Chapter 41
FREYA
“Is Aiden my Daddy!”
Her question had left both of us a bit stupefied. We glanced at each other, confused as to how she knew. After the shock wore off, I found my voice.
“Yex Aiden is your Daddy,”
Gia mumbled a small “Oh” and looked down at her hands in her lap. A fat tear drop fell on her hand, Rylan stared at me with a mix of confusion and concern in his face. 1 jerked my head towards Gia, gesturing to him to step up
He gently touched her head. “Sweetheart?”
Gia raised her head to meet his eyes although I doubted she could actually see him considering her eyes had welled up with a fresh set of tears. “I wished that you were my Daddy.” Her chin wobbled as she spoke. She didn’t know Alden was her Dad, she just wished him to be. And she never told me. My poor baby!
Aiden came and sat down on the couch beside her and patted his lap. “Come here”
She considered him for a few seconds before she took him up on the offer Aiden sat her in a way that she was facing him
“Do you not love me?” Her voice quavered. Aiden wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks using the pad of his thumb
“Of course I do, Princess. I love you so much.” He replied in a very soothing, affectionate tone, one I have seen him reserve only for her.
“Then why did you leave us?” E shut my eyes, hating how small and upset she sounded. God, how did I not realize how much she wanted her Dad in her life? I presumptuously assumed that I was enough, how could I do that‘
“Gia, baby. Ir was Mommy’s fault.” I gulped. “And I’m so sorry, Sweetheart!”
She stared up at me with furrowed brows, confined. “What did you do Mommy?”
Before I could get a word out, Aiden took charge. “Nothing. It’s not your Mommy’s fault.” He spared me a pointed glance, a warning to go with it. “It was a misunderstanding, sweetie. Your mommy and I lost each other back then
His eyes again faund mine. “But now I found you. And I won’t let go. The intensity of his words made me take a sharp inhale. Every bit of me knew by ‘you‘ he didn’t just mean Gia and I didn’t know how to feel about that, Was I offended? No, not at all. But was I ready to jump into something with him? Also no.
“That means I’ll always stay with you.” Gia’s words were bursting with hope. She looked up into her father’s eyes waiting for assurance.
He smiled at her. “Always.”
“I love you, Daddy. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close and kissed her head, “I love you too, sweetheart. I love you.”
Picking up the mugs, I wandered into the terrace. Aiden was there, sitting by the fireplace. He noticed me almost immediately. His eyes were trained on me as I walked closer.
I offered a mug. “Hot chocolate!”
Aiden didn’t even glance at my outstretched hand or the delicious beverage I was holding out. He was looking at me, just my face with an unnerving silence. I put the mug down in front of him and took a seat.
If he was trying to make me nervous, it was working. The weight of his stare made me shift uncomfortably in my seat.
“What?” Lasked.
I almost thought he hadn’t heard me, but he had. “What were you doing?”
For the briefest second my forehead creased in confusion before I realized what he was talking about. I sighed. “I didn’t want her to think that you abandoned her
“That could be hundled, you saw that“
Chapter 11
muterred. I probably sounded like a broken record but that’s what guilt does to you. And some of us
thought told you to forgive yourself, get over
I looked up from my hot chocolate, irritated by the hint of condescension in his words. “Yeah, well. I still feel guilty and I can’t help i
His lips were drawn
1 I saw his jaws tighten before he forced his face to relax
Treja. She’s a child. She won’t understan
will feel betrayed by the person who mes by Fonciving yourself”
what you did and why you did it. Your confession is only going to leave her hurt and confused and she verything to her You don’t want that for her. I sure as hell don’t You want to make things right Start
Aaden was right. He knew it and I knew it. But that didn’t mean I had to like it
hare in when you are right.” I voiced my thoughts and surprisingly that cut through the serious mood. His lips stretched in the tiniest of smiles before he had in with the mur of hot chocolate
“good” He said and suddenly all of my focus w
was on his lips, how his tongue darted out to lick the ladle bit of chocolate from the corner of his mouth. I felt hot behind my ears. Did the temperature somehow rise within the span of a few seconds? Yeah, pretty impossible.
I needed a distraction. Fast
“Earlier, that went better than I expected. “I blurted.
He looked up and nodded. “Yeah, she took the news well
“Turns out she already sow you as her father”
“Well that one felt good to hear.” His mouth rugged upwards in a smile. Not a smirk but a genuine smile. I realized how much this meant to him, his relationship with Gia, how much Gia meant to hira.
“You’re a good father” His eyes found mine and held contact. It seemed like he was waiting to catch deception in them. Well unfortunate for him. I meant the words. Since the second he met Gia, he had been absolutely the best father I could ever wish for my child.
With an exhale he leaned back in his seat. “I do hope so
Something told me, his doubt originated from his relationship with his father. He never talked about them. “Still putting off that family dinner?”
I was expecting him to either glare at me for bringing it up or to completely ignore my words. What I didn’t expect was the mock smile” “On the contrary, I had agreed to one tomorrow night.”
“Oh wow! That’s great. You’re giving it a shot.” Even as I said it, I knew it wasn’t the case. Nothing about his expression said that he was giving them
He snorted. “Hold your horses. I’m getting them off my back for the next six months.”
“You’re such a warm person”
He chose to ignore my remark. The thing is you’re coming with”
“Sorry what” I kind of squeaked.
He considered me and sighed. “I said you’re coming with me to the family dinner.”
“Fuck off” Hat out, feeling the anger rise in me. Who did he think he was, issuing orders?
He frove before his head turned towards me. “Excuse me?”
“Why the hell do you think it’s okay to order me around! Everything’s an order with you, a declaration. You need to learn how to say please”
“You want me to say please “That wasn’t a question. Just an observation, a statement. I didn’t know if I was supposed to answer that. But the look that flashed this eyes, it sent a thrill up my gane, Itálo convinced me that I definitely shouldn’t answer that
I purposefully moved on to address the later part of my concem. “And why will I tag along to your family dinner? It makes no sense.”
Auden nudded his jaw, thoughtful “My brother tan his
is big mouths about Gls and now they want to meet my daughter. I don’t give two flying fucks about their demands lear the last thing I want is for my mother to come at my doorstep to see her. So Lagreed.”
1 induled. His family. He wanted Gla to meet his family
232PM
Chapter 41
“I thongla Ghia would be comfortable if you come along. It’s going to be a new place for her.” He completed and looked at me to make a decision. I hoprid. It was strangely thoughtful. It made sense. But I could smell the awkwardness at the dinner from miles away. A daughter, their granddaughter, they knew nothing about for all these years and a woman who kept them away.
I sighed. It was going to be one hell of a dinner
01
