Let Life Happen

by Jaqueline Snowe

  He stirred more and tightened his hold on me. “No. Stay with me tonight. Please.” Some unknown emotion stirred in his voice. I couldn’t think of one reason why I shouldn’t.

  “Okay.” I fought a smile, and the butterflies in my stomach went apeshit.

  He sighed softly into my ear and picked me up as if I were a doll. I kept my head against his shoulder and neck. I breathed in his scent, and he totally caught me. “Are you smelling me?”

  “Maybe,” I said, unashamed.

  “Well, I won’t stop you. Sniff away.”

  I laughed into his neck, and he dropped me into his bed. I hopped under the covers, and he joined me seconds later. Luckily, he remained clothed, or I wouldn’t have been able to breathe. He spooned me from behind, and we fell asleep together, the second night in a row.

  * * * *

  I woke up to the smell of coffee and saw Aiden smiling at me, holding a mug out. “Morning, Jen-Jen the Engine.”

  “Morning.” I grabbed the mug and sat up. “Also, fuck you for remembering.”

  He wore shorts, low on his hips, and I followed his happy trail. He caught me staring at him and grinned devilishly. “I will never forget your nickname. Ever.”

  I took a sip of coffee and set it on the table next to his bed. A predatory gaze came over his face, and he walked toward the bed, then sat right next to me. I could barely breathe.

  “Thank you for staying with me last night.” His gaze was intense, and I didn’t know how to reply. It felt like the words had more meaning.

  “You’re welcome.” I was suddenly nervous as hell. His face was unreadable, his eyes torturously playful, and his hands rested inches from me. I wanted him so badly words were forgotten. What do I do? Shit.

  “Listen, I have some errands I have to run, so I have to take off. You can stay here as long as you’d like. I didn’t mean to wake you, but I know how you are in the mornings without your coffee.” He smiled, rubbing his hand on my foot over the cover. It was a gesture that spoke of comfort and closeness. We had both. I felt his touch all the way up my leg. I sucked in a breath.

  “True. I’m a monster,” I said, rushing it out in one breath.

  He chuckled. “So take your time. I’ll catch up with you later today. You get tonight off, right?”

  I scratched my head and nodded. “Yeah. I’ll probably be in the library all day.” Studying would help with all the turmoil in my head.

  “Good. You need the night off.” He nodded. “Well, I’m out. Seriously, help yourself. It’s no problem at all for you to chill here.”

  I stayed sitting, but he put his face right in front of mine so I could see each individual freckle on his cheeks. He lowered his voice, using a tone I hadn’t heard before. “You look good in my bed.”

  Before I had time to respond, he grabbed my face with both his hands and pulled it to his. “I should’ve done this a while ago, but I wasn’t ready. I’m going to prove to you we’re meant to be together, Jenna.”

  Then he kissed me. His lips touched mine, and a shock went through my body. It was one of those kisses that stopped time. It could’ve been a minute or an hour and I wouldn’t have known the difference because every cell in my body was attuned to Aiden. His cologne overwhelmed me. His hands held my face. His lips felt like heaven against mine. His body heat came off him in waves. He lightly pushed my lips open and deepened the kiss. His tongue explored my mouth as if it held all the answers he was searching for. The butterflies took off in my body, tingles and pleasure coursing through me unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I felt like flying.

  He pulled back and gave me a goofy smile. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you forever. Holy. Shit.”

  I sat there, mouth open, unable to move in my life-altering moment.

  He pressed another kiss to my forehead and lightly chuckled. “See you later.” Then he walked out of the room.

  He was giving me the space I needed. Damn him for being considerate. Damn him for giving me the kiss of a lifetime. Damn him for…for breaking down my walls and sneaking inside. There was too much uncertainty and too many what-ifs and chances for pain.

  I grabbed my head and shook it. No. I wasn’t going to overanalyze it. He was a hell of a kisser. That was it.

