Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
I walked around him and made my way up the steps to my front door. “I’ll get changed and then come over, if she still wants me to stay the night. Unless Nancy’s here.”
“What? Why would she be here?”
Shrugging, I climbed the steps and crossed to my door, Aiden right behind me.
“Why did you leave, Emma?”
My hands started to tremble, and I couldn’t get the key into the lock.
I instantly felt the warmth of him against my back. When his hand covered mine, I felt my stomach flutter.
“Emma,” he whispered against my ear. “Don’t.”
Closing my eyes, I pulled in a slow breath. “Don’t what?”
Aiden placed his hands gently on my shoulders and turned me to face him. I leaned against the door as I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes.
He shook his head, clearly at a loss for words.
“Aiden, you’re giving me whiplash, and I don’t know how to respond to you anymore. One moment you’re saying I’m nothing more than hired help.”
His eyes closed briefly.
“Then you’re kissing me and walking away as if nothing’s happening.”
“What is happening?” he asked.
I let out a laugh-sob. “I don’t know! I moved here to start over, to put my past behind me and find myself again. I didn’t want or have the desire to be with anyone. But from the moment I met you, you brought something back to life deep down inside me, and I’ve been fighting it ever since! I know you don’t feel the same way, but this back and forth is starting to take a toll on me.”
He looked at me like I was insane. “Don’t feel the same way? I haven’t been able to think straight since I hired you, Emma. Each time I see you with Hadley, something inside of me cracks open wider. I’m splitting in two. One side of me loves what you’ve done for Hadley, the other is scared out of my mind.”
My brows pulled in tight. “Scared of what?”
“Everything! That she’ll forget her mother. That you’ll end up hurting us.”
Glancing down, I tried to keep my voice calm. “No one will ever replace her mother. Like I told you before, you just keep her memory alive. And why in the world would you think I’d hurt the two of you? That’s the last thing I want to do.”
“My daughter has fallen in love with you, Emma.”
Tears filled my eyes as I said, “I’ve fallen in love with her as well, but I’m not trying to replace Lisa in anyone’s lives. I’m doing what you’ve hired me to do, to take care of Hadley. I’m sorry if I’ve developed a relationship with her.”
He screwed his face up and whispered, “Don’t apologize for that. She’s so much happier. I’m happier.”
Lifting my chin, I spoke without thinking. “Did Nancy not make you happy?”
Aiden’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “What? That’s twice you’ve brought her up. Why?”
I swallowed hard. It was too late to back out now. “She told me tonight at the hospital that the two of you slept together. That you shared a common bond in Lisa. She made it very clear you’d never be able to open your heart to another woman because your love for your wife was like no other. I respect that and—”
“She freaking told you that?!” I flinched at his tone. It was cold and outraged.
“It’s none of my business, Aiden. I’d like to be your friend, but this has become awkward, and I’m not even sure how you want me to fit into Hadley’s world anymore. Yours, either. Maybe I need to move out of the apartment.”
Aiden thrust his hand into his hair and began to pace. When he didn’t say anything, I turned to unlock the door. “I’m going to get changed. Is Hadley in her room?”
When he still didn’t answer, I opened my door and made my way into the apartment. I was too exhausted for this conversation.
Heading to my room, I started to pull my shirt off when I felt him. I spun around to see Aiden in the doorway of my bedroom.
“We were separated. Lisa moved out of the house. She wanted a life I couldn’t give her, and she was moving to California with a guy she’d been seeing. Until she found out she had cancer. When she was diagnosed, the guy took off without her, and I invited her to move back in so I could take care of her.
“I loved Lisa, don’t get me wrong. She was the first woman I’d ever been with. We had a child together and would always be connected. I wasn’t in love with her anymore, and she felt the same way about me. We had a hard marriage, and we stayed together for one reason only, and that was Hadley. Things had been over between us long before either of us wanted to admit it.”