Chapter Sixteen

Once Finn had patched himself up with medical tape from the first aid kit on board that looked old as time itself, he took them back toward Tam’s Treats. He had some errands to run before Aiden hoped to have his back blown out.

“Well don’t you two look smug,” Tam said, forearms rested on the countertop, as they made their way inside.

“Yeah, yeah. Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” replied Aiden.

“You know that phrase hasn’t been in fashion since you were a young whippersnapper,” she said as Finn ambled past toward the display case. With a smirk, Tam rounded on Aiden. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

Aiden lifted his chin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh you—”

“Tam, have you got the mung bean pastries today? They were on the list.”

“Right in front of your face, if you’d just look.” She exhaled with a puff of air. “Swear, doesn’t even try looking.”

Aiden was ensnared by that Tam-esque gaze. The one that made him feel as though he was being studied like a microorganism, notes and all.

“Adie’s wondering when you’re going to call her.”

Okay, it could have been worse.

“I will. I’ve just been busy doing stuff.”

Tam’s smirk deepened, the joke ringing through before she even had the chance to put it into words.

“Finn isn’t stuff,” Aiden said, voice hushed—all too aware of Finn heading around the counter to select his goods. Undoubtedly a perk that came with being friends with the owner.

Tam didn’t look convinced. If anything, she seemed to be moments away from hysterical laughter—only held together by sheer smugness alone. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Stuff is busy tomorrow, and Adie has the day off. I’ll tell her you’ll call tonight.”

Aiden was fighting a losing battle, but he found it was one he didn’t want to take arms in. He’d promised he’d hang out with Adie and had found himself looking forward to their unofficial plans.

“Sure.” Aiden smiled with a little too much teeth. “I’ll take her out tomorrow.”

Tam’s iron-clad hold on her laugh broke, and the delighted noise echoed through the empty shop. “There’s the bite.”

“Alrighty.” Finn emerged with the items secured in his hands. “Let’s get these off to Marlee.”

“Leaving it a bit late today, aren’t we?” asked Tam.

Clearly used to Tam’s special brand of poking fun, Finn rolled his shoulders. “We were busy.”

“Doing stuff,” added Aiden.

Tam snorted.

Nonplussed, Finn said, “Anyway, Marlee stays up later than the lot of us. Party central.”

“Don’t remind me,” groaned Tam. “After you two left, it took ages to wrangle the kids into bed and Marlee to the car.”

“Which is why we’re gonna go.” Finn kicked the door open with the flat of his foot, nodding for Aiden to get his ass in gear. “Before Marlee can rope us into a game of Twister. I need my head on straight tomorrow.”

Tam’s eyes grew wide. “Shit. That’s tomorrow?”

“What’s tomorrow?” asked Aiden before he could stop himself. His question went unheard.

“Call me after you meet the guy, yeah?” said Tam, holding Finn in one of her stares. “Would hate to see you missing on the news.”

“It’ll be fine.”

“Call me.”

Finn finally conceded with a nod, nudging Aiden the last bit out the door. “G’night, Tam.”

“Is everything okay?” Despite Finn’s disarming smile, if tomorrow was enough to strike that much concern through Tam, then Aiden had to take it as something serious.

“Yeah, ’course.” Finn placed the crate in the back of the car with a huff. “Just some tedious boat shit.”

Tedious boat shit. Translation: the details were private.

“I’m serious about getting you in and out of Marlee’s before a game of Twister,” said Finn. He fleetingly touched Aiden’s hip as he passed and winked. “I have other bendy plans.”

Aiden’s heart stuttered in his chest. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Good thing you don’t have to say a thing.” Finn got in behind the driver’s seat, far too fluid for someone with overgrown limbs. The look he gave Aiden was sultry and meaningful. It took all of Aiden’s willpower not to melt on the spot. “Blush is all over your face.”

“What on earth happened to you?” Marlee said the moment she answered the front door, hand cocked on hip, a critical eye toward Finn’s haphazard bandages and not at all on her things from Tam’s. It struck Aiden how similar this situation was to his own back home. Finn helping Marlee with the groceries, doing the odd errand. Aiden bit back the realization that Finn seemed to enjoy doing this. Because that then begged the question if Aiden was a horrible person if he dreaded it.

“Just a few scratches,” Finn said, narrowly sidestepping her. “I’ll put these away, yeah? Aiden, I’ll be back in a sec.”

Aiden wasn’t under any impression that he was going to be welcomed into Marlee’s home. And maybe secretly hoped that he wasn’t. He’d feel more than a little uncomfortable sitting down with a cup of tea and making small talk, while Finn’s promise played over and over in his mind.

“How is your holiday going, Aiden?” Marlee asked, but there was no trace of that welcoming kindness from dinner.

“It’s going well.” Aiden paused, bobbing his head nervously. “Really well.”

“You must miss home. Your family.”

Aiden kept his face as neutral as possible. “Parts.” Then, in an effort to keep the conversation light, he said, “I don’t think my mam misses me as much as she misses someone to drive her to the shops.”

Marlee threw a backward glance over her shoulder before closing the door behind her. “I hope you don’t mind me speaking candidly.”

Did Aiden have a choice in the matter? He felt both scrutinized and stripped bare in front of this woman. Like she knew exactly what he was all about before even asking the question.

“I… No. Not at all.”

“You seem like a nice bloke.”

Aiden relaxed. Okay, maybe this wouldn’t be too bad. “Thank you.”

“And Adie and Tam are enamored with you.”

This time, Aiden even smiled.

“But I know them.” Marlee crossed her arms over her chest. “They’re romantic people. They want a whirlwind romance for Finn. A holidaymaker and a local. It’s why they invited you to dinner. And judging by the mark on your neck, they weren’t wrong about the chemistry.”

