to his mouth.
Nothing could have prepared me for what he said next.
Nothing.
Staring profoundly into my eyes, he revealed,
“I rely on you to be there for me. As my nanny, as my friend, as the woman I’m falling in love with.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
<>Aiden<>
The words just fell out of my fucking mouth.
Every. Last. One.
What are you doing, Aiden?
“You’re what?”
“You heard me.”
“Did you just say that to prove a point?”
“Do I ever say what I don’t mean?’
“No.”
“Then you have your answer.”
I backed away, reaching for the bag I brought in with me. “I know what it’s like to have nothing. To own only the shirt on your back. I worked really fuckin’ hard to get where I’m at in life, both physically and financially. I didn’t do it for myself. I did it for the family I always knew I wanted. I provide, Cami. It’s who I am, it’s how I’m made. You’ve not once asked me for anything, not one fuckin’ thing. Don’t think for one minute I don’t see who you are. Your heart is all I see. Do you understand me?”
She nodded, faintly startled by what I just shared.
“Giving you the things you deserve makes me happy. Don’t take my happiness away, not when I’m feeling it for the first time in years. Because of you. That’s what you bring into my life, Cami… happiness. And I wouldn’t change that for all the money in the world.”
Her eyes watered, her lips trembled, her mind trying to keep up.
“No crying on your birthday.”
“It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to. Besides, they’re happy tears.”
Those three words.
Those three goddamn words sent me spiraling back to when I was seven-years-old.
“Why would I want to make you cry?”
“Because they’re happy tears and crying with happy tears is like super romantic.”
“Aiden?”
“Oh… Okay then. I’ll ask you in a way that will make you cry happy tears.”
“Aiden?”
“Okay good, but don’t make me cry in any other way than happy tears. Ever. You promise?”
“I promise.”
“Aiden!”
My eyes locked with Camila’s, jolting me to the present.
“Where did you go? Are you okay?”
Was I okay?
What are you doing, Aiden?
I handed her the bag, trying to focus on the woman in front of me and not the one fucking with my mind.
“Put this on for me.”
“You didn’t have to get me—”
“For fuck’s sake! Just for once, say thank you!”
She jerked back, earning her a growl from deep within my chest.
“Are you okay? What just happ—”
I abruptly turned, fighting like hell to collect my composure. “I’ll be outside.”
Before she could reply, I walked out of the room, needing some air.
“Fuck. What am I doing?”
I was over playing the back and forth between us. I wanted her to know how I felt, what I wanted, but I couldn’t for the life of me get over the betrayal plaguing my mind for my wife.
Pushing through the double doors, I made my way out to the balcony over-looking downtown. I rested my elbows against the railing, holding my pounding head between my hands. It was still so fucking hard to let Cami in.
Was I ready?
I constantly fought the emotions of what felt fucking right and fucking wrong. The angel and demon effect. A part of me wanted to suffer, to hurt, to show my wife she truly was my world.
A world I would now walk through alone.
And then another part of me wanted to move on. To stop living in the past and forget the things I couldn’t change.
I wanted to be set free.
It was an endless battle in my heart.
I wanted my world to become Camila. I wanted her to be the center of it all.
If I didn’t open up to her, I was going to lose her for a woman who was no longer in my life. I understood where she was coming from, my thoughts were a mystery to her. A puzzle she was so desperately trying to put together. I never shared anything with her, and yet I still demanded to know everything about her. It wasn’t fair.
To her.
To my kids.
To myself.
I wanted to know her secrets, and a huge part of me wanted her to know mine.
There weren’t many things that could shock me. I’d seen and experienced it all.
But this…
Falling in love with Camila.
Was fucking earth shattering.
As soon as she stepped out onto the balcony, I saw her from the corner of my eye.
She was stunning.
I would be lying if I said her presence didn’t make me feel more at ease, though it was her appearance that left