Aiden realized how hasty he had been when he called his mom in the evening. She told him she wished he would have called her before making such a decision erasing his mate’s memories, that was. He knew he had acted rashly, but he had thought that his parents out of everyone would understand.
After all, they knew how it went the last time he had shared his secret with a human friend his only human friend back when he had been ten years old.
The dumbfounded Tom had acted politely but his voice had held this hint of wariness that Aiden had just chosen to ignore.
He shouldn’t have.
And boy did the ten year old babble afterwards!
Tom’s parents had come to tell Aiden’s parents that their child needed help if he believed so strongly in the existence of werewolves, and even worse viewed himself as one. His parents had berated him so much on his recklessness, and had had to use the service of an eraser to deal with the mess that had ensued.
His mom read right through him, “I know that it must be your awful experience with Tom that made you take such a decision. But it’s not the same.”
“She’s human, mom,” he said on a sigh as doubt started to fill him once again.
“She’s your mate,” she argued right back, not missing a beat. “She was bound to find out. You should have just broken it down to her more easily.”
Aiden rearranged his hair nervously and said in a dejected tone, “I messed up, didn’t I?”
“You did,” his mom told him without sparing his feelings. “You have your work cut out for you. As your mother, I hope that your mate won’t be too hard on you. As a woman, I hope she makes you sweat and cry.”
“Mom, on whose side are you?” He chuckled drily, not quite understanding the point she was trying to make.
“I love you. You’re my son. But that doesn’t excuse your behavior. I taught you better than this,” she said in a chiding tone.
“You did, mom,” he agreed with her on the last part, repressing a sigh.
“Your dad says he’s disappointed as well,” she repeated his dad’s words, which he had heard as clearly as if he had been on the phone himself.
“I know, mom. I’ll fix this.” He sighed.
“Let’s hope it’s salvageable,” came her unconvinced retort.
“Fingers and toes crossed,” he told her softly and then before long he hung up.
That night, he slept with a heavy heart.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
For some reason that was beyond her, Karen was feeling wary of everyone. She didn’t feel up to opening up to her best friend, as if the fact that Aiden knew already of her dad’s beatings was enough. She knew that Mason could keep a secret. She also knew he wouldn’t judge her for keeping quiet about the issue. She was, however, not sure she wanted her long-kept and once-well-hidden secret out there.
She therefore chose to cry silently in front of a horror movie while Mason handed her tissues every now and then. By the end of it, they were out of tissues, and she couldn’t remember the title of the movie, never mind any single scene.
“Are you okay?” He asked her in a concerned tone from where he was sitting next to her.
She just looked at him bleakly in response.
“Wrong question,” he said. “I meant, do you want to talk about it now?”
“No,” she told him in a tone that was final.
He accepted that with a nod.
The following day, and the week that followed, Karen kept a safe distance from Aiden at all times. She couldn’t remember the last time she had relied on anybody, especially a guy. He had taken her to a private clinic to treat her dislocated shoulder. He had taken care of her, and also took control when talking to her father or rather to the one she had thought all her life was her father. And now, she was too shy to look him in the eyes.
She was also ashamed of herself. She, who had always prided herself on being an independent girl, whose goal had always been to get out of the hell hole that was her small town, had relied on a guy to deal with her own problems.
Karen was leaving one of her classes when Aiden blocked her way out purposefully. She tried to go sideways but he wouldn’t allow it.
She knew it was him because of his build, and his smell.
Okay, that sounded weird.
She just knew!
“Are you ignoring me now?” He asked in a voice that was obviously pained.
Trut be told, she was amazed by the fact that he didn’t try to conceal how he felt.
“You’ll live,” she told him softly, a wry smile stretching her lips, before trying to leave anew.
Only he grabbed her chin and tilted it up. “Would you just look at me already?”
She stubbornly refused to look up, even though her heart had decided it wanted out of her chest, and all her senses had come alive.
Her pride wouldn’t allow it. She was much too shy, much too ashamed, to look him in the eye.
How was she to finish the school year with his persistent ways?
“Is there a problem here?” The teacher came over. “Shouldn’t you be heading to your next class?”
“We are,” she told him hastily, and then left at long last.
A relieved sigh left her when she was in the hallways.
This was going to be a long year.