Page 94 of Blaze & Ajax
I looked back at Harley. “It seems you’re not welcome here, man. I suggest you leave. This is Alpha’s rare day to be out, and you’re not going to fuck it up for him. Just go.”
Harley glanced at me, smiled, and nodded. “I’m not here to ruin days.”
“Tsh,” Alpha grunted.
“I’m gone, but we need to talk, Kingston.”
“The fuck we do.”
Harley ignored him and sauntered off.
“What was that fucking about?” Aiden asked quietly. “Did youfeelthat sexual tension between them? Wild, man.”
“Whatever’s between them doesn’t matter. Alpha doesn’t like him, so we’re going to side with him.”
“You got it. I’m only saying…”
Alpha huffed, sat down, and lit a smoke. “Asshole,” he muttered when Harley was gone. “Don’t any of you ask me a fucking question about what just went down, or else I’m leaving.”
We all zipped up and distracted ourselves with skating.
Later, I took a few turns in the bowl, but I was more in the mood to be close to Aiden, so I sat back down with him and held him until we were ready to leave.
“I could get used to this,” I said as I held Aiden in bed. “I love holding you. Who knew I’d finally find someone to love and care about, and it would be the very person I couldn’t stand at first? I don’t mean to say that to hurt you, but to show all that I’d been missing.”
“I didn’t make it easy.”
“Neither of us did.”
“True enough.”
Aiden snuggled tighter into me and rested his head on my chest, making me smile. The fear was so strong that he’d leave me or I’d hurt him, but I swallowed it back, trying desperately to remember to enjoy these times together and not stress about things currently out of my control. It wasn’t easy. It may never be easy again. I needed to prepare for that.
“I’m leaving for a bit tomorrow.”
My body tensed, unable to shut out the negative and intrusive thoughts. “What? Why?”
He rested his chin on my chest and dragged his fingers along my jaw. “It’s just for a little bit. I… need to try to see my mom. God, I don’t want to. If I could shut her out of my brain forever, I’d be a happy man. But I need my things. While she fought me hard before, I’m going to make her listen this time, andnotwith my usual defiance and anger, because that’s always workedsowell for me.”
I snorted a laugh. “I love my spark plug.”
Aiden’s smile was crooked, but he rolled his eyes. “Anyway… after I visit her, part of me wants to visit my stepfather.”
My entire body went rigid. “Why the fuck would you do that?”
“Don’t be upset with me. I just said I’m thinking about it.” He sighed and rested his cheek against my chest again. “I don’t know. I guess I just want totell him I know he used and manipulated me. All these years, he’s believed he tricked me into loving him so he could have me and toy with me. I know I fell for it, but still…”
“If you had evidence against him, I’d say use it and get his ass arrested. Or better yet, I could go with you and beat the shit out of him. That would definitely make me feel better.”
Aiden chuckled. “Sometimes I want to do that, too. But a part of me still doesn’t hate him for it because Ididfeel better for a while.”
I dragged my fingers across his back, and he melted into me. “Don’t do it. He doesn’t deserve you, and…”
“And what?” he hedged.
“What if… he manipulates you again and takes you away from me?”
Aiden sat up and frowned. “Don’t you trust me?”