Chapter 34
Aiden
Itake the long way to Katya’s place, so that I can clear my head.
But let’s be honest—there’s no clearing anything when it comes to Mia. She’s in my lungs, under my skin, etched into the muscle memory of my life.
Every turn I take somehow leads me to her.
It’s been four weeks since I was fired as CEO of Winter Financial.
It feels like a lifetime.
Everything has slowed down, and it’s for the better.
I can’t, for the life of me, understand how I ever worked sixty, seventy hours a week. Now I’m getting a taste of what it means to actually live without an alarm clock.
It’s a forced vacation, yes, but it’s a break nevertheless, and I’m sleeping eight plus hours a night—if I can swing it at Katya’s place—in my wife’s bed. I wish we could sleep at our place in our bed, instead.
I want her home.
Back in our bed, our kitchen, our mornings and nights.
We haven’t had an official date since number six, the night she stayed over.
I’ve been saving the last two for special occasions, hoping they’ll set the tone for what comes next—that dating each other won’t just be something we count anymore, but something we do all the time, the way we already are.
I’m going to ask her to move back in, I decide.
I’m still in the process of knocking on Katya’s front door when Mia opens it, making it nearly impossible to remember my carefully planned words.
She’s in a soft linen dress, her hair up in a loose knot, the faint scent of Gucci Flora emanating from her.
“Hey.” She lifts her face for a kiss, like it’s the most natural thing to do.
I press my lips against hers, and put my hands on her shoulders. “Mia, would you—"
“No,” she says before I even get the rest out, lips twitching. “I’m not moving back in.”
I narrow my eyes. “You didn’t let me finish.”
“I know what you were going to say. You have the ‘come home, baby’ look in your eyes.”
Busted.
I laugh despite myself.
She walks me into the kitchen, her hand wrapped around the crook of my arm. “I like how we are right now. I like the anticipation. The choosing. I like inviting you into my space…and being invited into yours.”
I watch her, my thoughts turning over slowly. “So you’re saying you like dating me?”
“Yes.” She leans in, kisses my cheek. “Also, I made dinner plans for us. Cristiano and Katya want to meet us at Honey Road. You up for it?”
I smile. “Absolutely.”
Honey Road is a Mediterranean restaurant that serves small plates and cocktails in what they call a comfy tavern setting.
Since I’ve never been to a tavern, I can’t say if they’ve nailed the vibe, but the space feels warm and lived-in—brick walls washed in soft amber light, and worn wooden tables scattered beneath pendant lamps.
Today has a late-summer energy, so the doors are propped open to let in the breeze from Church Street, the air carrying a faint trace of fresh basil from the planters outside.
As Mia and I make our way toward the corner table where Cristiano and Katya are already seated, I catch sight of the spread in front of them: silky hummus drizzled with emerald-green olive oil, smoky baba ghanoush with pomegranate seeds glistening like jewels, and a basket of warm, blistered pita that makes my mouth water before I’ve even sat down.
Katya waves her menu in the air like a sword. “Oh, look, it’s Mia and her wayward ex.”
Mia glares at her in mock disapproval. “We discussed this. You said you’d behave.”
“I’m on my best behavior,” Katya responds.
Cristiano and I shake hands. We’ve seen each other in the past, but we haven’t spent much time together. I know Mia is hoping that we’ll become friends.
I slide into a chair next to Mia, feeling slightly gauche.
It’s just been Mia and me for the past many weeks, with some crisp words from Katya here and there.
I only see Huxley when I go to the gym at his hotel. I’ve not had the energy to deal with other friends who are well-meaning but don’t know the ins and outs of my family and my situation with Mia.
Cristiano raises his glass. “To Katya, who’s on her best behavior.”
Katya snorts. “I’m just afraid of Mia,” she jokes.
“Everyone should be,” Cristiano teases.
I look at Mia like the precious prize she is, and add, “I certainly am.”
It’s a damn good meal.
Plates keep arriving like little treasures—grilled halloumi drizzled with thyme honey, lamb meatballs swimming in spiced tomato sauce, roasted cauliflower tossed with golden raisins and tahini.
