Page 42 of Liberating Love

Grateful that he’s allowing me to stay and isn’t freaking out about how high-handed my actions this evening have been, coming in and taking care of him and his mom, I hold him closer and thank anyone listening that the only blood that hit his skin today belonged to someone else, not him or my son.

* * *

The soundof a light tapping on the front door pulls me from sleep. “What time is it?” Aiden asks groggily. Checking the clock, I see it’s after midnight and on the TV is the screen asking if we want to watch the next episode.

“It’s after midnight. Who the hell could that be?”

Aiden sits up, and I see his bloodshot eyes, sleep rumpled hair, and the lines on his face from being pressed against my shirt. “I don’t know. We don’t have company. Ever. I told you it makes Mom uncomfortable to have visitors.”

The knocking on the door is steady and increasing in volume. “Let me go see who it is before they wake your mom up.”

Aiden grabs my wrist. “Seriously, D, I don’t know who it can be. I’d better go in case it’s trouble. I’m the cop.”

I lean down and kiss his nose, yanking on the sides of his robe. “Oh yeah, you’ll scare all the criminals in town in this get-up,” I say teasingly before I move to the door and swing it open.

“Jesus, man. About time y…” Holds trails off.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” Jameson asks.

“Well, I guess you boys better come in,” I say to Jameson, Holden, Hendrix, Gavin, and Jovany.

In wide-eyed shock, Aiden’s gaze sweeps between me and the five men who walk in behind me. I hesitate once I hit the middle of the living room, until Aiden lifts one arm out toward me. My lips twitch up happily as I cross the room and retake my position on the couch next to him, wrapping my arm around his shoulders.

“Hi,” Aiden squeaks with a small, shy wave at his friends.

“What am I missing?” Jovany asks, his gaze shifting between me and Aiden before turning to his brother with raised eyebrows.

Jameson ignores his brother as he stares at us, then wrinkles his nose and squeezes his eyes tightly closed before reopening them. When he takes his balled fists and rubs at them, I say, “Oh for fuck’s sake, Jameson. It’s exactly what it looks like.”

A hysterical giggle escapes Aiden’s mouth, and I turn my head down sharply to see his face. “Aiden, stay with me, Freckles. We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re both grown men.”

Holds says, “But you’re Dad.”

“Obviously not Aiden’s dad,” Jovany mutters dryly.

I glance over to rebuke my son, but become fascinated by the scene playing out between Hendrix and Gavin as they face off. Hendrix is visibly shrinking under his boyfriend’s stern glare. Finally, he can’t take it anymore and he throws his arms up in the air. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Gavin jabs his finger in his boyfriend’s chest. “You knew, didn’t you?” he shrieks. “That’s why you didn’t want us to come over. You knew there was a chance Delaney would be here. And don’t even deny it. I thought you were acting strange when we pulled in and you were searching the street. You were looking for Delaney’s truck, you ass.”

Hendrix’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as panicked eyes flit toward Aiden for help. Since Aiden is sitting stiff as a board under my arm, I know he can’t help out his friend, so I speak up. “What in the hell are you guys doing here in the middle of the night, anyway?”

Jovany, the voice of reason, says, “Aiden wasn’t answering his phone and we were all concerned. Today was… tough, and we wanted to check on him.”

That reminds me, too. “Yeah. Why didn’t you return my texts earlier?” I ask, turning back to him while stroking his shoulder reassuringly.

He blinks up at me slowly, maybe a little dazed, then says, “Crap. I stuck it in my locker when I got out clothes to change into when they bagged my uniform for evidence. I was so frantic to get home to Mom after I showered that I forgot to grab it. I would’ve noticed when I got her to bed and went to call y…” he trails off and side-eyes the men still standing in various stages of disbelief in the center of the room.

Jameson licks his lips. “How long has this… have you… I mean, is it serious?”

“It’s very serious.” Now that my sons know, it’s time for me to mark my claim on Aiden. This semi-booty call state we’ve been living in is getting on my nerves. I want to be here to take care of my man and his mom, if he’ll have me, anyway.

Aiden sits up straighter and presses into my side. “I’m sorry, you guys. I… can we talk about this tomorrow? I don’t really understand why you came by—”

Gavin spins from Drix and Holds steps forward crying out at the same time.

“What?”

“Are you kidding?”

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