“No, was he supposed to?”
“Oh no, just wondering,” she says quickly. “He doesn’t sleep in without—I mean, he doesn’t sleep in that often.”
“Oh, uh, well, I don’t plan on waking him up. And if he wants to stay, I’m going to force him to watch movies and rest.”
Claire smiles. “That’ll be good for him.” We reach the bottom of the stairs and she turns, looking at the blood on my shirt once more. “What were you doing out there?”
“I got a new rescue,” I say, careful not to mention Aiden. “One of his legs was wrapped tightly in barbed wire, and we had to cut his skin to get it out.”
She shudders. “Oh, poor thing. I’ll let you get back to it. If you two do go out, tell Aiden to call Frank to escort you. All of Aiden’s medicine is in a little black zipper pouch in his bag. Make sure he takes it, please?”
“I will,” I tell her and walk her out. I go back to the barn and see Dr. Wells stitching up what she can on the gelding’s leg. A half hour later, she’s packing up to go and says not to worry about the bill just yet. It’s a nice gesture, but I know what that means: it’s going to be fucking expensive.
A knot forms in my stomach, and I hate thinking that I shouldn’t have taken him in. Mom would never turn away a horse. She’d find a way to make it work. I sigh and finish my barn chores. Maybe I can write freelance articles or start giving riding lessons again. I have expensive show tack that I doubt I’ll use anytime soon. If I sold it close to what I paid for it, I might be able to cover the cost of today’s barn call.
“Don’t worry, guys,” I whisper to Phoenix and the gelding. “I’m not giving up on you.”
I click my phone into the speakers and flip through my iTunes. I’ve been listening to a lot of slow, sad music lately since it fits my mood. But today, I go for something a bit more lively. I keep the volume low so as to not disturb Aiden, who is still upstairs sleeping, and start unloading the dishwasher. Once I get the kitchen clean, I know I should move on to the rest of the house. I haven’t swept or dusted in way too long, and clumps of black Chrissy fur have built up around the molding. The house is in need of a good deep cleaning.
All I want to do is take a shower and collapse into bed with Aiden. I sigh. That will have to wait. I bend over to pull a spoon out from the middle of the dishwasher that fell out and got stuck on the drain. Hands land on either side of my ass.
I straighten up, smiling as I turn. Aiden’s lips curve up and his arms slide around me. I set the spoon down and hook my hands around his shoulders. He’s wearing boxers and nothing else. I step in, feeling the warmth of his skin.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
He holds me tight against him. “A little better, actually. I haven’t slept that long and uninterrupted in God knows how long.”
He leans over, resting his forehead against mine. “Then you really are sick,” I say. “You still feel a little feverish too.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s what helped me sleep.”
“What was it, then?”
“You.”
“I’m so boring I made you fall asleep?”
He laughs softly. “The biggest bore.” His lips brush against mine and I shiver. “Really, it’s quite the opposite. I feel so…I don’t know…comfortable around you.” He turns his head. “I can’t explain it. Being with you just feels right…if that makes sense.”
I close my eyes and shove my heart back into my chest. “It does, because I feel the same way.” We stay wrapped in each other’s arms for a few seconds before Aiden starts coughing. “Sit,” I tell him. “I’ll get you something to eat.”
With a sigh, he breaks away and sits at the table. It’s after eleven, and he still looks tired. The housework can wait. Today I’m taking care of Aiden.
“Claire brought you clothes and your medicine,” I say, and I heat up two cinnamon rolls. I fill the teakettle with water and flick on the burner. “Want me to get the medicine for you?” I ask.
“Sure,” he says as he leans back. The black duffle bag is on the table across from him. I unzip it and root through the clothes. She packed him a lot—way more than he’d need for the rest of today. I can’t help but hope he stays with me again tonight. I find the bag of pills and put it on the table, taking a seat as I open it.
There are at least half a dozen pill bottles. I pause, staring into the bag. There are several painkillers—all narcotics, I should add—a half-full bottle of Xanax, a full bottle of Ambien, another one of Adderall, and another bottle that’s unmarked. I swallow the lump rising in my throat. His name isn’t on all the prescription bottles either.
“Why do you have so many pills?” I ask, the question rolling off my tongue before I can stop myself. I already know the answer.
I set the bottle of antibiotics on the table and look at Aiden. He shrugs, not making eye contact. “I just like to be prepared,” he says.
I grind my teeth, concerned. “Some of these shouldn’t be taken together. You know that, right?”
He raises an eyebrow incredulously. “I didn’t know journalists were qualified to give medical advice. In fact, they aren’t, so keep your comments to yourself.” His tone is dry, and he glares at me.
My eyes widen at the way he’s talking to me. “I took two semesters of pharmacology,” I retort. “And that’s not medical advice. It’s common sense.”
He lets out a breath. “Sorry, Haley. I just…”
I open the bottle of antibiotics after reading the directions and fish one out. I slide it across the table to Aiden. “It’s okay,” I say softly. “You should eat before you take this. It says to, anyway.” I get up and busy myself with making tea for him.
“How’s the horse?” he asks before taking a sip of tea. “Did the vet come yet?”
The air shifts and things feel okay between us again. “Yeah, she just left a little bit ago, actually. And I think he’s gonna pull through. I can tell he wants to.”
I get us both cinnamon rolls and sit next to Aiden. “That’s good. I was honestly a little worried I’d wake up and you’d tell me he didn’t make it.”
“I always worry when I go out in the barn. A lot of times Mom or I would stay with a new rescue the first night. Not only to watch them, but to make them feel comfortable.” I sigh, pain twinging inside me. He reaches for my hand.
“You’re doing good,” he whispers. “Really.”
“Thanks,” I say, not believing him. “It’s a lot to get used to, right?”
He nods. “And a lot of responsibility that you take on by yourself now. I know I told you before, but you impress me. I want to help you, Haley. Really, just tell me what I can do and I’ll do it. There’s something special about you, and I want to make you happy, I want to see you smile. I’ve never wanted to do that for anyone else. I know we haven’t been together that long, but I care about you a lot, Haley.”
His words are like wind, blowing and stirring the broken pieces of my heart. They get caught on the breeze and precariously settle into place. The cracks are still there, mapping out lines of pain and reminding me how fragile I really am. “Aiden…” I start, looking into his eyes. “I…I…I don’t know what to say.”
He laughs. “Telling me you feel the same is a good start.”
I smile and nod. “Okay, I can do that. And I do. Really. It freaks me out how much I like you, honestly.”
“Why?” he asks, dark eyes narrowing just a bit. Did I offend him?
I bite my lip and shake my head. “I don’t know.” I take in a breath, knowing I’m ruining another perfect moment between us. I hate myself for it. “It just kind of scares me.”
His lips pull down and he squeezes my hand again. “Well, it doesn’t has to.”
“I’m trying,” I whisper.
He leans closer. “Don’t try, Haley. I don’t want you to try to like me. I want you to like me because not liking me is too hard to do.”
I smile. “You’re making that part easy.”