The Pretend Girlfriend(89)

"What do you mean?" Gwen said.

"Beatrice called me this morning. She told me how you were going to, and I quote, 'give up and spill your guts' to Henry."

So she is getting my messages! Gwen thought. She dared to hope that maybe things weren't so dire after all. If Aiden would show up to save her even after she'd broken his trust, maybe she could win Beatrice back, too. She took another bite of her hotdog, which was now mostly devoured.

"And you decided to come rescue me from myself?" Gwen said.

Aiden nodded, "Something like that. She kept going on about how much you like me, and how stupid I would be if I let you go..." he grinned, "And she also told me that if I hurt you, she'd... uh... 'take care' of me. What does that even mean?"

"With B? Who knows. Probably something you'd rather not experience, though, I bet."

Gwen couldn't help grinning. Yes, there was definitely hope left.

"Well then, I guess I'd better avoid hurting you," Aiden said.

"B may not be the biggest person, but it's the little ones you have to look out for," Gwen said, happy that she could joke again. For a while there, especially in Henry's office, it seemed as though all the humor had left the world.

They took a left and started going deeper into the park. They passed one of the large greens, pausing briefly to watch an emerging game of ultimate Frisbee before carrying on.

"So what's going on with you two? Anything I can help with?" Aiden said.

"It's complicated," Gwen replied, wondering if she should get that as a tattoo or something. It had clearly become her catchphrase. "I said some things to her. Things I shouldn't have. And now I don't know if things will get better between us."

They started the winding maze of narrow trails, passing by the first guidepost with its map. Gwen had never been through this part before, and it had always intrigued her. The trees and brush pressed in pretty close, and it felt as though the entire metropolis surrounding the park had dropped away and she was on a nature hike. Wasn't there a castle hidden there somewhere, too? Gwen couldn't remember for sure.

"It can't be so bad as that," Aiden said. He kept guiding them forward, giving the impression that he knew exactly where he headed. He didn't even pause to look at the next guidepost, picking the left path when they came to a fork.

"Oh, you weren't there. Trust me. It was pretty bad." Just thinking about that night at the bar left Gwen cringing, wishing there was some way to go back in time and erase particularly embarrassing or awful moments.

They paused for a moment as a cyclist wearing one of those bullet-shaped helmets sped out from around a curve in the path, barely avoiding them. It shattered Gwen's illusion of their being alone.

"If it was so bad, why did she get in touch with me so that I could stop you? And that reminds me: how did she get my cell number in the first place?" Aiden said.

"I don't know... Lingering affection? Also, you'd be surprised at who Beatrice knows in this town. How she knows them, I don't have a clue. Probably best not to ask."

Their walk continued. Swarms of sparrows and other small birds chirped from the trees while squirrels skittered about, and below all that the rustle of the breeze through the branches.

When they came to another fork, they took the path to the right, again passing another signpost. Gwen couldn't tell for certain, but she thought they headed deeper into the miniature forest. They also hadn't encountered another person since that biker.

The isolation relaxed her. She could pretend for these few precious moments that she and Aiden were entirely alone with each other, no outside pressures trying to force them apart. Only the enjoyment of the other's company. Real life lurked on the outside, however, just waiting for its chance to intrude and drop the next crisis on their lap. What would Henry try next? A hit man?

"So where are we going?" Gwen said, trying to forget about Henry and real life.

Aiden shrugged, "I don't know; I've been following you since we got in here. I've never been before. It's pretty nice. Quiet."

Gwen stopped dead. Aiden carried on another step until the slack in their arms tightened and he realized what happened. "What?" he said, looking around, trying to figure out why they'd halted.

"You don't know where you're going?" Gwen said, "But I've been following you!"

Aiden started to speak, but it turned into a laugh. Gwen tried to look annoyed with him, but couldn't help joining in. "So we're lost?" she said. That didn't actually sound so bad.

"I suppose so," he replied.

"Hey, don't people get mugged in here?" Gwen said.

Aiden faked a frightened glance over his shoulder, "I think so. Don't worry, if anyone comes at us, I'll hide behind you."