One was unethical, one was just plain risky.
So which path should she take?
The others considered her a bit of a goody-goody, she suspected, but her dad’s well-being was just as important to her as Aden’s. There had to be a way to please them both.
“Not hungry?” He scooped a small mountain of noodles onto his plate. “I thought orange chicken and beef lo mein could tempt you even if you were full of junk.”
Sighing, she pushed her plate away. “I’m just…preoccupied.”
His fork paused midair, noodles dangling from the prongs. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“Yes. No.” Another sigh. “I don’t know.”
He laughed and dropped his fork. “Well, which is it?”
“I need to talk to you, but I don’t want to.”
His smile faded into a frown. “Okay, that sounds serious.”
He had no idea. Otherwise, he’d be glaring at her, lecturing her, or perhaps grounding her for life. “I…” Slow and easy. “I have a question.”
He reached across the table and patted her hand. “You know you can ask me anything.”
They would soon see…“It’s about one of your patients.”
Now his expression hardened and he shook his head. “Anything except that. Patients trust me to keep their secrets, Mar. Not only that, talking about them would be illegal.”
“I know, I know.” She’d expected him to say that and didn’t let it derail her. “The thing is, a few weeks ago, I met a boy. We’ve become really good friends.”
Silence.
Her dad leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his middle. “Okay. Why am I just now hearing about him and what does Tucker think of your friendship with another guy?”
“What Tucker thinks doesn’t matter. He and I officially broke up.”
Instantly, he shifted from Interrogation Dad to I’m Here For You Dad. “Oh, honey. Are you okay about the breakup? I know I wasn’t always supportive of your relationship with him. I mean, there isn’t a boy out there who’s good enough for you. But I stopped complaining about him because I wanted you happy.”
“I’m okay. I’m the one who severed ties. He was cheating on me.” Admitting it out loud was easier than she’d thought it would be. Still embarrassing, but not soul-crushing.
“I’m so sorry.” Once again he leaned forward and patted her hand. “I counsel couples dealing with infidelity all the time, and the most common response for the victim, and that’s what you are, is a feeling of inadequacy. Of being disposable.”
Even though she hadn’t wanted Tucker anymore, that’s exactly what she’d felt. It had even colored her desire to be with Riley, she realized. She’d automatically assumed he’d think she was too boring for him.
“Sometimes it’s just a one-time lapse and the culprit learns a valuable lesson,” her dad continued, “that what he or she has at home is more precious than any momentary pleasure. Most don’t, though they pretend they do so they can have what they think is the best of both worlds.”
“Tucker’s a pretender for sure.” She had no doubts about that. He was a demon, after all. That still shocked her. She’d meant to question Riley about what exactly being a demon entailed, but then Aden had vanished and they’d spent the next few hours searching her house and the forest for him. Riley had even changed into wolf form and raced to the D and M. With his enhanced sense of smell, tracking came easily to him, he’d said, but even he had found no trace.
Then, when they’d been alone, they’d spent their time getting to know each other. He’d asked about her childhood, about her favorite foods, and listened to her fifteen-year plan without rancor. He’d seemed impressed with her goals.
“It’s important to know that everyone battles attraction for other people, but it’s what they do with those feelings that shows the truth of their character,” her dad said. “Did you know the girl he was seeing on the sly?”
Mary Ann nodded but didn’t want to admit who it was, so she said, “Thank you for the advice.” Penny’s parents may not know about her pregnancy and Mary Ann still loved her enough to protect her privacy. “That’s actually why I wanted to talk to you about this other boy. He’s had a troubled past and is dealing with some things that no one his age should have to deal with.”
Her dad tapped a finger against his chin. “I see where you’re going with this.”
Wait. What? “You do?”
“You want me to talk to him, help him.”
“No. I want you to…tell me about him.”
His brow furrowed with confusion. “I don’t understand. He’s your friend. What could I possibly know about him?”
“I think…I think he was once a patient of yours.” Here goes. Just do it, say it. “His name is Aden Stone.”
First, her father’s breath hitched. Then the color drained from his face. Then he stiffened ever so slightly. She wouldn’t have noticed it if she hadn’t been studying him so intently. Her stomach twisted into sharp, jagged knots, the points cutting her every time she inhaled.
“You do know him,” was all she said.
He looked away from her, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Once.”
“Did you kick him out of your office?”
Rather than answer, he pushed to his feet. The chair skidded loudly against the kitchen tiles. “It’s late.” There was no emotion in his tone, only distance, as if his thoughts were already someplace else. “You should shower, get some sleep.”
“I’d rather talk to you. Aden needs help, Dad. Not the kind you’re thinking, though, so please don’t tell me never to see him again. I love him like a brother and want to see him happy. And the only way he’ll ever truly be happy is if we find a way to free the people—”
“Enough!” He slammed a fist against the table, rattling the dishes. Fire burned in his eyes. They weren’t flames of fury or exasperation but of hopelessness. It was a look she’d seen only once. The day her mother died and he’d had to be the one to break it to her. “Enough,” he repeated flatly. “We’re not going to talk about this.”
Startled, she froze in place, unable even to breathe. What was he thinking? What had started that fire? “But he told you we would someday meet, that he would be my friend. Even you can’t deny that he wasn’t a crazy little boy but a—”
“I said that’s enough. You need to go to your room. That isn’t a suggestion but an order.” With that, he turned on his heel and stalked away. Down the hall, a door slammed. The door to his office, she knew. Never before had he shut her out.
Her dad remembered Aden. That was clear. But what did he remember? What had changed her normally mild-mannered father into that distant, snarling beast?
ADEN CAME AWAKE with a jolt, sitting upright, panting. Sweat covered his body, soaking his shirt to his chest. His wild gaze roved his surroundings…he was in his bedroom, he realized, frowning. What time was it? Through the window he could see the crescent moon, so it was late at night. The silence of the house caused his ears to ring. Everyone was asleep.
He was home, yet he didn’t remember getting here. He hadn’t done his chores, hadn’t spoken to Dan. Last thing he remembered was standing in the woods with Victoria, her teeth in his neck.
His head jerked left and right. Where was—
“Shh.” Victoria was suddenly sitting beside him, pressing a finger against his lips. “You’re all right. You have nothing to worry about. I took care of everything. I cleaned the barn and fed the horses, though the animals weren’t happy to see me. I convinced Dan and the others that you came home when you were supposed to. Dan even thinks the two of you had a nice long chat about your study session.”