Page 67 of Aiden & Lily

“Yeah, it’s working out better than I could have planned.” Lily turned her attention to Aiden. He seemed to be getting along better with his brother lately, too. All in all, the man she loved was more at ease, and that brought her more joy than she could explain.

The guys made their way over, and Parker rubbed his stomach. “Aiden just told me you two packed one heck of a lunch for us. How about we take a break and get something to eat?”

“Sounds good to me.” Aiden slipped an arm around Lily’s waist and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’d love nothing more than sitting in the shade with my girl.”

“Oh, please. Get a room,” Jasmine called, cupping her hands around her mouth.

She exchanged an amused glance with Parker, but that didn’t stop Aiden from pulling Lily closer. He looked at her for a moment, giving her time to pull away, before lowering his head.

He pressed his lips against hers firmly, kissing her like she was the only person in the world he wanted. Lily melted into his embrace, reveling in the rightness of it all. She didn’t care that her sister was teasing her or that Aiden’s brother had a front row seat to the connection she shared with the man of her dreams.

Right here, right now, she allowed herself to enjoy every last second of being in Aiden’s arms. When she pulled back, both she and Aiden were grinning like two lovebirds. And five minutes later, they were seated beneath a large tree on a picnic blanket with the food Jasmine had helped Lily prepare.

They had sandwiches, chips with dip, and a variety of fruit. Parker opened his sandwich and put a few potato chips between the slices of bread much to Jasmine’s disgust. She wrinkled her nose, and when Parker caught sight of her reaction, he offered his sandwich to her. “Want a bite?”

“Not in a million years.”

“Wow,” Aiden said with mock astonishment. “Mr. Perfect isn’t quite so perfect after all.”

Lily gave him a small shove. “Oh, be quiet. No one thinks your brother is Mr. Perfect but you.”

She shot a look in Parker’s direction and was relieved to see he didn’t appear bothered by the statement. Then again, Parker seemed to be good at hiding his emotions. Lily wasn’t sure that was a good thing, which was why she’d wanted Aiden to be more careful with him.

“So, Aiden,” Jasmine said, drawing their attention, “how are things going with Mathew?”

Aiden’s shoulders tightened.

Nearly two weeks had passed since he’d told Mathew the truth. Two weeks since Mathew had walked out of the break room without another word. Two weeks of avoiding Aiden whenever they crossed paths at work.

Lily had insisted Mathew was busy. They worked in a hospital, for heaven’s sake. But even she knew that excuse only stretched so far. They’d never had trouble finding time to speak before.

She glanced at Aiden, then gave Jasmine a warning look. If he didn’t want to talk about it, they weren’t going to push him.

“He’s still avoiding me,” Aiden admitted.

“That’s ridiculous,” Jasmine muttered. “He doesn’t know you very well if he thinks you’re not good for Lily. Anyone can see how much you care about each other.”

Lily reached for Aiden’s hand and squeezed it. She hated that Mathew’s silence had stirred up every old doubt Aiden carried about himself. She wanted to remind him that one person’s anger didn’t decide his worth.

But she also knew she couldn’t fix that wound for him. She could only stand beside him while he learned not to believe every cruel thing fear whispered.

“Well, Penny and Jason don’t seem to care,” Jasmine continued. “I saw them at the café the other day. They were surprised, but they seemed happy for both of you.”

“You told them?” Lily asked, leaning forward.

Jasmine frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was still a secret. Since Mathew knew, I assumed everyone else would hear soon enough.”

Lily glanced at Aiden. He didn’t seem bothered by it, though his thumb moved restlessly across the back of her hand.

“I just hadn’t gotten around to telling them myself,” Lily said. “But it’s all right. I suppose you saved me a couple of conversations.”

Aiden slipped his arm around her and rested his chin lightly on top of her head. His nearness had become such a comfort that the thought of losing it made her chest tighten. She turned her head and looked up at him.

His smile was soft, but something troubled still lingered behind it. When his lips brushed the crown of her head, she let herself breathe a little easier.

“Well, clearly Mathew is being dumb,” Jasmine declared. “If he decides he wants to ruin a friendship he’s had since moving here, that’s his loss.” She leaned forward and patted Aiden’s knee. “I’ve got your back. You can count on me if it comes to a fight.”

Aiden laughed, the movement vibrating through Lily in the best of ways. “Thanks for your support, Jazz. I appreciate it.”