Stay With Me (She's With Me #2) - Jessica Cunsolo Page 0,8
isn’t on food but on telling Aiden about my past. What if he thinks I’m a coward for running and letting other people get hurt? What if he thinks I have too much baggage for him and decides he wants nothing to do with me? I have no idea how to tell him my mother’s forcing us to leave in the new year, and that means he’ll probably never see or hear from me again—because whatever my new name will be, I will have to leave Amelia in the past. She’ll cease to exist like Hailey Johnson and Isabella Smith before her. When Amelia Collins disappears, she can’t bring anything or anyone with her. I can’t bring anyone with me, and I can’t stay here. The court case and everything with Aiden’s stepfather is going to be in the news, which will make my mother even more nervous about staying here. She said as much in a few quick words before she left for her flight very early this morning.
Footsteps come down the stairs and I look up to see Aiden, unfortunately fully clothed.
“Hey.”
“Morning,” I reply as I slide the box of Froot Loops toward the bowl I set out for him earlier.
He bites back a smile at our little inside joke about Froot Loops, but doesn’t make a move to pour his own, instead taking a seat beside me at the counter. He’s sitting right beside me but he still feels so far away. I pretend to be superinterested in my now-soggy cereal.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, trying not to shift nervously in my seat.
“Better with some rest now. I talked to the twins. They wanted to know why they had to stay at Julian’s last night instead of at their friend’s like they usually do on Fridays.”
It takes me a second but I connect the dots pretty easily. Friday is when Aiden goes to the Tracks and races, which is how he makes most of his money. The twins probably spend that night at their friends … free babysitting for Aiden, I guess.
“What did you tell them?” I ask.
“I said I had to go out of town last minute and wanted Julian’s parents to watch them. They don’t seem to mind, though. They said Julian’s mom is making homemade waffles for breakfast and I’d better come quick to get some before they’re all gone. I’m so glad they weren’t home when Greg showed up, or when whoever killed him was there.”
His shoulders tense and there’s a tick in his jaw that appears whenever he mentions something that could harm the twins. It’s hard, thinking of something terrible happening to someone you love more than anything in the world. He’s practically the only father those boys will ever know, and them getting hurt must be Aiden’s biggest fear.
“They’re okay, Aiden,” I say, not knowing how to comfort him. “They’re safe.”
“There are so many unanswered questions. Why was Greg in front of my house? What did he want? Why did he have my old cell phone? Who killed him?” Aiden rubs his hands through his hair and I refrain from reaching out and soothing the tension from his brow.
“I’m sure the cops are working on it. This isn’t really the right way to say this, but at least you don’t have to worry about Greg ever again.”
“Good fucking riddance.”
The loud vibration of my phone against the hard counter interrupts us, and I pick it up to check what’s going on. “You probably haven’t been checking the group chat, but it’s basically been blowing up.”
All our friends have been wanting to know if Aiden is okay, how he’s feeling about the death of his loathed stepfather, and if he’s free and clear of any charges.
“We should all get together and have a conversation after I get the twins,” he suggests. “I doubt sending I’m fine back in the chat will go over well. Ten bucks says Anna punches me.”
I’m glad he’s finding humor in the situation. I poise my fingers over the phone’s keyboard. “What should I tell them? We can use my house if you want.”
“Tell them to come around seven, with some food.” He sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “I’m going to go check on the twins, see if I can come up with something to say to explain why we can’t go home for a while. Maybe I’ll see if they can stay at Tyler’s, that way it’s more fun for them.”