On the Fence

Chapter 46

The following morning, I awoke in Aiden's arms as the sunshine streamed through the window onto the vast bed we were snuggled down into the center of. I turned toward Aiden, stretching, and he murmured and then sighed. I admired him secretly until he opened his eyes, his laser eyes seeing into my soul, even first thing in the morning. A half smile pulled at his mouth, and he closed his eyes again, relaxing.

I leaned in and kissed him slowly, making him murmur again, opening his eyes to look at me sleepily. I ran my hands over him again, still reveling in the fact that I was with him and he was safe. A couple of gasps later, he rolled over on top of me to elicit some gasps from me, building up our love-making, until I was moaning for him again.

We lazily wandered out of the bedroom, hand in hand, in search of some coffee and breakfast, only to pull up short on top of the stairs at the sight before us. There on the living room couch slept Tyler; his arm slung over the sleeping form of Andrea. Aiden and I exchanged glances and quietly snuck down the stairs, past them, and into the kitchen.

Quietly, Aiden pulled down the coffee canister and started a whole pot, pulling me close to his side. We started cooking some bacon, breaking eggs into a large bowl.

Aiden and I moved around one another, working together in silence, but it was like neither of us could bear any separation from one another. We were constantly touching, even if it was simply brushing our arms as we stood next to one another.

A small noise from the living room drew my attention, and I stilled Aiden with a hand on his forearm. I snuck through the kitchen and dining room, over to the dining room doorway, and discreetly peeked into the living room. Tyler was awake on the couch but not moving, and Andrea was still sleeping peacefully against him. The way he was looking at her both warmed and broke my heart simultaneously. He was in love with her. It was written all over his face as he gazed down at her with adoration and longing.

I was about to back away when Andrea stirred, a slight noise escaping her, her eyes fluttering for a moment before they opened to look around her. It was like she recognized where she was, but her eyes stopped on Tyler's arm and followed it up until she found him. The way they looked at each other had even my lips parting.

She ran her hand up his arm and around his neck, pulling him close for a hug as his arms hugged her to him again. I now understood the embrace they had been in. They had been hugging just like this and had fallen asleep that way, settling some in the night.

Andrea's back was to me, her face in the crook of Tyler's neck as they embraced. Tyler leaned his head on hers in a comforting way, but his eyes stared in the distance, a look of both pain but restraint, perhaps? His eyes focused and darted up to me; he had felt me looking at them. I felt embarrassed for spying and blushed with a look of apology on my face for him.

I almost backed away, but Tyler's dark, heartbroken look held me in place. I knew how he felt about her, and her closeness was killing him, but still, nothing in the world would get him to give it up, even a slow death of the heart. I reflected the pain I felt for his situation back to him and nodded to let him know that I understood what he was going through.

A tiny little sob drew both of our attention back to Andrea, and Tyler held her closer to him, comforting her. I was confused at that moment. Had she thought Aiden had died too? I backed away, my brows furrowed, trying to sort out what might have upset her. Anyone who had been in the arena the whole time wouldn't have had the same fear I had. It made no sense.

"What's the matter?" Aiden whispered, drawing the pad of his thumb across the 'V' between my brows.

"Andrea is upset about something, but I don't understand. Did she think it was you too?" I whispered back, reaching for him. Just those words pained my heart, and I needed to feel his skin. Aiden shook his head.