Page 60 of Winning the Nightcap

“I wish she didn’t have to go through that. I can’t imagine how hard that was for her and for you too.”

“She’s the strongest person I know.” The sudden swell of emotion tightens my whole chest. How can I go from teasing and joking around with Bec, to throwing my darkest memories onto the floor in front of her. Talking to her, sharing everything with her is too easy. “Their relationship was toxic. His behavior and their arguments were only escalating. She finally had enough and thankfully found the support she needed to get us away before things got worse. She knew what he was capable of and didn’t want to stay to see it.”

I feel her arms wrap around my waist before I hear her whisper against my chest, “Aiden, god, I’m so sorry. You were so young. I can’t imagine what that was like for you. I’m glad the three of you got out of that situation.”

I wrap my arms around her shoulders and rest my chin on her head, squeezing her back. Holding her against me, the relief is indescribable. She’s a balm on the burns life’s given me. “It’s all right.”

She pulls away to look up at me, but keeps her body close, holding onto me tightly. “No, it’s not. You all didn’t deserve to be put in that situation by someone that’s supposed to love you. Someone that’s supposed to be safe.”

“We found our safety with each other. In our new lives without him.” I shake off the ache of vulnerability and turn back to the food. I don’t want her to see too much. To see how much my past scares me. How it haunts me. How terrified I am of turning out anything like the man who was supposed to be my role model, but turned out to be angry, selfish, and unkind. The man who could let his family walk away with nothing from him but cruel words and bad memories. “Ididn’t mean to ruin the pasta with all my baggage.”

“I’m glad you told me. I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to share more than you want to, but I want you to know that I see you. The way you talk about your mom and your sister like they’re the roots, the foundation holding you steady. It’s really beautiful how the three of you made it through all that and came out stronger together as a family. Don’t apologize for your story. Besides, there is nothing you could say to ruin pasta.”

With a chuckle, my shoulders drop with relief at the shift in conversation. How does she make that so easy? She manages to take the heavy and make it lighter. It’s still there—it’ll always be there—but she makes it tolerable. I carry the food and plates while she grabs us drinks, and we settle on her couch, spreading the take-out containers across her coffee table.

“Um, Bec. I gotta ask…what’s going on here?” I point back and forth across her window while she spoons food onto our plates.

“Oh, had you not noticed my plant graveyard?”

“I would say I’m shocked I missed it, but you know, Hopper running around with your vibrator like he was in an eight-hundred-meter relay was a little distracting.”

“Not my fault you haven’t taught your pup manners,” she sings.

“As his dog trainer, I would strongly disagree with that,” I say with a smirk.

“I’ve trained a lot of dogs, Aiden…believe me, that was a first. I’m not adding that lesson to the curriculum. Besides, you’ve been here twice. I can’t believe you wouldn’t notice.”

“Yeah, well, I was distracted during that visit too.”

“By what?”

“You. All I could think about was how badly I wanted to kiss you.”

She tries to hold back her smile and fails beautifully.

“Listen, I was just trying to add some good energy into my apartment,”she says. “I got jealous of all those plant moms online with their earthy vibes and green thumbs. I was told that I was safe to start with a cactus and succulents. I was promised those fuckers were all hard to kill.”

“I hate to tell you this, but they are. They’re built for neglect.”

“Well, apparently I’m an inhospitable roommate to everyone but Hopper.”

“You’re telling me you can take care of numerous dogs at the Center and New Hope, but the plants in your window can’t get an ice cube once a week?”

“I tried,” she yells around a mouthful of pasta, pointing at the offending plant remains with her fork. “They ganged up on me. They were all on different schedules. I think I confused them and overwatered some and dehydrated the others.”

“Okay…but why are they still there?”

“I’m holding out hope, man. I still put an ice cube in there when I think about it. If they’re so hardy, then they can reinvent themselves, have their midmovie makeover, and show up better than ever. What a comeback, right?”

“That would be…something.” I eye her skeptically, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“You just wait. That one on the end there. He hasn’t given up yet. I swear that branch is a little greener today.”

“Sure, Bec, I’ll keep my eye on him. So, what’s the plan for the event now with the change in funding?”

She lets her head fall on a groan, before looking back at me. “It’ll be a hectic few weeks while we scramble to find donations before the event. Abby and I are going to hit up a few local businesses and basically beg for their support. We’ll try to piecemeal this until the staff find a long-term solution. My brother also agreed to increase his company’s contributions. Every little bit will help.”

“I’d like to chip in too. How much do you need?” I ask, before taking a bite of pasta.

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