Everlasting Bonds - COMPLETE

Chapter 46

POV: Lark

"Let's head out and go get the food. I'm fucking starving", Greyson said.

Colt and Luka agreed with him, nodding to Aidan as they made their way for the door. Aidan and I were still talking about his match and I was sad that we were leaving his locker room. It felt so private. Like we could say anything and do anything.

As I stood up to join them, Aidan grabbed my hand with a wistful smile on his face.

"Why don't you stay with me? Let the guys go get the food and we'll meet them back at the apartment".

"Are you sure? I don't want to be in your way if you have some sort of post-match ritual". He squeezed my hand before reassuring me. "Not tonight I don't".

I looked over to the guys who were waiting for me at the door and a knowing smile crept onto Colt's face. "We'll text you guys when we've got the food. Lark, cheeseburger with ketchup and pickles, right?"

I nodded enthusiastically before walking over to give them each a goodbye hug. Luka and Greyson both gave me a parting kiss, which only made me shake my head at them.

They were both extremely comfortable with PDA and I think they wanted me to know that Aidan and Colt were cool with how I felt too... even though I hadn't told them, yet.

Colt simply gave me a kiss on my forehead, albeit a lingering one, before letting me go and walking out with Luka and Grey.

"So, what is your usual routine?", I asked as I turned back towards Aidan. My mouth dropped slightly as I took in his change of clothes.

He was standing in just a towel and a smile big enough to give me butterflies. He knew he affected me.

"Usually, I do some yoga". I must have looked surprised because he laughed. "Trust me it's really good for you! Yoga helps me relax. Sometimes there's too much leftover".

When he finished speaking his tone had become more serious and his eyes seemed far away.

"Too much?". I stepped closer to him and placed my hand on his cheek.

He seemed to lean into my touch and the moment felt like it was stretching into infinity. "Just too much. Do you remember how we used to sneak out to that junkyard when we were kids? That feeling... it only got worse after you were taken. Then when the guys and I were separated I felt like I was going to implode. I was so angry, Lark". His voice was rough and the pain I could hear broke my heart.

"If Colt hadn't found me," he continued, "I'd probably be dead in a ditch somewhere after picking the wrong fight with the wrong person".

A tear fell from his face and for the first time since we found each other again, he reminded me of the 16-year-old kid I met in Connecticut. Out of all the guys, Aidan was the one who had changed the most and I was worried that our connection to each other wouldn't be as strong as it once was.