  I wasn’t going to let my coffee go to waste, so I grabbed his iPad to read some news while I finished it. When I unlocked his screen, the picture made my heart stop. His background was us. We were playing Frisbee in the quad because it had cooled off outside, and we’d decided to put off doing lab work. We took the picture as a joke, but I had no idea he’d kept it.

  “Well, damn it, Aiden,” I said to myself. He’d changed the game, and I had zero clue how to play.

  Chapter 28

  Everything Happens for a Reason-Aiden

  I shut the door to my room, leaving Jenna in my bed. As soon as I woke up, I watched her sleeping in my bed and knew I needed her in my life. Not just as a friend or fuck buddy. I wanted all of her for myself, and I refused to lose her.

  I grabbed my phone and called my dad. Luckily, he picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey, Dad. You busy?” I hoped my voice didn’t give away my nerves.

  “Not at the moment,” he answered briskly.

  “You at home or the office?”

  “Office.” Of course he was. It didn’t matter it was a Saturday. He practically lived there.

  “Ah, okay. I’m stopping by. Stay there for an hour.” I hung up and hopped into my car, anxious and excited at the same time. I was finally going to man up and tell my dad what I wanted to do and not leave the conversation open for discussion.

  It took all I had to not back out once I was in the elevator. I listened to the most motivational music I had on the drive over, but it evaporated when I was waiting for the elevator doors to open. I felt scared and worried as hell. But I had no choice. I wanted my own damn future, and fuck if I wasn’t going to fight for it. The doors opened, and it was as if whoever was in charge of my fate was doing me a favor. Jenna’s grandpa was standing on the other side.

  “Aiden! Good to see you, son. How are ya?” His smile calmed my churning stomach.

  “Doing good, Jim. How are you? Working on a Saturday?”

  “Yeah, we had the past two days off with the holiday and baby and all. Did Jenna show you the picture of the little one? Cute as hell. Made me excited for when Jenna has kids.”

  I paled at the mention of Jenna having kids, because the thought of her with another guy sent fury through my blood. “Yeah, she showed me a ton of them.”

  “Heard you helped her out yesterday at the bar. You’re a good breed.” He winked.

  I scoffed. “It was crazy. What else could I do?”

  “You and your brother are good people. I’m glad Jenna found you.” He rested his hand on my shoulder. “Well, I’d best be off. I have a date with a football game and a beer. See you around sometime, Aiden.” He pulled me into a hug, and I hugged him back. It wasn’t uncomfortable in the sense of two men hugging. It was weird because my dad never hugged me. I had daddy issues—that was painfully clear—but to have someone so open and supportive shocked me.

  “Bye, Jim.”

  Seeing him reminded me why it was so important to do what I was about to do. I needed to be the man who was strong enough for Jenna. I needed to be someone Jim would respect enough to be with his granddaughter.

  “Aiden.” My dad was standing in the doorway, watching me. I didn’t know how much he saw, but his eyes were pained.

  “Dad.”

  “Happy Thanksgiving.” He attempted the greeting, but it wasn’t well received.

  “You, too. Glad you made it back safely.” I was glad he was safe, but…shit. Daddy issues.

  He stepped back and motioned me into his office. “Come on in. Care to explain how you know Jim?”

  I smiled at his mention of Jim’s name. If what Jim said was true, my dad was good to those working under hi
m, and it filled me with more pride than all the money he’d ever made.

  “You remember the girl I introduced you to at the alumni dinner?”

  His eyes lit with immediate recognition. “Yes. The short, dark-haired beauty.”

  “Yeah, her. Her name is Jenna, but Jim is her grandpa. Miles and I spent Thanksgiving with their family.”

  “Really? I didn’t know. Glad to hear you and Miles are spending time together.”

  I nodded. “We had some shit we needed to sort out. Jenna helped us realize we just had a lot of miscommunication between us.”

  “Seems like this Jenna girl is having a positive effect on you.” He seemed mildly pleased. But for how long?

  “You have no idea.” I smiled, and my dad grinned at me. He didn’t miss a beat, and he motioned for me to sit next to him on the leather sofa.

