Always Only You by Chloe Liese (z-lib.org).epub

back. All I’ve done is try to exhaust myself around here. Otherwise, I can’t sleep
to save my life.
Three weeks.
Three weeks and those two words still ringing in my head. Get out.
After I got home, I beat the hell out of the punching bag, cried in the shower
—yes, you heard me, I cried—and then I took advantage of Ryder’s willingness
to trade times at the cabin and came straight here. If I spent another moment in
my house with Pazza’s chew toy lying on the floor or Frankie’s scent all over
my sheets, I was going to lose my mind.
Aiden just showed his punk butt up here two days ago, looking disheveled
and under-slept. I didn’t ask him what was going on with Freya, because I didn’t
want to know. I have enough of my own problems.
In the hospital, I told Frankie I’d give her time, that I wasn’t walking away
for good. I’m about at the end of my rope with that waiting, though. I promised
myself after a month, she was going to hear from me, see my face, and have to
talk this out.
“You surly is weird. When you scowl, you look like Axel.” Aiden drops to
the ground and leans against a massive hemlock, sipping from his water between
pants for air. “Shit, when did I get out of shape?”
“Happens when you work all the time.”
He levels me with a look. “So, you do know why I’m here.”
I glance at him over my shoulder before I turn and swing, splitting another
log. “I have no idea why you’re here. I just know you’re a workaholic.” Aiden’s
a professor at UCLA. He’s actually the one responsible for pairing up Willa and
Ryder when they were both his students, largely against their will at first. “You
teach, grade, lecture, guest panel, publish constantly. When would you have time
for exercise? Or anything else, for that matter.”
Aiden’s jaw tics. He has near-black hair, a shade darker than Frankie’s, and
three days’ worth of scruff, a sharp contrast to his blue eyes and the dark circles
below them. He looks angry and exhausted.
Welcome to the club, Aiden.
“Freya kicked me out.”
My head snaps up. “She kicked you out?”
He sighs, eyes shut, head against the tree. “Say it again. I love hearing it
repeated.”
“Aiden, I don’t have the capacity for your sparkling sarcasm. I’ve got my
own…” I exhale roughly, feeling a swell of emotion tighten my throat. “I’m
dealing with my own stuff. Say what you need, but I can’t be your cuddle buddy
right now. Call Ryder or something.”