Page 129 of Pretender

It’s not true. That’s not why Mum… Whatever. It’s not true.

A long minute later I hear him walking down the steps and away, and I sink down on the floor. My heart hammers so hard I can feel it in my throat.

I did it.

I stood up to Henry, and I kept my cool. More or less.

And I’m not listening to what he says. His words have no meaning.

I’m going to go see my boyfriend now. The only person whose words I want to listen to, whose face I want to see. We can read the blog and laugh together.

I’m early to The Orion and get to watch Aiden the way I used to watch him only a few months ago but now with a completely different lens. This gorgeous man standing across the members’ lounge, he’s my boyfriend. The man who makes me open up, who makes me come, and feel safe, who shows me I am worth his time. I’m worth his effort.

Right now he’s talking to two men in neatly cut suits. They ooze money with their tailored clothes and large watches. But I suppose so does Aiden a bit, although much more subtly in his black shirt and matching trousers.

He’s not aware I’m here, so I lean against the wall by the edge of the room, watching him.

He shakes one man’s hand, then the other, and I make my way towards him as it appears he’s finishing up. I’m hopeful he’s ready and happy to take me home with him.

Before I reach him, another man intersects, catching Aiden’s attention before he sees me, so I stop. I don’t want to be the girlfriend who interrupts him at his work.

Feeling a bit awkward, I sit down on a chair by the nearest table and wait. But I hate that I can hear them. It’s like I’m being dishonest.

“Yes, I’m really good, thank you,” Aiden answers a question I missed.

I try to distract myself with my phone, but their bass voices carry.

“That’s good to hear. You didn’t look too sharp last time I saw you,” the other man says, and in my periphery he’s rubbing a hand over his ginger beard.

“When was that? At the AR event?”

“You don’t remember? I saw you at the…” I turn my head at the change in his tone and catch the man raising an eyebrow at Aiden.

“Where?” Aiden asks and I focus back on my phone, my stomach churning with guilt for listening in.

“The place. You know.”

“Oh, right. Right. When? I can’t recall seeing you there.”

“I don’t remember, like, a week after the AR event? Not sure. It was definitely a Sunday because I’d been to the football.”

“Ah. Yes. I was having a day,” Aiden says, chuckling.

“But you’re alright?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

“Alright, good. Glad I saw you to confirm. I’ve got to head out, but I’ll see you either here or there soon for a drink? A proper chat?”

“It’d be here. I won’t be going there again.”

“No? Got something better going on, do you?”

“You could say that.”

My stomach turns to ice. I’m not supposed to be listening to this. I need to make my presence known before he says something I don’t want to hear.

I’m on my feet in an instant, walking towards them, and catch the attention of the ginger man Aiden’s talking to, which makes Aiden turn to me. That uncontainable smile splits his face, and he looks genuinely excited to see me. There’s nothing in his expression that says he’s worried I just heard them. That makes my stomach relax. It’s all okay.