Under Different Circumstances

Chapter 40

Aidan stood behind the door, wearing a police academy sweatshirt and a big smile.

"Hey, Aidan!" I greeted him, mirroring his smile and got onto my tiptoes to give him a hug. "I'm glad you made it."

"Yeah, no problem," he said, still smiling brightly. "How are you doing? I've missed you at the academy this week!"

Jay walked up behind me. "Hey!" he said before I could answer and reached out his hand to shake Aidan's.

"Aidan, this is my boyfriend Jay, and Jay, this is Aidan," I introduced them to each other as they shook hands.

Both of them were big men, but Aidan was roughly half a head taller than Jay and also a little broader.

"Good to meet you," Jay said in a friendly tone.

"Yeah, you too," Aidan agreed and looked Jay up and down.

Jay noticed Aidan scrutinising him. "I know it doesn't look that way, but I really did get shot," he smirked and let his hand hover over the injury on his side, hidden by his shirt. "I didn't steal Hailey away from the academy for no reason."

"Oh no, yeah. Of course, I wasn't... I'm glad that you seem to be doing well," Aidan stuttered, and the confident smile on his face wavered slightly.

I shot a quick, disapproving glance at Jay.

"Thanks, man. Would you like to come in?" Jay asked, easing the subtle tinge of awkwardness that had emerged and took a step back from the door.

"That's alright," Aidan tried to decline politely. "I just wanted to quickly drop off the worksheets and things."

"Nonsense. Of course you're coming in for a bit," I objected and grabbed Aidan's arm to pull him into the apartment. "You have to tell me about what happened while I was gone."

Aidan let me lead him to the kitchen island and sat down when I pulled a stool out for him. I took a seat at the adjacent side of the island.

"Can I get you a beer?" Jay asked Aidan and opened the fridge.

"Sure, thanks."

Jay got out two beers and placed them in front of Aidan and me, then stood next to me and put his hand on my waist.

"His liver needs a break," I said, explaining why Jay hadn't brought a beer for himself.

"Because it was hit by a bullet, not because I drink too much," Jay clarified with a chuckle.

"Yeah, sorry. That's what I meant," I laughed, and Aidan let out an amused puff of air as well.

"It's really nice of you to bring Hailey the lesson material she missed," Jay addressed Aidan who set his bottle back down after taking a swig from it.

"Yeah, of course. We don't want Hailey to fall behind," Aidan responded and smiled at me. "She's being missed dearly by everyone at the academy! Everyone's asking when you'll be back, and there are a few theories going around about what exactly happened and why you're gone. Especially after you ran out on Tuesday."

"Oh," I breathed and shifted on my stool. "I still don't know why the Lieutenant told everyone," I wondered with a disapproving frown.

"The way I understood it, he was impressed by what he'd been told and took you as a good example for a courageous and dutiful future CPD officer who," Aidan made quotation marks in the air with his fingers, "used her knowledge, training, and sharp wit to save a fellow officer's life."