Submit to Me

13 - Aaron

Rory: If you're interested, Hudson, Greyson, and I are heading to Lucky's. Callum's in New York, and Jace and Tallulah have something going on, so it would be only us guys.

It's been a couple of weeks since I've been out, except a few nights ago when I spent a few hours with Sloane.

I'm not sure if I should go out and have a drink with the guys or stay home and continue figuring out what to do with the girl who returned to my life broken as fuck.

After she broke down at the park, I wasn't sure what to do other than hold and comfort her—something I was entirely unprepared for.

She hasn't spoken to me since.

I've tried calling her to see if she was okay, but she never answered.

I've even tried sending her messages, but she has not responded. I even stopped by her house, but she never answered her door.

So, I don't know what the fuck to do other than wait to see if she'll call, message, or stop by my work.

I know she's read my text messages since it shows they've been read. So I don't know what to think, but I hope she's okay because the last message I sent was a couple of days ago.

I thought about sending her another message but figured, what's the point if she wasn't answering my other ones? So, I didn't, hoping she'd finally see I meant what I said, that she can trust me, and that I'm willing to give a friendship with her another chance.

Maybe I should take Rory's offer to meet the guys at the bar since he's in town this weekend and give Sloane time to get back to me.

But I can't say I'm not worried about her because I am. She was a complete mess the night I dropped her off.

Fuck it.

It looks like I'm going out.

Me: Sure, I'll see you guys in a bit.

***

"Crown Royal, double, please," I ordered from the bartender, then after seeing my friends were getting low, I added, "And a round for my friends over there."

"You got it, Aaron," Vanessa said with a grin that always had me smiling in return. Because who wouldn't smile at her? She was beautiful, kind, and sweet, but also spoken for. "Did you need a tray to carry these?" she asked as she lined up our drinks.

"Nah. I've got it. Thanks, anyway, beautiful," I said, sliding Vanessa cash for the drinks and a ten spot for her service.

"You're welcome."

I carefully gathered the drinks, walked them over to the table, and as I handed them out, I said, "So, no wives tonight. What's the occasion?"

"Isabelle's with Eloise, keeping an eye on her since Callum is out of town. And Amanda and Shelby are having a girls' night out. So, I figured we'd have a guys' night since we hardly ever do that anymore," Rory responded. "Even though two of them are missing."

"I'm surprised Elosie allowed Callum to leave the state knowing she could go into labor any day now," I said, sipping my whiskey.

"Although it doesn't mean anything since babies come whenever they feel like it, but Eloise has like three more weeks to go until the kid pops out," Greyson said, "and it was an event Callum couldn't miss." He swirled his scotch around his glass, asking, "So, how've you been?"

I shrugged, "All right, I guess."

"Hopefully, it's better than the last time we saw you," Hudson said.