visit? Why? Why did he want to spend time with a little kid, anyway? That wasn’t normal. “I don’t know.”
He nodded. Turned.
She cursed under her breath as she watched him head for the stairs.
She’d been wrong about Aeron. So wrong. Here she’d begun to think he might be a nice guy, trustworthy. Willing to help someone out he barely knew.
No, h e was right--he wasn’t a hero. He was an asshole. A selfish, chicken-hearted jerk who made out with a girl and then dumped her.
As her front door slammed behind him, she bid him good riddance, forever. And then she sat down with her phone and tried to come up with Plan B.
She needed someone to stay with them for a while. Someone over eighteen.
Someone who wouldn’t blink at the notion of deceiving a representative of the state.
Someone who didn’t mind bending the rules for the greater good.
Someone who wouldn’t say yes and then turn around a couple of days later and leave her stranded like Aeron had.
Who could that someone be?
She paged down her through her contact list. She hadn’t talked to any of th ese people in so long, months--the friends who had once been such a huge part of her life. Their lives had all gone on like normal while hers had veered off in another direction. It was January, the beginning of a new semester. Most everyone she knew would be in high school, the majority still too young to be Logan’s legal guardian.
There was one. Only one. But the chances of him agreeing to help her were just about nil. After her parent’s death, he’d shown her exactly what kind of person he was. He didn’t help a friend in trouble. He didn’t support someone as they grieved. He ran.
Just like Aeron.
But , dammit, there wasn’t anyone else. She had to at least try.
This was going to go one of two ways. Either Bobby Fuller would tell her no, or she would get her stand-in guardian…but at what price?
Eight
“Why did you leave so soon, Aeron? Did they finish the work on your house?”
“Work?” Aeron echoed, confused.
It was Monday afternoon, a day after he’d snuck out of Logan and Jennifer’s house. Logan was standing on his front porch, his backpack drooping off his shoulders, his nose red, and boots caked with snow.
Knowing he was about to be interrogated, Aeron opened his front door to let Logan inside.
“ Jenny told me you had to stay with us because the guys were working on your house and you couldn’t live here until they were done.”
“Oh. That work. Yes. They finished early.”
“What did they do?” Looking around the room, Logan kicked off his boots, the flick of his feet sending snow and water spraying all around him. “I was hoping it would take longer. I sort of liked you staying with us.”
“I know you wanted me to stay longer, Logan. But it’s better for everyone if I stay at my house. Cojack’s back in his room. I’m sure--”
“Are you coming over tonight ?”
“No.” Logan wasn’t going to let this subject drop. Aeron could tell already. Hoping to distract him, Aeron jerked his head toward the bedroom. “Come on. I’ll help you find Cojack.”
“Tomorrow? Are you coming over tomorrow?” Logan asked as he tromped after him.
“No.”
“Why not? I thought you loved my sister.”
“Love? No, no. I don’t love her. I told you--”
“But I saw you smiling at her. I saw you touch her. That’s what people do when they love each other. That’s what my mom and dad did.”
“Maybe that’s what some people do when they love each other.” Finding Cojack napping in his dog bed, Aeron scooped him up. The dog yawned. “Adult relationships are more complicated than that. Your sister and I like each other. We’re friends.”
“Jenny’s been so sad since you left. She loves you.”
“No, she doesn’t love me.” Feeling like a complete asshole, Aeron handed the sleepy dog to Logan. “Come on. I’ll get my coat and Cojack’s leash and we’ll take him for a walk.”
“Yes
He nodded. Turned.
She cursed under her breath as she watched him head for the stairs.
She’d been wrong about Aeron. So wrong. Here she’d begun to think he might be a nice guy, trustworthy. Willing to help someone out he barely knew.
No, h e was right--he wasn’t a hero. He was an asshole. A selfish, chicken-hearted jerk who made out with a girl and then dumped her.
As her front door slammed behind him, she bid him good riddance, forever. And then she sat down with her phone and tried to come up with Plan B.
She needed someone to stay with them for a while. Someone over eighteen.
Someone who wouldn’t blink at the notion of deceiving a representative of the state.
Someone who didn’t mind bending the rules for the greater good.
Someone who wouldn’t say yes and then turn around a couple of days later and leave her stranded like Aeron had.
Who could that someone be?
She paged down her through her contact list. She hadn’t talked to any of th ese people in so long, months--the friends who had once been such a huge part of her life. Their lives had all gone on like normal while hers had veered off in another direction. It was January, the beginning of a new semester. Most everyone she knew would be in high school, the majority still too young to be Logan’s legal guardian.
There was one. Only one. But the chances of him agreeing to help her were just about nil. After her parent’s death, he’d shown her exactly what kind of person he was. He didn’t help a friend in trouble. He didn’t support someone as they grieved. He ran.
Just like Aeron.
But , dammit, there wasn’t anyone else. She had to at least try.
This was going to go one of two ways. Either Bobby Fuller would tell her no, or she would get her stand-in guardian…but at what price?
Eight
“Why did you leave so soon, Aeron? Did they finish the work on your house?”
“Work?” Aeron echoed, confused.
It was Monday afternoon, a day after he’d snuck out of Logan and Jennifer’s house. Logan was standing on his front porch, his backpack drooping off his shoulders, his nose red, and boots caked with snow.
Knowing he was about to be interrogated, Aeron opened his front door to let Logan inside.
“ Jenny told me you had to stay with us because the guys were working on your house and you couldn’t live here until they were done.”
“Oh. That work. Yes. They finished early.”
“What did they do?” Looking around the room, Logan kicked off his boots, the flick of his feet sending snow and water spraying all around him. “I was hoping it would take longer. I sort of liked you staying with us.”
“I know you wanted me to stay longer, Logan. But it’s better for everyone if I stay at my house. Cojack’s back in his room. I’m sure--”
“Are you coming over tonight ?”
“No.” Logan wasn’t going to let this subject drop. Aeron could tell already. Hoping to distract him, Aeron jerked his head toward the bedroom. “Come on. I’ll help you find Cojack.”
“Tomorrow? Are you coming over tomorrow?” Logan asked as he tromped after him.
“No.”
“Why not? I thought you loved my sister.”
“Love? No, no. I don’t love her. I told you--”
“But I saw you smiling at her. I saw you touch her. That’s what people do when they love each other. That’s what my mom and dad did.”
“Maybe that’s what some people do when they love each other.” Finding Cojack napping in his dog bed, Aeron scooped him up. The dog yawned. “Adult relationships are more complicated than that. Your sister and I like each other. We’re friends.”
“Jenny’s been so sad since you left. She loves you.”
“No, she doesn’t love me.” Feeling like a complete asshole, Aeron handed the sleepy dog to Logan. “Come on. I’ll get my coat and Cojack’s leash and we’ll take him for a walk.”
“Yes
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