Turning to Stone (Heart of Stone: Book 2)

Chapter 39: Loss

Chapter 39: Loss

TRIGGER WARNING: Pregnancy/baby loss

Aaron and I remained civil for the rest of the evening, although that was easier to do when Lacey commanded everyone's attention, bouncing masterfully between conversations. She was the life and soul of the party, and her energy never seemed to waver. In comparison, Ed took a more laidback approach. He'd interject with a joke at her expense or a rebuttal of some accusation she made, but otherwise he let her lead.

The two of them seemed such polar opposites. Maybe that explained why they'd not worked romantically. Aside from their obvious attractiveness, you'd never expect them to be involved.

I questioned Ed on it as we lay in bed together later that night.

"Is she always like that or was she putting on a performance for my benefit?" I asked.

"How do you mean?" His thumb traced lazy circles over my shoulder.

"Just so... Energetic. Uncensored. Engaging. I don't consider myself particularly introverted, but I couldn't have kept that up for as long as she did. I was sat there in awe most of the time. She's another level."

He chuckled. "She's an actress. There's always a certain element of theatrics with her. She can be loud, though. I prefer her in small doses."

"I can't picture the two of you together."

"That's probably a good thing," he said, amused.

Curiosity tugged at me. I wanted to ask questions, but would it be weird? Would he assume I was insecure? Jealous? Their past belonged to them, and I was fine not knowing details. But when she continued to play such a starring role in his life, I felt like I deserved to know an abridged version.

"When was the last time you and her...?"

"You already know the answer to that. It hasn't changed." His voice dropped an octave, not enough to suggest the question had annoyed him, but I still bit my bottom lip to force myself to tread carefully.

Then he surprised me by voluntarily continuing, his tone much softer as it drifted into the dark air around us.

"The sex was very much a physical arrangement. I cared for her as a friend, but sex was never emotional. Our friendship... It's more than a friendship, but it's not romantic."

An ominous chill crept down my spine. More than a friendship? What was that supposed to mean? Casual sex between friends, I could understand. I'd dabbled in that myself, successfully without emotions—Mac a prime example—so I believed him when he claimed it was purely physical.

But if that had ended, then how could they still be more than friends?

"Oh?" I said, trying not to let my hesitance show.

"We know things about each other that nobody else knows. We've gone through stuff together that nobody else is aware of. It creates a bond. An intimacy that transcends romance or sex or..." His voice had thickened with the candidness of his words.

"You said earlier that part of you will always love her," I said quietly. "As a friend. Is that what you mean?"

"Yeah." He inhaled a deep breath through his nose, then released it in a long sigh. "I swear you don't need to worry about me and her. I do need to talk about it, though."

I rolled onto my side to face him, my toes reaching out to brush against his own under the duvet.

"I'm listening."