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“I- I don’t know what to say… thank you.”
“It’s what your parents would have wanted.” He nodded and turned his attention back to the CPS officers.
I glanced up at Aidan, but again, he was frozen. There was nothing in his features that could tell me what he was thinking.
The officers left a few minutes later, and Cullen’s eyes fell on his son. “They found your mother’s body, by the way. If you even care.” His voice was dangerously calm.
“When?” Aidan asked stiffly, standing ramrod straight, refusing to meet his father’s eye.
“Last night.” His jaw twitched. “And you were nowhere to be found.”
I glanced between the two men as the tension rolled off of them in waves. I had to do something.
“I’m sorry, Mr. O’Callaghan,” I jumped in, putting my body between them to draw Cullen’s attention away. “I was upset… in a very dark place. Aidan stopped me doing something stupid and then drove me around to keep me calm. I’m sorry, it’s my fault. Don’t blame him.”
Cullen seemed to soften as he rubbed his chin.
“No, I’m sorry, Cait. I should have been there for you. Offered you more support… I’m so sorry again for your loss.”
“It’s okay, just don’t be mad with Aidan. He was just helping me out.” I wanted Cullen to know how special his son was. How much he’d kept me from the brink over the last week, but I couldn’t let it slip because if he suspected there was something more…
Cullen nodded stiffly, but he didn’t apologize to his son.
Aidan shook his head in disbelief, and backed out of the room. The urge to follow him was so strong it was almost as if my legs would move without me telling them to, but I couldn’t without arousing suspicion. I’d once thought we were like magnets facing the wrong way, repelling each other, but now it seemed it had flipped. Now we were drawn together whether we liked it or not.
“The funerals will be tomorrow. Your parents will be buried in our family plot,” Cullen told me before leaving.
Shit.
I hadn’t even thought about a funeral up until this point.
I took a breath, moving closer to Bree to fight the magnet.
“How’re you doing?” I asked, sitting beside her on the couch. She looked much more like my best friend than she had yesterday. Even Cullen had looked better. Finding Molly and Quinn had brought them some peace, it seemed.
“Like shit. I just-” Tears welled in her eyes.
“I know.” And I did. The first few days after the ambush, I’d been wrecked. Over a week later, it still hurt to think of them, but it was a little easier to think about the future. Especially now that I knew where I’d be living.
“I miss them so much,” she sobbed, burying herself in my shoulder. I hugged her tight. There was nothing I could say that would comfort her, so I just held her.
I felt bad I hadn’t been there for her last night, but I knew that saving Aidan had been the right thing to do.
I held her until she stopped crying, and a maid came by to force her to eat, so I took that as my opportunity to go and check on Aidan.
I shouldn’t do things like that anymore, but he needed someone.
* * *
I rapped lightly on his door, but there was no answer.
Oh, Aidan.
My heart was breaking for him. He’d loved Quinn so much…
I knocked again. “Aidan, it’s me,” I called softly.
Moments later, I heard his stomping footsteps across the carpet, and the door flew open.
