Dishonoured 🌿 Book 2.5

Heartbeats

By the late afternoon, Aidan had gotten little accomplished and was no closer to a solution. He had only a few days to figure out what to say, not much time. Their new plans, though, couldn't wait, so Aidan sent a quick message to Sam and Ada to let them know.

Cain went for a walk after lunch, leaving Aidan relatively alone. Noah was, as always, in his room. Aidan tidied up and showered for something to do. His task was never far from his thoughts, and it made focusing on anything else a chore.

Though he didn't agree with it, he understood why Chase and everyone else would want them to go through with this. The gesture and vows involved with joining the pack in this manner would be comforting to those who still didn't know them, know Ada. He could only hope that Chase would back down after their next visit. Still, he would have to tell them before; the hope was more of an unlikely wish.

When his phone went off, he barely noticed it; he was in the middle of imagining their reactions when he explained the ceremony. It took a second notification to make him aware that he was being summoned. Aidan put away the plate he was drying and fetched his phone. As he opened the notification, his heart skipped. Charlotte was online, and two short messages waited for him.

"You're good with computers, right?" Followed by, "You busy?"

Well, it certainly made him pause. After a few moments and a few more reads of his response, Aidan sent, "Decent, why?"

He didn't even have time to set his phone down before it chimed again.

"I think something's wrong with mine, it keeps crashing and I'm trying to finish this stupid project before tomorrow morning."

It did the trick, Aidan was distracted. He pulled up her contact and called her, fingers drumming on the counter as it rang.

"Hey! Sorry to ask out of the blue like that, but I'm in a bit of a bind."

Aidan half-grinned, and the drumming slowed. "It's all right. What sort of crash, what are you seeing?"

"A blue screen with a bunch of information. I don't know. Are you busy? Could you come take a look at it? Or I could go to you if that's better. I just really need this stupid thing to work."

Humming, Aidan glanced at the clock. "Yeah, I can stop by for a little bit. I don't know that I'll be able to fix it, though, but I'll try." He hung up the tea towel. "Be there in, like, fifteen minutes."

"Thank you!"

As he passed Noah's door, he said, "Be back soon."

Noah called out his affirmation as Aidan stuffed his feet into his shoes and left without tying the laces. He very nearly left without his jacket, but then thought better of leaving it behind; he may only be outside for a few moments, but it would look more normal if he simply wore it.

Fairy lights twinkled in Charlotte's windows, casting soft blues and whites on the fresh snow on the sills. The curtains rustled. The convenience store she resided above was empty but for an elderly keeper watching something on a tiny tube television. Aidan unfolded into a deep stretch, shoulders popping, then crossed the street. Charlotte had the door open before he was even at the curb.

Aidan had never seen her so casual before. Her hair was piled into her favourite scrunchie, her skin bare of makeup of any sort. She was bundled in a fluffy black sweatshirt with thick knit socks that went to her knees. She shivered, folding her free arm across her belly as a smile lit her features.

"Thank you so much for this." She climbed a step to give him room on the tiny landing. "Ada said to ask you, that you're better with computers than she is."