Page 32 of Make Me Whole

“What don’t you know? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“If we’re still friends.”

I frowned. “Why?”

He shrugged again and turned off the water. I grabbed his towel and raised a questioning brow as I handed it to him. He sighed and in a sad and reluctant voice answered. “Because he mocked me about being Ella’s friencoubling. He said I was dumb for making up words like a little kid and said that she was my girlfriend.”

The hell!

“Why would he think Ella is your girlfriend? You’re ten. She’s seven.” Were they even old enough to know what a girlfriend was? Had the world changed that much since I was a kid?

His face looked sad as he dried himself. Without looking at me, he replied, “Because I talk a lot about her and Aunther Sky. And because I like doing stuff that she likes, like making up words and drawing her pictures. It makes her happy. But I don’t want her to be my girlfriend. I want her to be my sister. Is that wrong?”

“No,” I replied without even thinking.

At that moment, I didn’t even care how his statement affected me and my feelings for Sky. All that mattered was that my lonely, orphaned son had finally found a family who made his life feel whole, and that little jerk Jason—with his living parents and five siblings—had no right to make him feel ashamed of his excitement.

Aiden rolled himself in a towel and stepped out of the tub. I sat on the toilet so we’d be at eye level and placed my hands on his shoulders. “There’s nothing wrong with you wanting Ella to be your sister as long as you know that it probably will never happen for real.”

“I know that,” he admitted, and it pained me for more reasons than I would ever admit to him.

Putting on a brave face, I smiled at him. “Then screw Jason. I’m glad you were in my reno crew today. Don’t tell the other guys, but the three of you are my favorite.”

He beamed his missing tooth smile. “I’m free for hire every Saturday.”

I laughed. “I’ll keep it in mind. But can I ask one more question about pinhead Jason?”

Aiden chuckled as he put on his clothes. “Sure.”

“Why does doing stuff that Ella likes make her your girlfriend instead of just your friend who is a girl?”

“Oh, Dad.” He sighed as if mine was the dumbest question. “Because that’s what men do when they like a lady. We do nice things for them.”

My lips quivered. “Is that so?”

“Yep. The ladies like big gestures. For example, Marc wrote a poem to Scarlet and read it out loud in front of the entire class the other day. Now, she holds his hand and saves half of her chocolate bar for him.”

I lifted my brows and helped him get his head through the T-shirt. “That’s a good girlfriend. Few women I’ve ever met would share their chocolate bars with their boyfriends. Scarlet sounds like a keeper.”

“I don’t know about that. Most girls are annoying. They never want to play fun games.” I liked his answer. I wasn’t ready for that phase of his life yet, and I was glad that he wasn’t either. “Do you need more girl advice, or can I go play with Ella now?”

“Comb your hair first, but you can go,” I said, holding back a laugh.

He ran the comb through his hair as fast as possible and ran out the door. As I gathered our stuff in my duffle bag, I heard Ella greet him in the hall and ask why he took so long. In a smug tone, he answered, “I was having a guy talk with my dad. He needed advice,” and that finally made me laugh. That kid was something else.

Still shaking my head, I closed my bag, turned the lights off, and exited the bathroom. In the hallway, I noticed that Sky’s bedroom door was open and the lights were on. Unsure whether Sky had already gone downstairs or if Ella had left it open when she was waiting for Aiden, I went over to investigate.

My heart raced as I peeped inside and saw that the room was empty with the lights on. My shoulders relaxed as I reached inside for the switch, but before I could hit it, the bathroom door opened and Sky walked out. Completely naked.

The air left my lungs at the sight of her full tits, rounded hips, and flat stomach. She made a half-assed attempt to cover herself with her arms but still allowed me a long, tantalizing glance at her rosy nipples and shaved pussy.

My mouth watered as I put the reality of her body to my horny dreams and my cock went fully erect. Her gaze dropped to my tented pants, but I didn’t give a shit. She was gorgeous and naked. Even if I looked like a creeper peeping inside her room, a hard-on was the natural reaction any hot-blooded man would have to this situation.

“What are you doing here, Max?” Her voice was soft and, dare I say, hopeful.

Because I’m a moron, I replied with the truth. “The light was on. I thought Ella had forgotten to turn it off when she ran downstairs with Aiden.”

“Oh,” she whispered and improved her effort to conceal herself from my greedy, horny gaze.

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