Those six words felt like a knife straight to my heart. All those years, I learned the hard way to hide my feelings from everyone. But it seemed like the moment I’d left Texas my emotions were on full display. Or maybe I was simply tired of hiding. Of lying about how perfect my life was, how perfect my husband was. Both had been so far from the truth.
The embarrassment I felt was immense. For letting myself get stuck in a relationship that was so toxic, there were some days I wished God would take me. For allowing myself to get pregnant with his child, despite knowing what Ben was capable of. That thought alone was enough to make me sick to my stomach.
How did I tell Aiden that I’d allowed myself to get so lost, I wasn’t even sure who I was by the end of my marriage? After the man had turned out to be the devil in disguise, and the one person I should have been able to trust was also the person who’d insisted I stay in my marriage, try to work it out, for ‘security’.
My mother.
So I just stared at Aiden, unable to form words at all.
He lifted his hand and placed it on the side of my face. It was so gentle, yet it said so much.I’m here for you. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again. I care about you.
Finding myself leaning into his touch, I quickly moved back. Clearing my throat, I whispered, “The past is in the past.”
It was all I could offer. Aiden pulled his brows in tight and started to speak, when a woman cleared her throat and caused him to drop his hand.
“Well, don’t the two of you look all cozy sitting here.”
There was no need for me to even look up. I knew it was Nancy.
“What do you want, Nancy?” Aiden asked, clearly sounding like he couldn’t even be bothered with her at the moment.
“What do you think Lisa would say if she knew you were sneaking around withthe nanny.”
That time Ididlook up. She was glaring down at me.
Aiden’s voice came out in a hushed but matter-of-fact tone as he said, “There’s no ‘sneaking’ involved. And she’d just be happyknowing that it was her best friend moving in on her husband weeks after she’d died.”
My mouth dropped open, as did Nancy’s.
Finally, she turned to him. “Aiden, I?—”
“Don’t have anything you can possibly say to me. Have a good evening.”
Her gaze bounced from Aiden to me, then back to Aiden. “Can we please go somewhere and talk? I promised Lisa I would take care of you,” Nancy said in a pleading tone.
Sighing, Aiden leaned back and gave her a look. “I don’t need taking care of.Leastof all by you.”
Nancy actually moved closer. “Really? Are you sure? Because I heard you’re going off and getting drunk again.”
My brows lifted, and I watched Aiden’s reaction carefully.
He simply smiled at Nancy and replied, “Our food is here. Would you mind excusing us so we can eat in peace?”
Now it was the waitress who stood there with her mouth gaping open as Nancy huffed, spun on her heels, and stormed away.
The waitress set our food down and looked between me and Aiden before saying, “Enjoy your dinner!”
I smiled, but Aiden ignored her. It was clear Nancy had ruined his evening. The first half of the meal was spent with me trying to talk to Aiden, and him giving one-word answers, the closeness we’d experienced earlier in the evening clearly gone.
I finally lapsed into silence, and we stayed that way until he pulled up to his house.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
AIDEN
THIS CAN’T HAPPEN
My head pounded and the pain swimming around in my chest was hard to ignore.
