He didn’t expect the next step toward real equilibrium to come from Aiden.It happened in the staff gym of all places, where Noah had taken to hiding at odd hours to beat on a treadmill instead of doom-scrolling his own bad decisions.He was mid-run, earbuds in, when a familiar presence edged his peripheral vision.Aiden, in a dark tank top and joggers, towel around his neck, moved to the free weights. He caught Noah’s eye and nodded once.Noah debated pretending he hadn’t seen.Mature, he told himself. Grow up.He hit the stop button on the treadmill and pulled his earbuds out.“Hey,” he said, grabbing his water bottle.“Hey,” Aiden replied. He was slightly breathless, sweat darkening the neckline of his shirt. The surgery scar along his side tugged faintly when he moved, but his grip on the weights was steady.“Physio cleared you for this?” Noah asked, nodding at the barbell.“More or less,” Aiden said. “Lyra threatened to sedate me if I overdid it.”“Reasonable,” Noah said.Silence
Last Updated : 2026-04-28 Read more