35 - I ALREADY PAID FOR IT

35 - I ALREADY PAID FOR IT


Cheryl

The hospital air felt suffocating.

I stepped out of the room, exhaling a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding, pressing a hand to my chest like I could physically loosen the tight, inexplicable knot forming there.

It made no sense.

Why did it feel like I was the one left behind?

Aiden hadn't looked at me once. Not when he spoke to Molly. Not when he walked out. Not even when I left the room. I could have been a ghost, and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

I let out a bitter chuckle. He didn’t need me.

And I wasn’t sure why that hurt.

The vibration of my phone startled me, dragging me out of my ridiculous thoughts. I pulled it out of my pocket, and Damon’s name flashed across the screen.

I hesitated.

I had texted him earlier that there was an emergency, but I hadn’t told him the emergency was Aiden. I let the call ring out, waiting for it to go to voicemail.

Seconds later, my screen lit up with a message.

"I found a place for you."

My fingers hovered over the keyboard, uncertain.

I should have been happy. I should have been relieved.

Instead, I felt… nothing.

Or maybe I felt too much and didn’t want to admit it.

I was still staring at my phone, still struggling with how to respond, when his presence cut through the fog of my thoughts.

I felt him before I saw him.

Aiden.

My breath caught, my body stilling like he had physically reached out and touched me.

He looked… exhausted.

No, worse than that. He looked wrecked.

Dark circles rimmed his eyes, his shoulders were slumped like the weight of the universe had finally pressed down on him, and yet—he was still Aiden. Still stupidly handsome in that messed-up way of his.

"Thanks," he muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "For, you know—everything and—"

"You don’t have to thank me." My voice came out sharper than I intended, too quick, too defensive. "What was I supposed to do? Not do anything?"

I let out an awkward laugh, one that didn’t quite reach my eyes.

"Now that you’re here, I guess I could leave," I added. "Looks like Anika would keep you company and everything."

I shouldn’t have said that last part.

It was petty, unnecessary. But I couldn’t help it.

Aiden frowned slightly, like he was about to say something, “Well I mean, if you want to—

"If she wants to what?"

Anika’s voice cut through the moment, her presence impossible to ignore.

And then her arms were around his neck, fingers grazing the back of his head in a way that made something ugly coil in my stomach.

I hated how she did that.

How she claimed him.

Like she had the right.

"Nothing," Aiden said, tone dismissive, but Anika wasn’t letting it go.

"Cheryl was just saying that—"

"That I found a new place," I cut in, my voice stiff and awkward. "I’ll be moving out sooner than I expected."

Aiden blinked. Surprise flickered across his face.

"I didn’t know you had started looking."

I nodded. "Well, Damon was quick to find something good for me, so I guess that works, and I’ll be out of your hair."

Silence stretched between us.

Thick. Heavy.

Aiden held my gaze, something unreadable in his expression. I tried to look away, but it felt like I was pinned in place.

"So, Damon, huh?"

Anika’s voice filled the silence like nails on a chalkboard.

I turned to her slowly, already regretting this entire conversation.

"You guys getting serious?" she continued, smirking. "I didn’t expect Cheryl Taylor from high school could bag handsome men like that. What’s your secret?"

I shrugged. "Maybe not be a bitch."

The words came out before I could stop them.

Anika’s mouth dropped open, her face twisting into a look of horrified disbelief.

I hadn’t meant to be that salty.

But now that it was out there, I wasn’t in a hurry to take it back.

"I guess I should go," I muttered, not looking at Aiden. "Damon’s waiting."

And then I left.

The drive to the casino felt longer than usual, even though my foot was heavier on the gas than it should have been.

My car was still parked in front of my café, but I barely glanced at it as I stepped into the casino, exhaustion weighing down my limbs.

I wasn’t even two steps inside before I felt someone grab my arm.

Firm. Possessive.

I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

I could smell his cologne, warm and musky, already filling the air around me.

Damon.

His grip tightened as he pulled me into a secluded area, my back slamming gently against the concrete wall.

His gaze was dark. Smoky. Intense.

"Where have you been?" he murmured, voice low.

I swallowed.

"There was an accident—" I started, but the words felt heavy on my tongue.

I didn’t want to talk about it.

I didn’t want to relive the image of that woman getting hit by the car.

I didn’t want to say Aiden’s name.

"It doesn’t matter," I breathed out instead.

Damon’s eyes searched mine, like he was trying to read between the lines.

I changed the subject. "You said you found a place."

The tension shifted. He nodded.

"We could go there right now," he offered.

I hesitated. But why?

I had no reason to say no.

So I nodded.

We took his car, slow music playing from the radio. A comfortable silence settled between us, but my mind kept drifting.

Not to the house.

Not to the future.

To Aiden.

By the time we arrived, the sight of the house almost knocked the thoughts from my brain.

It was gorgeous.

A modern, two-story house with floor-to-ceiling windows and a dark, sleek exterior. The kind of place that looked straight out of a magazine.

Too perfect.

Too expensive.

We stepped inside, and my breath caught.

The living room was massive, with a fireplace set against a marble wall, black leather furniture, and soft, ambient lighting that made everything glow.

The kitchen was just as ridiculous—all-white counters, stainless steel appliances, an island big enough to host a dinner party.

The bathroom had a deep, freestanding tub, the kind you could sink into and forget the world.

By the time we circled back to the entrance, I already knew.

I loved it.

I also knew there was no way in hell I could afford it.

I turned to Damon.

"I love it," I admitted, "but it’s way too expensive. I can’t afford—"

He cut me off.

"That’s not a problem."

I blinked.

"What?"

He smirked, stepping closer, voice low. "I already paid for it."