Only Angel//Aiden Hall

Chapter Five

hi loves! i just wanted to let you know that i'm going to be mixing the timeline up a bit from the movie, but i promise it's because it all makes sense for the story. and i promise that the next chapter is going to be a lot better, sort of where it all starts to pick up :) enjoy!

Neither Y/n nor Aiden is a morning person, but she wakes up at seven am, ravenous from eating nothing last night, and it's too much for her to go back to sleep. Noticing Mia's bed is empty, she loosens herself from Aiden's grip and slips out of bed. The first place she goes is the kitchen to try and find some breakfast food.

"Good morning."

The voice makes her jump, and she turns red upon seeing Grace at the dining table.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I-I didn't know you were up," Y/n pulls down Aiden's white hoodie over her underwear- what she usually wears as pajamas. Mia is used to it, she knows, but it's nothing less than embarrassing around her boyfriend's stepmom.

"Don't worry. I'm going to go take Grady out," she says, putting down her coffee and leaving the room.

Y/n can't help but roll her eyes at the fact that Grace was sitting there at the table when she wanted to have breakfast alone. Now she has to go all the way back upstairs, put on shorts, and waste precious time that could be used for eating.

When she comes down in spandex now, Grace is back at the table and warming up her hands with her mug. Without even looking at her, Y/n goes to the cupboard and grabs a box of cereal. She pours a heaping bowl before drenching it with milk.

"You must be starving."

"Well, I'm not starving, but I am pretty hungry," she replies in the most patient tone manageable.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Better."

It's true. Last night's feeling of dread and impending doom is completely gone, and Y/n is ecstatic that she gets so much time with Aiden and Mia. It probably was just homesickness that prompted her little spell.

"That's good to hear."

"Is Mia in the living room?"

Her nose twitches in what looks like hurt. Maybe she can feel human emotions. "She was a few minutes ago."

"Okay, thanks," Y/n gives a polite smile in response before going out to meet her. "Morning, pumpkin."

"Hey."

"How'd ya sleep?"

Shrugging glumly, Mia tears herself away from her brine shrimp to sit next to the older girl. There's no need to ask for an explanation; the adults' obnoxious louder was reason enough for the kids to stay awake in disgust.

"She wants me to be a bridesmaid," Mia rolls her eyes.

"God, that's insensitive."

Miserable silence ensues, broken only by Y/n munching on cereal. When the bowl is empty, she asks, "Do you want me to braid your hair?"

"Sure."

Before she can get far into making a crown braid, they're interrupted by a mellow voice.

"Mind if I join you?"

There's no response from Mia, but Y/n shrugs and gestures to the empty armchair.

"What do you girls want for Christmas?"

"Vinyls."

Grace seems to brighten up from eliciting an answer. Testing her luck, she keeps going "What, um, what albums would you like?"

"Probably 'Depression Cherry' or 'Nothing Happens.'"

"I've-I've never heard of those."

"They're really good," Y/n replies, face scrunched in concentration.

"What about you, Mia?"

"A dog."

"I always wanted a dog for Christmas, but I never got one."

"Why?" Mia asks, much to the surprise of Y/n.

"Uh... well, I didn't- I didn't get presents when I was a little girl. And my- my dad was really serious about the Bible, and it doesn't say anything about presents in the Bible."

"That's weird," she says, bluffing the fact that she knows all about it.

"It is weird... what kind of, um, dogs do you like?"

"Bulldog."

"Bulldogs are cute."

"My dad doesn't want me to get a dog, either. He just thinks that I'm not going to take care of it."

Y/n shifts uncomfortably as she finishes up the braid crown. Mia's a sweet girl, but she's acting really out of character towards the woman she hates more than hell.

"Well maybe if you take good care of your sea monkeys, then you can get a dog," she gives an encouraging smile. "I heard you can show your dad you can take care of..."

Mia grins back as her voice fades. "Yeah."

"I got Grady for myself as a present to myself."

"Hm."

"Whenever I was able to sort of put all that behind me, he was my new life."

Smirking, she says, "Do you want to see the present that we made for my dad?"

"Yeah!"

It all clicks in Y/n's mind. The gift in question is a compilation of videos with the kids, Richard, and a lot of Laura. Y/n isn't Grace's biggest fan, but that video... well, she can already see the realization  and mortification in Grace's eyes, feeling the guilt twist in her own stomach.

"I have to go," she stands up suddenly.

"Is everything okay?" Grace frowns.

"Yeah, I'm just- I'm going back to bed."

Before she runs upstairs, she shares a glance with Mia that sends goosebumps pricking her arms.

Her baby face is remorseless.