guarantee
it.”
Theo, Nate, and Jake come outside to stand
next to him, and the crowd starts to finally move away. I would,
too. I just wish it hadn’t come to that. I should’ve been able to
handle things without their help. Especially since Aiden thinks I’m
here to protect his mom.
“I’m sorry you had to help, Aid. It’s
supposed to be my job.”
“You did your job. No one
hurt my mom. It’s my job to protect the women I love.”
“You do realize how sexist that sounds,
right?”
“Let me rephrase. It’s my job to take care
of everyone in my life. Tonight, it just happened to be the women I
love. I would’ve done the same for my dad and Andres.”
“Nice to know you have my back,” Andres says
to him.
“Of course I do. You’re my friend.”
“Would I still be your friend if you were
dating someone our age?”
“What?”
“Well, I mean, you have to be nice to your
dad about me because you’re apparently robbing the cradle, too,
right? I just learned that Ellie here is ten years younger than
you.”
“Andres,” Tim says sharply.
“It’s an honest question,” he says with a
shrug.
“You can honestly fuck off,” I tell him,
leading Aiden away.
“My dad loves him, and he was once my best
friend. I have to remind myself of that more and more every day. No
matter what I say or do, he just won’t let up on the insults and
stupid comments. I just don’t understand,” he says once we’re alone
in a corner.
“He obviously has some issues. You’ve done
what you could. I’ve heard you try and make amends,” I tell him,
rubbing his back.
“I really have. I know I’m an asshole, but
we didn’t grow apart because of that. He took a different career
path. I didn’t want to give up mine to follow him. Maybe I should
have,” he says, hanging his head and running his hands through his
hair.
“Look at me, Aiden.” I wait until he does.
“You followed the path you were supposed to be on. If you hadn’t,
you wouldn’t have followed Matt to Corrigan & Co. We would’ve
never met, and you wouldn’t be one day getting a giant trophy to
commemorate your skills as a lover. Would you really want to trade
all of us for someone who only seems interested in himself?”
“I definitely wouldn’t want to give up my
trophy,” he says with a smile.
“You’re an ass,” I tell him, and then I’m in
his arms, and his lips are on me.
“You know I was kidding. I could give up
anything except for you, Doll. Trophy included.”
“Not your friends.”
“I’d choose you. I’d hate to lose them, but
I can’t lose you.”
“Good thing you’ll never have to
choose.”
“Shouldn’t you both be working,” Dave says,
once again sneaking up on us and trying to ruin our night.
“Shouldn’t you be at home pressing your
tie?” I ask.
“Nice one, El.”
“You both think you’re so special and funny,
but you’re not.”
“Really?” I challenge him. “Let’s go ask Tim
if he feels the same way.”
“Crying to Daddy? I didn’t peg you for a
tattle tale, Aiden.”
“I’m not. I don’t need my dad to take care
of you for me. We can go anytime.”
“One day I’m going to take you up on that,
and you’ll be sorry. The Golden Boy won’t look so good when I
rearrange his face.”
“I can’t wait for you to try. Really, please
try.”
“I hate you.”
“No. Oh my God. Now we can’t invite him to
the wedding, Aiden. My numbers will be all off,” I say with a
smile.
“You don’t have a ring,” Dave tells me,
narrowing his eyes at my hand.
“She will.”
“Then she’s stupider than I thought she was.
I guess growing up in bars kills brain cells, huh?”
I lunge for him, but Aiden holds me back.
“You say what you want about me, but leave my family out of
this.”
“Or what?” he taunts me.
“You don’t want to know.”
“He’s not worth it, El. Just let him walk
away. Back to his pathetic life.”
Tim and Andres are in front of us before I
can
it.”
Theo, Nate, and Jake come outside to stand
next to him, and the crowd starts to finally move away. I would,
too. I just wish it hadn’t come to that. I should’ve been able to
handle things without their help. Especially since Aiden thinks I’m
here to protect his mom.
“I’m sorry you had to help, Aid. It’s
supposed to be my job.”
“You did your job. No one
hurt my mom. It’s my job to protect the women I love.”
“You do realize how sexist that sounds,
right?”
“Let me rephrase. It’s my job to take care
of everyone in my life. Tonight, it just happened to be the women I
love. I would’ve done the same for my dad and Andres.”
“Nice to know you have my back,” Andres says
to him.
“Of course I do. You’re my friend.”
“Would I still be your friend if you were
dating someone our age?”
“What?”
“Well, I mean, you have to be nice to your
dad about me because you’re apparently robbing the cradle, too,
right? I just learned that Ellie here is ten years younger than
you.”
“Andres,” Tim says sharply.
“It’s an honest question,” he says with a
shrug.
“You can honestly fuck off,” I tell him,
leading Aiden away.
“My dad loves him, and he was once my best
friend. I have to remind myself of that more and more every day. No
matter what I say or do, he just won’t let up on the insults and
stupid comments. I just don’t understand,” he says once we’re alone
in a corner.
“He obviously has some issues. You’ve done
what you could. I’ve heard you try and make amends,” I tell him,
rubbing his back.
“I really have. I know I’m an asshole, but
we didn’t grow apart because of that. He took a different career
path. I didn’t want to give up mine to follow him. Maybe I should
have,” he says, hanging his head and running his hands through his
hair.
“Look at me, Aiden.” I wait until he does.
“You followed the path you were supposed to be on. If you hadn’t,
you wouldn’t have followed Matt to Corrigan & Co. We would’ve
never met, and you wouldn’t be one day getting a giant trophy to
commemorate your skills as a lover. Would you really want to trade
all of us for someone who only seems interested in himself?”
“I definitely wouldn’t want to give up my
trophy,” he says with a smile.
“You’re an ass,” I tell him, and then I’m in
his arms, and his lips are on me.
“You know I was kidding. I could give up
anything except for you, Doll. Trophy included.”
“Not your friends.”
“I’d choose you. I’d hate to lose them, but
I can’t lose you.”
“Good thing you’ll never have to
choose.”
“Shouldn’t you both be working,” Dave says,
once again sneaking up on us and trying to ruin our night.
“Shouldn’t you be at home pressing your
tie?” I ask.
“Nice one, El.”
“You both think you’re so special and funny,
but you’re not.”
“Really?” I challenge him. “Let’s go ask Tim
if he feels the same way.”
“Crying to Daddy? I didn’t peg you for a
tattle tale, Aiden.”
“I’m not. I don’t need my dad to take care
of you for me. We can go anytime.”
“One day I’m going to take you up on that,
and you’ll be sorry. The Golden Boy won’t look so good when I
rearrange his face.”
“I can’t wait for you to try. Really, please
try.”
“I hate you.”
“No. Oh my God. Now we can’t invite him to
the wedding, Aiden. My numbers will be all off,” I say with a
smile.
“You don’t have a ring,” Dave tells me,
narrowing his eyes at my hand.
“She will.”
“Then she’s stupider than I thought she was.
I guess growing up in bars kills brain cells, huh?”
I lunge for him, but Aiden holds me back.
“You say what you want about me, but leave my family out of
this.”
“Or what?” he taunts me.
“You don’t want to know.”
“He’s not worth it, El. Just let him walk
away. Back to his pathetic life.”
Tim and Andres are in front of us before I
can
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