Chapter 46

Ashley.

My eyelids felt heavy, and I could barely keep them open. Just as I was about to drift off, I heard a familiar voice echo through the hallway, sharp and angry.

"Aiden," I whispered, jolting awake. My heart raced as I straightened up, hoping he wouldn't notice me.

But it was too late, he was already in the doorway, glaring at his phone, his voice booming as he argued with someone on the other end.

"I don't care what your excuses are, fix it!" he shouted, his tone dripping with anger. I stood up, intending to slip past him, but he glanced up, his eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, I froze, unsure of what to do.

"Ashley," he ordered, gesturing for me to follow him. My legs felt like lead, but I trailed behind him into his office. The door clicked shut behind us, sealing me in with his volatile mood.

Aiden continued his tirade on the phone, pacing back and forth across his office. I stood by the door, feeling like an intruder in his life.

I could see the tension in his shoulders. Every time he raised his voice, I flinched, worried he might turn that anger towards me.

Minutes went by as I kept glancing at the clock, knowing it was getting late but not daring to leave. Part of me wanted to comfort Aiden, to calm him down, but another part of me was paralyzed with fear. Fear of what Logan might do if he found out I had been alone with Aiden.

Finally, Aiden hung up the phone, slamming it down on his desk. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. The silence that followed was almost deafening.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," he muttered, not looking at me. I swallowed, trying to find my voice.

"It's okay," I said softly, stepping a little closer. "Is everything alright?"

He glanced at me, his expression softening slightly. "Just business. Nothing for you to worry about." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "You should go home, Ashley. It's late."

I hesitated, not sure if he was really okay or if he was just trying to get rid of me. "Are you sure?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Aiden nodded, giving me a tired smile. "Yeah. Go on, get some rest."

it wanted to stay, I needed him to hug me and it must have shown in my eyes because he looked over at me, his expression softening. "Thanks for staying with me, Ashley," he said, his voice warm and sincere.

Before I could respond, he pulled me into a hug, his arms wrapping around me tightly. I winced and tensed a little so he didn't notice that I was hurt.

Being right here in his arms was exactly what I needed after the Logan fiasco. He stopped hugging me and kept staring at me.

His eyes sought out mine like he wanted to peer deep into my soul, my lips parted on their own as I waited. Willing him to make a move and envelope me in his warmth again.

My heart pounded as he leaned in, our lips meeting in a tender kiss. For a moment, everything else faded away, the fear, the uncertainty. It was just us even if it was a brief stolen moment.

I shivered in his arms and his hands tightened around me making me flinch. My eyes widened when he tensed.

But then he pulled back, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at my wrist. "What's this?" he asked, his tone shifting to one of concern. He gently touched the bruise, and I instinctively flinched, pulling my arm away.

"It's nothing," I said quickly, trying to sound casual. "Just... bumped into something at home." My voice wavered, and I knew the lie was obvious, but I couldn't tell him the truth. I couldn't let him know about Logan's anger, about how volatile things had become.

I worried that he would blame himself or worse, go after Logan.

Aiden studied me for a moment, his gaze piercing. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the way his jaw tightened as he restrained himself from pressing further instead he folded my sleeves gently, his hands trembling as he saw the bruises, "What the hell happened to you and don't bother with that lie,"

"I am telling you, it's nothing."

He narrowed his eyes further, "are you sure?"

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, it's nothing. Really."

I forced the tears back from spilling and tried to put on a brave face. He rolled down my sleeves and hugged me once more. A few drops of tears spilled from my eyes when he pulled away.

"Ashley?"

I shook my head, "No, it's happy tears,"

He didn't look convinced, but he didn't push it. Instead, he took a deep breath, his hand lingering on my arm for a moment before he let go. "Okay," he said softly. "But if something's wrong, you can tell me. You know that, right?"

I nodded again, feeling a lump in my throat. "I know," I whispered, looking down at the floor.

Aiden sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's late," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Let me drop you off."

I hesitated, knowing that accepting his offer would mean more time alone with him, more time to explain myself. But the thought of walking home alone, or worse, running into Logan, made the decision for me.

"Okay," I agreed quietly.

The drive was silent, the air between us thick with unspoken words. I could feel his eyes on me, the questions in his eyes but I couldn't answer any.

I didn't want to go home, didn't want to face Logan and whatever mood he might be in. But I knew I couldn't stay with Aiden, not like this.

He pulled the car to a stop, and we sat there for a moment, neither of us moving. Finally, he turned to me, his expression softening. "Take care of yourself, Ashley," he said, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face.

I nodded, my voice catching in my throat. "You too, Aiden. Thanks for the ride."

He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. It was tender, comforting, and for a moment, I let myself sink into it, forgetting everything else. But then it was over, and I was stepping out of the car, into the cool night air.

