He can be over the top sometimes, but in the best way possible. He’s my number one supporter and that says something since both Dad and the bug, Daniel, fight to buy my paintings even when I tell them not to.
“So I’m curious about something,” Elsa tells Silver, pulling her attention away from whatever conversation she’s having with Cole through their eyes alone.
“What?” Silver places the cups on the tray.
“Don’t take it the wrong way, okay?”
“Of course.” Silver’s brow furrows, as does mine because they’ve been friends since university. Everyone knows they threw the past behind them and moved on.
“It’s just that I’ve been curious about this for so long.” Elsa runs her nails over a bottle of beer.
“About what?”
“Remember that time at school when you posted a selfie of you by Aiden’s pool? There was a hand at the bottom of the picture.”
Silver’s lips pull in a shy smile. “Oh, that.”
“Aiden told me it wasn’t him and I believe him. But who was it?”
“Who do you think?” Silver motions at her husband, who’s now holding little Ava on his lap as she claps joyfully at the chess game.
“What was Cole doing in Aiden’s pool?” Elsa asks.
“He followed me. It was around the time when I used my engagement with Aiden to make him jealous. As soon as I got there, Cole showed up and kind of kicked Aiden out of his own pool.”
“He did that?” I ask with a laugh.
“Yeah, Cole can be crazy sometimes.”
Elsa raises a brow. “You mean when it comes to you.”
Silver touches her butterfly necklace, smiling. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“You guess so?” Elsa and I say in unison, teasing her.
“Stop it.” She wiggles free. “It’s not like Aiden or Levi are any different.”
“True that.” Elsa grins. “The other day, Eli walked in on us while...you know, and because he was interrupted, Aiden sat him down and told him there’s no more sneaking into the third floor or Daddy is going to be very mad.”
“At least Aiden was diplomatic about it.” I chuckle. “Levi actually yelled at Brandon to get the fuck out. He lost his dad of the year award that night.”
“Thankfully, Ava sleeps soundly at night.” Silver shakes her head. “She wakes up early and makes it her mission to wake us, though. Having a toddler is no joke.”
The three of us sigh in agreement before we burst into laughter.
Levi raises his head from the game, and as usual, time stops when I get lost in his blue-grey eyes. They’re like a magnet to a secret part of me.
He motions upstairs with a slight tilt of his head, and I try to reprimand him, but he just smirks and keeps tilting his head, then motions at Brandon and Landon.
I love those two to death, but because of them and their little sister, we barely get time for us. Our only reprieves are either when Jonathan and Aurora take them or in settings like these where they’re busy playing with the other kids.
So I tell the girls I’ll be back and precede Levi upstairs.
22
Aiden
Age Thirty