Choosing Us (Pierced Hearts Duet #1)(39)

It didn’t make sense. He wouldn’t throw that all away for some hits off a joint. There wasn’t even enough in the bag for him to roll one up. Jackson wanted his dad home, even if it meant he had to pay the price to make it happen.

My heart hurt more for him in that moment, than it did all the other times he pushed me away, combined.

I opened my mouth to say something but quickly shut it, looking over at Jackson. We weren’t more than a foot apart, but it felt like miles of distance were placed between us.

Physically and mentally.

There was so much confusion evident on his face, and I felt it deep within my being. We could have been standing there for a minute or an hour. Time seemed to standstill, but the pain seemed to keep going on all around me.

I locked eyes with Skyler, muttering, “Jackson and I were just arguing about his laundry habits.”

I felt him stiffen beside me.

“Jackson knows how to do laundry?”

“Or lack thereof,” I added, smiling over at him.

He narrowed his eyes at me, more confused than ever before. But for the first time since I started working here two months ago, I saw vulnerability run through his eyes. It may have only been for a few seconds, though, it was enough to know I was doing the right thing.

Jackson wasn’t as strong as he pretended to be. Deep down he was just as lost as his father, maybe?

We may have come from two different worlds, but for a few moments that afternoon, we finally reached middle ground. Who knows how long we’d stay there, all I knew was I wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Even if it meant standing on Jackson’s side.

Something or someone needed to bring their father home.

Even if that something or someone…



Was me.





Chapter 15


<>Aiden<>

Then: Sixteen-years-old



__________




“What would you say if I kissed you right now?” I whispered against Bailey’s neck.

“I’d say what took you so long.”

This was by far the best part of her being my girl. I was able to kiss her anytime I wanted.

I skimmed my lips along her pouty mouth, murmuring, “Do you like that?”

“Aiden,” she panted, molding herself into my chest. My warm breath ignited her cool skin in a frenzy of shivers as I continued to tease my way from ear to ear. Lightly pecking along her jawline till a moan escaped her mouth, “Yes, right there.”

She was sitting on my desk, and I was standing in between her long legs. My hands roaming up and down her bare thighs, kneading, squeezing, and bringing her ass closer to the edge of the old tarnished wood.

We were in my room on a Saturday night, supposedly studying, but there wasn’t much of that going on. Our books were scattered around my room, note cards sprawled across the worn carpet, notebooks flung onto my small twin bed in the corner. Next to the other two beds that occupied the rest of the space.

My foster assholes were gone for the night to who the fuck knows where. And the three kids I shared a room with were sleeping over at friends’ houses.

All that mattered was we were alone, and Bailey was in my arms.

My nose skated up the side of her neck, inhaling the scent of her sunflower perfume. She smelled like everything I ever wanted.

“My foster family took in a new kid,” she said out of nowhere. Trying to get her mind to think straight, and not let it wander to what she wanted me to do with my hands.

We’d never gone further than kissing, but I swear something felt different about tonight.

I grinned. “Does he smell like a butthole?”

She turned ten shades of red. “Oh my God, Aiden.” She tried to push me away, I didn’t move an inch. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Never.” I smiled, kissing her luscious lips.

“I was a mess.”

“You were adorable.”

“You always say that.”

“I only speak the truth.”

She rolled her eyes, smiling. “I thought you were going to kiss me.”

“Where do you want my mouth, Bailey? Here?” I pecked her lips, softly grazing my mouth down to her cleavage. “Here?” Never taking my eyes off her heated stare, I slowly got down on my knees, groaning, “Or here?” Licking my lips, I nodded to her pussy.

Her breath hitched and her legs locked up.

“Do you trust me?”

“With my life.”

I smiled, biting my lower lip. “I can make you feel good, Bay. Really, really good.”

“Oh yeah? Where’d you learn how to do that?”

“A man never reveals his secrets.”

“Oh! Is there a man in this room?” she mocked, and I bit the inside of her thigh. “Ouch!”

“Be a good girl, or you don’t get a happy ending.”

“I don’t want a happy ending. I want a happily ever after. With two sons named Jackson and Jagger who look exactly like their daddy.”

I kissed the spot where I had just bit her, gradually making my way up her leg. “Is that right?”

“Mmm hmm…”

“Seems like you’ve given this a lot of thought, Bailey Button, not to be confused with Belly Button.”