Letting Go

Seconds passed in silence. I watched Aiden's features harden, his jaw clench, and his forearms expose veins because of tightening muscles. I wasn't breathing. I couldn't. I had never told anyone about what had happened except for my therapist and Emily… and Dad, but that was a different story. I had never told Bastian, even though I had known him forever. But I chose to tell Aiden, and now I could only pray that it wasn't a mistake…

"Say something," I murmured, my voice trembling.

"When did it happen?" he finally bit out.

I swallowed. "A little over four years ago."

"Did they catch him?" he strained through his teeth, his hands fisting into balls.

I sucked in a shaky breath. "It… It was complicated."

He spent a few heartbeats studying me, then let out a ragged breath. "You knew him, didn't you?"

My chin dropped, then lifted on its own in an automatic nod. "He and Jackson used to be friends… or so I thought then."

"Christ…" He dragged his fingers through his hair, his throat wor