Alpha Aidan's Rejection Chapter 94

TARA

　　Activities like these were fast becoming one of my favorite things to do, and that was doing absolutely nothing!

　　We drove slowly in complete silence, the only sounds permeating the air around us being that of the car engine and Nadia snoring softly at the back of the car. Aidan's eyes were on the road ahead of us, his left hand on the steering wheel, while his right hand was laced with mine over the console between our seats.

　　It was perfect.

　　And the only imperfect moment in all of it was when we arrived in front of our house, signaling the end of the evening for us. I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to say "See you tomorrow," but we couldn't exactly remain seated in the car, basking in each other's warmth, when Nadia's neck was cranked in an uncomfortable position at the back.

　　Aidan must have thought of this too, because he brought our interlocked hands up to his lips, and pressed a lingering kiss on the back of my palm that left me reeling.

　　"I'll help get her inside."

　　I nodded, whispering "Okay," and within seconds, Aidan was out of the car and on my side, holding the door open for me.

　　I stepped outside and shut the door, and Aidan repeated the action on Nadia's door, only this time, he crouched down to gently carry her out of the car.

　　As he shut the door, the sound of another one opening had my head turning to the house beside mine, and my mouth fell open in confusion when a dazed Esme, clothed in her sleeping wear with a scarf over her head, came running down her steps with wide eyes…and a baseball bat in hand.

　　"Goddess, Esme, how are you so fast on your feet at like seventy?" I asked with equally wide eyes as I took in her small frame. "And what are you doing out here with a weapon? I told you we'd be back soon."

　　Esme's nightgown and scarf were crumpled to the side, revealing her head…which was bare- shaved clean almost to her scalp and telling me that she was already asleep when she heard us. ‘I knew I was right about Esme's hair situation. She definitely always wore a wig,' I thought to myself.

　　Esme's furrowed brown shifted to where Aidan had Nadia in his arms, lingered for a second and slowly came back to me.

　　"You can give me the compliment without mocking me, Tara, okay? And I'm just fifty…three," she said with mock indignation, adjusting her clothes, and looking more like a stubborn child than an elderly woman.

　　It was almost comical.

　　"You left on foot, and you said you'd be back before it got dark," she said, and I nodded. She had a point.

　　"Alright. I'm sorry we scared you. And well, thank you for coming out here to make sure that the neighborhood stays safe, but it's just us, so go back to bed, okay?" I spoke with a smile gesturing to her disheveled state. "We ran into Aidan on our stroll."

　　Esme's eyes trained on Aidan now, and her eyes hardened. "And you brought him with you this time," she said.

　　Aidan spoke for the first time, since giving us the room to talk. "Good evening, ma'am. I'm sorry we startled you."

　　Esme balked, mouth opening and closing in shock. "I am not that old."

　　I chuckled, speaking this time. "Yes, Esme, I brought him back." I hoped she got the message I was trying to pass to her that Aidan and I were okay now.

　　She did.

　　But when she looked back up at Aidan, I didn't expect what she said next. "You were only this inch away from receiving a beating with this bat. Why would you almost throw away something so priceless?" She asked, hands flailing.

　　Aidan didn't seem to be affected by the fact that a petite Esme just threatened to beat him like a child, and he responded instead. "That was all me. I was foolish, scared, and misguided. I was lost," Aidan said, his eyes darting from Esme's only for a second before he maintained her eyes again. "But not anymore. I'm not messing it up this time. They're my life," he said quietly, and my heart melted.

　　I didn't think I could be this affected emotionally, but the warmest smile I'd ever seen on Esme's face appeared, painting the perfect picture of the chosen grandmother that she has always been to Nadia, and the mother to me. The smile was directed at Aidan, but I knew that it was for more than him.

　　Esme was genuinely happy for all three of us, and in that moment, we all looked like one family of some sort. I was also happy because once again, Esme was witnessing some good thing in what I always thought to be her little lonely world.

　　Her eyes remained on Aidan for a while longer, and as if she had remembered something, Esme tore her eyes from him, looking down at Nadia who was snuggled against Aidan's chest.

　　"Ah…well…that's good. K-keep it that way, you hear me?" Exhaling a sharp breath, Esme took a small step back. "That would be goodnight to you three," she said, turning around, and slowly retreating into her house.

　　"That was…a lot for five minutes," I said once I heard her locks turning, and Aidan nodded.

　　"Let's get you both inside," Aidan muttered, adjusting Nadia in his arms, and nodding up.

　　"Yeah."

　　I unlocked the door, letting Aidan in, and I kicked off my shoes as I dropped my tote bag on the floor.

　　"Is it okay if I tuck her in?" Aidan asked, and I nodded immediately. Heaven knows that I would have struggled to carry Nadia up those flights of stairs with how tired I was.

　　It was now I was just realizing that I hadn't had a good sleep in weeks, and I hadn't taken a daytime nap in a much longer period, especially since after that day when Nadia crawled out of the house while I was asleep.

　　"I'm going to grab a glass of wine. Want one?" I asked, pushing my thoughts to the side, and Aidan nodded.

　　He went up the stairs with Nadia while I did that, and soon, Aidan was back in the kitchen with me.

　　I'd yawned close to ten times in the next couple of minutes, exhausted from the day's activities, and Aidan caught on to this.

　　Emptying his glass, he placed it on the table.

　　"Thank you for today, Tara. I should get going now, and let you hit the bed," Aidan said, and my heart dropped a little.

　　I didn't want him so far away. I wanted him here, so I came clean.

　　"Actually, I don't think I want you to leave tonight. Do you mind staying?"