Bad Boy + Good Girl = ?

Chapter 24

*A Week Later*

Opening my eyes, I see Aidan still sleeping with his head turned to the window and his bare chest against the bed. I smile and sit up, stretching and yawning. I get up and go to the bathroom, taking a shower and getting ready for the day. Leaving the bathroom, I notice Aidan staring at an envelope, looking upset. "Aidan?" I ask, walking in slowly. He looks up at me and forces a smile.

"Good morning, Charlotte."

"Aidan, what's wrong?" I ask, sitting next to him. He shows me the envelope. "From the courthouse?" He nods and buries his hands in his hair. "...Why are you getting things from there?"

"...It's my dad..." He mutters. I grab one of his hands and squeeze it.

"What's it about?"

"He's out of prison, I didn't even know he was in there. But for some reason they sent me this to inform me." He says, still upset.

"It's okay. He doesn't know where you live. You'll be okay." He sighs.

"But he knows where Anna goes to school..."

"They won't let a strange man near her, I promise." He sighs and lays his head on my shoulder, both of us leaning back against the couch. He flips my left hand and frowns, looking up at me.

"Where's your engagement ring?" He asks. I smile and kiss him.

"Probably in the bathroom. I must've forgot to put it back on after getting out of the shower. I'll put it back on when we get up."

"Okay." He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses my ring finger. "When are we going to tell your dad?"

"Well, I'm going to leave and head to his house tomorrow for the annual Easter dinner on Sunday." Aidan nods, frowning slightly. "I was kind of hoping you would join me..." He removes his head from my shoulder to look at me. "Unless your aunt is doing something." I quickly add, blushing, causing him to laugh.

"Charlotte, I would love to go with you. My aunt is doing something but I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I didn't show up. I can just send Anna to go stay with her for Saturday and we can pick her up on Sunday."

I wait a few moments before asking, "Are you going to tell Anna about your dad?" He shifts uncomfortably and shrugs.

"I don't want to because she doesn't remember him much and if she does, it's bad. After my mother died, he turned into a monster." He says. "All he did was drink and smoke. And when he came home, he would hit us. He hit me way more than he hit Anna. I hated seeing it happen to her more than I hated it happening to me. There were very, very few times I couldn't intervene. But I remember the horrible screams and crying coming from her..." He mutters and I notice tears and fear in his eyes.

"Aidan...you don't have to tell me." He shakes his head, continuing.

"I remember the very last time like it was yesterday. He had gotten home drunk and was smoking a cigarette when he tripped over one of Anna's toys. He had this...fire in his eyes. He glared at Anna, her being only seven years old, it scared her so much she started crying. He yelled at her and raised his hand to hit her and...and," I squeeze his hand. "and went to hit her but I jumped in just in time. It was so hard that my cheek was stinging and my ear was ringing. I went to school the next day and they called the cops after seeing the bruised hand print on my cheek. That was the last time I ever saw him."

"...God, Aidan...That's terrible. Why didn't you ever tell anyone before?" He sighs and shakes his head.

"I had already lost my mom, I didn't want to lose my dad, too." He mutters, sadly.