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"Come on," Seth said, gently gripping Aiden's elbow when he stumbled over the threshold. "You'll feel better after a shower."
"What about Diamond?" Aiden asked.
"She'll be fine for a few minutes. I can't pick Tessa up from her church group until six, anyway."
"Oh. Well, welcome to my humble abode," Aiden joked, flipping on the light above his sink. "Sorry, the butler isn't here to take your hat."
The front door was so narrow they both had to duck and angle their shoulders to cross the threshold, and Seth still accidentally caught his hat on the frame. Aiden backed up to give him room, looking flushed. Rosy color had begun crawling up his throat.
There was no need for embarrassment; he'd seen the ramshackle state of Seth's own house. But even in a poverty-stricken small town, the Shirleen Trailer Park was considered rock bottom. The trailer was only supposed to be temporary housing while Aiden figured out a game plan. He shouldn't still be here. He was a single man and a hard worker; he should have been able to afford an apartment or even his own house if his mother wasn't glutting herself on his bank account like a tick.
The space felt claustrophobic with two grown men standing at the same time. The kitchen area contained a few cabinets, a shallow sink, and a mini fridge. The living area was only a padded bench that separated the kitchen from the unmade bunk in the back. Except for the rumpled sheets, the place was fairly clean, but it would have to be with so little space.
Everything in the trailer looked old and faded...except the man standing beside him. Aiden was always so bright it hurt to look directly at him. He didn't belong in a place like this. If life had unfolded differently, he'd have taken the spare room at the farmhouse and decorated it to suit his personality—loud, cheerful, and a little bit cringe.
"Get out of those wet clothes and hop in the shower," Seth suggested, trying to ignore how unsettled he felt. "You got any liniment?"
"Of course, I've got liniment," Aiden grumbled, unzipping his ski jacket. It was flamingo pink. Seth had been ignoring it all day, but Aiden finally caught his bemused look and explained, "I borrowed it from Cherilyn."
Seth frowned. "You still messing around with her after what happened?"
"You heard about that?" Aiden looked flabbergasted.
"It was all anyone talked about for a solid month. No way to avoid it." Seth's eyes narrowed. "You could've been seriously hurt."
"Nah, it wasn't that serious." Aiden's grin was almost fond, as if it was all a good joke. He tugged off his ski cap, and a riot of damp blond curls sprang up all over his head. "Besides, I deserved it. I knew she'd only broken up with Jake a week before. She'd always seemed like a good time, so I was okay being a revenge fuck. I just forgot how jealous that asshole can be."
"He dumped you in the middle of the woods naked," Seth said flatly.
"Yeah." Aiden laughed and raked a hand through his hair, looking embarrassed. "I'll admit, I was worried about frostbite on my dangly bits?—"
Seth snarled.
"—but it all worked out okay. They're back together, and Jake and I shoot pool down at the Trophy Club a few times a month." Aiden cocked his head. "What's with that sour look on your face?"
"Nothing," Seth bit out. "Get in the shower. I'll stick around to help you with the liniment, but then I've got to go."
"Okay," Aiden said easily, bad mood already forgotten. He was never able to hang onto much of a temper.
Seth watched, arms crossed, as Aiden wriggled out of the ridiculous jacket. He'd managed to work the stiff nylon halfway down one arm before he froze and sucked in a harsh breath. Seth was on him in an instant, gripping him gently by the arms to stop him from trying again.
"What's wrong?" Seth demanded, searching Aiden's strained expression.
Aiden chuckled. "Nothing. I'm just really fucking sore."
He tapped Seth on the chest to back him up, but Seth ignored him. He wrapped one arm around Aiden's waist, holding him still while he carefully worked his arms free of the jacket. Aiden's curls brushed his chin, smelling faintly of wood smoke and eucalyptus shampoo. Aiden wasn't short, but Seth had always enjoyed the way he slotted so perfectly against him. Tall enough to lean on but still able to tuck beneath his arm if he wanted. Perfectly imperfect.
"You're so reckless," Seth muttered under his breath. "I shouldn't have agreed to this in the first place."
"It's not your job to protect me from myself," Aiden said with a breathless laugh, but he cut it short with a hiss when his arm slipped free of the jacket.
"You need a keeper."
Aiden's eyes narrowed, and he bared his teeth in an unfriendly snarl. "Yeah? Is that why you ditched me right when times got tough? You were tired of playing babysitter?"
Seth's throat tightened. It took an act of willpower to unclench his jaw enough to say, "I didn't ditch you."
"Sure felt like it from where I stood," Aiden muttered, all prickles and thorns, but he still submitted without question when Seth nudged his chin up and began to unbutton his flannel shirt.
