Not So Perfect

XXIX

Aiden's POV

I smiled as I played with her fingers, she laid her head on my chest, one of my hand securely wrapping around her.

I couldn't wish for anything else right now. I bet she could hear my racing heart.

After coming back from the office,  we had initially planned on going out, but Nora was too tired and she asked if we could reschedule, to which I agreed.

And now we're here cuddling each other. Nora let out a sigh and I looked at her as she raised her head to look at me.

She gave me a small smile and I pecked her forehead.

"We're so lucky we got to clear all our misunderstandings, right Aiden?" She asked me, smiling. I nodded at her.

"Imagine if we never talked it out and just kept hating each other." She said, in a low tone. I tightened my arm around her, pulling her closer to me.

"I don't want to imagine anything in which you're not with me princess." I told her sternly.

She chuckled softly and sat up, still leaning onto me, my arm now loosely hanging around her.

"I love you Aiden." My breath hitched as she said that.

Three years. I didn't realise how much I missed hearing that from her. First time after three years, it's like a warm feeling just spread through my entire being.

I sat up as well and cupped her cheeks. "You don't know how much I desperately longed to hear that."

I kissed her forehead. "I love you more princess." I told her, looking into her eyes which shone with tears.

"Don't cry." I whispered, before placing my forehead against hers. She closed her eyes and I closed mine aswell.

"I love you." She mumbled again and I smiled, satisfied.

"I love you." I replied her, yet again.

I then opened my eyes and moved back, to see her already looking at me. I groaned when I saw her eyes flicker down to my lips.

"I won't wait until someone else disturbs us." With that, I placed my lips on her.

She slightly moaned at the touch and I deepened the kiss, satisfied by her reaction. I moved my lips against her, putting in all the love I have for her.

When we pulled away, we were both breathing heavily. I then rolled her bottom lip between my teeth and slightly bit it, making her gasp.

I pulled away and smirked at her. "That's for teasing me in the cabin." She rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile.

"I wasn't the only one. You teased me aswell." She said, cutely huffing out.

"You can punish me too princess." Her eyes widened and she hit my arm as I laughed at her and laid back down.

"Pervert." She murmured. I chuckled and softly pulled her back to lay down with me.

After a while of comfortable silence between us, Nora again turned towards me, this time with a frown.

"Aiden, can I ask you for a favor?" She asked me and I furrowed my brows.

"There's no favor between us princess, tell me what you want. It's your right." She slightly smiled at that.

"I..." She was hesitating so I nudged her a bit to continue. "..you know, I told you ab..about my p..parents right?" I nodded at her slightly, not quite figuring out where she's going with that.

"I... really want to find out who did that to them Aiden..." She trailed off looking away, a few drops of tears flowing from her eyes. I can't even think of imagining her pain.

Seeing your parents get killed in front of you, is just another level of pain. And the guilt of not having been able to do anything about it.

"But I don't have any resources for that... all these years, I've always wanted to find who those people were, make them regret for what they did.... but I couldn't... I myself was living off of someone.." She chuckled bitterly.

I sighed and turned her face towards me. I wiped her tears off, but fresh tears rolled down her eyes.

I looked into her eyes and said. "I promise my love, I will find out who those people were and we will punish them. They will regret what they did with every fibre of their being." She cried more and hugged me, tightly wrapping her arm around my torso and I held her closer.

"Thank you so much Aiden. This means a lot to me." I ran my hand through her hair, calming her down.

After a while, she calmed down and stopped crying. "Don't worry princess, I'll make sure to fulfill my promise, I'll make those men kneel in front of you and beg for mercy." She looked up at me.

"You talk like you're some type of gangster." I almost choked at that. I cleared my throat and awkwardly chuckled at her.

"That reminds me.." She cutely tilted her head. "...the day we met again, and you were all wounded and you had a gun with you... and like Aria was super angry... what was all that about?" She asked, making me gulp.

"Oh... about that..." I trailed off, as she nodded at me to continue.

"What is it?" She asked confused, when I wasn't replying.

I sighed and looked at her. "Promise me you'll listen to the whole thing before reacting. And promise me that you won't leave me after you know the truth." I told her. She furrowed her brows.

"Aide-"

"Promise?" I cut her off. She sighed and nodded. "I promise."

I bit my lip, not knowing how to start. "So, you see... my family ran a mafia." I quickly said and looked at her for her reaction. Her eyes widened.

Then she suddenly huffed out and chuckled sarcastically. "Funny" she let out.

"No.. seriously.. my family from my great grandfather's time ran this whole group.. we used to sell things illegally and like... you know just your typical mafia stuff." I tried to play it cool.

"So you're telling me you're a mafia man?" She suddenly got up.

"No!" I exclaimed quickly and she furrowed her eyebrows. "I mean, I was... but not anymore..." She was still confused.

So I explained her how after Aria came into our lives, Ash ended everything and how I got stuck with it and how it finally ended a few days later of us meeting again.

"Oh. My. God." She said, surprised.  "I don't know what to say.. I mean.. I'm glad you guys ended everything because Aria was totally right...." She trailed off and I chuckled.

"Yeah, but I kind of enjoyed it while it lasted." I said, playfully, and she glared at me. She then took a pillow and hit me and I laughed.

I managed to take the pillow out of her hold and pulled her toward me. "Relax, I'm just kidding." She then proceeded to lay down beside me.

She sighed. "Anyway, let's sleep now. I'm super tired." She said and yawned, making me yawn as well.

I then put my arm around her torso and nuzzled against her neck, making her sigh. And we both drifted off to dreamland.

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