Free Defining Love: Volume 3 (Defining Love #3) by Elizabeth Reyes Page A

enough to go out.
    On Wednesday, I’d talked to Bea, who was still apologetic about
the past Friday. Given everything that had happened since then, I refused to
let her apologize further for “jumping to unfounded conclusions.” She
also hadn’t mentioned anything about Aaron and Mia’s break up, and I could only
conclude she still didn’t know, though I dared not mention it.
    But Thursday was another story. The moment I got in her car when
she picked me up, I could feel the difference in her chilly reception. We drove
in silence for a little bit as I began to wonder how long I could do this .
Evidently something had happened between Wednesday and Thursday. If I had to
guess, Bea now knew about the breakup, and judging by her icy demeanor, clearly
she blamed me.
    I actually had begun to feel resentful. Sure, Aaron admitted to
having feelings for me, but their breakup wasn’t my fault. I didn’t even
have any intention of letting him in on what I’d begun to feel for him.
    “Did something happen between you and Aaron this weekend?” she
said, finally breaking the silence.
    “No,” I replied immediately ready to stand my ground.
    “I mean they’re broken up now. It wouldn’t matter if something
did. You can just admit it if something happened.”
    “Nothing happened,” I started to say. “We talked; that’s all. But
I would never—”
    “He told Mia he’s in love with you.”
    I stared at her, staggered and speechless. She glanced at me for
a moment then back at the road. I still had no words.
    “She did say she’d prodded and accused him of it and he sort of
denied it at first.” Bea lifted and dropped a shoulder. “When he and I talked
Saturday morning and I told him about going over to your place and that I’d
told you what Mia thought, he’d been pissed. He said he was a grown ass man. He
didn’t get infatuated . Mia said it wasn’t until their argument got
pretty loud and ugly and she continued to accuse of him of being in love with
you that he finally admitted he was. I told her maybe he is just infatuated
like she first thought but feels stupid about admitting it. Love just seems so
profound, you know? He hasn’t known you long enough.” We came to a stop and she
turned to me. “He is a grown ass man, and he’s been with Mia long enough
to know the difference, Henri. Besides, your worlds are too different for it to
ever work, and you’re so much younger than he is too. He’s gotta know that.
Mia’s hoping this is his version of an early midlife crisis.” She lifted a brow
with an almost pleading expression. “So am I.”
    Up until that moment, I’d planned on coming in on Friday since I
wasn’t going to the party with Edi after all. Edi’s “I wouldn’t do that to you”
comment had kept me from being too detailed when Aaron texted me yesterday to
ask how my conversation with her had gone. I planned on being good and not give
into the temptation to call him or even text him. But I didn’t think I could
wait until Sunday to finally see him again. Now I wasn’t sure if I should come
back at all.
     

 
     
     
    Chapter 16
    Aaron
    Are you home?
    I sat up straight in my chair when I read the text from
Henrietta. This was the first I’d heard from her since Wednesday morning when I
texted her to ask how things had gone with Edi. She’d been vague, saying not
too good and she’d tell me about it later. Bea was supposed to pick her up
today, but when I got here, the disappointment that she wasn’t here was brutal.
Waiting until Sunday to have to see her had already been torture, especially
because she hadn’t responded to any of my texts since Wednesdays.
    Bea said Henrietta had texted her this morning to let her know
she didn’t need to pick her up because she wasn’t going to make it in today.
She wasn’t feeling well. Of course, I immediately texted her to see if
everything was okay, but again she hadn’t responded. I tried again later in the
day and nothing.
    It was