Role Playing(90)

He looked a whole decade older. “I know I—”

“Do you remember?” she hissed. “Because I do. I took care of that kid. I helped him with homework and college applications, I was there when his first girlfriend broke his heart, I was there when his dog died. I might’ve been a bad wife, and maybe a bad mother. God knows that’s been my biggest fear. But don’t you fucking dare act like it’s your place to call me out for it. You made your choices.”

Trev’s mouth pulled into a taut line, and he nodded.

“I’m warning you once: If you fuck this up, make Kit think that he’s got a place in your life until your new son can be molded into the tough toxic masculine ideal you always wanted . . . I am not even kidding. I will kill you.”

“I don’t want to hurt Kit,” Trev said. “I promise, Maggie. I mean it.”

She looked at him. “I mean it too.”

He sighed. “Not having another son, by the way,” he muttered. “We’re having a girl. And Carleigh’s pretty determined we’re going to be one and done.”

She stared at him. God. Maybe that was why he was going to see Kit. He wasn’t ever going to have another shot at this.

“Good for you,” she said. “I’m going back inside. Kit’ll get in contact with you, and you can pick him up if you want, or he’ll drive to meet you. But either way, you’re not stepping into this house again.”

“Maggie?”

She looked over her shoulder. “What?”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” he said. “That I wasn’t a better husband to you. It’s not all your fault that we couldn’t make it work.”

She closed her eyes for a second. Then she laughed, the sound creaky and broken.

“Big of you,” she whispered. Then she turned around and went back into the house.





CHAPTER 38


BEWARE THE IRON WOOBIE


As soon as Aiden got the text that Davy and Sheryl had arrived at his mother’s house, he headed over. He’d spent the waiting time on Blood Saga, because, as Maggie would say, he felt like “killing shit.” Unfortunately, school was out, and he found other members of the guild hanging out, so he quickly fled the hall and did a quick solo dungeon run just to leach some of the poisonous feelings out without needing to put on a friendly face with the other members of the guild. In that time, he felt his mind getting clearer, more focused.

By the time he walked into his mother’s house, he felt preternaturally calm. Almost serene.

His mother was carping about him as he walked down the hallway toward the kitchen. Sheryl had her back to him, while Davy was standing and leaning against counters and nodding, looking pained. His expression shifted to relief. “Aiden,” he said on an exhalation. “Listen . . .”

“What are you doing here?” his mother snapped, turning to him from her position at the kitchen table. “Because I meant what I said.”

“I understand. You were very clear that if I didn’t act the way you wanted, I wouldn’t be your son anymore.”

Davy looked ill. Sheryl turned to Aiden, her expression pinched.

“Did you see the new car Davy brought me?” his mother said, every word a barb. “He knows I can still drive. He isn’t trying to take over my life. He doesn’t embarrass me in front of family.”

Aiden took a deep, cleansing breath. “I’ve worked in hospice, Mom. I’ve worked with the elderly. The last thing I want to do is infantilize you, or make you feel like you don’t have autonomy.”

She scoffed at his big words, rolling her eyes, but she still looked mollified. “I am an adult. You two are my kids, and you can’t make my decisions for me.”

“No, we can’t,” Aiden said. “But we’re both adults too. And you can’t tell us what to do at this point either.”

Davy shot him a why-are-you-bringing-me-into-this look.

“And I already told you: I’m not going to stay in the closet just because you’re afraid of what your church friends are going to say,” he said. “Even if I’m dating Maggie. Just because I’m dating a woman doesn’t make me any less bi.”

Or demi. But he wasn’t even going to try to explain that at this point. She couldn’t even wrap her head around him being bi.

His mother was methodically tearing a paper napkin on the place mat in front of her, as if channeling her need to destroy something. “All right. You can keep seeing Maggie,” she said, with obvious reluctance. “But nobody needs to know about . . . the other thing. We can keep it quiet. Sheryl, that means you too.” She glared daggers at her daughter-in-law.

“That’s not happening.”

“Are you trying to make my life miserable?” Now her glare shifted to him. “You’re just going to cause talk!”

“Well, maybe I can just leave town, then.”

He hadn’t meant to blurt that out. But it was a thought that had been turning around in his mind for a while. Of course, now he had Maggie to consider.

Hopefully, Maggie would still be open to being a consideration. He frowned.

When he refocused on the scene in front of him, he saw that all three of them were staring at him with shock. “You’re moving?” Davy asked first.