Chapter 99
Kayla did stoop to levels lower than hell. The urge to curse her out or belittle her for her childish act was there, but I needed to set an example for my kid, so I continued to stroke her cheek.
“Well, don’t take it to heart. It says more about her character than anything about you, okay?”
Nadia nodded, and I went back to staring straight ahead with a sigh on my lips.
Every time my eyelids dropped, his face would flash in front of my face, and so would all the lies and deceit.
It felt so unreal, and I was still having a hard time believing that this was the reality of things because I never felt more alive than when Aidan had me in his arms, kissing me softly, running traces on my skin affectionately, and he accepted me with all my scars.
Was
that a lie to h
him too?
I knew that avoiding the situation wasn’t the best way to deal with things, but if I was being honest with myself, I feared hearing the truth from Aidan’s mouth because that would be what would truly destroy me, so I was going to avoid him and focus on keeping my daughter safe.
The rest of the journey was a blur, I moved and acted more on autopilot than on my own manipulation, and so were the next couple of days. It affected the quality of my sleep, feeding, my work, but I was really grateful for Riley and Jenna’s support, and the event even affected my relationship with my daughter too.
I forced myself to show up to the diner days later with the mindset of putting everything behind me, even if I feared that the ordeal with Aidan was going to have a severe toll on me, but I was going to try harder.
Jenna was in the diner today, helping me with changing the seating arrangements and the cookie section, and she hadn’t stopped taunting me since she came in. She had been a constant presence since we came back from Attica Pack and I gave a sketchy explanation as to why we left without any notice, and without Aidan.
“You look dapper today, Tara. Are we expecting someone?”
“You’ve been mocking me for the past three hours, Jenna,”
I said, laughing. “I look everything but dapper.”
Fine! You look less… dead?” It sounded more like a question, and it held no hate. “At least you’ve taken care of yourself, and your collarbone is not as obvious as before.”
“Tenna!” I balked in embarrassment, and she threw her hands up in surrender.
“I’m kidding, Tara. I just mean that I’m happy to see you returning to life. I know something happened between you and Alpha Aidan, and I can tell that you’ve not wanted to revisit it, but I’ve seen the way he is with you, not to mention Nadia. You don’t get to see something like that every day, so if it’s possible to fix things, then do it.”
My throat suddenly became dry and tight, and I swallowed to push the invincible lump back down, even if it was impossible to do so.
Aidan had only succeeded in deceiving me and those around me into thinking he cared for us when he didn’t. He couldn’t possibly care when he hid his teenage daughter from me.
“It’s not that easy,” I managed to say, my voice shaky, twisted with the wrenching pain I’d been trying to battle up for days.
Jenna’s face softened, and she went quiet for a moment, letting me know
that th
my hurt rubbed off on her too.
Then you can talk to me about it. Now, tomorrow, anytime. I’ll listen without judgment,” she finally said, and I nodded, sniffing.
“I know. Thanks_le But for now, let s just get these tables around,” I said, pointing to the task we had started.
The front door of the diner opened, unbaring in a new customer, and Jenna rose before I could force myself in. ‘I’ll take care of it, she said, but I froze
a familiar presence wrapped itself around me, telling me what I already suspected.
turned around sharply, and the room stilled, including the air in it as I look in the view of the person who had joined us in the room.
He was here.
Aldan
Chapter 99
Goddess! This was so wrong, and so unfair the way my body already craved him…
I wasn’t blinded by his handsomeness this time, even if he still beat all the men I’d come across in my life I’m his own way, but I also wasn’t blinded by The rage I expected to feel once I eventually saw Aidan. In fact, the atmosphere just got a tad cleaner with his presence, making it somehow easier to draw
What got me to mostly react upon seeing Aidan was the distraught look that was etched on his face, even reflecting in his stature and dressing
His hair was overgrown, his stubble too, lips dry and cacky, and he looked…pale.
If I didn’t know what I knew now, Aldan could have fooled me.
He could have really fooled me.
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