Is a gift of love enough to open Aiden’s heart and let Tris back in?<br><br>After the car accident that killed his parents and left his sister paralyzed, Tris is left with nothing. His family is destroyed. His reputation is shot. And all he has is the guilt of knowing it was all his fault. People in town know he’d been drinking that night, and know he should never have gotten behind the wheel. And even Aiden, the man he thought he’d be with forever, blames him too much to stay.<br><br>But Tris can’t let him just disappear. After months of loneliness and isolation, Tris brings Aiden a gift on his birthday, a hawk he’s carved from a chunk of wood they’d found in the forest during an afternoon of love. A small chink seems to open in Aiden’s heart, the first sign of forgiveness. With renewed hope, Tris takes a job renovating one of the older homes in town and tries to rebuild his life. But the townspeople have long memories, and when his sister’s condition worsens, forgiveness -- and Aiden -- seem to slip even further out of reach ...

Without Aiden

“What the hell, Tris. You’re drunk. Again. I’m so tired of this shit. Call me when you mature.”


Tris had stared as his boyfriend stormed away from him. “Aiden?” he’d called. Shoulders hunched, Aiden had continued across the room. Tris had looked at the glass cradled in his hand. He’d had a few drinks, sure. It was a party, wasn’t it? But he hadn’t been able to get Aiden’s angry, disappointed face out of his thoughts, and he’d watched, numb, as a single tear dripped off his chin and landed in his beer.


Tris woke up suddenly. Had Candice called him? He blinked the sleep from his eyes and checked the clock. A little past midnight.


Chapter 18