Room For One More

"Everything okay?" Matt asked, propped against the pillows, and watched her as she came back into the room.

"Yeah. I think I should head home though. She's worried about her son, and I told her I'd call her back," she replied with a small nod, grabbing her clutch from the floor.

"Her son... is that the one living with you?" His brow lifted as he leaned a little further onto one elbow.

"Yeah, Aiden. He's going to college out here, so it just worked out," she answered as she did the strap of her heel, not wanting to look directly at him.

"That's kind of a big thing to take on, isn't it? Letting someone's son move in?"

"It's temporary, and he's a good kid. Easy enough to live with." She straightened, checking her dress to make sure she'd tied it back in place properly and that nothing was showing that shouldn't.

"You're a better friend than most. I don't think I could do that." He gave a faint shake of his head, watching her closely.

"Well, Lisa's done a lot for me over the years. It was the least I could do in return," she said, having made her way over to grab her other heel.

"Well, she's lucky to have you. Sounds like he is too."

Natalie paused, fastening the strap carefully before glancing back at him. "It's not really like that. It's just... life. People help each other out."

"Still," Matt said with a small shrug, "doesn't change the fact that you're the one who sounds like you let a near stranger move in with her to help him and a friend out."

"You make it sound like more than it is," she said, trying to downplay the situation and running a hand through her hair to tame it. "Trust me, it's not. It's just conflicting schedules and a crowded apartment."

"Well, if she's calling this late, it must matter to her. You should call her back."

Natalie gripped her phone and adjusted her clutch under her arm. She caught the way he was looking at her with an air of what could've been understanding, and for a moment it caused a wave of guilt to wash through her.

Matt swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Let me walk you out."

"You don't have to," she said quickly, tucking her phone into her clutch. "I'm parked just outside. You don't need to get dressed for that."

He stood anyway, unconcerned about his nudity as he followed her through the room. "That's not the point. I'd feel better if I at least walked you to the door."

Natalie gave a small smile, shaking her head as she wiggled her feet in her heels, trying to get them into a comfortable spot. "You're too sweet."

"Well, I'm not going to argue a compliment," he smirked, reaching to squeeze her hand as she passed him in the doorway.

She let him weave his fingers into hers for the short walk down the hall and toward the front of the house. At the door, she stopped, turning back to face him.

"Really," she said softly, "thank you for tonight."

Matt's expression eased, his other hand coming up to brush a thumb over her cheek. "You sure you're all right?"

"Yeah," she whispered, forcing another smile.

He kissed her gently, not drawing it out, then pulled the door open for her. The cool night air rushed in, brushing across her legs before she even stepped outside.

Her heels bit into the gravel as she crossed to her car. She glanced back once to find him still standing nude in the doorway, watching her go without an ounce of self-consciousness. She gave him a small wave before lowering herself into the driver's seat.

The door stayed cracked open at her side with one leg hanging out. Having retrieved her phone from, she set the clutch in her lap, and sat like that for a moment, staring at the steering wheel. With a deep sigh, she tapped Lisa's name.

The phone barely rang before she picked up.

"Hey," Lisa's voice came through, sounding worried. "Sorry again to bug you. I just... I can always tell when something's going on."

"No, I get it," Natalie said, leaning back into the seat. Her head rested against the cushion, closing her eyes for a second. "He's good, I promise. I think he's just in his head a little. Probably midterms, and I'm sure living outside the dorms is still weird. It's the first time he's away from most of the friends he's made. And I'd think he's probably missing home, too."

"I don't know," Lisa sighed. "He said everything was fine, but I could hear it. He doesn't always talk, but he's never been good at hiding things from me."

"He's been great, honestly," Natalie said, keeping her voice even. "The only thing I've noticed is that he's been a little quieter than usual the last few days. But we've both had a lot going on."

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Lisa said after a pause. "I don't know anyone else I'd trust with him like this."

Her grip on the wheel grew tighter as she thumped at it, thinking to herself,You shouldn't trust me at all.

"I'll keep an eye on him," she managed, trying to stay as calm sounding as she could.

"Thank you," Lisa murmured. "I think that's all I needed to hear."