  “I liked her when I met her because she challenged you. Also, my sources tell me you’ve been partying less. I think it’s a good sign of maturing.”

  “Speaking of maturing, Dad…This is incredibly difficult to say, but…I’m not going to be a lawyer.” There. I’d said it.

  His face remained impassive, and he didn’t say a word, so I continued. “I have no desire to follow your and Miles’ path. It’s not like I don’t respect everything you both do, but it’s not for me. I don’t enjoy it, and the thought of becoming a lawyer makes me crazy. Honestly, I think it’s why I partied so much. I needed the distraction from the life I didn’t want. I understand you’re disappointed in me and may cut off my tuition payments. I accept it. I’ll get a part-time job and still go to school. I understand you may pull whatever strings you have to get me removed from my position at Sigma, but I’ve earned every right to lead my house.”

  I stood and paced his office, growing more confident as I continued. “We have the highest house cumulative GPA in history at a three-point-eight average. That's over three hundred guys, Dad. We have the least amount of accumulated intoxication tickets, incidents with the law compared to previous years, and still have one of the highest turnouts for rush. So if you attack me at Sigma, I will retaliate, and I will win. The entire house will support me.”

  I was breathing heavily but held eye contact. I wasn’t going to back down. “It’s time I started focusing on my future. I want to be in a lab somewhere, helping solve crimes or finding data on diseases. Science is how I want to contribute to society.”

  He nodded slowly. “I may need some time to process this and accept it, but, son, if it’s what you want, then I guess you just need to go after it.”

  I was sure I’d have to scoop my jaw up off the floor. I came in expecting my dad to go ballistic, but he calmly conceded. Just like that. “So…we’re good?”

  He scoffed. “Of course we are. I would never sabotage your position at Sigma. Why would you think I would?”

  “Dad…The impromptu alumni party? The constant mention of your time and connections with the frat? Wasn’t it all to upstage me?”

  “Jesus, Aiden. No. Not at all.” He ran a hand down his face and looked at me—like really looked at me for the first time. “Is this really what you think of me?” I saw pain flash across his face.

  “Dad, the divorce and abandonment affected us all, but it changed how you treated me. Miles still has a relationship with you. A two-sided one. I don’t.”

  “And it took you threatening your entire future and accepting you would have to pave the whole way on your own to finally tell me this?”

  I shrugged. “I guess so.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry you’ve had these feelings, Aiden. I just…assumed you were in a partying stage.”

  “I’m in college and a frat. Please. I’m going to party, but what I want is to just be a family. Work has always come first for you. I’ve always wanted it to be different.”

  He ran his hand along the leather of the sofa. “You don’t understand how hard it is to be a single father and work a highly stressful job.”

  “You’re right. I don’t. I had a great life growing up, Dad, and I still do. But you and Miles work together, so he gets to see you day to day, inside and outside the office. I don’t. You’re just my workaholic dad, always looking down on every choice I make.”

  He smoothed his hand over his hair. “God. This is long overdue. Why didn’t you say anything about your unhappiness before?”

  I flashed a half smile. “Let’s just say I met the right person who motivated me enough to want to fight for myself.”

  “Jenna.”

  Just the mention of her name ignited a ball of warmth inside me. “Yes. She’s taught me a lot about life and fighting for what I want. I respect her more than anyone in the world for what she’s done for herself. She makes me want to be the best version of myself.”

  “And that’s exactly what you need to be.” My dad choked back some tears but stood and pulled me into a hug. “I am proud of you, son. Admitting this took courage.”

  I hugged him back and had to fight the stinging in my own eyes before pulling back. “We might be fucked up, Dad, but I love you.”

  “Love you too, son. Love you, too.” He squeezed my shoulder.

  “Thank you for listening, actually listening to me. You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to tell you this. Now, next on my list is to convince Jenna to be my girl.”

  His eyebrows dipped in confusion. “You have to convince her? I thought women fell at your feet.”

