Chapter 38
George shrugged. “Recent.” He grinned into his tea. “Very recent.”
She hummed and turned back to the skillet. “About time.”
I rolled my eyes and crossed to the small breakfast table near the window. I flipped my laptop open, pretending to work, but my ears were still tuned in to their conversation. But they just talked about casual things, what to make for dinner, how nice the weather was… nothing juicy.
Just as I opened my laptop, I heard the woman scrape something onto a plate. Her tone was warm as she called out, “Jane, cariño, you want some chilaquiles? Aaron didn’t finish his. I hate wasting good food, and you look like you’d appreciate a proper breakfast.”
She didn’t wait for me to answer. She turned, holding out a plate with one hand, and a spatula in the other. “My, he seemed so anxious when he came down. Barely ate anything.” The woman dropped the plate beside my computer, but she didn’t leave yet. “Lover’s quarrel?”
I almost choked on my own saliva. Maybe I should have cleared things up after all. “N–n–no…” I stuttered. I was about to ask her name, but she‘ d already flitted back to the stove to resume her cooking.
George wheeled over beside me, and as if he’d caught the confused look on my face, he said, “That’s Polin. She drops by now and then.”
I nodded slowly. Aaron probably needed someone to take care of his grandpa when he couldn’t.
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“What are you working on?” George asked, peering at the laptop.
“Just catching up on some reports and Emails. Mostly pretending to be productive.”
He chuckled and tapped his fingers on the table. “Want help pretending?”
I smiled despite myself. Maybe George could be of help after all. “Only if your pretending includes answering a few questions.
“Interrogation before breakfast. You sure you’re not a Fox like Polin?”
That would have made what I was about to do so much easier. But my wolf was awfully loyal… It felt like a betrayal. I took a deep breath. “I wanted to ask about Aaron. And… his ex–wife.”
The humor drained from his face. He stared at me for a long moment before sighing. “That’s a complicated story.”
“I need to know.”
George looked up at me. I could see the struggle in his wise eyes, but he finally spoke. “They were young when they got together. Too young. But they were good together. Partners in every sense. She made him a better person, challenged him. He loved her deeply.”
It hurt a bit knowing Aaron had loved someone that deeply. But I needed to know more. “What happened?”
“She was very selfish. Left him when he needed her the most. And he never truly forgave her… or himself.”
The food in front of me was long forgotten at this point, my appetite had completely disappeared. So that was the wound Aaron carried
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under that smile. My heart broke for him. I knew what it felt like to choose someone constantly and they turn around and twist a knife on your heart.
“It makes sense now. Why he’s so careful. Why he doesn’t let people in easily.”
George nodded. “He’s been through so much. But he’s still got a good heart.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. That wasn’t the whole story. I could tell by how shifty George was acting. “What exactly did she do?”
He pressed his mouth into a thin line. “I can’t say anything more than that.”
That did nothing to quiet the alarm bells going off in my head. “Look, I have so many questions. I just want to understand him better,” I tried again.
But George didn’t budge. “You’ll know when he tells you, and not a moment before.”
I wanted to protest, to argue that I deserved to know now, but I also knew he was right. Still, it didn’t stop the discomfort that arose in my
chest.
Polin approached, setting down another plate in front of me. “You need to eat, chica. You’re too thin.”
I stared down at the two plates of chilaquiles in front of me, wondering how I’d finish it. But I managed a smile for Poloin’s benefit. “Thanks. It smells really good.”
She gave me a wink and went back to the stove.
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“I’m not saying this to scare you.” George began, turning my attention back to him. “But if you’re not planning to stay in Aaron’s life for the long haul… it might be better to let him go now: ”
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