Page 29 of Stranded
Aiden took another sip of the beer despite the frown that caused his lips to droop.
He was right.
Maybe I’d never put my hands on him in anger or tried to scare him into being someone else. But I’d criticized him enough. The clothes. The makeup. The way he walked into a room and commanded its attention. I’d acted like his existence itself was something unpleasant that needed correcting, and all because I’d been too frightened of how much I noticed him—wanted him.
The world outside had already been trying to beat it out of him and home should have been the one place where he could feel safe enough to be himself. Instead, I judged him there too.
“Aiden…” My voice came out rough enough that he finally glanced at me properly. “Why didn’t you tell me people were treating you like that?”
He gave another shrug, but this one looked forced. “Because it’s not exactly new. You get used to it after a while.”
You get used to it.
He said it so casually, as if harassment were just another thing he expected to live with, and it shouldn’t be.
I reached across the table and took his hand before I could stop myself. His fingers stilled against mine in surprise as I turned his hand over and pressed a kiss against his knuckles.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.
Aiden blinked at me. “For what?”
“For being an asshole to you these past couple of years.” I held his hand tighter when he tried to pull away dismissively. “No, it wasn’t okay. I paid a lot of attention to you, more than I liked, but instead of confronting what the true reason was, I took it out on you and made it about you when it was me being a pervy old man.”
His expression softened slightly. “You’re not old.”
“But we agree I’m pervy for lusting after you even though you’re my stepson?”
“Well,thatI don’t mind. You already know that.”
“Even so, what I did was wrong. I should have never made home feel unsafe for you, and that’s exactly what I did. I might not have had any idea how people treated you outside, but that’s not an excuse for my own actions.”
For once, Aiden didn’t immediately joke or deflect. He just looked at me for a long moment, his thumb brushing lightly over my wrist.
“You really mean that?” he asked softly. “Because the truth is, it didn’t bother me when other people did it, but every time you said those horrible things to me, it really hurt. I thought you hated me because I was gay.”
“Oh, baby, I’ve fucked up so badly with you, haven’t I?” I used my thumb to swipe away a single tear he couldn’t quite hold back. “I can’t take back the things I said or the damage I did then, but I promise you I’ll make it up to you, supporting you in whatever you do from now on.”
A slow smile spread across his face then, smaller than his usual ones but somehow more genuine. “I’ll hold you to it, Marine.”
“Please do. Never let me get away with treating you like crap because you deserve to be treated like the prince you are.”
The waitress arrived before he could say anything else, setting down our plates between us. Aiden had the only vegetable-heavy option on the menu. A garden salad with grilled chicken looked unappetizing. He barely touched his meal, but I caught him staring longingly at my plate stacked high with a double cheeseburger and a mountain of fries.
“You want a bite?” I offered.
His eyes flicked up guiltily before he shook his head. “No. I’m fine.”
“Deni.”
“Maybe a fry.” He stole one of my fries before leaning closer to me, his expression turning mischievous again. “This pub isn’texactly offering a bottom-friendly feast, and with this being my last night alone with you and all, I’m not taking any chances. If I’m still conscious tonight, it means I haven’t had enough of your dick.”
13
AIDEN
“Aiden.”
Jackson’s hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my head even as I squirmed on the bed where I was sitting because my ass was sore from last night. Three times! Three times my stepdad bred me last night and I was still a nervous wreck that returning home meant losing what we’d found in each other.