I walked down to the house and prayed silently that Logan would be asleep when I got home, that I wouldn't have to face his anger or his questions.

My wrist ached where the bruise throbbed, a reminder of the dangerous tightrope I was walking.

For a brief second, I wondered why I hadn't broken off things with Logan. At the back of my mind, I was scared that he would do even worse if given the chance of I make him angry again.

I quietly unlocked the door and stepped inside, I immediately noticed the dim lighting and soft music playing in the background. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Logan sitting on the couch, a glass of wine in his hand. His gaze met mine, and a tense silence hung in the air.

"Hey," he greeted, his voice surprisingly calm. "You're home late."

I forced a smile, trying to steady my nerves. "Yeah, Keisha didn't want to let me go," I lied, hoping he wouldn't push for details. My eyes flickered to the glass in his hand, my stomach twisting in knots at the thought of him being drunk.

He noticed my apprehension and raised his glass slightly, as if to reassure me. "It's just one glass," he said, reading my thoughts. "I'm staying sober tonight."

Relief washed over me, but I still felt that lingering unease. Logan stood up and walked over to me, gently placing the glass in my hand. "Here, this is for you," he said softly. "I wanted to apologize for last night."

I hesitated, taking the glass but not drinking from it. His tone was sincere, but the memory of his anger still haunted me. "You didn't have to do this," I murmured, glancing around the room.

Logan smiled, his expression softening. "I wanted to. Come on, I have something else to show you."

He took my hand and led me towards the dining area, where a table was set with candles, flowers, and a beautifully arranged dinner. I felt sick to my stomach at the thought that he assumed a dinner would make all of that go away. Like he didn't just traumatize me because he was drunk.

"Logan, this is... beautiful," I said, genuinely surprised. He pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down, still holding the untouched glass of wine.

"I wanted to make it up to you," he said, sitting across from me.

I just nodded, I didn't have anything to say to that.

As we started eating, I tried to relax, but a part of me remained on edge. Logan was charming and attentive, his earlier anger seemingly gone. He talked about his day, the restaurant he had ordered from, and how he wanted to make things right between us.

"You've been so distant lately," he said at one point, looking at me with concern. "I miss the way we used to be."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The food tasted delicious, but I could barely savor it, my mind racing with thoughts of how to navigate this situation. Logan seemed genuine in his desire to make amends, but I couldn't forget.

After we finished eating, Logan stood up and reached out his hand. "Come with me," he said, his voice gentle but insistent.

I hesitated, then took his hand. He led me down the hallway to the bedroom's bathroom, where I was greeted by the soft glow of more candles and the scent of lavender. The bathtub was filled with warm, steaming water, petals floating on the surface.

It looked like a scene from a romantic movie, and I had mixed feelings about the intimacy, and fear of what might happen next.

"I thought we could relax together," Logan said, his eyes searching mine. "We haven't done something like this in a long time."

I swallowed hard, trying to push down my anxiety. "Logan, I appreciate all of this, but..."

He interrupted gently, placing a finger on my lips. "Shh, let's not talk about the past tonight. Let's just enjoy this moment."

He began undressing, and I followed suit, feeling exposed and vulnerable. When we slipped into the warm water, Logan wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.

As we sat there, the steam rising around us, Logan whispered sweet words in my ear, promising to change, to be better. He talked about a future together, about starting fresh. His voice was tender, almost pleading, and I felt a pang of sadness mixed with hope. I wanted to believe him, to trust that things could be different.

But as much as I tried to relax, the memory of his anger and the bruise on my wrist kept resurfacing. I couldn't shake the fear.

When Logan kissed my forehead and whispered, "I love you," I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I turned to look at him, searching for the sincerity in his eyes, trying to find some anchor in this mess of a relationship.

"I love you too," I whispered back, the words felt uncertain. In that moment, I realized how deeply tangled I was in this web of love, fear, and hope because right now, wrapped in the arms of my boyfriend in a tub, I was still thinking of him.

Aiden.

I wished he was the one holding me like this to him just like he did earlier in his office. His touch elicited something in me.

I trusted him not to hurt me just like Logan. I shifted and tried not to get excited before Logan got the wrong idea.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked as he turned me to him.

I tried to shake my head but his mouth was suddenly on mine, forcing his tongue deep in my mouth.

I pushed at his chest to let me go. When he did, he had hurt swirling in his eyes but it went away before I could question it.

"Ash, baby... I want you,"

Bile rose to my throat and I forced it down, "I am tired, it's been a long day..."

My words were cut off when his hand went straight to my pussy, touching the evidence of arousal that wasn't for him.

"See? You are already wet for me. Come on," he tugged me out of the tub and carried me to the bed.

I closed my eyes and held back a sob as he fucked me into the night while my mind focused on Aiden to make it easier.