I Have TWO Mates?!?!

Eight

When I woke next I moaned in pain. I clutched the side of my face carefully but even the lightest touch felt like i'd thrown acid on myself. After I was sure nothing else hurt, I got up slowly from my bed and went to the bathroom to check the damage. 

Outside it was pitch black so my room was impossible to see in until I got to the bathroom and turned the light on. Immediately I realized I wasn't able to see out of my left eye and that made me pause. This was not going to be a pretty picture. 

With a deep breath I stepped further into the bathroom and turned towards the mirror. I grimaced at the sight of myself. My left eye was completely swollen shut, my temple around my eye was bruising a nasty black and purple, and half of my face was puffy like I'd been stung by a bee. Lovely.

There was no way I'd be able to cover any of this up and go to work. I didn't want anyone to see what happened to me. Especially the twins. 

The three of us may not always get along but I couldn't deny this... connection we have with each other. I think it would kill me if they saw my face like this. 

It didn't take me long to decide to hide out from work and to get someone to cover me for the next day or two. 

After figuring everything out, I went to my fridge and got out the largest ice pack i could find. The moment it touched my face, i burst back out in tears. 

____________

AIDEN:

My brother and I did not see Jay for the rest of the evening and I wasn't happy about that. Since he started working here things between my brother and I have... changed. Nothing major really but we were no longer relying on each other to get through the days. Alexander seemed to talk more as well, especially since he had his own meetings to run now. But he wouldn't really speak to others except me before Jay came along. 

So When I realized Jay had disappeared, I tried looking around the office for him. Georgia found me wandering his desk when I had looked everywhere else. "Jayden Left about an hour ago. Seemed to be troubled and in a bit of a rush." She was leaning against the glass door of Jay's office. I didn't fail to notice that there was worry in her tone. "Earlier he left in a rush as well, he told me to take care of all of this. I think he went to see his father."

Ah, he could be upset about how well his father is doing. I frowned and proceeded to sit in his chair. His father is the reason Jay is here, and with his father's declining health I recalled that he only wanted to be here for him. 

Alexander came into Jay's office as I was pondering what to feel if Jay would leave. "Jay left a little while ago." I told my brother distractedly, looking in his direction but not really paying him any mind. Another odd thing, before Jay came along I would hardly take my eyes off Alex since he has always been a bit more emotional than myself. 

"Oh." Alex said and his tone made me glance up at his face, he was disappointed and this made me raise a brow at him, "I was looking forward to speaking to him about something." He shrugged but I only grew more curious, Alexander always told me what was on his mind. 

"You know you can talk to me brother." I spoke after a moment since he wasn't speaking. 

"I know i can brother," he gave me a fleeting smile, "He just has the same views as I do and you don't enjoy the subject."

I frowned before glancing at Jay's desk, Alex was opening up. It never occurred to me that we could not have something in common. "I'm sure we will see him tomorrow," I got up from the chair and followed my brother out of the office, "I'm ready to go home if you are, these women are getting on my last nerve." I glared at a couple of women eyeing us with interest.