Aiden’s hand flew to the spot Finn had been paying particular attention to the night before, selling himself out.

“You might not believe me when I say this, but Finn is such a gentle soul.”

Aiden thought about the time that they’d spent together, the surprising moments of tenderness he’d experienced from a man he once believed would punch a venomous spider square in the face. Aiden thought of how he adored and doted upon his daughter, the weekly ritual of dropping off groceries to an elderly woman who regarded him so highly.

“I believe you.”

“Then you’ll understand why I’m concerned. Are you taking this seriously, or are you going to hurt my boy in the long run?”

Aiden ran his tongue over his dry bottom lip, buying himself some time and much-needed brain power to figure out what exactly she meant by that.

(Or at least come up with some kind of answer.)

“Finn and I know what we’re doing.”

Marlee didn’t look convinced. “So it won’t come as any surprise to Finn when you go home in a few weeks?”

“I don’t…” Aiden cut himself off with a breathy laugh. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at. He knows I have to go home. He knows that I have stuff waiting for me.”

If Aiden had to say the word “stuff” again in this lifetime, it would be all too soon.

“Does he?” Marlee’s eyes were studying him, looking for cracks he knew were all too visible. “I don’t want him getting hurt, Aiden. He’s been through enough.”

“He won’t.” But even to Aiden’s own ears, his voice sounded weak. Not once had he hinted at staying. Not once had he even considered the alternative. He wasn’t like Adie; he couldn’t drop his entire life for this. His mam would be lost without him. And after all, they’d had that conversation last night. Aiden couldn’t have been any clearer.

Stuff.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably.

“Why’s the… Marlee, you all right?” Finn poked his head out through the door, mouth slightly ajar in question. “Secret meeting?”

“Not at all.” Marlee reached for Finn’s face, tapping his cheek lightly. “I was just asking Aiden about his plans for when he gets home.”

“Ah.” Finn looked at him oddly. “Bit early for that, ain’t it? Let the poor bloke focus on enjoying himself.”

“You’re right.” Marlee stepped back toward the house. “You two have a good night. And Aiden, don’t forget what I said.”

Aiden’s lips were drawn in a tight line, and he was numb to even the feeling of Finn’s hand on the small of his back as he said goodbye.

Once in the car, doors closed and engine on, Finn’s eyes were set on him, and his voice was firmer than it had been all day. “Okay, what did Marlee say?”

Aiden’s attention was solely out the window and on an unremarkable looking bush. “Nothing. We were just making small talk.”

And giving Aiden an existential crisis about potentially leading this man on. This man who didn’t need any further complications in his life, who didn’t need Aiden to muddle things up.

The bush blurred as his eyes watered. “You know I have to go home, right?”

The silence was louder than Aiden’s own voice, which shook and trembled as he spoke. But he didn’t dare look at Finn. Didn’t dare to take in his expression. And he sure as shit didn’t remain quiet when Finn failed to answer.

“I thought I made it clear last night, but Marlee is making me overthink things, and I feel like I should just get it out in the open.” Now that he started to speak, the words wouldn’t stop coming. “I’m not like Adie. I can’t just leave my life behind. And, I mean, you’re great. But I haven’t even known you that long, and fuck, it would be so easy to get swept away in this—in you.”

If Aiden was going to be honest with himself, a part of him already had. But the pull of home, of his mam, of his responsibilities was too strong to deny.

“You’re great. You’re so great. And I really fucking like you, Finn. But I can’t—and I don’t—”

“Aiden.”

“But I still want to hang out, and try—what was that ice-cream called?”

“Golden Gaytime?”

“Yeah, that. Have I upset you? Please tell me I haven’t. I feel like I have.”

“Aiden.” Finn’s hand was back on his knee. Lower than before but still a grounding presence. “I don’t…expect anything of you.” His voice was quiet, as unsure as Aiden felt.

Aiden was no longer looking at the bush, but his gaze didn’t properly meet Finn’s face. More like his collarbones, or along his prominent Adam’s apple.

“Okay, maybe a part of me got lost in the fantasy of this being…more than what it is.”

He didn’t cry out in dismay, but the noise quite clearly died in his throat on the way out.

“But that’s all it was.” Finn’s expression was pinched. “A fantasy. C’mon, we’re two grown men. We know how this ends.”

“Yeah.” Aiden’s hands were wrung together in his lap. “Yeah, we are. We do.”

“And sure, maybe we could have handled this better. And not…”

“Fucked?”

Incredulous was the only word that Aiden could think of to describe Finn’s expression. “I refuse to regret that. Downright refuse.”

Aiden couldn’t help the softest of smiles that traced over his lips.

“I don’t regret it, either.”

Their eyes met, for the briefest of moments, and Aiden’s heart stuttered in his chest. Then Finn broke the connection with a sharp exhale. “Having said all that, I have no idea where to go from here.”

Quite quickly, Aiden realized he was faced with a choice. He could politely leave it here, ask Finn to drop him back to Ryan’s house, and continue this adventure on a strictly acquaintances-that-screwed basis. Or he could take the coward’s route.

“I think we should continue as we are,” Aiden said slowly. “But keep in mind that it—that we—aren’t…”

“Serious?”

“Yeah.”

“Like a friends-with-benefits thing?”

Okay, that sounded a hell of a lot better than acquaintances-that-bone. “Yeah.” With a confident nod, Aiden said, “Exactly that.”

“Sure.” Finn pursed his lips together as he drove away from Marlee’s front yard. “So that means I can take you back to mine?”

This time, Aiden was the one to place his hand on Finn’s thigh. And, after a moment, he hiked it higher. “Let’s go have a Golden Gaytime.”