he made it back downstairs, his flight was confirmed, and his wallet was beside his phone on the coffee table.

“There’s a flight in two hours that I’ve just booked you a seat on. Hope you don’t mind. I grabbed your wallet from the front table while you were upstairs. I forwarded the boarding pass to your work email.”

“Thank you. You’re a lifesaver. Go back to sleep. Are you going to be okay to call a cab or an Uber in the morning?”

I nodded, and he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before he turned to walk to the front door.

“I’ll let you know when I get there, okay?” His stare was outside as he opened the door.

Biting my bottom lip, I wanted to say something to get him to look at me. But I couldn’t force out any words other than a goodbye.

“Okay, Aiden. Drive safely to the airport.”

“I will. Thank you.”

And he was gone.

Still in shock over Aiden’s abrupt departure, I sat frozen on the couch, trying to process what had just happened. Not that he should have stayed, but it was unbelievable how quickly it felt like everything had just changed in ways I couldn’t contemplate at 2:00 a.m.

I was tempted to call a cab to take me home at that very moment, but I didn’t feel safe getting in a stranger’s car in the middle of the night.

If I really needed to, I knew I could call Indie or Emery, but this wasn’t an emergency. Neither of them had their own car. Even though my feelings were overwhelming, there was nothing they could do about it in the middle of the night. All they would be able to do was worry.

I pulled the throw blanket off the back of the sectional and covered myself with it. I decided I’d sleep on the couch until it was light in the morning and then call an Uber to get home.

Several worrisome thoughts crept to the forefront of my mind. There was worry about Aiden’s niece and whether he’d make it to the airport in San Jose in time.

A small voice inside me echoed the worry about what it meant that he’d left without needing anything from me. Anyonecould have booked him a flight, but it felt like he’d turned away from me after he’d hung up. At the same time, it felt wrong to think of myself when there was so much going on, which only brought on feelings of guilt.

My chest muscles tight with anxiety, I gave up on sleeping. I opened my web cartoon app to reread one of the more heartwarming webcomics I followed. Not even Nick and Charlie could hold my focus for long.

My inner voice was louder than the narrative on my screen.

Why would he just leave like that? I wished he would have asked me to go with him.

Well, you can’t expect him to be thinking aboutyouwhen his niece is sick in another city, can you? That’s pretty selfish on your part.

Yeah, but we’ve been practically living together this last month, and he just… walked out.

Come on, give him a break. It’s not his job to take care of you right now. He’s thinking of his family.

Still, it hurts that he considers me such a satellite part of his life that he didn’t even think that I’d want to go with him to support him. He didn’t even touch me after getting the phone call! When something’s really wrong, don’t people need comfort?

Hey, don’t forget he kissed your head.

You’re being too dramatic and too needy right now. You’re thinking of yourself and not what he’s going through. What kind of person does that?

Round and round, the negative thoughts swirled in my head as I stared at the thick wooden beams that decorated Aiden’s ceiling. The ability to shut my brain off would have been a blessing. I could take a sleeping pill, but I had to be up in a few hours, and I didn’t want to have a cloudy head in the morning.

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