Natalie nodded, even though Lisa couldn't see it. "I'll call you if anything comes up."

"Okay. Get some rest. I'm sorry again for bothering you."

"You're never bothering me."

Ending the call, she sat in the car in silence, collecting herself. Natalie dropped the phone into her lap, staring straight ahead at the dim glow of the streetlamps in Matt's neighborhood. Her butt still stung where his hands came down on it. When she'd cum, she wasn't even sure she could say it was from him.

She leaned back in the seat, taking a second to gather her thoughts. Matt had been good to her throughout dinner. The way he listened to her, and even the way he looked at her, seemingly should've been enough.

Natalie let out a sigh, resting her head against the headrest. She knew she needed to start the car, head home, and just crawl into bed, but why couldn't she just get moving? She rubbed at her temples as though she could make all of her recent thoughts go away. Taking a second to try to relax, she set her hands on the wheel once more. The sensation snapped her back, reminding her she was still sitting in his driveway, where he could be watching her from the window, seeing her have a mini breakdown.

With a flick of her hand, she tossed the phone onto the passenger seat, where it landed with a muted thud. Her clutch followed after it, also tossed aside without care. Natalie turned the key, and eased out of the driveway. The street opened ahead of her, with familiar turns carrying her back toward home.

Aiden sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. He'd scrolled past her name three times before finally pressing it. The ring seemed to go on forever before Lisa's voice answered, sounding a little surprised to see him calling.

"Hey, honey. How are you doing?"

"I'm good," he said quickly, lying back. "I just figured I hadn't talked to you for a few, so I thought I'd check in."

There was a pause, then a lift in her tone. "Well that's a nice surprise. What's up?"

"Nothing really. Just... how are you?"

"I'm good. Busy. The usual. How's it going out there? Everything going good living with Natalie these days?"

He hesitated, scratching lightly at his leg. "Fine. She's... she's been cool about everything. Why? Have you talked to her much lately?

"Here and there," Lisa said. "Something going on?"

"No. No reason," he replied, shifting nervously and tugging at the blanket that was bunched near his hip. "Just wondering if she's mentioned anything. You know... about me being around."

Lisa's voice changed a little, carrying an edge of uncertainty. "Not really. She said she was glad to have the company. Is there anything you're not telling me? Did something happen?"

"No," he said quickly, before trying to recover and start over. "I mean," he cleared his throat, "I don't think so. She hasn't said anything to me, and if she hasn't said anything to you, then I guess everything's still fine, right?"

"Aiden, are you sure you're okay?" she asked after listening to the silence for a few seconds.

"Yeah," he said through a forced chuckle. "Totally. I just wanted to hear your voice, that's it."

He could tell his mom wasn't convinced, but she didn't push it any further. "All right. Well, I'm glad you called. You know you can tell me if something's wrong, right?"

"Yeah. I know."

"Good," she said softly. "Then I'll let you go. We'll talk soon, okay?"

"Okay. Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, honey."

They hung up, and he set the phone on his chest, staring up at the ceiling. At least now he knew Natalie hadn't been so freaked out she'd run to tell his mom.Hopefully that's a good sign,he thought. He reached over to set his phone on the nightstand, lying in the silence.

Natalie turned her car into the parking lot and pulled into her space. She sat there watching the darkened stairwell, not particularly wanting to rush inside. Her eyes drifted upward, tracing the row of windows until she found the one that would be his bedroom. Based on the light coming through the blinds, it appeared he was still awake.

She couldn't help that it wasn't Matt on her mind, but the sound she'd heard from across the hall, and the image of Aiden on the couch that she couldn't shake even while she was in Matt's bed. The fact that he was awake now, between her room and the front door, made the walk to the apartment seem impossible. She wasn't ready to face him yet with all of that still in her head.

She reached for her phone in the passenger seat and slipped it into her clutch before placing it under her arm, gripping the strap in her fingers for something to hold onto. When she finally pushed the door open, she locked the car behind her and started toward the stairs.

She climbed them, dreading each step as she approached the front door. She couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't asleep already. At the top landing, she slipped out of her heels and hooked two fingers through the straps, holding them loosely at her side in the hopes of making as little noise as possible when she entered. The cool concrete under her bare feet helped to ground her as she crossed to the door.

