I felt my jaw drop open. Was he kidding? Surely this was more of his bullshit meant to rile me up. “What? Why?”
Aiden shrugged. “He’s hot. Is he gay? Please tell me he’s not the dominant top he appears to be, because I haven’t been able to stop myself from fantasizing about getting in that ass ever since I laid eyes on him at the trailhead.”
“You are the cockiest asshole I’ve ever met,” I said. “Are you for real? I hope you’re kidding right now, at least for Bennett’s sake.”
He laughed. “Oh, now you’re worried about Bennett’s frail heart? That’s cute.”
“Does Bennett know you’re making plans to fuck some stranger when we get back to the lodge?” I asked.
Aiden just laughed and shrugged again. “I don’t need his permission. But, no, I haven’t mentioned my infatuation with Jake’s ass to him. Maybe I could get Jake and Bennett together for a—”
Luckily, the sound of one of the kids reaching the top and asking permission to rappel down kept me from dropping the ropes and beating the fuck out of the asshole. The next hour was spent in virtual silence as the rest of the kids took their turns. Fortunately, Aiden seemed to have gotten a clue and the only times he spoke to me were in relation to the kids and the climb. Once the last kids were down, we spent a few minutes detaching ropes and removing harnesses before I told the group they could go back and start dinner while I removed the anchor ropes up top.
“Want me on belay?” Aiden asked with a giant grin after the last kid walked off.
“Go to hell,” I growled.
Thankfully, Aiden took off to join the rest of the group, but not before shouting to me from the edge of the trees one last time. “Bennett Crawford is one of the best men I know, Xander. And for some strange reason he thinks you hung the fucking moon. Hurt him again and you’ll answer to me.”
I ignored him as I began my climb, but of course it didn’t work because he yelled, “Xander, did you hear what I said?” There was no humor in his voice this time and I knew the warning was just that. Despite all the shit he’d said about pursuing Jake, the edge in his voice told me he’d just as soon beat the shit out of me if I didn’t heed the warning. I wondered why the hell he wasn’t warning me to stay away from his boyfriend instead.
I glanced at him only long enough to see him shoot me one last glare before taking off down the path, but his last question echoed in my head, bringing back memories from so many years ago. The night that changed everything.
“Xander, did you hear what I said?”
“Where’s Bennett?” I asked. Mr. Crawford dropped a heavy hand on my shoulder. I automatically stopped rocking back and forth because he’d already told me twice to stop doing it. My butt hurt from sitting in the hard plastic chair for so long, but I was afraid to leave it.
Because I knew what leaving it would mean.
It would mean everything the weird-smelling guy in the white jacket had said about my dad was true. And it couldn’t be true.
I began rocking again, mostly to stave off the bile that was crawling up my throat. If Mr. Crawford didn’t like the rocking, that was just too bad because I figured he’d like me throwing up on his fancy shoes even less.
“Xander, did you hear what I said?” he repeated.
“Where’s Bennett?” I asked again. Bennett would know what to do. He’d tell me it wasn’t true and then we’d go home and he’d tell me good night and then he’d wink at me… that wink that said I’d be seeing him again just as soon as he was able to sneak out of the house.
I hadn’t seen that wink in a long time.
But I’d see it today.
I had to.
Because my dad was dead and Bennett would know I needed that wink and I needed his arms around me and I needed his stupid jokes.
“Bennett isn’t here,” Mr. Crawford said. I could tell he was getting impatient with me, so I tried to focus.
“Xander—”
“I heard you,” I cut in. “You said Aunt Lolly is on her way from Florida. She’s going to come stay with me.”
“Right,” Mr. Crawford said and I could hear the relief in his voice. Man, did he think I was too stupid to remember the few words he’d said after I’d watched the paramedics load my dad into the ambulance?
I barely noticed as Bennett’s father wandered off to talk some more on his cell phone. I heard only enough to know that my dad’s death was proving to be an inconvenience for him.