The Biker

24 | Evangeline

I had no idea why Simon had called me to come pick up a drunk Aiden. We hadn't interacted much recently, only fleeting glances and the occasional brief smiles.

Thankfully, I had already finished my shift at the hospital. I shouldn't be on my way to a random bar to pick up a drunk Aiden. Simon should definitely be able to handle it. But just because I said that didn't mean I didn't want to see him.

So here I was, coming through the door and sending Simon a text to ask where he was. I followed some brief instructions before making my way to the bar, seeing a slumped figure and Simon, sighing heavily.

"Hey. I'm here. So why did you need me to come take him home?"

"Hey, Evangeline. I don't know. Aiden said he won't go with me. I thought maybe he would let you take him home?"

"What makes you think he would let me do so?"

Simon only shrugged in response. "So do you think you can give me a hand? He refuses to leave when I tell him to. But maybe he'll listen to you."

"I'll try, but I make no promises." I walked over to Aiden's side, giving his shoulder a gentle shake. "Aiden? You need to go home."

"Who are you?"

"It's me, Evangeline."

His head perked up slightly, a loopy grin forming on his face. "It's my Angel!" Aiden got up almost instantly, even though he was very unsteady on his legs. His arms went around my shoulders, and his body leaned on mine. The two of us careened slightly before I fixed us upright, trying to support his weight the best I could.

His nickname didn't go unnoticed, but I had to get him home before I could go home myself. I wouldn't be able to rest knowing he was intoxicated and stuck here, especially because Simon had been so adamant that Aiden would not go with him.

"Come on. I'm gonna take you home, okay? We have to go, though."

"I can't. You haven't forgiven me for being an asshole." He mumbled sleepily, and I let out a small laugh.

"You're still on about that? Aiden, I forgave you a long time ago." It had just been something I had admitted to myself, not to his face. I knew it was true, but every time I had tried to tell him so, my mouth wouldn't say those words. He wouldn't really remember this anyways, would he? Probably not, with the way he was currently swaying. "But we should go, shouldn't we?"

"Okay." His voice was quiet, but he continued to comply as I led him out of the bar, Simon trailing concernedly after us. He told our taxi driver the address and gave me money to pay the fare, even though I had told him I could handle it.

"Just make sure he gets home okay, please? Can you let me know when you make it to his house?"

"Will do."

On the ride to Aiden's house, he was leaning all up on me, a stupid grin on his face the entire time. He placed his head in my lap, eyes drooping shut almost as soon as the taxi started.

I wasn't sure how long we were driving, but Aiden continued being clingy, even as I was trying to pay the fee and herd him out of the car. I fumbled for his keys in his pant pocket, and did a silent victory dance when I managed to turn the key and shove inside his house.

I flicked on the lights, trying to remember where we had gone the last time I was here. Except it had all been a blur, searching hands and hot kisses, all too eager for some action.

There were only so few doors, so I just hoped this was the right one. Thankfully, the first door I opened was the right one, and I practically dragged Aiden into his room, dumping him on his bed. He had somehow slipped out of his shoes already, breathing softly.

I was going to leave to head home, when all of a sudden, Aiden pulled my arm to get me level with him.

"Aiden, I have to go."

"Don't go, Angel." How he was still coherent enough to even know it was me? I wasn't sure. "I miss you."

My brow furrowed. I highly doubted that. "Come on, Aiden. I need to get home. You need to let me go. Plus, you have no idea what you're talking about."

"No, no. I definitely know what I'm saying."

I was still kneeling next to him, about to get up, when he pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of my nose. I was stunned, because I knew he was drunk, yes, but he usually had so much contempt for me.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, brushing his hair out of his face.

"It's okay, Angel. I'm allowed to love you in my dreams."

My heart stuttered in my chest, and I practically scrambled away at his words.

What?

There was absolutely no way that he loved me. Aiden was just drunk and delirious.

But weren't the words spoken when you were drunk the hidden truth?

I practically ran out of there, heart pounding. My hands were shaking slightly, my breaths coming short.

There was no way. There was no way.

How could he have switched up on me like this? One minute he was asking why I couldn't do my job right, and the next he was drunkenly telling me he loved me.

I couldn't deal with this right now. I shook my head, calling for another taxi. At least Simon had paid for the one here, because I had been spending way too much on cab fares.

As I sat silently in the taxi, eyes drifting to the scenery outside the window, my mind drifted back to Aiden. He couldn't love me. That was impossible. But me denying it made it seem so much more glaringly blatant, meaning I had to shove it into the back of my mind before I got too caught up in it.

Well, how do you feel about him?

I hated that that was the next thing that popped up in my head. And I hated how my heart already knew the answer, trying to claw its way out of the depths of my soul to get me to admit it. But I wouldn't. Because that would make things so much more complicated, and we couldn't have that.

Complicated was messy. Complicated was scary. But so was love.

No, no, no. Stop thinking about it.

Obviously, my brain did not comply, my thoughts still running through my head a million miles an hour.

I knew the answer to my own question, but I was afraid of what that feeling would do to me.

Author's Note: Double update! (ish) The last chapter was quite fresh on the mind, so I decided why not jump the gun and get on the next chapter while I was at it. We're in the last little home stretch, I think, before the story will end. The next few chapters will have some important things, so keep an eye out!