“Do you? You know Dylan loves you, right? He loves you, but he’s too scared to tell you because he thinks you don’t feel the same way, or that you won’t say it back.”
Distress flickered in his dark eyes. “He really thinks that?”
She nodded.
“I…” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I love him, Claire.”
“I know you do.” She slid closer and placed her hand directly over his heart, which was beating even faster than before. “But I’m not the person you need to be saying it to.”
Dylan had never felt more relieved in his life than when Claire and Aidan finally returned to San Diego four days later. Four fucking days. Sure, he’d spoken to both of them on the phone several times, had listened in wide-eyed horror as Claire told him about the secret Aidan’s dad had kept from his son all these years, but he hadn’t felt an ounce of comfort until now. Until he saw the two people he loved most in the world walk through that door.
He soaked in the sight of them—Claire, with her shiny auburn hair and big brown eyes. Aidan, with those intense dark eyes and powerful body.
“Welcome back,” Dylan said quietly.
Claire came to him first, hugging him tightly before standing on her tiptoes and kissing him senseless.
He’d barely had time to breathe when Aidan stepped in and greeted him with a kiss that packed an equal amount of heat and passion.
Dylan raised his eyebrows when they broke apart. “What was that for?”
Aidan shrugged. “Just missed you, is all.”
Pleasure floated through him. “I missed you, too, man.”
“Ditto,” Claire spoke up. She grinned. “With that said, you’re going to have to miss me again, because I have some groceries to pick up.”
“Now?” Dylan said. “You literally just walked in.”
“And when I left four days ago, the fridge was completely empty.” She raised her eyebrows. “Did you replenish our supplies during that time?”
He gave her a guilty look. “Um…”
“That’s what I thought. Ergo, I’m going grocery shopping. Someone has to make sure my big, manly men are well fed.” She glanced at Aidan and held out her hand. “Keys?”
With an indulgent smile, he dropped the car keys into her waiting palm. “Don’t take too long.”
Dylan observed that the other man was strangely upbeat for someone who’d just discovered his mother had tried to kill him, but he bit his tongue to stop from asking why. If Aidan had managed to find some peace about the whole fucked-up situation, who was he to dredge it all up again?
However, Aidan ended up surprising him—the moment Claire left the condo, the other man fixed him with a sad look and said, “So my mom was alive for half my life and I never knew it.”
“I know. I’m so sorry, man.”
They drifted over to the couch, where Aidan spent the next fifteen minutes telling him everything that had gone down with his father, including their final visit, during which Tim had asked for his son’s forgiveness.
“What did you say?” Dylan asked.
“I told him I needed some time.” Aidan sighed. “Claire keeps reminding me that time is something we might not have—I mean, he made it through the surgery and he’s definitely on the road to recovery, but who knows what the future holds. He could have another heart attack tomorrow, or next week, or next month. She thinks I should forgive him now, while I still have the chance.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think she’s right, of course. That woman is always fucking right,” Aidan grumbled. “I tried to point out that she isn’t even speaking to her own parents, and you know what she said? That it’s not for lack of trying. Do you realize she calls them every day? They fucking disowned her for the sole crime of falling in love with the two of us, and she still calls them every fucking day. They don’t pick up, but she insists that one of these days they’ll come around and—why the hell are you looking at me like that?”
Dylan shook his head in amazement. “Do you realize you’ve spoken more in the last ten minutes than in all the time I’ve known you?”
Aidan bristled. “That’s not true. I talk to you all the time.”
“Not about important stuff.”
Dragging a hand through his hair, Aidan offered a remorseful look. “Fuck. You’re right. I don’t. But I’m gonna try to change that. I don’t think I’ll ever be as open about everything as you are, but I promise you, I’ll try not to keep you guessing all the time about how I’m feeling. Starting now.” He took a breath. “I love you, man. I really, really love you. Like a lot.”
Dylan couldn’t even describe the hot rush of emotion that ballooned in his chest. “You do?”
Aidan nodded.
Swallowing the thick lump in his throat, he edged closer and touched Aidan’s jaw. The other man hadn’t shaved in days, which was totally unlike him. But he looked so unbelievably sexy with all that dark stubble shadowing his face.