“Uh… yeah, sure.”
I remove my jacket and remain in my shirt. It’s too warm inside for a jacket.
Levi steps into the room as I place the jacket near the backpack.
“How is it with him?” he asks.
No idea how to answer that.
Good would be a lie. Bad would be a lie, too.
“It’s complicated,” I tell the truth.
“Well, he’s the complicated type.” Levi laughs. “You didn’t listen to my warning, so you reap what you sow.”
I face him. “Your warning?”
“At Ronan’s party, I told you that you should stay away from Aiden for your own sake, not his.”
Right. He did tell me that.
Does that mean Levi knows something about what happened to change Aiden into who he is?
Now, I have to ask without sounding too obvious.
“It’s not like I had a choice.” I shrug. “You know him better than anyone.”
“No one actually knows Aiden. We can only try.” He smiles a little. “But I’m glad you’re taking a chance on getting to know him, too.”
“A chance?”
“He’s not conventional.”
I nod once. Of course, Levi recognises Aiden’s true nature. They grew up together in the same house.
“This change happened somewhere in his childhood, right?”
He nods. “He was a quiet child by nature, but that incident changed everything.”
“You mean Alicia’s death.”
“Yes, that one was the icing on the cake, but it’s not —”
“Breakfast.”
Both Levi and I startle at Aiden’s voice. I was so focused on what Levi was saying that I didn’t notice him come in.
“How about you make a sound, you fucking creep?” Levi scoffs.
“How about you leave?” Aiden shoots back.
“Dream on.” He winks at me. “Come on. Let’s eat.”
I start to follow him out.
A strong hand clutches me by the arm and wrenches me back. “What the fuck were you talking about with Lev?”
His eyes are darkening by the second.