Growing Up and Other Tall Tales

Chapter 97

"Hey," Aiden greets as he settles the bag of warm pastries on the kitchen counter

"Hi,"

"Really?" Diana bemoans. "I'm having breakfast."

"We just greeted each other. I know it's strange, Diana, but that's how civilized people do." Aiden says

"I say hello to you all the time." is my perfectly valid and frankly instinctively defensive answer.

She tries to narrow his eyes intimidatingly, but it just comes off as crusty squinting because hangovers do be like that, "No, you don't."

Fair enough, I don't.

"Well, it would've gotten old really fast." I argue. "Can you imagine, waking up every day and wishing each other a good morning."

Diana rolls her eyes, "I don't trust either of you," she waggles her spoon at us before going back to her cereal, "until your honeymoon phase is over."

"We are not—"

"And bathroom sex."

"Oh my god—"

"And cuddles. And forehead kisses. And nicknames."

Aiden shrugs, setting his phone down on the table. "Got me there."

"Which one?" Diana asks

"Your pick," he answers smirking and then picks up a scone off Diana's plate. He turns to me and taking a bite he says,

"Right, baby?"

"Insatiable." I lean into his provocation and brush my nose against his adoringly

Diana gags into her bowl and then shrills for Hye-Rin making Aiden and I chuckle into each other's mouths.

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After Diana leaves we begin our bi-weekly study sessions where I try not to kill myself and Aiden catches up on some paperwork while keeping a careful watch on the balcony ledge and potential leapers. It takes him a grand summation of ten minutes to pick up that something is wrong.

He closes the book quietly but resignedly. Sudden loud sounds still make me jump.

"How long are we going to keep pretending that something isn't wrong?" he asks nonchalantly, leaning back on his seat

"Five more minutes?" I ask sheepishly before closing clipping my pen and dropping my head like deadweight onto my book

"That wasn't a question you can answer with another question." He deadpans

I grin faintly and unenthusiastically.

He asks after a while, "What happened?"

I shrug and drew my knees up to my chin. I lean into him horrified by this sudden urge to be close to him. His arms come around me immediately and surely but I can tell that I've made him worried. I feel him turn his face and press his lips to my temple.

"Okay?" he asks and I nod. Judging by the way his chin presses down on top of my head he isn't too convinced but he indulges my denial for the five more minutes I asked. Then he goes. "Tell me."

"I took her to see my dad." I say quietly and feel him stiffen

"Why?" he asks, his voice steady and cool, like always

"I don't know." I turn to look up at him. His face looks like a still sky. "She cried."

"Did you?"

I look away. "No. I felt," Vengefully happy

"That's okay." He says

"No it isn't." I shake my head. "It's cruel and wrong and—"

"Human." He corrects gently. "You don't need to always take the high road. I'm not saying it's not wrong but it's a justifiable indulgence."

"You are just saying that." I say pushing myself up to sit on my knees

He chuckles lowly. "If anyone knows about wrongs, it's me. Is it so bad that she felt an iota of the pain you went through for so long? Especially if it's the consequences of her own actions."

"So I'm not entirely horrible?"

"I didn't say that." He says seriously and ducks instinctively when my fingers clench into a fist

I laugh and kick him instead before settling down on my back on the other end of the couch.

"I actually have a favor to ask." Aiden speaks up