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32
AIDEN
We land in New York. And I should be glad I’m home. But, I’m all sorts of uneasy instead.
I’ve been running on next to no sleep, other than a nap during the third Spiderman movie and a bit of napping on the flight here.
Adele was only just eight months pregnant, so my niece, Lilly, scared us to death. It was a rough night, but thankfully she arrived healthy and strong. Audra was passed out drunk when the news came and when my father tried to wake her to get her to go with him to the hospital, she wouldn’t get out of bed. The whole family is absolutely pissed with her. Adele told me she shouted at her and Austin was there and backed her up, which Audra is having a conniption about.
She was never there much for any of us growing up, but here was her daughter in labor a month early after a complicated pregnancy and her mother could neither be at the hospital nor look after her grandson. Dirk’s parents were out of town. I’d have had to stay home with Braeden or bring him to the hospital if Carly hadn’t been there.
And all the way to the hospital after the birth, my two-and-a-half-year-old nephew schooled me that I should marry Carly because she’s pretty and nice and covered him with a big comfy blanket when I’d forgotten to bring him a big blanket and he only had his Pooh blankie with him. “If I have a forgetful unco, at least maybe my auntie will remember blankets for sleepovers.” He’d rolled his eyes from his car seat. Bossy little kid. Still carried around a security blanket. Is only just outta diapers and he’s giving me relationship advice.
But the kid has a point.
I took him in my SUV, which I rarely use and was thinking of selling. I’d told Carly my Crossfire was a two-seater, but I omitted that I also have an Audi Q7. I wanted the feel of her wrapped around me on my bike last week. I fuckin’ loved it.
I didn’t love what went down over the weekend. She thinks I’m a piece of shit.
And on one hand I’ve got news that my Dad is my father, but yet he could be taken from us. And it turns my stomach.
And yet that wicked witch that is my mother is picking fights with cops and meddling in my life and cheating on my father. He gets the news he’s got prostate cancer and is she stepping up as his wife? No. She’s upping the life insurance payout and driving drunk after liquid lunches while plotting with my ex, getting arrested and giving my father more stress. Not to mention my sister, who was on the phone with me Sunday morning, asking if I could babysit so Dirk could go play golf.
Adele grumbled about Audra being arrested and told me that our father had told her about his medical status. She was pragmatic about it, as Adele always is. I guess that’s why my father told her all about it, because she seems so strong. Dad said he wasn’t gonna say anything, but she’s like a hound when she catches a whiff of something so she obviously interrogated Dad.
Only, she obviously isn’t as strong as she pretends, because she winds up in early labor, likely due to all the bullshit Carmichael stress.
And then Monday morning, trying to work on zero sleep, I hear from my mother who phones me to tell me my presence is requested at Sunday dinner. And she says all this like nothing has happened.
And I pretty much fucking lost it on her.
All this shit while wondering who fucked with my phone. Not to mention that when I got a chance to think about some sick fuck having Carly’s underwear, I got this anger, this possessive rage at some guy getting his filthy mitts on something so intimate.
I spent the limo ride to the airport answering the dozens of emails that have been piling up all day.
Carly was quiet, beside me in the limo, as far away as she could physically be, scrolling on her phone and trying to avoid eye contact.
I drifted off during the flight while she read on an e-reader.
I woke up abruptly and her head was on my shoulder.
No way to be comfortable sleeping sitting up on a plane, even in business class, but her beside me like this, head on my shoulder, arm flopped on my leg. I needed to take a piss, but was not about to move just then.
I ran my index finger along her palm. Her hand twitched and she nuzzled into my shoulder a little. I smirked and tried it again. More nuzzling.
The pilot broke the spell, though, as he started talking over the loudspeaker, making her jolt, looking disoriented and then remorseful.
“Oh, sorry,” she said.
I gave her a wink and got up to go use the john.
***
We’re heading toward my driver who’s waiting. Joshua gives me a polite nod and then takes Carly’s bag from me and leads us to the car. She acted all weird about me pulling her suitcase, but I’ve only got my laptop bag since I live here. We’re only here a couple days but I brought a good amount of clothes two weeks ago when George first went on leave, so have got enough clothing between San Diego and New York to not have to lug stuff back and forth.
She’s looking around in wonder as we travel the streets to my address.
“You not spend much time here?” I ask.
