I didn’t bother stopping. I kept going up. “I’m fine.”
“Vanessa.” His voice was low, careful. “Look at me.”
One hundred and eighty percent ready to be in my room, I stopped and turned around, raising my eyebrows at the figure standing at the bottom of the staircase with one palm on the handrail.
He had that dark gaze narrowed on me. “When you say you’re fine, I know you’re not.”
“Hmm,” was the only thing I could manage to get out without saying something really bitchy. I tried to tell myself it wasn’t a big deal he hadn’t gone with me; I’d told myself that at least a dozen times over the weekend. I also told myself I understood that he’d stayed to see someone he cared about, but it didn’t help, and it didn’t work.
My damn pride couldn’t handle being stood up and let down by not just him but by everyone this weekend.
“That’s what I thought,” Aiden stated as he tipped his chin up at me almost defiantly.
I squeezed my fingers around the handrail, envisioning it was his neck I was wringing. “Yeah, I guess so,” I admitted with a sniff. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’m going to bed.”
I barely managed to turn around when Aiden’s raspy low voice spoke up. “I don’t care if you don’t want to talk about it. I want to talk about it,” he said in that authoritative, demanding voice that scratched at my nerves. It wasn’t a loud voice by any measure, but it didn’t need to be.
Rolling my eyes, I shook my head as he continued his bullshit explanation, “Leslie called, said he was in San Antonio and asked if he could drop by for a few days. Coach wanted to go through some more footage before I left, and I lost track of time.” And he kept going. “I figured you of all people would understand. I don’t get what the big deal is.”
For one moment, I thought about picking up my suitcase and throwing it at him. Immature, sure. Unnecessary, yes. But it would have made me feel better. Instead, I counted to seven, and while looking at the stairs, I said to him, “I do understand, Aiden. I get it. Your job is the most important thing in your life and I’m fully aware of how much Leslie means to you. I know that, and I’ve always known that.”
“Yet you’re still mad.”
There wasn’t a point in even lying, was there? Setting my luggage on the stair ahead of me, I turned back around to face that dark head of hair and tanned face I’d seen more of when I worked for him than I did now that I lived with him. “I’m not mad, Aiden. I’m just… look, I’m in a terrible mood. Maybe now isn’t the time to talk, all right?”
“No.” His back straightened and he took his hand off the handrail. “I stayed to watch footage with the staff and see Les,” he stated, a furrow between his eyebrows.
“I understand why you stayed. I’m not telling you I don’t. I’m frustrated over this entire fucking useless weekend, and I don’t want to take it out on you.” That was a lie. I sort of did. “Can we please stop talking about this?”
I knew what his reply was going to be before it came out of his mouth: nope. He didn’t fail me. “I didn’t do anything for you to be mad over.”
Heaven help me. Heaven fucking help me. My fingers went up to press over the top of my eyebrows, as if that would keep my headache at bay. I hissed, “Aiden, just let it go.”
The man never let anything go? Why would this moment be any different? “No. I want to talk about it. I didn’t go with you to your mom’s house. I’ll go next time.”
The problem with some people was that they didn’t understand the principle of things. The other thing with people was that some guys didn’t understand when to let shit go, so they kept pushing and pushing and pushing until you just said “fuck it.” That was exactly what Aiden did to me then. The pain in my head got even worse. “I invited you so you could meet my mom and my foster parents. And stupid me, I got disappointed when you bailed on me at the last freaking moment.”
In hindsight, that sounded a lot more melodramatic than it needed to.
The fact that my mom had knowingly lied to me had been bad enough. Susie going into psycho mode had definitely made things worse. Diana’s lies only magnified every ruthless, hurt emotion in me, but I didn’t tell him any of that. Every piece of anger in me had been sprouted from the seeds Aiden’s absence had left.
“I had to,” he stated in that cool, crisp tone that said he definitely didn’t understand what I was so upset about it.
Sighing, I pulled my hand away from my face and shook it off. “Forget it, Aiden.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so pissed off,” he snapped.
“Because! I thought we were getting to be friends, and you couldn’t even bother to remember to tell me until the last minute you weren’t going with me. Do you have any idea how unimportant that makes me feel?” I snapped back.
Some strange emotion flickered in his dark eyes, the long length of his face loosening for a second before the normal, bland expression took over his face. “I stayed for a good reason.”
“I get it. I know your priorities. I know where we stand. I know what this is and what it isn’t. I’ll try to adjust my expectations from now on,” I cut him off, completely over this stupid conversation.
Aiden’s dark pink mouth had been open, but at my comment, he slammed it closed. His forehead creased, and that pouty mouth that belonged on a woman with some kind of cosmetic enhancement, went tight at the corners. He blinked those long brown eyelashes as his forehead scrunched.
He was at a loss of words.
Words that could have gone along the lines of “We are friends” or “I’m sorry.” Instead, I got nothing. No excuse, no promise, nada.
So frustrated—so freaking frustrated—I held back the eye roll tempting me by the second and plastered a tight, completely fake smile on my face. “I’m really tired.” And my arm hurt. “Good night.”
Two steps up the staircase later, I heard, “It isn’t that big of a deal.”
Why? Why me? Why couldn’t he just drop this before I decided to slit his throat in his sleep? “Forget I even said anything,” I tossed over my shoulder for his sake and mine. God, I was being bitchy, but I couldn’t find it in me to care too much.
Aiden snickered loudly. “I don’t understand why you think it’s such a big deal. I’m not asking you to pay me back for the airline ticket or the rental car. I’m sure I can meet your family another day. It isn’t like we don’t have time. We’ve got five years, Vanessa. I don’t want to spend them with you being pissed at me the entire time. You knew what you were getting yourself into.”
“Trust me, I haven’t forgotten for a second how long we’re in this for.” I pulled my suitcase up another step angrily.
When I didn’t say anything else, he took it upon himself to continue. “What the hell is your problem?”
I turned completely around to face him, my hands going instinctively to my hips. “I already told you what my problem is. I’m in a shit mood and you left me hanging, and that bothers me way more than it should, I know that. But I know I should have known better.”