Cabin Fever | ✓

(45) Referencing The Wizard of Oz When Ordering A One Night Stand Off Your Porch

Last night, Aiden explained everything to Marley like he promised he would.

That Eli's mother had been his father's secretary at the time of the affair, which lasted a couple months. When she got pregnant, he had to fire her, but gave her a good recommendation to find another receptionist job somewhere else.

Eli and his mother moved to a small town in Nevada to start over, where she met his now 'step-father'. They've been together for about seven years now, and Dallas has been Eli's little sister figure ever since. His father has been sending child support cheque's until Eli turns 18, to Eli's mother.

Aiden and Eli found out about each other when Aiden was eight and Eli was ten, when Aiden's mother found out about the affair. She wanted to meet the 'other woman' and her son, so his father flew them down and the boys met. Surprisingly, no fight broke out between the adults but nobody wanted to reconnect again.

Aiden had always known about Eli, and his general whereabouts but when he and his mother flew back to California when his grandmother was sick, they ended up seeing each other at a party four months ago. Said party where Dallas was introduced and that story obviously didn't end well.

When Eli found out that Aiden had been...well, Dallas' first time, and then told her he wasn't interested in anything else but goodbye, he drove to Aiden's house and they brawled on the front lawn. Dallas split them up and they hadn't seen each other since.

Aiden told her he assumes that Eli knew he was here because he keeps in touch with some of their father's relatives.

Marley doesn't hold it against him for not telling her. He said he would have in the future but it's not something he's exactly proud of doing. It was consensual and Aiden promised her that he didn't know Dallas hadn't been with anyone else until it was too late.

Which, Marley didn't ask him to elaborate any further on that.

Ian already knew everything so at the simple names he was pinching the bridge of his nose before dropping his hand, "Why would he make the trip all the way from Nevada?"

As soon as school ended for the day Marley and Aiden took an Uber to Ian's hotel to meet with him. So that they could spend time together before driving to the rink to meet with the rest of camp - which was rented out specifically for the 190 students going.

They were sitting in the restaurant by the lobby, Aiden's left arm over Marley's chair as she tackled her club sandwich across from Ian, who had ordered tortellini and was already halfway done.

Aiden had an avocado salmon salad in front of him, but he was shifting it around with his fork and eating it slowly. Marley already knew the answer to Ian's question.

"Supposedly Eli's been trying to contact our father for the last month or so. He's dodging so Eli thinks I can somehow help him with that."

Ian popped some more pasta in his mouth and spoke through his mouthful, "Did you tell him that the last time you spoke to our dad he left on a stretcher?"

Marley bit down on her sandwich to hide her smile while Aiden shrugged, "I told him our father's an asshole and he's better off. Eli said he wants to decide for himself. He wants to meet you too but I shut him down. He doesn't know you're here and we're keeping it that way."

Marley frowned, her chewing slowing as she watched Ian drop his fork and narrow his eyes at his brother.

"Like its Eli's decision to contact Dad it's mine to contact him. He's my brother, too."

She dropped her sandwich and took a sip of her chocolate milk, "He's right, Aiden."

He didn't spare her a glance, continuing to stare down his brother blankly, "He dropped out of high school in junior year and has been hopping jobs ever since doing god knows what else. He nearly ran us over driving into camp and was a dick and a half every second of my time with him. I would've told Marley the truth myself in the future, but I would never have introduced them if he hadn't blasted in unannounced. When you're eighteen, you can do what you want, but until then it's my responsibility to keep you out of his life."