Alpha Aidan's Rejection Chapter 18

TARA

　　"Thank you for keeping an eye on her, Jenna," I said through the phone as I moved around my office. "I would have been forced to leave the decorations as they are if it weren't for you. Thank you," I said again.

　　"There's no problem, Tara, you're welcome. And you talk as if I wouldn't jump on any chance to spend time with goddaughter. Girl, bye! Don't come back till tomorrow."

　　I laughed lightly as I responded. "Well, if you would be more open to the males, maybe you would find yourself someone suitable and have a sibling for Nadia. What do you…"

　　Before I could finish my sentence, Jenna's long and dramatic response blasted through my speaker. "Capital nooo, thank you."

　　I didn't expect anything less.

　　"Now is the time where I am the one to tell you to never say never," I said, opening the drawers to check through a set of keys.

　　"Whatever, Santa," she jeered. "I would love to get back to my game of cards with Nadia since I'm about to beat her fair and square, thank you very much," she said, and I nodded rapidly even if she couldn't see me.

　　"Take it easy on my baby, and say hi to her for me. I'll be back as soon as I'm done here," I replied, but Jenna had already ended the call so I didn't know how much she heard.

　　Thankful that Nadia was sorted for the night, I could finish up here without rushing.

　　Having found the key I was looking for, I exited the room and turned my office light off. I moved into the general dining area and turned the lights on, and the first thing my eyes settled on was…

　　"Christ, Aidan!" I jumped, slapping a hand across my chest and another over my mouth to muffle my scream. "You startled me," I said in a whisper as I tried to calm my racing heart. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?" I questioned.

　　He stood cautiously with his hands slowly raised, and he pointed to the entrance door.

　　"I saw a light coming from your office, and the door was unlocked. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

　　"Shit, I thought I locked that."

　　He shook his head, and when he noticed that I had calmed down, he approached me.

　　This close, not only did his cologne slide up my nostrils, but also his natural scent. I forced myself to not sniff up more of him and return my brain to factory reset.

　　"It's late and unsafe," he said, breaking the silent stare between us. "What are you still doing out here that couldn't be shifted till tomorrow?"

　　I crossed my hands over my chest as I responded. "First, I can very well take care of myself. And then, I should ask you the same question."

　　"I came to talk," he said, and something about his undertone made me realize that he wasn't leaving until he did just that.

　　My defenses shot up immediately. "Not today, Aidan. I have to finish up here and get back home. Like you said, it's late."

　　Without waiting for him to talk back, I turned around and went toward the small closet that was connected to the main diner area which acted as a store room. I easily identified the box I needed and crouched low to lift it with two hands and a grunt.

　　Damn, it was heavy.

　　"Gimme that," his thick voice sounded from behind me, so close to my ear, and I stilled. I could feel the warmth from his body coming off me, and my head started to go in slow circles.

　　Aidan seemed unaffected as he tried to take the box from me, but I wouldn't let go.

　　"I can do it myself," I snapped, pulling the box from his grasp. "Please leave."

　　"It's obvious you can, little miss muscles," he joked, and I released the box with that. "But I'd rather I did it instead. Why the heck would you lift boxes around me?"

　　I let him have it, and he took the box from the storeroom into the diner.

　　"What's all this by the way?" He asked, and I pried the box open to reveal the new decorations I wanted to put up.

　　"It will soon be time for the customary moon goddess celebration, and I wanted the theme of the diner to be in line with it," I replied.

　　Aidan nodded. "But didn't you just open up? These are still new," he pointed to the royal blue decor I put around the place.

　　"I know, but it'll be better if the theme matches. I don't mind putting the old ones back up later, but we have to keep the spirit of the celebrations alive."

　　One thing about me was that I was going to go all in and all out. If that meant taking down old decorations for new ones to come in, then by all means, I would do it.

　　I started taking down the flowers that we didn't need, and I put the new soft gray moon-shaped ones up simultaneously.

　　Aidan tried to help severally, which I refused, but he soon quickly studied the pattern in which I was putting up the decor, and he silently worked beside me on his own accord.

　　Why was he doing this?

　　What did he really want from us?

　　Was he just here wanting to get back together all because of Nadia? Did he want to take her…

　　"I can hear the wheels turning in your head, Tara," Aidan said through my thoughts, pulling me back to reality. "Ask me whatever it is going through your mind."

　　My denial was instant. "I don't want to ask you anything. I prefer us going in circles."

　　He put the flower he was holding down, and he turned to me. "Nadia is mine, isn't she?"

　　I swallowed hard as I mulled over his words. It was obvious that Nadia was his, but then, we couldn't easily forget the fact that I tried to tell him when I got pregnant with her and he sent me away.

　　Having the conversation this time around meant he was ready to acknowledge it, and that could mean many different things that I didn't want to face, so I had a hard time letting my answer out.

　　"Why do you care all of a sudden?" I asked instead. "You were more than happy to cast us aside before. You said I cheated on you, and you had proof. Maybe she belongs to who it was then," I said with a shrug, fighting past the painful lump in my throat.

　　Aidan growled possessively, telling me that his wolf didn't like what I just said.

　　It was obviously a lie as I had never been with, or so much as looked at another person when we were together, but I just wanted to say anything to get him to leave us alone.

　　Aidan spoke. "I can feel it, and it can't be denied, Tara. I know I fucked up, but I'm here now, and I deserve a chance with her."

　　A gasp escaped my lips, and I didn't know when I tossed the items in my hand aside and slammed both of my fists into Aidan's broad chest.

　　The guts!

　　"A chance? To hell with you, Aidan! Screw you, okay?" I yelled, shoving him back, but he didn't move, neither did he fight me back. "Fine! You want to talk, let's talk," I said through my fury.

　　Oh, he was so going to get it.