Chapter 312
Aria’s POV
Perhaps sensing my profound tension, steered the conversation into entirely new waters.
“I’ll tell you a secret,” he said, his voice a low, intimate murmur, cutting through the anxiety that hummed between us. “One about my first love p>
“What?” The word slipped out before I could stop it, my voice tinged with an embarrassing hint of jealousy I couldn’t quite hide.
“Why did you fall for her?” I asked, trying to sound casual while something uncomfortable twisted in my stomach.
Aiden’s lips curved into that half-smile that always made my pulse quicken. “She reminded me not to dwell in past sorrows during my lowest point. Without her, I might never have achieved what I have today p>
I bit my lip, gathering my courage before asking the question burning inside me: “Do you still like her now p>
His eyebrow arched slightly as he leaned back against his chair, tilting his head in that infuriatingly attractive way. “Does Mrs. Carter hope I do or don’t p>
I felt my face flush. “But whether you like her or not is already a fact. It’s not like if I say I hope you don’t, you’ll tell me you don’t p>
Aiden studied me for a moment before answering simply: “I do p>
My heart sank.
Logically, I knew it was perfectly normal that Aiden, at thirty, had liked someone before. Hadn’t I been hung up on Liam White? But hearing him actually admit it still stung more than it should have.
I knew this jealousy was ridiculous—I was being petty—but I couldn’t help it. Still, I forced my shoulders into a casual shrug. “She must be really beautiful p>
“She is,” he smiled. “Very beautiful p>
“And probably very sweet too p>
The amusement in Aiden’s eyes deepened at my comment.
“That depends on who you ask,” he said, lowering his gaze with a smile that
seemed to hide secrets. “Sweet, but also quite spirited p>
Watching his expression as he talked about her, I felt like someone had upended a bottle of vinegar in my chest. Everything inside me turned sour. I had to look away, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat.
“So why didn’t you two end up together?” I finally asked, looking back at him.
If someone like Aiden had gotten together with his first love, where would that leave
me? I couldn’t shake the image of his smile when he described her. It made my chest ache in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
I took a deep breath, pretending indifference as I waited for his answer.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“How can you not know?” I blurted out, genuinely confused. How could two people not know why they never got together? Was he messing with me? Or had they actually been together but broken up, and he just didn’t want to tell me the full story?
Aiden just smiled without answering.
“Didn’t you ever ask her?” I pressed, unable to let it go.
After a moment’s silence, he said, “It’s not really something I could ask p>
“Why not?” The whole thing seemed so tragically unnecessary.
“She’s married p>
“Oh p>
Well, that definitely would make it awkward to ask!
I couldn’t help the little surge of happiness that bubbled up, though I immediately felt terrible about it. I quickly rearranged my expression into something appropriately sympathetic. “That’s such a shame p>
Aiden looked at me and made a little “tsk” sound. “She’s not only married, she’s completely forgotten about me p>
“Oh p>
Now that really was sad!
I pressed my lips together, not knowing what to say. Aiden’s first love story sounded
like something straight out of a melodramatic TV series.
He reached over and patted my shoulder. “Does talking about this make you uncomfortable p>
“No, not really,” I lied, then immediately felt guilty about it.
Okay, fine. Maybe I was a little jealous. Or a lot.
I guiltily avoided his gaze, looking away toward the monitor screen. My eyes landed
on “Benjamin Jones,” and just like that, my attention snapped back to the surgery.
Aiden checked his watch. Over fifty minutes had passed already.
He didn’t say anything more, just sat with me while we waited.
As the minutes ticked by and the hour mark passed, my anxiety grew.
“It’s been over an hour,” I said, glancing nervously at Aiden.
“Don’t worry. The doctor said approximately an hour, but it doesn’t necessarily mean
it will be exactly sixty minutes p>
I nodded, checking the screen again. Dad’s surgery status hadn’t changed.
After ten more agonizing minutes of waiting, the display finally updated. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized t was holding and smiled at Aiden Dad’s been moved back to his room. Should we go see him p>
“Yes p>
We left the waiting area and headed to Dad’s hospital room. When we arrived, an
attendant was just leaving.
Dad was lying in bed, his lips pale but his overall condition seemed good. Though the incision wasn’t large, it was still on his chest, and he needed to stay in bed for a day or two. The doctor had recommended plenty of rest.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” he said.
Seeing Dad okay with my own eyes finally allowed me to fully relax.
“Get some rest, Dad. Aiden and I should head home now p>