been trying to give him space, but the visit was more than welcome.
“Hey, stranger,” Ian’s warm voice said from behind him.
Aaron stood up. “Hey. I was just leaving you a message.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Aaron said smiling. “We just need to talk about a few things.” He looked good, relaxed. He looked like he’d been sleeping, and the color had returned to
his face. Even his smile slipped easily into place like it used to, having lost the tightness around the mouth that Ian had come to expect the past few weeks.
“Like?” Ian asked.
Aaron glanced at his watch. Ian’s gaze followed. “I’m on lunch break now, but you can come over later.”
Ian lifted his brows feeling a moment of anxiety. “That bad, huh?”
Aaron laughed, but he didn’t deny it. “Just come over later. Mike has detention to make up for missed days, and he’s talking to the coach after that. I think we need to sort a few things out.”
“I’ll be there,” Ian agreed.
“Good.” Aaron came to him, rubbed Ian’s arm. “I look forward to it.”
If they hadn’t been in school, he’d have kissed Aaron. He didn’t like the finality of the way he was talking. Like he meant to end things between them.
He didn’t like this at all.
“Stop looking so worried,” Aaron teased.
“Worried about what?” A woman said from just inside the room.
“Leanne, this isn’t a good time,” Ian said tightly.
“Sure it is. I was leaving.” Aaron sent him another smile.
“Wait. Aaron, she can come back later.”
“No, it’s fine. I have to get back to work.”
Aaron disappeared and Ian couldn’t help but feel like he’d just walked out of his life. Shit .
“Damn it, Leanne, I was having a private conversation,” Ian snapped.
She crossed her arms and pursed her lips.
“What? What can’t possibly wait a few more minutes?”
Her expression was classic Leanne, and it never failed to annoy him. “Oh,” she said with apparent understanding. “Was that the Hedlund kid?”
He sighed. “Yeah.”
“Sorry, I didn’t realize.”
“It’s okay. I’ll catch up with him later.” Ian dismissed her by organizing the papers on his desk.
She didn’t take the hint. “So this weekend I’m wide open.”
Ian had no doubt in his mind that she meant that exactly how she’d said it. “I’m not.”
Leanne sashayed toward him as though her hips would hypnotize him into acceptance. “Are you sure? I thought I’d light a few candles, play some classical music and order from that fancy little French place downtown. I’d hate to spend the evening alone.”
Ian stopped shuffling. Like Aaron’s apparent need to take his time to say whatever he wanted to say, Ian supposed Leanne needed the same consideration. “Okay. I’ll be there tomorrow night. No music and candles, and maybe we have Chinese takeout instead, but we should sort this out.”
Leanne grinned broadly. “You got it.”
The lunch bell went off. He had five minutes, but he looked at it anyway, to motivate her departure.
“I’ll see you Friday night at my place. I’ll swing by tomorrow after school and leave the address on your desk,” she said as she left.
He lifted a hand in acknowledgement. Now if only he could find the words to turn her down without outing himself in the process.
* * * *
Pulling up in front of the Hedlund house later that afternoon felt ominous. Nonetheless he knocked on the front door and entered when Aaron swung it open.
Ian waited until it was shut again before leaning in to kiss him. Aaron turned and led the way to the kitchen, dodging the move. Now he really didn’t have a good vibe. He shoved his hands in his pockets and followed.
“You wanted to talk?” Ian began. Rip the bandage off .
Aaron poured two glasses of water and motioned toward the living room. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts. The pit of Ian’s stomach sank lower.
“I’m going to get right to the point. I came out to my family in high school, and I’ve never regretted
“Hey, stranger,” Ian’s warm voice said from behind him.
Aaron stood up. “Hey. I was just leaving you a message.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Aaron said smiling. “We just need to talk about a few things.” He looked good, relaxed. He looked like he’d been sleeping, and the color had returned to
his face. Even his smile slipped easily into place like it used to, having lost the tightness around the mouth that Ian had come to expect the past few weeks.
“Like?” Ian asked.
Aaron glanced at his watch. Ian’s gaze followed. “I’m on lunch break now, but you can come over later.”
Ian lifted his brows feeling a moment of anxiety. “That bad, huh?”
Aaron laughed, but he didn’t deny it. “Just come over later. Mike has detention to make up for missed days, and he’s talking to the coach after that. I think we need to sort a few things out.”
“I’ll be there,” Ian agreed.
“Good.” Aaron came to him, rubbed Ian’s arm. “I look forward to it.”
If they hadn’t been in school, he’d have kissed Aaron. He didn’t like the finality of the way he was talking. Like he meant to end things between them.
He didn’t like this at all.
“Stop looking so worried,” Aaron teased.
“Worried about what?” A woman said from just inside the room.
“Leanne, this isn’t a good time,” Ian said tightly.
“Sure it is. I was leaving.” Aaron sent him another smile.
“Wait. Aaron, she can come back later.”
“No, it’s fine. I have to get back to work.”
Aaron disappeared and Ian couldn’t help but feel like he’d just walked out of his life. Shit .
“Damn it, Leanne, I was having a private conversation,” Ian snapped.
She crossed her arms and pursed her lips.
“What? What can’t possibly wait a few more minutes?”
Her expression was classic Leanne, and it never failed to annoy him. “Oh,” she said with apparent understanding. “Was that the Hedlund kid?”
He sighed. “Yeah.”
“Sorry, I didn’t realize.”
“It’s okay. I’ll catch up with him later.” Ian dismissed her by organizing the papers on his desk.
She didn’t take the hint. “So this weekend I’m wide open.”
Ian had no doubt in his mind that she meant that exactly how she’d said it. “I’m not.”
Leanne sashayed toward him as though her hips would hypnotize him into acceptance. “Are you sure? I thought I’d light a few candles, play some classical music and order from that fancy little French place downtown. I’d hate to spend the evening alone.”
Ian stopped shuffling. Like Aaron’s apparent need to take his time to say whatever he wanted to say, Ian supposed Leanne needed the same consideration. “Okay. I’ll be there tomorrow night. No music and candles, and maybe we have Chinese takeout instead, but we should sort this out.”
Leanne grinned broadly. “You got it.”
The lunch bell went off. He had five minutes, but he looked at it anyway, to motivate her departure.
“I’ll see you Friday night at my place. I’ll swing by tomorrow after school and leave the address on your desk,” she said as she left.
He lifted a hand in acknowledgement. Now if only he could find the words to turn her down without outing himself in the process.
* * * *
Pulling up in front of the Hedlund house later that afternoon felt ominous. Nonetheless he knocked on the front door and entered when Aaron swung it open.
Ian waited until it was shut again before leaning in to kiss him. Aaron turned and led the way to the kitchen, dodging the move. Now he really didn’t have a good vibe. He shoved his hands in his pockets and followed.
“You wanted to talk?” Ian began. Rip the bandage off .
Aaron poured two glasses of water and motioned toward the living room. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts. The pit of Ian’s stomach sank lower.
“I’m going to get right to the point. I came out to my family in high school, and I’ve never regretted
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