Chapter 10
FREYA
“Well, what can I get you?” 1 had straightened up my shoulders and yet couldn’t manage to bring on that professional smile. My fingers trembled slightly as I adjusted the edge of my apron, hoping my face didn’t betray the sheer exhaustion gnawing at me. Just another customer, I told myself, but something about him made my skin prickle with awareness.
“What would you recommend?” His voice was low, smooth, and caught me off–guard. He hadn’t even glanced at the shelf before asking that, and the sheer confidence in his tone rauled me a little. His presence was unsettling, not in a threatening way, but in the way his eyes held mine, steady. as though he saw more than he should. I wouldn’t have expected him to ask for suggestions. Aiden looked like someone who knew exactly what he wanted his tailored suit, sharp eyes, and the aura of self–assurance screamed control
I swallowed hard. Why did this feel like more than a simple transaction? I fumbled mentally for a response, feeling awkward under his gaze. “T–uh- the croissants are good. Or you could try the salted caramel cookies. My voice sounded far too high–pitched for my liking, like I was a teenager again, stumbling through her first part–time job.
*ITI take both. Ten of each His voice was decisive, and I almost flinched at how quickly he made the decision, thrusting his hands into his pockets. casually, like he hadn’t just ordered enough pastries to feed an entire office.
I chuckled, more to calm my own nerves than anything else. “That’s a little bit more than a bite.” I regretted the words the moment they left my mouth. I didn’t want to sound flirty, but damn, the way he was looking at me, like he found my discomfort amusing made me feel warm all over. He rubbed his jaw, his fingers grazing the slight shadow of stubble, and smiled, without saying anything. A smile that was small, almost imperceptible, but dangerous in its simplicity. The audacity of that small action–it shouldn’t have been allowed to look that hot.
My breath hitched, and I hoped to God he didn’t notice. As I quickly processed his payment, I realized my hands were shaking slightly. Why was I this worked up? He was just another customer. But the tension in the air between in was undeniable, palpable, as if something unspoken lingered just beneath the surface, and it was unnerving.
I was seconds away from handing him his ‘bite when a voice, sweet and high, broke through the thick silence like a knife slicing through tension
“Mommy!”
My heart lurched, slamming against my ribcage. Panic gripped me instantly. Not now, not here. Oh God, not now. Aiden’s eyes darted to the door through which Cia came bounding out. I froze. Completely froze. My fingers clenched around the pastry bag, my grip so tight my knuckles turned white. I didn’t even turn my head, couldn’t bring myself to face her, but I could hear her light footsteps getting closer, each one sending a fresh wave of crippling anxiety through me
“I brought you a tart.”
Aiden looked back up at me, confusion briefly flashing across his face. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, If I didn’t get my emotions under control, I was going to lose it right there in front of him. The hand holding the tart was stretched out towards me, Gia’s bright smile billing my peripheral vision. I forced my muscles to relax, trying not to look like a deer caught in headlights.
“Thank you, sweetie, but I’ll have it later. Not hungry right now.” My voice cracked slightly. Hunger was the last thing on my mind. Hell, I didn’t even remember what hunger felt like in that moment. All I could think about was how utterly screwed I was
Gia’s innocent pout didn’t make it any easier. My sweet, oblivious child had no idea what kind of storm she had just walked into. She her attention to Alden, her gaze curious and wide, and for several long, agonizing seconds, they both just stared at each other.
I swear those were the longest seconds of my life.
finally fur
turned
The room seemed to close in on me, the walls shifting as my vision tunneled. Could he tell? Could he see it? I tried to focus on my breathing, on not letting my anxiety show, but I was trembling, barely holding it together.
“Hi, there! What’s your name?” Alden crouched down to her level, his voice suddenly so warm, so different from the sharp, commanding tone he had used with me. His entire demeanor shifted as if a switch had flipped. His smile was gentle, a stark contrast to the intimidating businessman that stood towering over me just moments before.
“Gia” She divulged after a brief hesitation, her tiny voice sounding even smaller compared to the weight of the moment. I flinched inwardly, the word ‘stranger‘ screaming in my head, reminding me of every warning I had ever given her. Stranger. Father. The contradiction made me nauseous. How was it that the man standing before her, interacting so kindly, was her father, and yet, to her, he was no one?
“That’s a beautiful name,” Aiden said softly, and my stomach twisted painfully. They looked so alike. Too alike. Their smiles, the way their eyes crmkled at the comers, the same shade of brown in their gaze. It was all too much.
“I would love one. Of course, if your Mom doesn’t mind you giving her tart to
o me.”
And then both their eyes–so similar, so eerily familiar–swung to me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to
1/2
Chapter 10
tommy, can I give it to him!”
1 blinked, swallowing down the rising tide of panic. I couldn’t even think straight. My brain was screaming at me to get her out of there, to stop this before it spiraled out of control, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak
“Yeah. 171 get a fresh one for him, 1 said automatically, but my voice felt far away, like it didn’t belong to me. I wasn’t in control of this situation, not knyinare.
“No, I’ll take that,” Aiden said, his gaze unwavering. He wasn’t joking. He wanted **that** tari–**the one she touched, held in her small hand, a symbol of her innocence and connection to me.” My mind spun with irrational thoughts. Why? Why would he want that?
1 nodded, too stunned to argue. As 1 handed him the tart, I caught the briefest flicker of something in his eyes–recognition? Doubt! It was gone before I could make sense of it.
“No–shm–that’s a gift? From her,” I stammered, trying to steady my voice, trying to make sense of what was happening
“Then I must thank you for it!” His voice was kind, directed at Gia, and she giggled, her innocent laughter cutting through the thick tension, but not enough to soothe the roaring storm inside me.
“You’re welcome. Will you come here again?” Gin’s voice was soft, hopeful, and my heart clenched. I couldn’t let this happen.
He smiled, ruffling her hair gently. “I will, sweetheart,”
My chest tightened at the way he spoke to her, the softness in his tone, the way he made it sound like a promise. I watched them, feeling the ground shift beneath me, the delicate balance of the life I had built starting to unravel.
Aiden turned back to me, his expression unreadable as he buttoned his jacket. He took the bag from me, his fingers brushing mine for the briefest moment, but it felt like an eternity. I searched his face, desperate to see if he knew, if he had figured it out, but he gave nothing away.
“I’ll see you. Soon,” he said quietly, and with one last lingering glance, he walked out, the door closing behind him with a soft click that felt like the tolling of a death knell.
The moment he left, reality crashed back in. The noise of the cafe hit me all at once, the clatter of dishes, the murmur of conversations, the distant hum of traffic. It was deafening
I was falling apart.
SEND GIFT
