What The Heart Needs - The Heart #3 (Complete)

Chapter 6 - Part 2

We stood on the doorstep of my house for a while before I drew back and he released me.

"You feeling a little better?" he asked softly.

I nodded before I released an emotional breath. "We need to go to the hospital."

He nodded. "Let's just catch our breath. We wont be any good if we're both an emotional mess."

He was right.

"Come in," I said and he entered my house. I led the way to the kitchen after closing the door. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Just water."

I busied myself with two tall glasses of water and joined him at the kitchen table where he had taken a seat. I sat down across from him.

My hand shook as I took a sip, I couldn't hide what was going on inside.

The awkwardness that hadn't been there before returned and I didn't know what to say. Remembering my reckless actions made me feel like the worst person on the planet. Max had only been good to me and I had treated him horribly.

"How have you been?" he asked and I knew this time he was referring to the kiss we had shared. His eyes were unwavering and it was difficult to hold them without feeling the full affect of his attention focused on me.

I shrugged. How could I excuse what we had done? The truth was there wasn't an excuse for our actions. I could come up with various reasons why it had happened but it didn't take away the underhandedness of what we had done to my boyfriend and his friend.

"We need to talk about what happened at some point." His eyes held mine and I dropped my gaze to my glass of water, trying to avoid anything to do with him and that included talking about something I just wanted to forget happened.

"I can't do this now," I whispered, barely holding on.

I couldn't deal with that on top of everything else I was struggling with. I took another sip of my water before setting it back down. My hand shook.

His hand reached over to cover mine and I let out a heavy breath before my eyes lifted to his. There was something more than warmth and understanding, it was something I wanted to ignore, to smother before it had a chance to ruin everything I held dear.

"Lacey needs us right now. We can sort out our stuff afterward. But promise me you wont shut me out Reece."

I stared at him for a while before I swallowed. "I wont."

It was something that couldn't be swept under the carpet, it needed to be dealt with but with everything going on with Lacey it was difficult to prioritise anything over her and her ordeal.

I let out a shaky breath. "We need to go to the hospital."

He stood and I did too. "I'll take you."

"I can drive myself," I felt the need to remind him. Besides the less time I spent in his company the better for me. Being around him was dangerous and in my fragile state I didn't know if I had the strength to resist something further happening between us.

"Stop Reece. You're upset and I don't want to take the chance you might end up in accident."

His words melted my heart. He cared and that did strange things to my insides even though they shouldn't have. I had a boyfriend, his friend. Nothing he did should make me feel the way I did. It was wrong but I had no control when it came to him.

But he was right. I was in no shape to drive. I would be no help if I ended up at the hospital because of an accident.

"Fine," I gave in feeling resentful.

I was well aware that fighting him on this would show how uneasy I was spending time in his company and that could only mean one thing, I didn't trust myself to be around him. Each time I looked at him I could feel his lips on mine, I could feel the tingle against my skin as his fingers brushed lightly against it. It made me well aware he made me feel something that was lacking with Max.

I followed him to his car and he let me in. I was lost in my thoughts of what lay ahead of us when he started the drive to the hospital. The nervous fear settled in my stomach and made it impossible to think of anything else other than Lacey.

I glanced at him and Aiden looked deep in thought. He was probably just as worried as I was and I felt less alone. He noticed me staring and glanced at me.

My heart skipped a beat as he held my gaze for a brief moment before he looked back to the road. I let out the breath I'd been holding and made a point of dragging my gaze back to the scenery through the window.

Being around him was dangerous. To ensure my relationship with Max survived I had to limit the time I spent with Aiden but in the current scenario where I did not know what was going to happen I needed him more than I needed anyone else and that put me in a predicament that I couldn't figure my way out of it.

Aiden parked the car and we both got out. At the entrance I stopped for a moment to take a breath. Aiden stopped to looked back at me over his shoulder. "You okay?"

I nodded. I had to be. Putting one step in front of the other I made myself walk through the entrance fo the hospital no matter how scared I felt.

When we enquired at reception they refused to give us any details about Lacey. I called Alex to find out which room she was in.

"Security is tight because of Gray," Alex explained why they weren't readily giving out any information.

He gave me directions to Lacey's room and I told him I'd see him soon.

My hands shook nervously as we made our way to the lift and we waited. I shifted from one foot to the other hating how hospitals made me feel. The sterile white walls were unwelcoming and I tried to breath through the panic and the thought of my friend sick and facing the biggest obstacle a person could face.

"You okay?" Aiden asked beside me.

I nodded, unable to look him in the eyes because deep down I wasn't and I didn't want to admit that out aloud as I feared it would undo me. Being strong for my friend was all that mattered right then, nothing else.

Not Max, not Aiden, and not the kiss that still made my stomach flutter. I had to try and block everything else out while I concentrated on Lacey and what she needed.

The lift arrived and I got inside. Aiden followed and pushed the button and stepped back. The doors closed and the silence between us thickened and I refused to look in his direction no matter how much I wanted to.

I stared at the closed doors of the lift wishing the lift would be quicker. I didn't want to be alone with Aiden, as I was aware of his presence so close to mine. I closed my eyes briefly remembering his mouth on mine and how easily I had lost control without even a thought to the boy I was dating. It made me feel like the worst possible person and what made it worse was I couldn't say with any certainty that it wouldn't happen again.

If it wasn't for Lacey's situation I wouldn't be standing beside Aiden in a lift with one one else fighting the attraction I had for him.

The doors opened and I stepped out followed closely by Aiden.

We found Lacey's room but I stopped. I couldn't go inside feeling the way I was.

"What's wrong?" Aiden asked beside me aware of the fact that I had stopped outside her room unable to move any closer.

"I just need a minute." I took a deep breath and released it trying to stop the panic of the situation taking over. I had to stay calm, if I couldn't walk into the room with my shit together then it was better for Lacey if I didn't go inside. My fingers curled into fists as I tried to fight my way through the feelings of hopelessness.

Just breathe, I told myself. You can do this, you have to do this.

"Reece," Aiden said beside me. I put my hand out to him to stop him. My hand went to his chest and flattened against it.

I wanted to pull my hand free but I couldn't. My eyes drifted to his. His hand cover mine.