It didn't bother Aaron that he found Cadence's door locked about an hour later when he returned to her apartment; there weren't too many locked doors he couldn't find his way through, and that included Cadence's.
As he entered her bedroom, he could tell by her breathing that she wasn't asleep, although her steady breaths indicated she had been in bed for a while. He had changed into something more comfortable, though it wasn't the boxers he usually slept in, when he slept, which wasn't often. He did his best not to jostle her as he slid in bed beside her, leaving adequate room so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.
She opened her eyes and managed a meager smile before they fluttered closed again.
"I'd ask if I woke you, but I guess, if that were possible, I wouldn't be here," he said, just above a whisper.
"I'm still awake," she yawned. "Hopefully not for long, or I'm going to look like a manipulative bitch."
He laughed, quietly. "I have no doubt this was your last resort." She didn't respond, so he took that as an affirmative. "We definitely need you well rested, though, if we're going through with this."
"It's definitely tempting," she said without opening her eyes.
He studied her face for a moment. The more tired she became, the more serene her expression, the more angelic she appeared. She had one hand under the pillow, the other resting on top, her long brown tresses strewn out behind her across the pillow. "I agree," he finally replied. "I just hope I make the right decision."
"We," she said quietly.
"What's that?" he asked, not sure he heard her correctly.
"We--make the right decision. This is a team effort. If something goes wrong, all four of us are to blame, not just you," she explained, opening her eyes to look at him, but not lifting her head.
He considered her statement but dismissed it pretty quickly. "Ultimately, it's my responsibility," he replied.
She sighed and readjusted her pillow. "I know you feel that way, but it isn't true. None of us feel that way--well, maybe Eliza. But Elliott and I certainly don't. We're all in this together."
As much as he wished her statement were accurate, he knew that if something went wrong, it would be his burden to bear. He didn't bother to argue with her about it, however, not when she was so tired and he was there to help her sleep. She seemed a bit more awake now, however, so he quickly mentioned, "Cale is open to the helicopter idea."
"You talked to him?" she asked, perking up a bit more.
Pushing the sting of her reaction away, he said, "I ran it by him a little while ago. He'll make sure their outfitted properly and ready to go."
She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't talk to him about anything else did you?"
He laughed. "The topic of our sleeping arrangement didn't present itself. But, actually, he did ask me to--if I don't mind--refrain from kissing you again so long as the two of you are dating."
She blushed. It was apparent, even in the dim light. "And what did you say to that?" she asked, a bit of sleepiness returning in her voice.
"I said it was a valid request, and left it at that," he admitted.
Cadence shook her head slowly. "Boys..." she mumbled.
"Are you going to tell him about this?" he asked leaning just a bit closer to her. Her eyes were closed again now, and he couldn't help but study her exquisite lips.
Her eyes flew back open. "I don't know," she admitted. "What do you think?" Before he even had a chance to respond, she answered her own question. "I think I should. Surely, he'll understand, don't you think?"
Aaron realized she must have moved a little closer herself with that pillow adjustment. There wasn't so much space between them now after all. "I'm not sure..." he replied, knowing it probably wouldn't go well.
"He's such a good guy," she gushed. "I think he'll be fine with it, once I explain. You'd understand, wouldn't you?"
"Uh..." he wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. "I don't think it matters what I would say. Like you said, Cale's a good guy and I'm... me, so it really doesn't matter."
"Shut up," she mumbled, eyes closed again. "You're a good guy, too. Sometimes." She opened one eye and grinned at him, almost a wink, and then closed it.
Aaron studied her for a few moments. She absolutely deserved a man like Cale, a "good guy," someone who would realize exactly what he had in her. He slowly reached over and gently brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. She let out a soft moan but didn't open her eyes. "Cadence," he said quietly. She hummed an acknowledgement, so he continued. "Whatever you decide to tell Cale about me sleeping in your bed, I definitely don't think you should tell him about this." Closing the space between them, he placed his hand on the side of her face and lightly brushed his lips against hers, waiting to see how she would respond. He was a bit surprised when she returned the kiss, and then opened her mouth, encouraging him to continue to kiss her. He knew he needed to let her go to sleep, so after a moment, he released her, softly caressing her cheek. She moved toward him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her next to his body. She lifted her chin and he kissed her one more time before she nuzzled her head into his chest, falling fast asleep.
As he held her in his arms, he was absolutely certain that he wanted her back, that he needed her back. But before that could happen, he needed to make sure he was the kind of man that Cadence deserved. Cradling her in his embrace, he found himself drifting off to sleep as well, something he hadn't done in almost six months.
