The next day, I met Aidan for dinner using the glamour I had when he’d crashed a meeting to meet me. Thinking of that demon and how much I still wanted to pound his face in was amusing, but I had too much else to focus on.
“You look lovely, darling,” he muttered, still hesitant even after I promised this was simply dinner.
I accepted the kiss on the cheek and smiled at him. “Everything that happened that day and in my life at the time clouded my experience of your restaurant, Aidan. I admit that. I wish I had done this sooner and given it a real chance, especially when you’re so proud of it, not simply told you the truth.”
That was what he needed to hear.
“There’s more on your mind though,” he said when we were alone in the elevator. It wasn’t an accusation, but simply he knew me well enough to know that.
I wasn’t going to hide that or deny it. “You’re a smart man who has helped me figure out some difficult things. Is it really that shocking I would turn to you?”
He was quiet which surprised me. He didn’t say anything until we were seated in the private room and settled in with drinks. His smile was almostshywhen he met my gaze. “You are not the only one with wounds.”
Fair enough.
Yeah… Fair enough.
“I’m sorry for the times I’ve added to them.”
His eyes flashed shock, but then he swallowed loudly. “You’re starting to worry me, darling.”
“No, I’m actually good—well, better,” I admitted. “Getting so much done as Jasmine—helping Kyria and the bigger plan now with restructuring—knowing we have a path after we came out as a council and the German government.” I blew out a harsh breath.
Understanding filled his eyes. “Everything was always building and building and preparations. There wasn’t much of a plan for after it happened.”
“Exactly. And it all happened early and so fast because of me.” I held up a hand to hold him off. “I’ve accepted it wasn’t my fault, but it was because of me.”
“Yes, you were the catalyst, not the cause.”
That was the perfect way to say it really. “But the restructuring is promising, and even with adjustments—I have hope we can pull this off. Even with my other trip-ups and more.” I reached over and ran my fingers over his hand. “And I’m starting to see I’m blessed. I’ve always seen the wounds and pain. I want to start seeing how I’m blessed.”
“Tell me,” he said gently. We both knew I didn’t mean how I was blessed. No, he meant whatever was going on with me.
So I did.
I told him about how being Jasmine the past week made me feel more connected to my life now and how I felt I could leave Angela behind in peace. My family was all gone and it was all settled. My name cleared and—the twins were right and it was time to focus on my own health. I couldn’t save everyone if I was a mess.
Aidan had said the same. The angels. Mason.
Fine, we didn’t all practice it as we should. I told Kyle the same too.
But I was trying and it felt good.
Then Samantha. She made me conflicted. No… She made me gratefulandconflicted. Conflicted on how to feel about her punishment but grateful about how different my life could be.
No matter the trauma it caused me, that first person who found me trying to sell me had told me the truth. They had given me the right information to then build on.
What if he hadn’t? What if I’d been Samantha and thought all demons were like me? What if I’d struggled to survive and been so in the dark?
“You would not have let yourself be, darling,” he said gently. He shook his head when I opened my mouth. “Let me interject this. Please, and then continue.”
“You’re probably going to say the same thing Elijah did, and I don’t disagree, but it’s more complicated,” I muttered. I glanced over when the server came back, thanking them for the next round. “The whiskey really is good.”
He snorted, probably remembering that was all I’d praised at the first dinner.
Well, and the view of NYC.
I told him honestly what I loved about the food. It was all fantastic, but I stood by my opinion that it was overwhelming and too much posh in one sitting. That was the point though, so I understood that too.
