Aiden kissedme goodbye before he left early to get changed before work, and I can’t deny I’m so close to just saying fuck it and telling the office.
At least, that was before I ran into Zach. I’m picking the copies I dropped from our run in as he stares down at me. He doesn’t offer to help me pick them up; he just looks down at me with disgust.
Once I have them all picked up and clutched against my chest, I blink up at him. “Zach, can we talk?”
“Fine,” he says sharply. He leads the way to the room we call the bubble, because it’s a conference room with all glass. We both sit down, and he glares at me. “Okay, talk.”
I clear my throat and look at him. “I can understand you not trusting me, or maybe me reminding you of your dad and him being dishonest. But I’ve never done anything personally to you.”
He scoffs and shakes his head but doesn’t speak.
“I can’t be held accountable for just being born. You do realize you had a father, right? That I had only met him twice. You’re the one who had a mom and a dad who loved you and gave you everything. I know you’re bitter about the shares, but don’t you realize that out of the two of us you are the one who won here?”
“I’m bitter?” He laughs again. “No, I’m fucking angry. I’m angry at my dad for sleeping with your whore of a mother and hurting my mom. I’m mad that he didn’t just fucking die taking his dirty secret to the grave. I’m pissed that you’re constantly here and in my face, a constant reminder that my dad’s a liar and a cheater. You ruined my dad’s fucking memory, and I hate you, Jessa. We’re never going to be friends, half-siblings, fuck, I don’t even want you to be my co-worker. Your mom should have had an abortion and saved us all from this massive fucking headache.” He doesn’t even falter as he spews all this hatred at me. I do a good job of breathing and holding it in.
“I expect you won’t ask me for a little chat again,” he says, standing up and leaving the office. It’s early, and the office is still relatively empty. Still, this is basically like getting a front row seat to my breakdown if I stay in this conference room. I don’t know how, but I hold it together until I open the supply closet and shut the door behind me.
I slowly sag down the wall and wrap my arms around my legs and rest my face in my knees as the tears finally come.
They aren’t tears just for the horrific words Zach spewed at me but for my own grief. The mother I never really mourned, the father I never got to know, and the brother I’ll never have. I’ve never felt more alone than I do at this moment.
The people in my life who were genetically built to care about me and be my support system don’t exist. I don’t have a family, and it seems like right now is the moment it finally soaks in. There’s no blood relation to me. I don’t care about fostering a relationship with Zach anymore. That ship has definitely fucking sailed. What I want is to not feel so alone and lost like I do right now.
The door to the supply closet clicks, and I try to wipe my tears and not look absolutely pathetic as the figure steps in.
Aiden’s face drops as he sees me.
“Jessa, baby. What’s wrong?” I shake my head, fresh tears spilling down my cheeks, and I feel so embarrassed that he’s seeing me this way. I can’t speak just yet, and he doesn’t make me. He just sits on the floor next to me and grabs me by the waist and sets me on his lap. His large hand rubbing up and down my back soothing me. My breathing evens out, and I slump against his body.
His cedarwood and vanilla scent centers me, and I’m so happy he walked in. I wouldn’t have sought him out for comfort. But it’s nice having his arms wrapped around me so at this moment I don’t feel so alone.
“I… I don’t have anyone, Aiden,” I say with a sniffle.
“What do you mean? I’m here with you now.” His eyebrows furrow, and I want to use my fingers to flatten them out, but I resist.
“My mom’s gone, I never had a dad, and now I have a half-brother who wishes I was dead.” He pulls back and analyzes my face.
“He said that to you?” I sigh and slink down further. “Jessa, what did he say to you?” His voice is lethal, and I consider not telling him.
“He said my mom should have had an abortion and we would all be better off.”
“Oh, fuck no.” He picks me up by the waist, and we’re both standing. I grab his arm and tug him back.
“Aiden, it’s okay.”
“Fuck no, it’s not okay.” I’m worried he’s going to do something physical to Zach as he swings the door open and heads toward Zach’s desk. But he stops short of it and takes a breath before spinning to the opposite side toward Huck’s office and walking in. “Huck?” He says it loudly so the whole office can hear. “I have a formal complaint about Zach Kemper.”
Suddenly, Zach is on his feet and standing next to Huck’s door. He glares at me. No doubt my face is puffy and red from crying.
“Aiden, why don’t you mind your own business. This is a family matter. In fact, it’s a family business.”
I watch as Aiden holds his right hand tightly like he’s rubbing the tendons there. The look of disgust he gives Zach is enough for him to take a step back.
“I don’t care what it was about, you can’t talk to an employee like that. No matter what problems you have, you’re only a few years younger than me, Zach, so I don’t know why you’re acting like a petulant child. Collin would be disgusted.” That last sentence has Zach risking his life as he gets closer to Aiden’s face. Zach isn’t as tall as him, but he still looks intimidating.
“You need to learn your fucking place.” Zach sneers.
“No, I think you do. Jessa and I have majority shares. So I’d consider your next words carefully,” Aiden says with authority. I look around the office, and it appears everyone is watching the altercation go down.