The apartment was quiet when she unlocked it and slipped inside. Even though his bedroom light was on, the hum of the fridge was the only sound that greeted her.

Natalie closed the door gently behind her and paused in the entryway, giving her eyes a second to adjust. A faint line of light glowed at the base of Aiden's door, stretching out across the hall floor. She stared at it for a moment without realizing it, trying to evade her own thoughts. Gripping her keys tightly so they didn't jingle as she walked, she finally approached his door, sneaking past toward her own room.

Inside, she let the heels drop with a muted thud beside the dresser. The clutch followed, landing flat on the wood. She slipped out of her dress and sat at the edge of the bed, placing her elbows on her knees, her mind swirled around the idea that she just snuck into her own apartment, like some kid sneaking into her parents' house after curfew.

Across the hall, Aiden sat at his desk with an open textbook in front of him, idly spinning a pen in his hand. He'd been staring at the same page for half an hour, unable to focus on the blurring words every time his mind drifted back to the phone call, the couch, or especially to her. He leaned back, rubbing his eyes, and that's when he thought he heard the faint scrape of a key in the lock.

He lifted his head, and for a moment, he just listened. Maybe he heard the sound of the door closing, but it seemed too quiet to be Natalie. Silence. He pushed his chair back, half-ready to step into the hall if he could only figure out what to say once he got there.

But the follow-up never came. There was no hard click of her heels on the floor, and no sounds to indicate that she was crossing to her room. After several seconds of listening, he exhaled and shook his head. Must've been one of the neighbors coming home and making noise.

He pulled the book a little back in front of him and tried to study yet again, though he wasn't absorbing a word of it.

Natalie woke with a dull ache behind her eyes from too little sleep and too many thoughts running through her head. She could tell by the light coming through the blinds that it was later than she usually slept, but continued to lie there for a few minutes before finally getting out of bed.

The apartment was quiet, with no sounds of Aiden bustling around this morning. Getting up, she pulled her robe around her, walked into the kitchen, and slipped a pod into the machine, pressing the button. She leaned against the counter while it worked, feeling her head pound with more than just the lasting effects of the wine or the sex, but from everything that had gone on in her thoughts last night. Matt had kept her busy, but even at the height of it, her thoughts had strayed to places she had been resisting, and knew she shouldn't be thinking about.

She reached for her mug as the stream of coffee poured, the scent of it helping bring her thoughts into focus, when Aiden's door opened. He stepped out already dressed for the day, with his backpack slung over a shoulder, and phone in hand.

"Morning," he said carefully, like he wasn't sure she was going to acknowledge him.

"Morning," Natalie replied, giving him a small nod and stirring cream into her cup.

He hovered near the edge of the counter, testing how much she was willing to engage with him this morning, and nervously shifting his phone from one hand to the other. "Feels good out," he said, nodding toward the blinds. "Seems like we've got a break from the cold for a few days according to my weather app."

She glanced at the sliver of daylight sneaking through the closed blinds, but her eyes caught on him instead, and the way he filled out his stretched T-shirt. Every time she looked at him, it was like a reminder of everything she couldn't get out of her head. She cinched the robe tighter around her waist. "Yeah. I saw that too."

Aiden studied her for a second, then tilted his head. "You sleep all right?"

For whatever reason, the question caught her off guard, and she let out a quick snort, though she looked back down at her mug. "Not really. Too much on my mind, I suppose."

He nodded, understanding what she meant because he felt the same way. "Well, hope today takes it easy on you."

She forced a smile, grateful he wasn't pressing further. "Thanks. Have a good class."

Not knowing what else to say, he made his way to the front door. "See you later."

The door closed behind him, leaving Natalie with the apartment to herself. She wrapped both hands around the mug and took a sip, feeling it burn her tongue. At the same time, her phone buzzed, and she set the too-hot coffee on the counter.

Opening her phone, she saw a text from Matt.

Matt:Really wanna see you again soon.

She flipped it face down, not wanting to think about the night before. Her eyes drifted instead toward the door Aiden had just walked through.

