Between Us (all of us #1)

T H I R T Y S I X

T R E N T O N

At six this morning, Chloe gave birth to Aiden James Cooper. Nineteen inches, eight pounds, all healthy and that's all we could have asked for.

I saw a side to Diesel I've never seen before. For one, a genuine smile as he held his son for the first time. And besides that, he just looked different. Like he entered a new phase of life, like he leveled up.

An hour before that, I was sitting beside Aubree. We finally stopped beating around the bush and just talked about other things. Lighter things. I don't know what Roger's holding over her head, but I know in time I'll get her to get it out, and not for me but for herself.

We fell asleep together, and I woke up to Diesel nudging us both awake. Her head was on my shoulder and I forgot how that felt.

Gio got a great sleep in, considering he was out the entire night. So much for pulling an all nighter. He could lay on a bed of nails and still sleep like a baby.

When Aubree first saw Aiden she cried, and I wondered if it were absolute joy or if it were really confusion or regret or fear, or everything all rolled into one. She fell in love with the kid at first glance, and I know she's terrified of losing both him and Diesel because whatever she did in her past is clearly that bad. I've considered so many possibilities in my head of what she could have done, but I can't come to a logical conclusion. I can't imagine her doing anything crazy enough to warrant someone hating her, let alone her own son.

"Alright, well it was fun." I hold my hand out before Diesel slides his over my palm in a lazy handshake. "But I'm exhausted and you guys clearly have a lot of transitioning to do."

"Thanks for staying, Trent. Seriously."

"No problem."

We come into a hug, I slap his back as he does mine before we part. From over his shoulder, Aubree's already eyeing me like she knows I'm leaving, but neither of us say anything.

It's still not comfortable enough to act ourselves in front of Diesel, or even to act like ex's who got out of a messy break up, but it's even harder to act like Diesel's best friend and Mrs. Cooper. That's not us anymore.

I hold my hand up at her, but I don't open my mouth to say a word. I don't know when I'll see her again. I don't know if I even want to.

It hurts too much to be around her, it's too confusing, it's too frustrating.

I hear Gio's loud mouth talking as I leave the group, feeling like I've just done something wrong. The feeling you get when you think you've left a door unlocked, but can't go back to check.

Keeping forward, my hands shove into the pockets of my hoodie as I feel the cold air blow over me when the doors slide open.

And then I stand still, right there in the middle of the front entrance.

That can't be it.

We can't leave off on a note like that. That's never been what me and Aubree have ever been about, and I don't want it to be that way now.

I turn around to go back—to go after her—and as soon as I'm facing back the way I came, she's stumbling to a stop like she was looking for me. Like she knew I was looking for her.

She had a way of doing that.

"We're not done, are we?" I ask as she takes a few smaller steps toward me.

She shakes her head, her hands reach out for me as she picks up her pace and then she's back in my arms.

Meet someone that makes your life make sense.