Dealing with the Past by Toni Griffin Read Free Book Online Page A

I'll deal with my father. I'll see you tomorrow." Jackson paused before taking a deep breath and continuing, "Thanks for giving me this chance to prove to you I'm not a complete and total waste of space."
    "You may be an asshole, Jackson, and I may not like you very much but I've never once thought you were a waste of space, even after all these years." Aiden hung up, not wanting to say or hear anymore. He put the appointment in the computer before going to talk to his boss to make sure he could leave early tomorrow.
    Less than a minute later, he was knocking on the open door to his boss's office. Noah Michaels looked up from the paperwork he was going over on his desk and smiled widely at Aiden.
    "Aiden, come in and have a seat." Noah sat up straight and gestured to the chairs opposite him. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
    Aiden blushed a little as this would be the second time he'd asked for time off for the same reason. "I just wanted to ask if it was okay if I took off an hour early tomorrow. I have an appointment to see about raising Brendan."
    "Really?" Noah asked as he raised a brow. "I must say I'm a little shocked. The way I heard your last appointment went, I didn't think you'd be going back there again."
    Aiden could feel the heat rise in his cheeks at the thought of his boss knowing what he had done. He should have realised Noah would find out, after all the man was living with Jackson's brother, Jayden.
    "God knows when I first met Jackson, I came awful close to snotting the man a time or two myself," Noah said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
    Aiden wanted to die. This was not how he thought this conversation would be going.
    "Don't worry about making up the time. I know you have a pile of time in lieu up your sleeve. Go do what you need to do," Noah said.
    "Thank you, Noah," he said as he stood up. He headed for the door but stopped when Noah started talking.
    "Don't mention it. I know exactly how important it is to see our loved ones one last time." Noah paused before he continued, "I have no idea what's happened between you and Jackson in the past, and I'm not going to pry either, but for all his faults, over the last few months, Jackson has become someone I actually have time for now. I care about him. He's a good man, Aiden, with a big heart. He's just never had someone love him enough to lay claim to him and look beyond all his past misdeeds."
    Aiden had no idea what the hell Noah meant by that last comment and was sure the confusion must have showed on his face.
    "Just think about it," Noah said.
    "I will. Thanks again for understanding." Aiden left his boss's office and headed back to his own. He had just over twenty-four hours until he was going to see Jackson again and he honestly didn't know if he was happy about that or not. Not to mention, Noah's cryptic words flowed around Aiden's mind as he settled at his desk and got back to work. What did his boss mean?
     
    * * * *
     
    At five to four the following day, Aiden stepped out of the elevators and took a deep breath before facing the double glass doors leading into the Thompson Agency. Opening the door, he walked inside and stopped in front of the receptionist's desk.
    The older looking woman quickly glanced at him before her eyes went back to the computer screen she was typing away at. Aiden nearly laughed when recognition hit. The woman's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she turned back to him and stood.
    "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she said as she motioned back the way Aiden had just come.
    Not likely . It had taken just about all the willpower in his possession to come back here and meet with Jackson. Aiden wasn't about to turn around and leave now. He needed to make peace.
    "No," he said calmly.
    The woman looked taken aback, like she hadn't thought Aiden would argue with her. She pursed her lips and picked up the phone.
    "It's all right, Frannie, I've asked Mr Montgomery here to finalise our meeting