Page 63 of Almost True
Maddie
It had to be last night’s conversation. That had to be the reason everything Aidan said, everything he did, every scoop of guacamole or bite of taco he took, appealed to me. Like, really? Why was his chewing sexy?
The emotional discussion last night had left me reeling. Not so much over Aidan sharing about the love of his life dying when Luca was only three, but the fact that he’d shared those things with me at all. We’d been honest and had some good heart-to-hearts, but that was beyond anything I expected. Maybe because I’d only dated “computer-loving vampires” as Nate would say, who never seemed to be able to access their emotional circuit boards.
Aidan was so… mature. And he’d mentioned it’d taken years and therapy and support, but it was just all kind of stunning. He’d had to work to heal and he’d needed time, but he had. He’d made it clear he’d never stop missing her, but he wasn’t closed off to the world. He hadn’t sworn off love or relationships, and it struck me as nothing short of heroic. And it had the very strange effect of making me want that kind of love. I didn’t want to lose it, of course, but I wanted to experience it. When I’d said I thought he was lucky to have loved someone like he loved Vivienne, I meant it.
I’d wanted that kind of love for a long time, and especially since I’d witnessed it between Ariel and Nate. Seeing my brother that happy was incredible, but it left me wanting. And there was no coincidence that at their wedding, I’d been thinking of Aidan. I’d been remembering our connection that night at the lounge at Silver Ridge Resort and wondering.
I’d known it for weeks, but after last night, I couldn’t deny it. I was in danger of wrecking myself with Aidan, and even with that awareness, I had no intention of cutting our time short.
Aidan laughed as he crumpled his napkin and tossed it onto his plate. Brodie came by and cleared our plates immediately, and we both slid out of our booths to free up the space for the next party.
Aidan grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together. He wasn’t shy about being affectionate now that we’d made our relationship official at the Night in Bloom, but we’d only been out in town together like this a handful of times. It made my stomach flip, especially when he pulled me around the corner and tucked us under the awning of Wallace and Sons law firm.
“Thanks for getting lunch with me.”
I grinned. “I should be saying that. You’re the one with a job. I’m just lazing around doing nothing.”
And honestly, I barely missed work. It was something I was still grappling with because I’d never taken a sabbatical. I’d always assumed I’d be miserable. Survey says? Not so much.
“You’ve earned some downtime. But hey, I wanted to say thank you. For last night. Thanks for listening.”
I bit my lip because he was cupping my cheek and looking at me with those eyes that made me weak. “Thank you for sharing with me.”
He nodded just slightly, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips. I hadn’t kissed him in a week, which was an absolute crying shame. I squeezed his hand where we still touched because if I didn’t, I’d throw my arms around his neck and forget about the fact that we were standing on the street and I’d be meeting John and Luca any minute now.
When he pulled back, he gave me a devastating smile. “You sure you’re up for Luca?”
I chuckled, knowing my cheeks were hot just like the rest of me after the kiss. “Absolutely. I think we can get through his interview questions first and get that out of the way. Then we’re going to the bookstore and probably Scoop. After, I’ll take him to your place and we’ll be ready for the movie when you get off.”
Luca had requested some time to interview me for an upcoming project for school and I’d happily agreed. We’d decided to schedule it this afternoon so I could bridge the gap for Aidan and, if I was being honest, I looked forward to spending time with Luca. The fact that this project gave us a good excuse was enough for me.
“Ah, so it’s all bribery after he gets the goods, huh?”
I grinned. “Obviously.”
He chuckled and shook his head, bringing my hand to his lips. “Thank you again for last night.”
“Stop thanking me for being a woman greedy for every bit of you. Now shoo!” I literally shooed him away and enjoyed the sight of him jogging in the direction of his car.
“Oh, oh, oh, hello!Thank you for last night?What have we been up to, Ms. Reynolds?” Dahlia sidled up next to me and nudged my shoulder with hers.
Shaking my head, I let out a little chuckle even though my cheeks flamed again. “Nothing like that. We talked.On the phone.”
She wiggled her brows. “Must have beenquitethe conversation.”
I laughed more freely at that. “You’re incorrigible. And yes, it was, but not in that way, you weirdo. We talked about his wife.”
“Oh.” She sobered instantly. “Well, not nearly as sexy as I’d hoped, but I’m thinking that was pretty important.”
“Your thinking is correct.”
She glanced at the sign above us. “And now you’re just hanging out next to the law firm to be close to some other Wallaces?”
I crossed my arms and leaned against the brick of the building. “Of course. I’m desperate for any Wallace energy I can get.”
She made a face like she wasn’t satisfied.
