Chapter 12
Hazel
As he speeds away,my heart drops. What the hell am I going to do? Jumping back into a relationship with him can be dangerous, especially, when I haven’t been divorced long. Of course, I still love him, but what if I screw everything up? He doesn’t understand how much I work, and the little amount of time I spend outside the office. It ruined my marriage, and the last thing I want it to do is drive a wedge between Aiden and I.
I sit down on the porch swing, and rock back and forth, trying to figure out what I’m going to tell him. Do I love the idea of being with him again? Yes, but there are so many things we need to talk about. Are we going to be in a long distance relationship? I can’t move back to Grapevine yet, eventually maybe, but right now it’s not an option. Would he move to Massachusetts and leave his family behind? I find that hard to believe.
It’s selfish for me to ask him to move away from Liam and Damon to be with me, and his brothers will see it that way too. Liam has made it clear he doesn’t like me and Aiden seeing each other while I’ve been in town, but he’s not my boss. I’m not a teenager anymore, and can make my own damn decisions and so can Aiden. It seems like he has his mind made up.
The next few hours are spent thinking about scenarios and outcomes which only scare me more. If I say yes, and he moves, what happens when or if we don’t work out? Our friendship will be ruined, and I could lose him forever. On the other hand, if I don’t pursue a relationship with him, it might make him resent me.
The front door opens and Jeremy steps outside. “What are you doing out here? It’s like midnight.”
“Trying to figure some things out.”
“What’s going on?” he asks, sitting down beside me. “Let me help.”
“Not sure if you want to be a part of this decision.”
“I’m your brother. Try me.”
I explain everything that’s happened since being in town and how Aiden and I are still in love, but with me going back home, he wants me to tell him whether we have a future or not. For the most part, he sits there and listens to me, and doesn’t interject. It’s actually kind of nice, because it helps me think about things and talking about them out loud makes it more real.
“So, you still love him?”
“Very much.”
“Sis, I’ll say this. As your brother, it hurt to see you leave for college, and then seeing Aiden broken up about it, too. The whole time you have been gone, he hasn’t dated another woman. Might’ve slept around a bit, but never found a girl worth his time in that arena. I truly believe he loves you with all his heart, and that is hard to find.”
“So, you think I should tell him, yes?”
“If he is going to make you happy, then of course. But the decision is yours to make,” he says, smiling and slugging my shoulder before walking back into the house.
We leave tomorrow, and that will give us a chance to be alone and see how things go between us. After our trip, I think I’ll be able to make a sound decision, but not before.
Me: I’ll have an answer for you after our trip.
The next day consists of me packing my stuff up, and explaining to Jeremy and dad that I would be back in a couple of days. Jeremy knows about Jake, but dad doesn’t. Honestly, with his condition, I don’t want to cause him any stress or worry, so it’s better if I don’t tell him. Although, he would be ecstatic to find out he has a grandson out there in the world.
Aiden: You almost ready?
Me: Yup
Aiden: Good. I’m outside.
We haven’t talked since I texted him last night before bed. I’m sure he understands how big of a decision this is and that it will take me some time.
Jeremy takes my suitcase down to Aiden’s truck while I give dad a big hug.
“Don’t worry. I’ll see you in a couple days. Don’t watch anything good without me.”
The front door opens, and Jeremy and Aiden are talking about something and then cease when I walk up to the truck. “Talking about me?”
“Why would you think that?” Jeremy asks, with a smile.
“Whatever.” I jump into his truck. “We’ve got to get to the airport. Liam said to call him if you need him to come over to help with dad while we are gone.”
“Ten-four. Have a good time, lovebirds,” Jeremy says, as we are pulling out of the driveway.