Page 9 of Liberating Love

The revelationsabout Aiden’s place in the kids’ lives and my ex-wife’s shameful treatment have me on edge. Throwing her own son away for the “family” is unforgivable. Why it surprises me, though, I’m not sure. That’s not something I can deal with right now. My anger is still bubbling too close to the surface, and honestly, we’re divorced, so she won’t listen to me, anyway. However, I can right one wrong.

I lean my elbows on the trunk of Aiden’s car as I wait for him to walk out of the building. With him working with Jovany right now, I know his schedule, which makes tracking him down easy. The only hard part is keeping a lookout to make sure I don’t run into my asshole ex-brother-in-law and his spineless son.

Ahh… there he is. Aiden walks with hunched shoulders as he stares down at his phone. Worry prickles at the back of my neck at how turned into himself he is. He doesn’t look up at the coworkers he passes, nor do they extend a passing word to him. In just his walk to the car I see his isolation, and Jameson’s concern for his friend takes on a whole new level. He’s almost to the car before he sees me, his steps falter and his face pales as he quickly scans the parking lot around us. “What are you doing here?”

“Freckles, I think we need to talk.”

4

Aiden

Hearing him call meFrecklesin front of my damn police station has me frozen to the spot. My eyes widen, and I feel that terrible blush heating up my neck to my cheeks, so I’m sure I look like I’m on fire.

Delaney tilts his head and reaches his hand out toward my arm, so I jerk back and hiss, “Not here.” I glance around the parking lot, but thankfully, there isn’t anyone around. If someone sees me with Jameson and Jovany’s father, I’m a dead man.

He blinks at me for a long moment, but drops his hand and nods. “Alright, sorry.” His voice is softer than I expect after snapping at him like that.

I close my eyes and take a breath, trying to push away the nerves as I ask, “Is it important?” He crosses his arms over his chest, and even though his winter coat is hiding his body from me, a memory of skin and muscle flashes in my mind’s eye. “Shit.”

“What?”

I wave him off. “I need to get home, Delaney.” I scan the lot again, but the only people I see aren’t paying any attention to us—thank god.

“I’ll only take a few minutes of your time. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

That is such a terrible, horrible, ridiculous idea. So of course my mouth says, “Sure.”

He shoots me one of those bright smiles that lights up his green eyes. “There’s a place around the corner—”

I shake my head because there’s no way I’m going to risk being seen by a coworker. That’s just asking for trouble. “Can we… there’s a coffee shop closer to my place that has really great muffins. Can we go there so I can pick my mom up a few?” She’s had a rough couple of days, so I’m sure the gesture will be appreciated.

“Of course,” he says. “I can follow you.”

I nod, and as soon as he moves away from my car, I hurry inside it. Once he’s walked away, I bang my head on the steering wheel a couple of times. “Why is he torturing me?” I ask my car, then blow out a frustrated breath. “Let’s get this over with.” I put the car in drive and go through the lot until I see Delaney, and once I know he’s following me, I head to the coffee shop near my apartment. Mom and I lucked out when this place opened because they have great breakfast food and delicious coffee, and it’s only a block away.

Delaney smiles at me as we head inside, and once he orders his drink, he tells the cashier while gesturing to me, “And whatever he’s having.”

“What? No, you don’t have to—”

“It’s just coffee, Aiden. Let me get you a cup of coffee.”

I bite my lip, then relent and nod before placing my order. I only order my drink, I’ll go back up to get my mom something.

After we settle at a table, I say, “Thank you for the coffee.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he says, reminding me of when he said that before… and he was naked.Fuck.

“What’s this about?” I blush as I try to push those thoughts—memories—out of my head. Hopefully for good—yeah right.

“You’ve been avoiding your friends, and everyone’s worried about you.” His words surprise the hell out of me.

“That… isn’t what I thought you were going to say.”

He tilts his head, examining me. “What did you think I was going to say?”

“I… I don’t know, but it wasn’tthat.”

He stares so long, I start to fidget under his gaze, and my damn face heats up even more than it already had, lord have mercy. Eventually, he says, “I don’t want to get in the way of your friendship with my son and Holds. You mean a lot to them.”

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