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“I put my own spin on it.” She smiled back. “It sounds like Aiden needs somebody to guide him right, and I couldn’t think of a better person.” Squeezing Carson’s arm, she went back to the dirty dishes.
“I don’t like it, Dayna,” Josh whispered. “Everyone knows Dawson Dumfries is bad news, and it sounds like Aiden is a chip off the old block. Maybe you should come with me to Toledo.”
“I’ll be fine. Aiden isn’t coming to stay with me. Besides, my mom is right,” I said. “We don’t know anything about him.”
Except, I’d heard the stories. Seen the headlines. He was the bad boy of Division I hockey.
And he was coming to stay with Carson for the whole summer.
I understood Josh’s hesitation, but it wasn’t like me and Carson would be spending that much time together. I started my internship in a couple of weeks, and Carson was helping his dad out with their family fishing charter business.
Josh gave me a tight-lipped smile.
“Don’t worry, man,” Carson said, obviously catching the end of our conversation. “I’ll look out for her.”
“I’m sure you will.” Josh stiffened. “Excuse me; I’m going to check in with my folks.” He walked out of the kitchen, taking the air with him.
I glared at Carson, and he recoiled, “What?”
“Really, you had to throw fuel on the fire?”
“It’s not my fault if Josh is feeling a tad insecure.”
“Carson Walsh,” Mom chided with a knowing smile.
“I’d better go talk to him,” I said.
“Oh, come on, Bug, I was joking,” he called after me.
But I kept going.
Not sparing him a second glance.
* * *
“Hey.” I slipped into the guest room and closed the door behind me.
“Hey.” Josh was perched on the edge of the bed; his head hung low.
“You know you don’t have to worry about me, right? This is my home, Josh.”
“I know. But I can’t help but think I’m going to lose you. You have this life here… this life that I know nothing about. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”
I went and sat down beside him. “You knew I planned on coming home after graduation.” It was time. I’d spent far too long hiding in Boston. “You said you were okay with it.”
“I know, and I get it. I do. You have a great opportunity here, and it’s your home. But I guess I need to know that you’ll choose me once you’ve gotten it out of your system.”
“Excuse me?” The room contracted around me.
“Shit, that’s not…” He released a long breath. “That came out wrong. I just want to know this isn’t permanent. That you see a life beyond this place. With me.”
“Josh, we’ve been together for eight months.”
“And I love you, Dayna.” He ran his hand along the side of my neck. “I love you, and I see a life with you. But not here, not in a place like this. I’m not cut out for small-town living.”
“What are you saying?” I pulled back, blinking at him.
“Look, maybe some space will be a good thing. We can both take some time to figure out what we want and whether our paths are on the same trajectory.”
