Chapter 26

Aiden

“I don’t give a fuck about your precious daughter!”

I clenched my eyes shut, Noah’s words echoing in my head. Had I truly deprived Gia of love and affection all these years? I had kept her from her father. A lump formed in my throat. What had I done?

I blinked away tears as I saw Arden approaching after tucking Gia into bed—her bed, actually. He closed the door behind him and stopped in front of me, his brows furrowed with concern.

“Are you hurt?”

“No… yes.” But I knew he meant physically. That didn't hurt, not now, at least. “Uh… do you have a guest room? If not, it’s not a problem. Your couch looks very comfy.” I shrugged, eyeing my potential bed for the night.

“Come with me.” He pressed a warm hand against my back and guided me to a room down the hall. I stepped inside and quickly scanned the space. Like every corner of this penthouse fortress, the room was immaculate. Not a speck of dust or dirt; its organization was almost unsettling.

“You can stay here. Let me know if you want to change anything.” I turned to find Aiden standing a few feet behind me.

“Thank you,” I offered a jerky nod. A slight crease formed on his forehead before he nodded back. As he started toward the door, something compelled me to speak.

“Aiden.” My voice stopped him. He spun around, his eyes scanning me as if I might be injured. Finding nothing amiss, he looked up.

“Thank you. For everything.” The words tumbled out. Was that all I wanted to say?

Aiden thrust his hands into his pockets and stood there. His gaze made me feel small and exposed, as if he could see right through me.

“You want to talk about it? Sharing helps,” he asked, taking a few steps closer.

“I don’t know what to say,” I mumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed. My day had been a nightmare, and I was disturbed on so many levels. I knew I wanted to share but didn't know where to begin.

Aiden sat down beside me. “What’s on your mind right now?”

We sat in silence while I gathered my thoughts.

“I saw Noah hit Gia.” There. I said it. The thought that overshadowed all others. He inhaled sharply once the words sunk in.

“She was so scared, Aiden, and she’s just a baby! She’ll remember this for life. I’ve caused her this trauma. I’m responsible. Gia was mine to protect, and I failed.”

“All my life I’ve made bad decisions. Keeping you and Gia from each other was probably the worst.” I struggled to swallow the lump forming in my throat. Sharing our burdens is difficult, but I could open up to Aiden.

“Earlier, when I saw her room, and every time I see her with you, I regret everything. I robbed her of a childhood filled with her father’s presence, affection, and beautiful memories. How could I do that?” With each word, the guilt intensified. My voice cracked, but I had to get it out. I needed to say everything.

“Once she’s older, she’ll blame me, won’t she? It’s karma. Serves me right for choosing a man like him. I feel like I deserved it.”

I broke down in ugly, gasping sobs. Everything—the hurt, anger, disappointment—overwhelmed me.

I roughly wiped my tears when I heard Aiden curse under his breath. Embarrassment washed over me at having broken down in front of him.

I jerked my head up, trying to see his face through my tears. I expected annoyance, but saw anger. His jaw ticked, and he looked like he wanted to punch someone.

Chapter 26 (Continued)

Aiden clenched his eyes, took a breath, and when he looked at me again, his brown eyes were calmer, more controlled. He held out his hand.

“Come here, love.” I sniffed, hesitating only a second before accepting his offer. I scooted closer, and he immediately wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me against his side.

I accepted the comfort, soaking it in. I fought back fresh tears; I tend to get emotional when comforted. Aiden’s fingers rubbed my arm, grounding me.

“Don’t ever say that,” he muttered, kissing the side of my head. Minutes passed as he held me. He then gently lifted my chin.

“Look at me, Freya.” Two fingers touched my chin, tilting my face until I was looking into his brown eyes.

“You didn’t deserve to be with that scumbag. You deserved none of what you endured.”

“You made mistakes, everyone does. And Gia could never blame you. She loves you too much. And so do I. You protected her, even if you don’t think you did.”

His face tightened, a darkness clouding his eyes.

“Not everyone protects their child like you did.”

I couldn’t decipher the underlying meaning. The storm in his eyes cleared instantly, as if he’d blinked it away.

“Besides, it’s never too late. Gia is still a child. There’s plenty of time to make beautiful memories.”

Somewhere in my heart, I knew that wasn’t entirely true. Some memories—her first steps, her first words, her first day of kindergarten—cannot be recreated, and I had robbed Aiden of them.

But I liked believing his words. Guilt was a heavy burden, and at the moment, I carried a lot of it. His words made it a little lighter.