Something Gained (USC Series Book #1)

chapter forty-one

SOMETHING GAINED
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BROOKLYNN

"I honestly don't understand why she had to die. She was my favourite character. Y'know what? I am never going on a plane ever again." Brinley sniffles, wiping the tears off of her cheeks.

"Are you crying?" I ask her, my eyebrows tipping down in confusion.

She opens her mouth to say something before closing it again. "No," she denies in an unconvincing drawl. "No, I am not."

I nod slowly, not fully convinced.

Somehow Brinley convinced me to watch Grey's Anatomy. I have only seen a few episodes, but she said I had to be there for moral support while she endures the season finale. And now I can see why. She is a crying mess.

"I swear, if someone else dies, someone will get a good beating," she threatens, though I am not too sure who too. "I cannot deal with losing another one of my favourite characters. Especially if it is Mark."

I nod, not paying her a lick of attention as I peel a piece of loose skin off the side of my fingernail.

My return home has been underwhelming. It has been less than twenty-four hours and nothing has happened. Not that I expected to come back to a welcome-home surprise party, but... I don't even know what I was expecting.

A loud thump echoes through the apartment, interrupting the silence.

"Hmm," Brinley hums, "I wonder who it could be. You aren't expecting anyone, are you?"

She looks at me expectantly and I just offer her the same look of confusion, shaking my head.

Brinley stands from the couch, walking over to the door, peeking through the peephole and turning back to me.

"I think it's for you," she whispers through clenched teeth, thrusting her thumb towards the door behind her.

What?

I jog my mind, thinking of all the possibilities of who it could be but come up empty. I leave the couch, walking around the kitchen bench to look through the peephole.

What the fuck?

Opening the door with lightning speed, my eyebrows furrow when I realise my eyes weren't deceiving me. "What are you doing here?"

"Before you get upset, let me explain," Aidan reassures when he sees my distress with his presence. "I am not here to get back together with you. You need your space and I respect that decision, but I just came here to give you something."

I grip onto the front door with a death grip, hoping it can prevent me from collapsing. The last time I saw Aidan was when I broke up with him. It surprised me by how well he had taken it, but truthfully; I don't know how he has been doing since then. He seemed fine when he left after our long embrace ended with an awkward interaction.

That is something that boggles my mind. How people who can feel so safe and... comfortable together can change just after one innocuous interaction.

I say nothing. Aidan rocks back and forth on his feet, staring down at his shoes, unsure of what to do or even say.

This is awkward.

I release my hold on the door and clear my throat. "Umm... do you want to talk somewhere else?"

That might have been a stupid question. I was reluctant to ask it the minute it popped into my brain, but you know what? Who fucking cares? Us being in a room together—alone—won't be a problem; I don't think. Aidan has made it clear he is respecting my boundaries, which I appreciate, so I have full trust he won't try to make a move on me.