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She sighed and brushed her hands through her long, red hair. She glanced around the inn and then leaned in toward me. Her voice lowered, and she whispered, “Is it true Aiden Walters is staying at this inn?”
I sat up straighter, stunned by her question.
Oh my gosh.
Were they groupies?
I cleared my throat and returned to entering the card information. “I’m not allowed to share guest information like that.”
“That means yes!” Marna said, slapping her hand against her leg. “Can we get a room near his?” she questioned.
When pigs fly.
“We actually have a great room for you on this floor right down the hallway.” I handed them the keys. I rang the bell sitting on my desk, and Henry came over within seconds. “Henry, can you show these ladies to their room? Welcome to Leeks, ladies. I hope you have a great stay.”
Henry was quick to grab their suitcases and chat their ears off as they walked off toward their room. Mr. Lee wasn’t kidding. Having a celebrity staying at your inn was very good for business. By the end of the night, all our rooms were booked. That fact alone gave me anxiety. I doubted Aiden came to the inn in hopes that a ton of fans would be checking in.
I’d remember how bad his panic attacks could be. I didn’t want these people giving him any kind of trouble.
When I was done working for the day, I headed out to pick up some very important items, and I headed back to the inn with them in my grip. I’d been going back and forth with the idea of saying something to Aiden, but I also knew I couldn’t avoid him forever. And who knew? Maybe what I read as cold and distant the night before was just my boozed-up mind playing tricks on me.
I headed to his hotel room door, took a deep breath, and knocked on it four times.
When he came to open it, my breath got caught in my throat, and I started choking on my own air. I turned away from him and tried my hardest to clear my throat. My eyes began to water as panic began to rise in my mind. I began coughing hard, unable to cover my mouth due to the box within my hands. Was I choking? Oh gosh, I was choking in front of Aiden as he blankly stared my way.
“Sorry,” I said, forcing myself to swallow as a few more coughs slipped through. Once I gained my composure the best I could, I looked at him and smiled. “Hi.” If you looked up the word awkward in the dictionary, my photograph would be plastered there.
Aiden stared at me coldly, and a chill raced up and down my spine as he didn’t say a word.
I cleared my throat—again. “I wanted to apologize for throwing up on you last night. I normally can hold my alcohol better, but the mix of fried cheese and slushy, and—”
“Is that all?” he harshly cut in. His eyes were unamused, and his stance was hard as he crossed his arms. Was his chest always that broad? Regardless, it was clear that I didn’t dream up his standoffish appearance the night before like I’d hoped. He wasn’t the same gentle boy I fell in love with.
“I, well, no, I, uh—”
“Words, Hailee,” he ordered. “Use your words like a grown-up.”
Well.
That’s rude.
I shook my head and held the box out toward him. “I bought you new shoes. You’re still a size thirteen, yes? They’re probably a lot cheaper than the ones I ruined last night, but I figured it was the least I could do to make up for it.”
“I don’t want your shoes.”
The flurry of butterflies in my stomach was having their wings ripped off one by one. I inched the box closer to him, glanced around the hallway, and whispered, “Just take the shoes, Aiden.”
“I don’t want them,” he repeated. He stepped back into his room and went to shut the door, but I put my foot in place to stop it from closing.
“Aiden, please.”
“What do you want?” he snapped, his eyes packed with hatred. A hatred I thought I’d daydreamed the night prior. A hatred that I thought I’d never see come from him. A hatred that broke my heart.
“I… I—”
“Words,” he barked in a low scowl. His harshness threw me for the biggest loop. Never in my life had Aiden been so rude to me, even when we ended things. Sure, he texted me being confused, and I ignored his messages, but he was never rude. Just hurt.
Plus, he treated everyone else in town as if he was a golden retriever, the nicest man alive. Why was he being so painfully rude toward me after all these years? Besides, he moved on! He had his dream life. His rudeness was uncalled for.
