her Red, the smile she had
been fighting broke through. She drew in a breath and blew it out on a
"Sorry."
He shrugged and lifted his hands. "Brought the
ingredients just in case. I also have a pizza in my freezer and a six pack if
you need it. Saw the shelf full of brownie mixes in your pantry last week so I
figured you didn't need any back up."
God, help me.
If he got any cuter, she wouldn't need brownies to soothe
her sweet tooth. She stepped back and gestured for him to enter. "Let's
get started then."
***
Gus had not only become a friend over the next couple weeks,
but an ever present part of her life. They didn't see eye to eye on a lot of
things and ended up arguing more than not, but it always resulted in one or
both of them laughing until they couldn't breathe. Something she had only ever
had with her sister when they were teenagers. Surprising? Yes, but that's the
kind of relationship her and Lily cherished and she prayed nothing ever happened
to change that.
With Gus, it was better, sweeter, and starting to tug on her
heart a whole lot harder.
He had been working more often and had even gone through a
few cases, which he grudgingly kept to himself, so Aiden didn't see him as
often as she would have liked. It helped that he made up for it by coming over
every Sunday night and stopping by to say hi whenever he was home.
He never pushed for more than just hanging out together.
Sure, there were some tense moments when she was sure he wanted to kiss her,
but he never did. The problem wasn't that he didn't kiss her, it was the
amount of disappointment she felt every time he stepped away. She couldn't
explain it, didn't want to even try, but it was there. Always there.
Lily was no help either; always asking about him, always
asking how she felt. Her case was getting weaker by the day and Lily no longer
acknowledged her argument that she couldn't be with a man who had a dangerous
job. No matter how many ways Aiden tried to push it, she always lost to Lily.
She attempted to start conversations with a couple of men on
the dating site, but none of them seemed normal. Their first question was a
request for her picture. Why she didn't feel comfortable with that, she had no
idea. Knowing it was possible to start up a friendship without pictures, her
standards were set high and it was going to be a battle to change it.
She was starting to think the whole situation was a losing
battle anyway because a piece of her heart tore off each time she was with Gus
and she wasn't getting them back. He remembered every detail she ever told him
over the phone, every movie she liked or song she couldn't get out of her head
whenever she heard it. He started digging further, too. Almost as if it was his
life's mission to find out everything about her.
And she couldn't help but do the same.
It was a Saturday morning when she was leaving her apartment
to inquire about some space for a studio. It was the only place that hadn't
already been taken by the time she called. Probably because it wasn't in the
best part of town, but it would have to do for now. The rent was cheap and she
was desperate to clear out her apartment. Her already small space felt tinier
and tinier surrounded by all the canvases and supplies. Gus never said anything
about the mess, he just browsed through her paintings and complimented her
often on them.
She knew she was good, but hearing you were good from that
one person whose opinion you never thought mattered, but ended up mattering
more than anyone else's; it's momentous. Like the feeling you get the moment
you walk into a room full of people and the man who holds your heart finally
looks up and sees you. Really sees you. You become the only two people
in the room because everything and everyone else disappears.
That's what it felt like every time Gus found her, every
time he smiled at her.
She shook his image from her mind and headed for the stairs
until she saw Gus coming up the last flight to their
been fighting broke through. She drew in a breath and blew it out on a
"Sorry."
He shrugged and lifted his hands. "Brought the
ingredients just in case. I also have a pizza in my freezer and a six pack if
you need it. Saw the shelf full of brownie mixes in your pantry last week so I
figured you didn't need any back up."
God, help me.
If he got any cuter, she wouldn't need brownies to soothe
her sweet tooth. She stepped back and gestured for him to enter. "Let's
get started then."
***
Gus had not only become a friend over the next couple weeks,
but an ever present part of her life. They didn't see eye to eye on a lot of
things and ended up arguing more than not, but it always resulted in one or
both of them laughing until they couldn't breathe. Something she had only ever
had with her sister when they were teenagers. Surprising? Yes, but that's the
kind of relationship her and Lily cherished and she prayed nothing ever happened
to change that.
With Gus, it was better, sweeter, and starting to tug on her
heart a whole lot harder.
He had been working more often and had even gone through a
few cases, which he grudgingly kept to himself, so Aiden didn't see him as
often as she would have liked. It helped that he made up for it by coming over
every Sunday night and stopping by to say hi whenever he was home.
He never pushed for more than just hanging out together.
Sure, there were some tense moments when she was sure he wanted to kiss her,
but he never did. The problem wasn't that he didn't kiss her, it was the
amount of disappointment she felt every time he stepped away. She couldn't
explain it, didn't want to even try, but it was there. Always there.
Lily was no help either; always asking about him, always
asking how she felt. Her case was getting weaker by the day and Lily no longer
acknowledged her argument that she couldn't be with a man who had a dangerous
job. No matter how many ways Aiden tried to push it, she always lost to Lily.
She attempted to start conversations with a couple of men on
the dating site, but none of them seemed normal. Their first question was a
request for her picture. Why she didn't feel comfortable with that, she had no
idea. Knowing it was possible to start up a friendship without pictures, her
standards were set high and it was going to be a battle to change it.
She was starting to think the whole situation was a losing
battle anyway because a piece of her heart tore off each time she was with Gus
and she wasn't getting them back. He remembered every detail she ever told him
over the phone, every movie she liked or song she couldn't get out of her head
whenever she heard it. He started digging further, too. Almost as if it was his
life's mission to find out everything about her.
And she couldn't help but do the same.
It was a Saturday morning when she was leaving her apartment
to inquire about some space for a studio. It was the only place that hadn't
already been taken by the time she called. Probably because it wasn't in the
best part of town, but it would have to do for now. The rent was cheap and she
was desperate to clear out her apartment. Her already small space felt tinier
and tinier surrounded by all the canvases and supplies. Gus never said anything
about the mess, he just browsed through her paintings and complimented her
often on them.
She knew she was good, but hearing you were good from that
one person whose opinion you never thought mattered, but ended up mattering
more than anyone else's; it's momentous. Like the feeling you get the moment
you walk into a room full of people and the man who holds your heart finally
looks up and sees you. Really sees you. You become the only two people
in the room because everything and everyone else disappears.
That's what it felt like every time Gus found her, every
time he smiled at her.
She shook his image from her mind and headed for the stairs
until she saw Gus coming up the last flight to their
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