Always an Expiration Date

Part Nine

Aidan woke briefly to eat when Jake pulled through a fast food restaurant but fell hard asleep again as soon as he had a full belly. He didn't wake when Jake stopped at a grocery store outside Portland or when his phone started vibrating almost constantly with missed calls and texts around ten. He was sleeping peacefully, looking much better than he had earlier, when Jake pulled up the long gravel drive to the squat, square, weatherbeaten cottage along the shore and parked behind Amara's smart car.

Jake decided to let him get a few more minutes while he unloaded the truck but the women heard his approach and came out as soon as he'd started pulling out the grocery bags.

"Jake! What are you doing here? You never mentioned coming up this weekend!" Sara exclaimed much louder than strictly necessary.

Aidan groaned and scrubbed at his face with his hands as he awakened. "Jake? I swear I just heard..." he looked around as he became more aware of his surroundings and spotted Sara next to Jake just outside the driver's door. "Sara! Hey! I didn't know you were coming!"

Sara leaned in over the seat. "I didn't know you two were! I have a key and thought wifey and I could have a nice little getaway."

"Oh, uh," Aidan's groggy brain cast around for something to say. "I mean, I'm glad to see you if you two don't mind sharing your vacation."

"No, it's great! Where's Michelle? Is she coming up later?"

Aidan climbed out to circle the truck and begin helping Jake unload. "She's in Nebraska. She wanted to spend some time with her family."

"Hmm. Oh! You haven't met my wife! Come here baby!" When Amara stepped forward Sara slung an arm around the much taller woman's waist. "Amara, this is that Aidan Jake's been hanging around with. Aidan, my wife, Amara."

Amara shyly waved at Aidan. "It's nice to meet you."

Jake interrupted. "Let's continue this inside before the chiggers eat us alive. We don't have bug spray on."

The foursome chatted merrily as they bustled about putting away groceries and stowing luggage. Aidan was, at least outwardly, fine with the new sleeping arrangements that had him in the bedroom with Jake. Even if he was uncomfortable there was nothing he could do about it since there was no way he was either sleeping on that lumpy couch with springs sticking everywhere threatening to shank someone or making Jake do it.

It was only a few minutes before they all flopped down in the seating area of the small, low main room that served as the living room, dining room and kitchen in one. Amara had the most comfortable seat on Sara's lap as the other three tried to balance between lumps and springs digging into them.

Sara gave Jake a pointed look from underneath Amara's arm and Jake began nervously. "Hey, Aidan. There's actually something I need to discuss with you."

Aidan took a long pull at his icy beer bottle. "That sounds ominous. What's up?"

Jake huffed, psyching himself up. "It's nothing between us but it's not pleasant. There was an incident at the office today."

Aidan lifted his chin briefly in acknowledgement and took another swig from his drink before he asked "Kiss or grope?"

Jake froze, shocked and confused. "Pardon me?"

"Mike. Did she kiss you or did she go for the full sexual assault?"

Aidan was so casual Jake could only stare at him wide eyed. "How..."

"She broke up with me last night. Then there's this." Aidan pulled out his phone and turned it to show multiple texts in which Mike accused him of betrayal and destroying her life to the others. So that's why his phone started blowing up. It must have been when she landed in Nebraska. "The only reason I can see for the sudden animosity is she put the moves on you and it didn't go the way she wanted."

"Holy shit. Uh, she kissed me. I swear I didn't see it coming and told her I wanted nothing to do with her."

"I believe you. Did you fire her?"

Jake chuckled humorlessly in disbelief. "I didn't want to fire my friend's girl. I gave her the choice of keeping our relationship strictly professional or resigning. She has the weekend to think it over. How are you so calm right now?"

Aidan drained his bottle and reached for another that he opened before he leaned his head on the back of the couch and closed his eyes. "It's not like I didn't see it coming. I'm surprised you didn't."

Jake responded slowly, choosing his words carefully. "It's not exactly that I didn't. I thought it was a little crush and she'd get over it. You don't hate me for it?"

Aidan shrugged. "I mean, should I?"

"No!" Jake nearly shouted. "Ahem. I should have talked to you about my suspicions earlier but I didn't want to interfere in your relationship."

"I figured. And it's not like I was entirely blameless."

"What do you mean?"

"I was with her because it was comfortable. I never felt any real connection to her. There's only ever been one person that made me feel that way and that isn't an option. It was inevitable she'd go looking for what I couldn't give her."

Sara interjected "that's not right. We all saw how you treat her. You do everything for her."

"I always do, until the other person decides I'm not enough and things end."

Amara, who had been sitting quietly watching asked "why isn't the person you're in love with an option?"

"Not interested." Aidan's lips quirked up in a wry grin. "I guess it's karma for being selfish and having relationships I knew had an expiration date."

Amara persisted. She didn't know Aidan and Sara didn't discuss his private business with her but she was positive he was talking about Jake. "Did you ever talk to them about it? Maybe they thought you weren't interested in more."

Aidan chuckled humorlessly. "I have not. I'm grateful for what I have. Even love unreturned has its rainbow."

The group sat silently at a loss for words. Sara and Amara fought the urge to beat sense into the two men. They saw the love between them and the unwillingness to take the leap. Jake and Aidan both mused on whether the risk of the loss was worth true honesty, and how long it would be before their relationship had its own expiration date without that honesty.

Amara, unable to bear the tension anymore, stretched and let out a huge fake yawn. "Sara, mami, I'm tired. Can we go to bed?"

Her question gave everyone the perfect opportunity for escape. After a round of goodnights and threats to make everyone get up to see the sunrise over the ocean they retired to the small bedrooms.