changing the record and then sitting in solitude washes over me. My embarrassment starts to fade.
“That sounds nice.” I clear my throat. “I like to read.”
He gives his head a little shake in response. He’s undoubtedly thinking that I’m a huge nerd. But he doesn’t comment, for which I am thankful.
He looks out his window just as we emerge from the woods. Beyond him, I see the ocean appear over the cliff we’re driving on, the sky and sea breathtaking in their simple beauty.
“Wow,” I murmur. “That view is really something. I forget that we are so close to the sea, and then… boom. Endless blue waves, as far as the eye can see.”
Aiden surveys me. “Yeah, the view is pretty unforgettable.”
I blush and look away, though I’m not sure why. He clears his throat.
“Are you out here permanently? Like… did you move out here?”
My eyes fixed on the road ahead, I nod. “Yeah. It was a tough decision, moving away from my mom. But I think it was the right one.”
He readjusts how he’s sitting, sprawling his right arm out across the gap between our seats. His fingers rest just behind my head, which makes me tense.
“Have you heard from your mom lately? The last thing Grayson told me was a few years ago. Maybe your high school graduation or something. She went missing right before?” He frowns, trying to remember.
I remember all too well. “Yeah. That was almost exactly four years ago. Grayson was… well, he was back, but he wasn’t in any state to come to my graduation. So I just went alone. Mom turned up a few weeks later, strung out on drugs and already apologizing.” I wrinkle my nose. “She’ll never change. I’ve come to accept that.”
Aiden draws a breath. “I’m sorry, Olivia.”
I shrug. “It’s okay. It was just a high school graduation. And Grayson did come to my college graduation a few months ago.”
There are a few seconds of silence. I swallow and look over at Aiden.
“I know we kind of talked about this already, but… why are you here?” I scrutinize him. “And please don't just shut me down with something about why you aren’t working for the National Park Service. I mean… how did you find this specific place?”
His jaw tenses and he looks away out over the ocean. When he speaks, his words sound almost taut. “My mom died.”
My eyebrows fly up. He almost says it like he’s confessing something, even though he hasn’t done anything wrong at all.
God. My heart goes out to him immediately. “What? Oh, Aiden… I am so sorry.” I pause, thinking. “When?”
He clears his throat and shifts in his seat. “Three months ago.”
I can’t help but reach out and touch his arm ever so lightly. The contact seems surprising to him, because he jumps at the feeling of my hand. He’s not looking at me, seeming preoccupied with looking out his window.
“I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” I say, my voice low and raspy.
A shiver runs through Aiden. He seems as emotional as I’ve ever seen him, his eyes have gone dark and his whole body is clenched. Still, I’m sure he is repressing the bulk of whatever he feels. That seems to be the way that the Navy trains men to be, judging by my big brother.
“Yeah, well.” He draws in a breath. “She spent some time at the estate when she was younger. So I’m just… trying to find out what that was like, I guess. The Morgans have no idea who I am, though.”
“I see.” I lick my lips. “Thank you for confiding in me.” I pause. “Um… what was your mother’s name? Where did she come from? Maybe I can keep an eye out and see if she’s mentioned in any of the family history.”
This a little white lie… I already know her name is… no, was Anna. When I was a preteen girl, I learned everything I could about Aiden from afar. The names of his entire family, what kind of pet he had as a child, his favorite flavor of ice cream.
I’ll need to know this stuff for when we’re married, I would tell myself. I blush as I think of it now.
Yep, it’s definitely way better just to act like I’m in the dark about that one.
Aiden’s lips lift at the corners. “Her name was Anna. And she was from Princeton, I think.”
He’s trying to be closer to his mother, though that is left unsaid. Silence stretches between