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

Chapter 18 - Part 2

"Could we rather continue this conversation anywhere but here?" Aiden surprised me by asking.

"Sure," I said. "My dad's going to stay a little longer but I was going to head home."

"I'll take you home," he said.

It was awkward following him out the hospital back to his car. Silence hung between us on the ride back to my house.

Even when we arrived in my driveway we still hadn't said anything to each other.

He parked the car and switched it off. I glanced in his direction, unsure of how to proceed.

"Why did you come over?" I asked.

It felt like everything that had gone on between us from the beginning to now had led us to this point.

"I listened to your message."

"But I left that on your phone a week ago." I frowned.

He shrugged. "I was too angry to listen to it at first."

I studied him. His eyes met mine.

"Nothing happened between us."

"I know."

"Then why were you so upset?" I ventured.

"I didn't like how you avoided telling me Max was on his way over. You were trying to get me to leave before he showed up. It felt like you were trying to hide it." He looked away. "And then when he said he was there when I should have been...I saw red. It felt like he was implying I wasn't good enough for you."

I fidgeted with my hands. "He was there to help me when you weren't answering my calls. I called you first but you didn't answer so then I called Max." He had been the person I had chosen in my time of need and that meant something to me. Did he even realise that?

"I was angry you hadn't picked up my earlier calls."

"I was upset that I had been trying so hard to make things work and no matter what I did it was never enough."

"I just mentioned that maybe the timing wasn't right."

"I know. That's what upset me. It felt like as soon as things didn't go your way you checked out."

"It wasn't like that. I wasn't checking out. I just made a stupid comment, not really thinking it through."

Would his apology make a difference now? I wasn't sure.

"Why did you need help?"

I sighed. Maybe it was time to tell someone about Lacey's excessive drinking.

"I went out with Lacey. She drank way too much and I needed help getting her home."

"I thought I was supposed to be avoiding her as not to upset her, remember,"

I nodded. "Trust me she was so drunk she barely remembered anything the next morning."

"Why didn't you say something about Lacey's drinking earlier?" His tone was soft and it reached the part of me that needed someone to care.

I glanced at him briefly,. "She is my best friend and I was trying to protect her. She has been to hell and back. She still can't remember stuff. Could you imagine what it would feel like to wake up and not remember a portion of your life. It has to be a very scary situation and I'm trying to give her the space to work through it.."

"I get it. But what I don't understand is why you didn't tell me?" He almost sounded hurt.

"I didn't want to tell anyone for fear it would blow up in my face. What if I told you and you decided it was better go tell her parents than keep it a secret? I couldn't take that risk."