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“No.” He shook his head. “Not this place.”
“Why not? It’s as good as the others we looked at. I’m sure I can do something with it.” She didn’t sound very certain, though.
“You can’t make the area any better than it is, though. It’s not safe.”
“You used to live around here.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s how I know it’s not safe.”
She tugged at her ponytail, letting out a sigh. “So what do I do? Apart from go back to my parents with my tail between my legs. And seriously, if I do that, I might as well give up. I’d be admitting I’m never going to grow up.”
“You are a grown up,” he told her. “But even grown ups need help sometimes.” He moved closer, until there were only a couple of feet between them. Her breath was shallow, making her chest rise up and down rapidly. He started to reach for her, but pulled back.
No, he couldn’t touch her. Not if he wanted to stay sane.
“Let me help you,” he said. She looked up at him, her eyes wide, but she said nothing. “I can put a deposit down for you. I have the money.”
She took another shallow breath, the air rushing between her lips. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering. That’s different.”
She blinked a couple of times, still staring at him. Two deep lines formed in her brow. “It’s not different, it’s the same. It’s me relying on other people when I should be able to support myself. Don’t you see, Aiden? I’ve spent too long letting people control me. I can’t do that any more.”
“You think I’d control you?” he asked her. Even the suggestion of it made him angry. “You think that’s what it’s about?”
Her eyes widened. “No, not at all. I know you wouldn’t. But I can’t keep doing this.”
His heart was pounding and he had no idea why. Being this close to her was like flying too close to the sun, beautifully blinding, and yet you knew it was going to kill you. “Nicholas is my nephew,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. “And you’re my friend. Let me help you until you can stand on your own two feet. How long is it until you graduate?”
“Three months, that is if I get my practicals finished on time.”
“And then?” he asked her. “What are your plans for afterward?”
“I’ve been offered a job at the local veterinary clinic. The pay’s not great, but it has good medical insurance and I need to have that for Nick.” Her face paled
. “Oh shit, what if my parents stop his insurance too?” She lifted a hand to her mouth. “Jesus, what if he isn’t insured any more?”
He reached out and curled his fingers around her wrist, gently pulling her hand away from her face. But he didn’t let go. Instead, he slid his palm down until her hand was folded in his, their fingers threading together without either of them saying a word. He stared down at them – at her slim, elegant fingers – remembering the time he’d kissed every one of them as they promised each other forever. The times she used to touch him, hesitant at first, then bolder, making his skin break out in a rash of goosebumps.
“It’s going to be okay,” he told her softly. “He’ll be covered. If not by your parents, then by me. I’ll cover him. Stop panicking.”
“I can’t help it.” She squeezed his hand tightly. “I had a plan. I only needed to get through graduation. And now it’s all messed up, and it’s my fault. I’ve put Nick in danger. He’s got no home and he might have no insurance.” She looked up at him, her eyes glassy. “I’m a terrible mother. I should let him stay with my parents, shouldn’t I?”
He grabbed her free hand with his, interlinking them together. Now he was holding both of her hands. “You’re an amazing mother, Brooke. I’ve seen you with Nick, he’s your world and he knows it. Everything you do is for him. If you hadn’t gotten pregnant you wouldn’t still be here now. So stop saying those things, I don’t want to hear them. Not from you.”
A single tear escaped from the corner of her eye and ran down the sharp line of her cheekbone, to the corner of her mouth. It stayed there for a moment, before the slightest movement of her head allowed it to continue its route to her chin.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered. “I can’t stand to see you cry.”
He never could. Not with any woman, but especially not with Brooke.
He tugged at her hands, pulling her closer until their bodies were touching, her chest pressed into his abdomen. Releasing her hands, he slid his arms around her shoulders, holding her closer still.
He’d forgotten how good she felt in his arms. Forgotten how slim her waist was, how warm her skin was, how she smelled of sunny days. She was the final piece of the jigsaw, slotting into place after all these years, and it made his head spin.
“Let me help you,” he whispered again. “Until you get a job. I want to take care of you and Nick. I need to.”
He could feel her trembling in his arms, and when she looked up, her face was wet with tears. He reached out to wipe them away. But when he touched her, it was like being shocked by a thousand volts. It took every ounce of strength he had not to jump away.
