31 - NOT MY CIRCUS, NOT MY CLOWN

31 - NOT MY CIRCUS, NOT MY CLOWN
CHERYL'S POVI woke up to a house of blessed silence.No awkward run-ins. No tense, unsaid words hanging in the air like ghosts. No Aiden.I took a deep breath, inhaling the relief like it was freshly brewed coffee. The air had been thick ever since last night—ever since I dropped the bomb that I was moving out. If tension could be bottled and sold, our apartment could’ve been a freaking factory.And let’s not talk about the fact that after I thought he had disappeared into his room—with that blonde he dragged home—I had gotten up for a glass of water and almost face-planted into him in the dimly lit kitchen.Talk about bad luck.There we were, standing in a painfully awkward silence. Him, grabbing a juice carton. Me, clutching my glass of water like it was my emotional support beverage. I could barely meet his eyes, and he didn’t even try to say something stupid, which somehow made it worse. I should have just abandoned the water and walked right out, but nooo, I stood there, like an idiot, trying to pretend that everything was fine.Spoiler alert: it was not fine.And now, I was late for work because I had been avoiding leaving my room just to make sure he was gone. But finally, the coast was clear. I practically skipped into the kitchen, grabbed my coffee, and gulped it down like it was a shot of tequila.And then the house phone rang.Now, nobody ever calls the house phone. Not unless it's one of those scam calls about how we “just won a free cruise,” or Aunt Marge somehow tracked me down to ask if I’d found a church yet (I had not).But I picked up anyway."Hello?" I said, still swallowing the last of my coffee."This is Dr. Lin from St. Mary's Rehabilitation Center. Am I speaking to Aiden Scott?"The sharp, professional voice instantly sobered me up. Rehab? Oh, hell no. I was not about to play secretary for him, especially after last night."Uh, no, this is his roommate. I can take a message."Mistake. Big, big mistake.Before I could backtrack and say, “Actually, nope! Forget I even exist!” the doctor had already launched into business mode."Can you have him drive over to the hospital? There's some information I'd like to share with him. It's quite urgent."I blinked. "Or maybe I could just give you his mobile and you—”Click.The line went dead.I stared at the phone. Are you serious right now?This was about his mother. And it was urgent.I exhaled dramatically, rubbing my temples. Why, universe? Why do you hate me? I was late for work, and now I had to track down my emotionally constipated roommate to tell him something that I really didn’t want to be the one to deliver.I pulled out my phone and called him, dreading the moment I’d have to hear his stupidly attractive voice.He didn’t pick up.Shocking. Really.I tapped my foot, debating my options. I could text him, but knowing Aiden, he’d see it hours later and respond with something sarcastic like, “Cool. Noted.”No. I had to find him.Except… where the hell did he even work?And then, as if the universe was feeling a tiny bit guilty for throwing this mess at me, I spotted something on the dining table.A business card."Scott’s Insurance Limited."Wait. Wait. He owned the company?I stared at the card like it had personally betrayed me. I mean, yeah, Aiden dressed like a guy who ran some kind of business, but I thought he was just some high-level executive. This man had an entire company?I groaned as I shoved the card into my pocket and grabbed my keys. His office was about a twenty-minute drive from my own workplace. Freaking perfect.This was not my problem. This was not my responsibility. I was supposed to be moving out, detaching myself from him completely. And yet, here I was, in my car, chasing after him like a damn fool.Finding the office wasn’t hard. Finding Aiden inside it, though? That was a different story.Just as I stepped through the front doors, guess who else was conveniently arriving at the same time?Anika.The universe really needed to pick a struggle.She was dressed in this business-chic outfit that screamed money and power, her hair perfectly styled, her expression screaming condescending sweetness.She gave me one look. I gave her one look.And then, she smiled. That cat-that-ate-the-canary kind of smile."What are you doing here?" she asked, striking first like a viper.I adjusted my bag and forced a neutral expression. "I just need to deliver a message. It's urgent, and I have to get to work."Her eyes sparkled. Like she had just been gifted a golden opportunity to be a massive pain in my ass."I can deliver it for you," she offered, her tone dripping with artificial generosity.I narrowed my eyes. "No offense, but I'd rather tell him myself.""Oh, come on," she cooed. "We’re having breakfast together anyway, so I’ll tell him. Saves you the trouble."I clenched my jaw. I really didn’t have time to wait around.I let out a frustrated sigh and pulled out a piece of paper, scribbling down the hospital's number. "Fine." I handed it to her. "Have him call the hospital. It’s urgent. The doctor has some information about his mother."That definitely caught her attention.Her lips curled into a smile—something unreadable flickering in her expression. "You bet."I hesitated for a split second. Maybe I should’ve just waited for him. Maybe trusting her with this was a mistake.But I was already late for work, and honestly? I was exhausted.So, I turned to leave. But halfway through, something made me pause.I turned back. "And tell him that if he's okay with it, I'd be willing to go with him."Anika squinted at me. Like she was studying a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit. Then, her lips parted into another one of her syrupy sweet smiles."You bet."And just like that, I walked out of there, feeling like I had definitely just handed a wolf the keys to the henhouse.But at least it wasn’t my problem anymore. Right?Right?