Labeled boxes.
Piles and piles of them.
I almost laughed at myself. I wasn’t sure what I was really expecting, but I probably should have realized that this was what I would find. He had said numerous times that he had never had a chance to unpack. It was no wonder he had a room like this. The only room that seemed fully in place was the kitchen.
Just as I was closing the door, one of the box labels caught my eye.
“Cayden’s clothes”
I paused and pushed the door open a little more. There were several boxes labeled the same way. Right behind those were cartons that simply read “Cayden.” Some of the other containers had more distinct labels.
“Cayden’s bike”
“Cayden’s books”
“Cayden’s toys”
Toys?
A slight noise from the direction of the kitchen caused me to jump. I shut the door quickly and stumbled out of the hallway and into the living room, sure I was caught. I wasn’t, though. The living room and kitchen were empty. I looked around to find the source of the noise when I heard it again—coming from outside. The wind had knocked over one of the patio chairs, and it was now blowing over the stone tiles.
I sighed and sat my ass back down at the kitchen table. My coffee had gone cold, but I drank it anyway.
Who is Cayden?
I wasn’t completely sure if Cayden was a boy’s name or a girl’s name. It sounded like something you would call a boy, but it could also have been unisex. I didn’t know any Caydens and had no frame of reference.
I didn’t think it was a girl he used to date. Lo said his last girlfriend was Megan, and I didn’t even want to think about what kinds of things might have been in a box of women’s toys. There was really only one logical answer.
Aiden had a child.
Maybe a boy or maybe a girl but definitely a child. Who else would have a bike and toys in boxes?
Aiden hadn’t mentioned a child. In fact, he had said he had no family except his mother, and he didn’t speak to her at all. What kind of person neglects to mention they have a kid?
And I was back at square one. What kind of person, indeed? I’d certainly gotten to know a lot about Aiden Hunter over the past few days, but I couldn’t say I actually knew him. This was insane. I was insane. I had no business being here at all.
“Hey there.” Aiden’s voice nearly startled me out of my seat. “Sorry I slept so late. The rain does that to me sometimes.”
“That’s okay,” I replied automatically.
“I hope you haven’t been too bored. Did you at least find yourself something to eat?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” I sat up in the chair a bit and held up my coffee cup. “There’s still some coffee in the pot if you want some.”
“Fantastic,” Aiden said with a yawn. He poured himself a cup and sat down across from me. “Has it been raining all day?”
“Yes,” I said. “Windy, too. The patio chairs have been blowing around.”
Aiden glanced out the window and surveyed the damage with a nod.
“What have you been up to?” he asked.
“Not much,” I said, hoping I wasn’t giving away my privacy-invasion activities with my blush. “I’ve been watching the rain and playing on my phone.”
“What did we do without smartphones?” Aiden mused.
Snooped around in other people’s houses?