Page 64 of Seasons of Love
It seemed that as my anxiety spiked, Slade's seemed to disappear, so I let him believe I'd simply been thinking about my book.
When we arrived at his place, I made excuses that I had stuff to catch up on and told him to spend some time with Harley. He'd looked at me funny but didn't argue, especially since he did have a business to run and had been away for almost a week.
As if Richard could guess I was on my own, his name appeared on the screen of my phone.
I straightened my back, hoping it would give me extra courage, and answered the call.
"What do you want?"
"I told you, baby. I want you to come home. To me. Where you belong."
"What's the point? I don't love you and you don't love me. You know I can't get married without a prenup, so what's your goal?
"Oh, honey, a relationship is much more than loving someone. It's about companionship, it's about the things we can do for each other." His voice grated on me. How had I never noticed how whiny he sounded? Oh yeah, because he'd manipulated me into loving him.
"You mean you want access to my money."
He gasped. "Honey, I'm shocked you'd say that. This is about us taking care of each other. Your mother agrees we should give our relationship another try."
My heart sank. He'd been speaking to my parents?
25
SLADE
After being around Aiden for a whole week, it was strange not having him around. My apartment felt empty, and I was at a loss for what to do.
He'd seemed eager to go home on his own, which after the week we'd had didn't surprise me, and that was why I hadn't pressed the matter.
Aiden had gotten along with Mike better than I'd expected. Well, I hadn't expected them to get along at all.
Since my talk with Ted, and then after going to Mike's place, I'd noticed certain things about Mike.
He'd lost a little of his spark and there was no indication in the apartment that he'd had anyone over at all. In fact, visiting the apartment now was more or less like stepping into our old life.
Had Mike been on his own since we split? Maybe I'd been unfair to him when we spoke that first time. It didn't matter, we'd parted on good terms and I had a feeling we'd stay in touch.
If that had been Ted's last wish, then he'd succeeded.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something up with Aiden. I'd noticed he'd been quieter than usual.
Was he having doubts about us? Was coming to Atlanta with me too much? After all, he was young, and guys his age didn't often have to face the mortality of a loved one, even if he didn't know Ted. Or maybe it was all the stuff I’d offloaded on him.
I ran my fingers through my hair, walking up and down my living room. He'd said he was there…here, he'd said he was here for me. But what if he'd said it because he knew we were about to visit a dying man? What if he was trying to make me feel better?
There was a knock on my door. Was Aiden back? I ran to it so fast, I nearly tripped on my feet.
When I opened the door, I was faced with the last person I ever thought I'd see again.
"Hey, Doc, you gonna invite me in?"
The respect for a fellow club member was so ingrained in me, even after all these years, that all I could do was step aside and let him in.
"Nice place. I see you're in shock, so let's clarify some things first. I'm alone. I come in peace, just to see a friend."
I knew he wouldn't harm me, he'd been one of the nicest guys at the club, but the thought that they were still out there and maybe looking for me made my blood run cold.
"Kickstand," I finally said.