We pass each dish around, forks dipping and swapping without hesitation, clinking glasses between bites.
The conversation meanders—work, gossip, travel plans—sliding easily from nothing to everything, the kind of rhythm that makes you forget about time.
“So, how does it feel to be an unemployed bum?” Katya asks me.
I raise my glass of Albarino. “Feels damn good. I don’t think I can ever go back to working that many hours again.”
Mia puts her hand on my thigh and squeezes. We’ve talked about how I’ve had to learn to relax over the past few weeks. It took some effort. But I’ve nailed it now, and absolutely love it.
“He’s working on a proposal for the non-profit we talked about.” Mia picks up a triangle of pita bread.
Cristiano nods. “The resource center you want to start to support foster families?”
I’m a little surprised Mia has already talked to Cristiano about it—or maybe I’m not.
It’s clear she set this dinner up so we could get to know each other better and talk about the non-profit.
She worries that without something to focus on, I’ll lose my mind.
Truth be told, I’d worried about that, too.
But what I’ve discovered is that I like the slower pace of life.
I like lingering over my coffee for an hour while I read the paper.
I like working out without checking stocks or emails between sets.
I absolutely love not wearing a fucking suit.
I like wearing jeans or linen pants, and a T-shirt.
I like not having to tie a noose around my neck every morning.
I especially like not feeling acid in my stomach when I go to bed because I’m worried about what the next workday will bring and how much of a shitshow it’ll be.
“Yes. I’m just doing recon work right now, trying to see what others have done, and learn from them.”
Cristiano eyes me carefully, as if making sure I’m worth his time. Then he softly says, “I’ve been thinking about your non-profit idea.”
According to Mia, Cristiano knows more about this world than anyone she knows. She trusts him, so I decide to do the same.
“I will be grateful for any help you can offer.”
Mia squeezes my thigh as if she’s thrilled with how I’m handling this conversation.
Cristiano’s expression gentles. “I know a child psychologist who focuses on early trauma in foster kids. She’s got a whole setup—counseling, school partnerships, foster parent support. Might be worth reaching out and seeing if maybe you can open a branch here as she’s based out of Montpellier.”
Mia lights up beside me. “Do you think she’d meet with us?”
Cristiano grins, his eyes filled with affection for Mia. I try not to growl at him. The man’s trying to help me, and it’s obvious he cares for my wife—I just don’t like that he exists.
“Yes. I talked to her about what you were thinking, and she’d love to partner on building something here in Burlington. She also…wouldn’t mind support on the accounting end at her place, if you still want to do that sort of work, Aiden.”
Mia’s face brightens. “This is so awesome. Isn’t it, Aiden?”
I’m lost in her beautiful gray eyes. “It is,” I murmur.
“Stop it!” Katya nudges me with her elbow.
“Stop what?” I absently rub the side of my stomach where she poked me.
“Looking at her like she’s a lamb chop.” Cristiano picked up a lamb chop to make his point.
“He’s right.” I brush my lips close to Mia’s ear so only she can hear me. “I do want to eat you.”
She turns a lovely shade of pink, and both Katya and Cristiano tease her and me. I don’t mind. They’re seeing us as a couple, and that’s just fine with me.
As the evening progresses, Cristiano tells me that he’d like to come with me when we meet his contact.
“Why?” Katya’s eyes narrow.
“Miss Curiosity Killed The Cat, it’s because I like the work she’s doing.”
“More like he likes her,” Katya teases.
Mia had told me that since Cristiano’s fiancée passed away, he’d not been able to get back into the dating scene. He’d been on one date and then had pulled back into himself. It sounds like he’s interested in this woman.
Good! Then he can stay the fuck away from my wife.
“She’s…interesting.” Cristiano looks decidedly uncomfortable.
Katya mock-gasps. “Cristiano Rivas is developing a crush? Someone alert the tabloids!”
“I’m too old for crushes,” Cristiano protests, amused.
“What’s her name?” Mia puts her hand on Cristiano’s. I don’t like that at all.
