Page 89 of Perfect Storm
Aidan didn’t really want to go into it, but almost three months removed from the whole mess, he’d begun to realize that the crux of the matter was that he’d never really believed he’d get the things he wanted from Mo. Even when he’d gone to Vegas and asked, he hadn’t really believed it would go his way. He’d only done it because ithadto be done.
“No, but it’s okay . . .I mean it.”
“Good.” He could hear the smile in Riley’s voice. “You seem like you’re doing good.”
Riley babbled for a few minutes longer, about Carter and Beck and Micah. Landry was in there, too, affection rich in his brother’s voice whenever he came up.
But the whole time, Aidan was turning over what he’d said—and what Riley had said in return.
Itwasokay. He hadn’t thought it ever would be, but he’d been wrong. Telling Mo and then finding out he hadn’t been wrong about it had felt more like an end than a beginning.
That had hurt. Of course it had. Aidan would’ve had to feel nothing for it not to. But over time, the hurt was fading.
Distraction was good, of course. The football season starting helped. And Levi in his bed, too.
But Levi was far more than a distraction.
He wasn’t justusinghim to not be miserable. He’d known even back in Michigan that he wouldn’t, that hecouldn’t. And he wasn’t.
Aidan wanted him exactly where he was at—just to the left of him, protecting his blind side. Reminding him he wasn’t alone. Filling the condo with the comfortable, easy noises of living. This morning, waking up to the warmth in his eyes, filling him with heat.
By the time Riley was talked out, Aidan was only a few blocks away from the condo.
“I gotta go,” he told his brother. “I’m nearly home. And I’ll lose you in the underground garage.”
“Don’t be a stranger,” Riley lectured. “And hey, say hi to Levi for me. A big hug, even.”
Aidan’s pulse skittered. Still half convinced with the way Riley kept bringing Levi up and what he kept freaking saying that he knewsomething. “Ri,” he warned.
Riley just laughed though. “Oh, dude, you hug people. Don’t even try that with me.”
He was doing a hell of a lot more than just hugging Levi these days.
“Okay, fine. Sure.” He didn’t mind promising. Hugging wasn’t really something he and Levi were doing, but it would give him an excuse to close any distance between them when he stepped through the front door, and Aidan was taking every single one of those opportunities these days.
“Good luck in your game. You’re playing, right?” Riley asked.
“Yeah. A series. Maybe two.” Riley had already played in his preseason game and wouldn’t be taking the field again.
“You’re gonna kill it,” Riley said with the upmost confidence.
“Thanks,” Aidan said dryly.
He hung up the call right before he turned into the garage. After parking, he grabbed his bag and headed towards the elevator.
When he opened the front door, he heard the sound of a blender in the kitchen, and when he walked in, Levi was in there, no shirt and only a ratty pair of Seahawks shorts that looked like he’d had them for twenty years, not seven.
“Hey,” Levi called out. “Made you a protein shake.”
Aidan hadn’t texted Levi that he was on his way home, but apparently Levi was psychic that way.
“You a mind reader now?” he asked, walking into the kitchen. Levi had just finished pouring the shake into a glass and had turned towards the sink to rinse out the pitcher.
It was so easy—especially because he’d promised Riley he’d do it—to put his arms around Levi. Tug him back against his body.
Levi made a surprised but pleased noise. “No, but I think you must be. Knew I wanted you.”
Hooking his chin over Levi’s shoulder, secretly glad he was just tall enough he could do this, Aidan said, “You did?”
