Page 40 of Skylar

“Yeah. That.”

“Well, right now, you need to be more aware of what’s going on,” Aiden said. “For your niece's and my daughter’s sake.”

“That is just so weird,” Cole said. “I really can’t believe you’re Shiloh’s birth father. I don’t know how to feel. I mean, I’m mad at you for how you treated Skylar, but I’m also mad at her for not saying anything. I’m speechless actually.”

“Be great if you stayed that way,” Aiden said.

“Hah,” Cole replied. “Don’t think you’re going to get off that easy.”

“Jay and Wilder have both lectured me already.”

“And what did Skylar do?”

“Well, even though she contacted me to see if I’m a match for a stem cell transplant for Shiloh, I think she actually hates my guts.”

“You can’t be surprised by that.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Have the two of you managed to have any conversations about what happened back then?”

“None that have felt positive.”

“This explains so much,” Cole mused.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s just changed a lot from how she was in high school. Since then, she’s refused to talk about you, and I always just assumed it was because you two broke up. I’m going to guess that’s not the case.”

“It was definitely partly because of that. Our breakup was… not so great.”

“Why?”

“I told her that we were young, and we would probably meet people who were better suited for each of us.”

“Hmmm. So essentially, you told her that you thought you could do better than her, because I doubt she thought she could do better than you.”

“You’re right,” Aiden said. He had to start taking accountability for what had happened with Skylar, and everything that followed. “I was immature and convinced that the best of my life was yet to come.”

“I suppose I can’t blame you for feeling that way,” Cole said. “We all kind of did.”

“You were just smart enough to not get into relationships in high school when we really weren’t mature enough to handle them. Or rather, I wasn’t mature enough.”

“I’m still just a little shocked by everything,” Cole said. “And I’m surprisedyoudidn’t say something to me.”

Aiden pulled his car to a stop in the driveway of his house. “I’m sorry. Honestly, I’m ashamed of what happened back then, and I didn’t want to chance losing you as a friend. I seem to have precious few of them these days.”

“You’re never gonna be able to get rid of me, bro. I might have people in my life I consider friends now, but no one knows me like you do. Given how things have gone for me, I don’t take our friendship for granted. I always know you’re not after my money.”

Aiden chuckled. “Nope. Definitely not that.”

He had such a sense of relief over the conversation with Cole. The reassurance of their friendship was what he needed, though he wouldn’t have blamed his friend if he’d taken his sister’s side.

Not that Aiden thought Cole had taken his side over Skylar’s. Just that, as in the past, he was taking the role of Switzerland, not really choosing to get involved.

They talked for a bit more as Aiden let himself into the house and headed down to his small apartment to change and put his work bag away.

“Are you planning to come back to Serenity at some point?” he asked as he hung up his suit coat and began to unbutton his shirt.

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