His Fresh Start ✔ (Book Three)

Chapter 20

The wet sand muffled the sound of our footsteps as Leo and I strolled along the beach, coffees in hand. 

"This is the best way to start the day." Leo inhaled the salty air, closing his eyes. "So much calm."

I took a sip from my cup. "That's what I usually do. If I need to think, I walk like my therapist told me."

"Your therapist knows what's up." Leo winked. "Maybe he should find a house closer to the beach."

"I'll tell you if I know of any," I said. "So, have you got news?"

"You know I can't disclose what Aiden and I talk about." Leo looked at me over the rim of his cup, his piercing eyes narrowed.

Of course, I knew. After all, I was also his patient, and he'd never discuss my issues with anyone but me. I respected him even more for that.

"I'm not asking you to. I just want to know how he really is cause I worry."

Leo nodded toward a stone bench facing the ocean. "Let's sit."

For a moment, the cries of seagulls were the only sounds, but then my friend spoke.

"Aiden's like an iceberg. Calm and collected on the surface. Mature. Even a bit cynical at times. But if you dive and look what's underneath, I'm afraid there's a whole lot more of everything. He's good at pretending. Good at hiding."

Leo sipped his drink, looking at the waves rushing to the shore. "And because he reminds me of several other patients of mine, I'd say we have to watch him closely."

"Wait." I studied his profile, expecting him to face me, but he didn't. "Are you thinking of putting Aiden on suicide watch?"

"I see him at the hospital daily," Leo said. "So does Alan and the rest of the staff. But once he's out, he'll be alone, and that's when the problems might appear. He'll press charges, and it might put a toll on his mental health. Monster or not, his father is his only parent. It would be naïve of us to think the boy would forget everything just because he decided to speak up."

The breeze ruffled my hair. I ran a hand through it and rested my head against the back of the bench, observing the gray clouds floating in the gloomy morning sky. "You're right. Aiden will stay at my studio. I'll try not to leave him alone for too long. Ellie will be by his side, too."

Leo tossed the empty cup in the trash and stood. "That's awesome. It'll help him a lot. He needs some normalcy and the people who love him."

"Don't we all need somebody," I said, rising to my feet. "Thank you for stopping by and telling me all of it."

Leo's heavy hand landed on my shoulder. "Anytime. My schedule is packed today. It was good to do something different in the morning for a change. We should play poker at my cabin. You, Alan, and I."

"After Aiden's birthday," I said, accompanying Leo to his car. "We wanted to throw him a little party to celebrate. Maybe not a party per se but lunch somewhere nice to help him take his mind off things."

"Good plan." Leo winked, unlocking his SUV with a remote. "I'll keep in touch regarding his progress. Let's hope there's progress over the next few days."

"Let's." I nodded. 

Leo got into the vehicle and drove away with a wave of his hand as a goodbye, and I returned to the bistro.

Marco was swamped in the kitchen. I would help him if I didn't have a mountain of invoices and a ton of paperwork to sort through. The wedding season would start in no time, and we'd be busier than ever.