Chapter 266 Threads of Healing

Chapter 266 Threads of Healing
Millie stepped out of the taxi. The late spring air was warm, the kind that made everything feel a little easier. It had been a week since she’d left Ethan.
At the gate, she ran her fingers over the chipped wood. Relief and nerves tangled in her chest. She hadn’t told Clara she was coming—didn’t want to explain over the phone why she’d walked away.
She opened the door and stopped short. Aidan was in the living room, standing by the couch with a mug in hand.
His eyes widened. He froze, nearly dropping the cup.
“Millie?” he said, stunned. His dark hair fell into his eyes, and instead of his usual leather jacket, he wore a plain sweater. He looked... softer.
Millie’s heart jumped. “Aidan. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
He shifted, glancing at the door like he was ready to bolt. “Just checking on Clara,” he said quickly. “I can go if—”
“No. Stay. Please.”
He paused. Then Clara’s voice floated in from the kitchen. “Millie! You’re here!”
She appeared in the doorway. Her eyes were clear now, no longer dulled by the injury, though she still leaned on a cane.
Millie crossed the room and hugged her gently. “Sorry. This was kind of last-minute.”
Clara pulled back. “Perfect timing,” she said, already heading for the kitchen. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
The kitchen smelled of garlic and tomato. A pot of pasta simmered on the stove, and sliced bread sat on the counter. Millie, Clara, and Aidan took their seats around the wooden table.
Clara launched right in, grinning. “My vision’s coming back—slowly, but it is. The doctors think I’ll probably just need glasses. No more cane. No more walking into furniture.” She tipped her head toward Aidan. “None of that would’ve happened without him. He found me a specialist I never could’ve afforded.”
Aidan flushed. “It was nothing,” he said, casting a quick look at Millie.
Clara scoffed. “Don’t let him sell himself short. He actually showed up. Shocking, I know.”
Millie laughed softly, her eyes flicking to Aidan before she looked back at Clara.
Clara leaned toward him, smiling. “Go on. Tell her what you’ve been up to.”
Aidan cleared his throat. “I’ve been investing,” he said. “Real estate, a few startups. Trying to build something that’s mine.”
Millie raised a brow. “Legit?”
“Yeah. No shortcuts. I mean it this time.”
“Good. That’s a start.”
They passed the pasta around, steam rising from the plates. Clara’s laughter filled the room as she told stories about their eccentric neighbors, making them all smile. Then she stepped away to call her parents.
After a moment, Aidan spoke, glancing at Millie. “I talked to Clara’s doctor earlier. They bumped her up the list again. He’s hopeful she’ll fully get her vision back even before a donor comes through.”
“That’s really good news.”
“Yeah. It is.”
“Thank you, Aidan. Really.”
He shifted in his chair. “Clara’s a constant reminder of how badly I screwed up. I blamed other people, got defensive—but what happened to her… believer or not, that was the worst mistake I’ve ever made. She almost died. I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. Something broke after that.”
Millie’s chest tightened. “You didn’t mean for any of it to happen.”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I went to see her because I wanted to see you. She was safe—Carlton had her protected. Marionne didn’t even know where she was. But the moment she crossed paths with me, she got pulled into everything. And Carlton…” He swallowed. “He died. That’s on me, too. No excuses.”
“I’m sorry. I wish it hadn’t gone that way.”
He looked at her. “I really did love you, Amelia. I just wasn’t strong enough to fight for you the right way. I can see that now.”
“I was confused. I’m sorry too.” She hesitated, then asked, “So what happens now?”
Aidan let out a slow breath. “Now I make sure Clara gets her life back. The doctors think there’s still a chance. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“I’m glad she has you. And you? What’s next?”
“Learning how to let you go. And maybe—like Clara said—trying to fix what I broke. If that’s even possible.”
“She told you that?”
“Yeah,” Aidan said, chuckling dryly. “She also said I act like the world owes me, that I hide behind charm and money, and that I’m a coward.”
Millie let out a quiet laugh. “That sounds like Clara.”
“She’s become this… unexpected constant in my life. A real friend. I didn’t think I’d ever have that—or need it.”
“Really?”
“I’ve never had a friendship with a woman that wasn’t flirty, messy, or built on conditions. Clara just says things as they are. She doesn’t care who I am or what I’ve done. And weirdly, that makes it easier to breathe around her.”
Millie smirked, her eyes playful. “Hey, she’s my best friend, okay?”
Aidan laughed, lifting his hands. “I know. I’m not trying to steal her.” Then he hesitated, his tone shifting. “So… my brother. I heard you left Ethan.”
Millie looked down at the table and took a quiet breath. “I didn’t leave him. I left the life. I couldn’t keep pretending I’d be okay in it—that I could survive without losing myself.” She looked back up. “It’s not the kind of life I want to wake up to.”
Aidan nodded slowly. “I get that. You know, I still remember the first time I saw you. All attitude, rushing around trying to clean and leave. Want to know something embarrassing? I thought one of my friends had hired a stripper in a maid outfit as a joke.”
Millie’s brows shot up. She laughed before she could stop herself. “Seriously? You thought I was a stripper? Wow. What a jerk.”
He winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. Fair. Those guys weren’t great with boundaries. That’s why I cut them off.”
“Is that why you tried to get me drunk that day?” she asked, half teasing, half curious.
His smile faded. He looked down at the table. “Not really. I was just… lonely. Needed someone to talk to. It was the anniversary of my mom leaving.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, Aidan. I didn’t know. Did you ever find her?”
He nodded, sadness and acceptance mixing on his face. “Yeah. She’s got a new family now. A whole new life.”
Without thinking, Millie reached out and rested her hand on his arm. Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.
Footsteps broke the silence. Clara’s bright voice filled the kitchen as she came in with her parents. Her mom—a small woman with gray hair and a warm smile—carried a tray of cookies. Her dad, tall and calm, set a bottle of wine on the counter.
“Hope we’re not interrupting,” Clara said as she took her seat, unaware of the moment she’d just stepped into.
Millie pulled her hand back and smiled at them.
“Not at all.”
The kitchen filled with chatter as Clara’s parents joined in, talking about how everyone had been.
Millie sat back and took it all in, quietly grateful—for Clara’s recovery, for Aidan’s honesty, and for this fresh start.