Aiden Harper

Pampering

Eden

I took it easy on the couch at Aiden and Diego's apartment. Breathing with a broken nose was tricky, so I breathed through my mouth.

But Aiden was incredible throughout it all. He checked on me and sought to address my needs. I'll admit I enjoyed it a little too much. Who wouldn't revel in a hot guy's attention?

Aiden sat on the couch beside me with a gift bag, pulled out items, and placed them on the coffee table. "Okay, I wasn't sure what you liked, so I asked my ma to get me things I thought you would enjoy."

I looked at the stuff on the coffee table. There were bath bombs, a face mask, pain relievers, cream, an antiseptic wash, and a pedicure kit. "What's with the pedicure kit?"

"Ma said all women enjoy getting pampered." He shrugged.

"My toes are the last thing on my mind. I prefer my nose to heal and the black eyes to disappear."

"They will in time. My family isn't strangers to broken noses or bones."

I looked at Aiden and smiled. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. Most guys wouldn't help a girl they just met."

"I'm not like most guys."

"I've noticed that."

Aiden chuckled.

I reached over and slid my hand into his before catching his gaze. "Yes."

"Yes?" Aiden raised his brow, unsure of my answer.

"I want to give you a chance."

Aiden gazed at me, knowing what this meant for me.

"Aiden, you've proven a guy will protect you. He will risk his freedom to get someone justice. You prove that good guys exist."

Aiden intertwined his fingers in mine. "Good guys have always existed. People miss them because they don't see them standing before them. But people can't condemn you for caring about your ex. You didn't know he had another side to him."

I shook my head. "No, I didn't. Wayne hid that part of himself from me."

"No guy has a right to lay their hands on women unless the woman provokes them. Then, the guy has every right to defend himself. The double standard doesn't work anymore. Too many women run their mouths and expect guys to do nothing but take it. Respect is earned, not given."

"I agree. Mia is a prime example of what happens when you let someone get away with everything."

"Not anymore."

I looked at Aiden and smiled a little more.

******
Aiden

Eden didn't need people to hover around her. She only needed to know that people cared about her, and my family cared about showing her their actions.

I pressed my lips to Eden's forehead before getting up to make her a camomile tea. Since a pack was in the care package that Ma sent, I steeped a tea bag in a cup of hot water and brought it to Eden. She took it from me and sipped it.

Then I grabbed some pillows and a throw blanket and made her a makeshift bed on the couch. Eden sank against the pillows and sipped her tea while I rubbed her legs over the blanket.

"How's the tea?" I asked.

"It's good."

"Good. Now you can take it easy and relax. Did you want to watch a movie?"