Haunt [Aidan Hunter series book 2] [RE-WRITING]

Chapter 11

That afternoon at the HQ, I sensed everyone's eyes on me. At first, my mind racing with everything that had happened, I didn't notice. But then I spotted officers half-grinning at me while muttering to each other. Some female officers who used to take a shot at me now gave awkward glances and mumbled to their friends.

I stopped Parker on her way past. "Do I look ridiculous or something for everyone to stare at me like that?" I asked.

She glanced at everyone, now focused firmly on their tasks to the point of ignoring us, and rolled her eyes. "It's what I told you the other day. Everyone knows about you and Aidan."

"Great."

"Yeah." She pressed her lips together. "They find it weird."

"That I'm with him?"

"No, that Aidan's with you."

I gave her a deadpan stare. "Is that supposed to make a difference?"

"Nobody expected him to be the uh, relationship kind," she added. "And nobody expected you guys to be, y'know, gay. Especially you." She flushed. "You know, with your reputation with the ladies."

"Seriously? All this nonsense is because I like men?"

"Well, that and most people are pretty weirded out by Aidan now. Some of them don't like the fact you're with him."

"Excuse me?" Aidan said from nearby. We turned to see him eyeing Parker as though she'd uttered something blasphemous. "Couldn't help but eavesdrop. Well, actually, I could, but then I heard you were talking about me. Just because I'm a workaholic doesn't make me a damn machine. And our relationship is none of their goddamn business."

"Hey, I ain't saying anything." Parker raised a hand out and dropped it. "Don't pay attention to them. Seriously. People'll talk whatever you do, so might as well carry on doing whatever you want. Besides, do their opinions even matter more than each other?"

"Fair enough, I guess," I said.

Ignoring the lingering gazes, I went to my desk and leaned against it, folding my arms. A lot was happening all at once. To top it all, the absolute stupidity and shallow-mindedness in the HQ, judging us because we were one way. As though somehow that made us less human. Are you shitting me?

I needed a moment to collect my thoughts because a huge part of me wanted to give those people a piece of my mind. Then again, they weren't worth it. Exhaling a long breath, I pinched my eyes.

"You okay?" asked Aidan.

I opened my eyes to look at him. "Define okay."

"I don't know. Aside from the discomfort of everyone staring at us."

"I'm fine." I noticed a black box in his hand. "The hell is that?"

"Peace offering." He placed it on my desk and pushed it towards me.

I raised a brow. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. That, and... it's August 25th."

"Didn't realize it. Didn't think you'd remember." I smiled briefly. Out the corner of my eye, the other officers glanced at us and murmured amongst themselves, the way children might when faced with an oddity. Aidan looked oblivious, except for the tightness around his lips, and the hardness in his eyes that only softened when he looked at me. "Look, we need to talk about Charlie. You need to stop rubbing him up the wrong way."

A single eyebrow rose. "So now it's my fault?"

"You're baiting him."

"He's impetuous."