“Your bedroom. I have no idea what he’s doing in there.” Holland pointed. “We cleaned the kitchen and you have a new coffee maker and a large amount of coffee. Aaron took over on the bedroom, and wouldn’t let us in.”
“Thanks, you guys. I really appreciate this.”
“What? You know damn well we’d do this for anyone in the Gaggle,” Ora said.
[Gaggle?] Ford asked.
“Gay Gaggle,” I answered out loud and in sign language. “Almost my entire group of friends outside these jerks is gay, and somehow, they named themselves the Gaggle.”
[And you didn’t see the bisexual thing coming?] He tsked at me loudly and gave me the shame finger brush.
“Neither did he.” I pointed at Ora, who blushed so deeply I thought he was going to pass out from the lack of circulating blood. “Thank you, guys. Seriously. But I need to talk to my boyfriend alone.”
“Our cue to leave,” Holland said, and snagged Rand’s hand. “Come on, we can go play at the studio for a while, see what we can do there with the background. Since our lead singer isn’t going to be in today.”
I huffed indignantly. “I might.”
All five of them headed for the door, laughing like a pack of hyenas. Mel turned as he was about to shut the door. “See you tomorrow. Go gently with him.”
“I will.”
The door snicked closed, and I took a deep breath. Heading for the bedroom, I didn’t know what to expect, but I knocked and waited.
“I told you buttheads to just leave me be in here!”
I cracked the door open. “I hope you didn’t call me a butthead.”
Aaron spun around from the bed and gasped, “Oh, my God, Doxx! Your eye!”
“It’s fine.” I held the peas to it again. “I’m going to live.”
He walked over to me and pulled the bag down, studying it. “Mel has a wicked punch.”
“He’s a six foot six inch two hundred forty pound hockey enforcer. I would expect him to be able to knock shit down.” I grabbed his hand before he could touch the bruise. “It’s fine. I’m not mad. He was only doing what he thought was right. You’ve been hurt and he knew that.”
“Doxx…”
“Aaron. I’m fine. I want to make sure we’re fine.” I pulled out the police report. “I’m not sure I want to actually press charges against her, but the detective—and Rand—both want me to. It means this drags out longer and I kind of want it over.”
“Drag it out, Doxx.” His voice was soft but determined. “She did you wrong. She diduswrong.”
“I have to talk to my accountant because all of my financials have to be changed so she can’t touch them for a lawyer or for the fine. It’s going to take a few weeks, probably. But we can think on it until then.”
Aaron shook his head. “My answer won’t change. I’ve been there, and I’ve regretted not taking action.”
“You have?”
“I lived in the sewers, Doxx, and relied on a gun to keep me alive and safe. Of course, I have. It’s been a long time and it’s not worth dragging up now. But my answer for you isn’t going to change. You have a chance to show that assault can happen to men as well as women. And being bi? Makes the argument that much stronger.”
Studying him, I took in all the soft planes of his face, his tousled hair, his deep soulful cerulean eyes that churned with worry. I lifted my hand and cupped his cheek. “Your eyes really are a September blue…”
He turned into my hand. “I was so scared.”
“Me too,” I whispered. I looked around the room and gasped, “What the hell…?”
Smiling shyly, he moved closer to put an arm around my waist. “Do you like it?”
“You redecorated my bedroom in less than five hours?”
