Eventually Yours

43 ✽

~Aiden~

She pulled away from me and reached for a spoon to stir the pasta but I beat her to it.

“Really?” she chuckled.

“I got it.”

She shook her head and watched me.

“Where'd you learn how to cook?” she asked.

I smiled at the spoon in my hand.

“My mother” I answered. “I used to help her around the house a lot. Another thing I picked up.”

I looked over my shoulder and smiled at her. Breanna smiled back.

“I bet you were the best son” she sighed.

I shrugged.

“I tried.”

“She would have been so proud of you if she were here” she muttered. “I know I am... and I just met you.”

“You just met me?” I asked, faking my pained tone.

Breanna chuckled.

“This side of you” she corrected.

I turned around to fully face her.

“I didn't mean to have so many walls up, Breanna” I confessed.

She sucked in a sharp breath and nodded.

“I know. But when anyone goes through what you have... they're allowed to have the great wall of China up.”

I chortled and stared quietly at her. There were tears in her eyes and I could see her blinking to keep them back.

“Aiden...”

“Breanna stop” I shook my head. “You don't have to keep feeling this way. I don't like to see you like this. I hate it.”

She shook her head.

“She didn't have any right to do that. Doesn't she have a conscience?” she whispered.

Breanna used the tips of her fingers to remove the tears that clung to her eyelashes. I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss them away. Hold her tight and promise her everything would be okay.

It got quiet for a minute and I used the break to collect myself and drain the pasta. But my hands still shook as I stirred it into the sauce and divided it up into two bowls.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly.

I placed the bowls on the counter and sat down next to her.

“Yes, Breanna. Don't worry.”

She snorted.

“I will worry. Because you're not supposed to be okay.”

I couldn't help but smile back.

“Yeah, I guess. I'm just used to being disappointed.”