I’ve never been the possessive type, except with Mia…and it hits me then, how I’d have reacted if she’d kissed another man, had wanted to. The searing pain I feel at just thinking about it, I know cannot compare to what I did to her.
“Carolina Grantham.” Cristiano glowers at Katya, who’s making kissy sounds.
I feel sick. Really sick.
How is it that I hadn’t thought about how I’d feel if she did to me what I did to her?
Because you’re a selfish motherfucker?
Mia looks at me, concerned. “Hey, all okay?”
I nod slowly and close my eyes because it would be tacky, wouldn’t it, to cry in front of her friends, especially the man she seems to like so much.
“Aiden.” There’s concern in her voice.
I rein it in. “Yeah, baby. All good.”
“You both need to stop the incessant eye fucking,” Katya interjects. “Some of us are having a dry spell.”
Cristiano rolls his eyes. “Don’t listen to her, she’s just jealous.”
“Damn right, I am,” Katya agrees.
They laugh like they’ve been doing this for years. I join them, feeling included.
As we eat baklava, which makes our fingers sticky, and drink mint tea, I look over at Mia—her gray eyes shining with laughter as she talks to her friends—and I feel panic wash over me. What if she can’t forgive me?
“What happened at the restaurant?” Mia asks when we stop in front of Katya’s place.
I tell her.
She tilts her head and smiles at me. “Let me ask you something. Would you be able to forgive me?”
I don’t have to think about it. I know. “Yes, because as much as it would hurt that you wanted someone else for a moment, it would kill me to live without you.”
“You must love me more than I love you.” A playful glint softens her gaze. “Because I walked away.”
I shake my head, grasp her hand. “Mia, you said yes to my ridiculous eight-date scheme. That was you giving us a chance despite the horrible thing I did.”
She sinks back into her seat and looks out of the windshield. “I didn’t expect you to come for me, Aiden. I thought you fell in love with Diana and….” Her voice tapers off as if the words she’s saying hurt her.
I cup her face and turn it so she looks at me. The streetlights make her eyes sparkle, or maybe it’s the tears.
“I can only love you, Mia. I won’t survive being without you. You’re the reason I wake up in the morning feeling hopeful. You’re the reason I go to bed feeling like I’m worth loving. I am so sorry for how I hurt you. Please forgive me.”
She kisses my palm. “Forgive, yes. Forget, no.”
I swallow. Nod.
“And now, we move past it.” She suddenly grins, wicked and bright. “Besides, I already got my sweet, sweet revenge. Your mother nearly went to jail because of me, and your father was curled up on the floor, clutching the family jewels.”
“Never thought you were this vicious.” I stroke her lower lip with my thumb. She kisses it.
“Neither did I. If my kindergartners ever found out…especially since I keep telling them how violence isn’t the answer.”
I laugh.
Just like that, she’s made it better. My beautiful, wonderful wife.
“You want to stay the night?” she asks.
“Every night, if it’s with you,” I tell her honestly.
When we lie in bed that night, after we make love, because I needed to be inside her, be close to feel safe, she asks, “How long before Diana fucks up and we can fire her?”
A huff of laughter escapes me. “Vicious!” I murmur.
“No, really. That bitch is going to get what’s coming her way.”
“In spades,” I assure her, stroking her back, enjoying this simple act of holding my wife without asking for permission. “She’s going to fail in about…I’d say six months. There are some negotiations that are delicate. She’s good with numbers, but she tends to piss people off.”
“Let’s hope it’s three months. Then we can fire her for Christmas.”
I kiss Mia’s forehead. “I love how you’re enjoying your status as a Winter Financial shareholder.”
Mia giggles. “I know. Katya thinks that I’m like everyone else, the minute I have money, I have turned power hungry.”
“Mia, I know I keep asking you to move in with me, but…I want you to know that I’ll wait for as long as you need.”
“I know.”
“But just so you know…every part of me already knows where home is.”
She doesn’t say anything, just raises her head and kisses me like I’ve already earned my place.