Aiden adjusted the strap of his bag as his phone buzzed. His mom's contact filled the screen. He groaned for a second before answering.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hey, honey." Even though her tone was warm enough, he could already hear there was something under it. "How's your morning?"

"Fine, just heading to class," he replied, trying to keep it casual. "What's up?"

"Nothing urgent. I was just thinking... it's been too long since I've seen you." There was the slightest pause before she added, "I want to come up this weekend."

Aiden frowned, and his head dropped to stare at the ground as he walked. He could hear the tone in her voice, and considering what he now felt was a dumb choice to call her the night before, he knew she was worried about him now.

"You don't have to do that, Mom. I'm good."

"I know yousaythat," Lisa replied gently, "but after our call last night, I don't know. You didn't sound like yourself, and I'd just feel better seeing you."

He shifted the phone to his other ear and hooked his thumb under the strap of his backpack, hiking it up higher on his shoulder. "Mom, I'm fine, really. You don't need to make the trip just because I called you yesterday."

"Well, I want to," she said, sounding as if it were simply a friendly visit, but he knew his mom well enough to hear the finality of her concern. "We'll get some groceries, have a home-cooked meal, and just catch up. It doesn't have to be a big thing. I just wanna see my baby boy."

"All right, sure. That sounds nice," he replied, knowing she wasn't going to let it go. "But, I, uh- I've already got plans Friday night."

"Then I'll see you after or something. I'm not coming to mess up your weekend, honey. I just miss you."

His mouth pursed and twisted to one side, knowing that her missing him was also probably true, and her being an empty nester was still hitting harder than she wanted to admit. "All right. If that's what you want."

"It is," Lisa said with a little more pep. "And it'll be good to see Natalie too. We can catch up a little. Now that you've actually been there for a bit, I should probably thank her again for letting you stay. She's been a real blessing."

Aiden swallowed, tightening his grip on the strap of his bag. "Yeah. She has."

"You know," Lisa added after a pause, "I miss having both of you living here. It feels like forever between actually getting to sit down with her."

"Yeah," Aiden said. "I'm sure she'll like getting to see you, too."

He could hear that she already sounded happier as she continued. "I think so too. We always say we'll make plans and then never do, because it's just so far. But now that you live there too, I get to see both of you."

"Right," he murmured, wishing he hadn't called her.

"Anyway, I'll be up Friday. We'll have dinner, maybe the three of us if you've got time before your plans. Sound good?" Lisa said, though there was still that undercurrent in her voice.

"Yeah," Aiden said quietly. "Sounds good."

"Okay then," she said sweetly, as if she could feel his unease. "We'll talk more soon. Love you, honey."

"Love you too, Mom."

Aiden slipped the phone back into his pocket and looked out across campus, but his focus was now cluttered by the conversation with his mom as well. Now, not only did he have the awkwardness with Natalie, but his mom was also going to come up, and bear witness to it all.

Finally reaching his class, Aiden slid into his usual seat near the back of the lecture hall, opening the notebook in front of him and balancing a pen between his fingers. The professor's voice carried from the front, but it may as well have been white noise. He wrote a few lines, half a sentence of notes, then stopped, staring at the unfinished words until the letters blurred into each other.

His mind kept circling back to his mom coming Friday, wanting to have dinner with Natalie. He wished he could feel as casually about it as she did, like it was no big deal. For her, maybe it wasn't, even though they were having a secret affair, or whatever they would call it, that he wasn't supposed to know about. But for him, it felt like a deadline he couldn't outrun, and would have to perform a show to look normal.

The couch, the phone call, the silence across the hall all replayed in his mind. He'd been telling himself maybe it was nothing. That if Natalie hadn't said anything to his mom yet, maybe she never would. But his mom showing up, wanting to see both of them, talk to both of them... it felt like secrets were being forced closer to the surface. Secrets he didn't know how to face.

He shifted in his chair, rubbing his face, and repeatedly checked the clock. Only twenty minutes had passed.

By the end of class, his notebook held little more than half-scribbled phrases, none of which translated to legible notes. He stuffed it into his bag and headed out, weaving through the crowded hallway.