  I pressed my lips into a thin line and shook my head. “The one that matters doesn’t.”

  Dad chuckled lightheartedly. “Then I respect her even more.”

  I smiled, feeling lighter than I had in years. There was still hope for my family.

  We chatted for a little while longer, and I didn’t feel my dad had any hidden agenda with his words. He laughed. He asked questions about Mike and Jim. He even asked about Ainsley after I told him about our eventful holiday. It was a new version of the person I had known all those years. We made plans to get together within the next two weeks, and I was actually looking forward to it.

  In the elevator down, I checked my email and saw Professor Jackson had emailed me back and approved my topic change.

  The last thing on my list was to now ask Jenna out on our first official date.

  Aiden: Where are you?

  Jenna: At the library. Really hating school right now.

  Aiden: I have big news. I’m coming to you. What floor you on?

  Jenna: You don’t have to come here. I can meet you later or something.

  Aiden: What floor?

  Jenna: Geez. 4A.

  Aiden: Stay there.

  I drove like a maniac but arrived shortly after. I ran up the four flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator, because it seemed quicker. I looked all around the floor for her but couldn’t see her. I frowned, hoping she wouldn’t have left. I decided to check the reference section before calling her, because her head was probably buried in some book.

  I overheard some sorority girls talking but ignored them until I heard them say my name. What they said made my blood boil.

  “Seriously, she’s Aiden’s latest fuck buddy? How did she do it? She must be kinky as hell in bed for him to be interested in her this long.”

  “I know, right? She’s like a foot shorter than him, and she’s not even cute.”

  “She’s exotic-looking. But still, I don’t think she’s worth Aiden’s time.”

  “He was with me all last night, so it’s not like he’s completely faithful to her.”

  I was about to speak up, but then Jenna appeared from behind the bookshelf, unaware I was right there.

  “Listen, ladies. As much as I love to hear you gossiping about my life, let alone Aiden’s, you’re just embarrassing yourself. If you paid attention at all, you would know Aiden was at the bar last night. Until past midnight. Then he left with me. So you can continue talking shit about
people you don’t really know and humiliate yourself, or you can mind your own damn business.”

  The girls looked embarrassed as hell and paled. They muttered some aimless apology before running away from my girl. She sure knew how to take care of business.

  “Hey, tiger.”

  She whipped around to look at me, and a smile broke out on her face. Her smile reached her eyes and made my heart beat faster. “Aiden! Hi.”

  A blush reddened her face, probably remembering our kiss from this morning. I was thinking about it, too, as I ran my thumb over her bottom lip. “I have huge news, and I want to thank you for it.”

  “What is it?” she asked breathlessly.

  “I talked to my dad. Told him everything. I’m not going to be a lawyer, ever. I even said if he cut off my tuition payments or threatened to remove me from the presidency at Sigma, I would just get a job and fight him.”

  She threw her arms around me and hugged me. Jenna gave the best hugs in the world. If you were on the receiving end once, then you felt like the luckiest person alive. She didn’t even ask how he took it because she didn’t care. She just wanted me to stand up for myself.

  “So if I told you he cut me off financially and I was poor, would it affect us?”

  Her eyes widened, all serious. “Are you kidding me right now? Hell no. Wouldn’t be an issue.”

  “Good. I was just testing you. My dad actually accepted it, and I think our relationship will only get better.”

  “I am so goddamn happy for you.” She beamed at me.

  “Now I have an important question to ask you.” I grinned.

  “Okay, what?” She nervously bit her lip while waiting.

  I ran my tongue over my teeth in a gesture of confidence even though I was terrified of her saying no. “Will you go out to dinner with me tonight?”

  “Like grab pizza or something?”

  “No, like a date.”

  “A date?” Her gaze narrowed.

  “Me and you. On a real date.”

  She eyed me for a second before her smile broke out again. “Yes.”

  I grabbed her in my arms and swung her around, kissing her quickly. “You won’t regret this. I’ll be at your place at six.”