(Jessamine’s POV)“You cried,” Aiden murmured regretfully when he saw my puffy eyes.“No, I didn’t,” I denied, closing the bathroom door. I walked to the dresser to get my purse, hoping to dab some face powder to hide my awful face. He sighed. “Coming here is a mistake -”“Stop it, Aiden.” I cut him, stopping and never reaching the dresser. I faced him to meet his eyes and ensure he was not making fun of me. “You did the right thing coming here because I finally realized this is much better than your snail mail idea. We’re not completely honest with each other.” He nodded. “I haven’t told you about Charlie yet.”Charlie?My eyebrows knitted, asking myself instead of him who the heck Charlie was. “How old is this Charlie?”“Two months.” When shock registered on my face, he walked toward me and grabbed my hand. “I… I can’t just leave Charlie alone. His mother died giving birth to -”“You have a son?” I blinked, brushing his hand off. I breathed out slowly, dawning with another realiz
(Jessamine’s POV)Bethany must be crazy!I felt my heart squeeze tight, and my eyes and mouth gaped wide open, shocked at what she did. How could she drive her car, forgetting to give Charlie to his dad? Before I could stop myself, I shut my eyes and screamed at the top of my lungs, startling Aiden and causing Deborah and Xavier to run to the living room.“What happened?” Although the kitchen was not far from the living room, the horror and the shock from my scream made Deborah panic and panted from her short run.“She kidnapped Charlie,” I cried at Xavier, hoping he felt the urgency of the situation.“Huh? What?” Aiden panicked, turning to Xavier. “No,” he shook his head. “Bethany left Charlie on the porch before she left.”My eyes widened, panic-stricken. “What kind of woman is that? Leaving the baby on the porch?”“Baby? What baby?” Xavier asked, raising his eyebrows at Deborah, then at Aiden.“What baby?” Aiden asked the same question. “No.” He shook his head and crouched on his k
(Jessamine’s POV)My bedroom needs renovation.First, it was only Aiden, and now we had to share it with Charlie. My best friend placed the box and the puppy’s bag beside his luggage like they were ready to run together in case our friendship got murky again. Deborah tugged my best friend to join lunch, and in my case, after everything that happened earlier, I got emotionally tired that I only wanted to curl up in bed. Sleep was my therapy because it allowed me to detach my exhausted self from reality. Unless, of course, a nightmare joined me in my dream, like what happened last night.After our short talk, Aiden and I were okay again, but something inside me terrified me. Every time I remembered Bethany kissing him, jealousy was eating my heart. I imagined myself pulling her hair and dragging her out of the porch just for her to stay away from Aiden. But that would be weird.As I cast my mind back to the searing kiss we shared, my body could not stop feeling wild… and hopeful. It te
(Jessamine’s POV)The plan was to wait in the living room, but Deborah and Xavier were in their usual seat, looking at a brochure that came along with her mails. They must be considering going on another vacation or workcation since Deborah worked from home half the month and the other half she reported to the office. They raised their heads when they saw me exit my bedroom.“I’ll be in the park,” I muttered lazily, forcing a smile as I motioned my hand that I was going outside.Not waiting for them to answer, I headed to my destination. It was not a park but a garden near the parking space in the apartment. Holly and her husband were nice to set it up with a swing, slides, and monkey bars for tenants with kids. I settled on the wooden bench to hide from the sun. The conical shapes of the Green Giant trees behind the bench blocked the heat and brought great shade to the bench.I smiled, thinking of bringing Charlie here later. He would surely love this place.“Something bothering yo
(Jessamine’s POV)“Aiden…” I bit my bottom lip, seeing an Adonis stepping out of the bathroom.He halted and met my eyes. “Did you have another nightmare?” He asked worriedly.When I nodded, Aiden advanced to the bed and sat, facing me, instead of walking toward the closet to get his clothes. He didn’t mind that he was not wearing anything except for his boxer brief.I began to cry and threw my arms at him, sliding my arms around his neck. Then I lost myself in him. As our bodies were pressed together, little currents of pleasure rocketed everywhere, and I could not help moaning as he began to play with my fingers and grazed my arm, stopping on my shoulders.I didn’t know what got me. I found myself crawling into his lap and molding my lips to his mouth, kissing him with need and passion. Shivers of excitement coursed through me as his tongue met mine, touching and dancing, almost making me crazy. I felt Aiden smile when I moaned in his mouth, ignoring me when I groaned as his lips le
(Aiden’s POV)Deborah and Xavier exchanged glances, wondering how quiet we were at the dining table during breakfast. At first, I thought she would let this slide, ignoring us, not talking, not even looking at each other.“Hey, Charlie,” Deborah called to the puppy sitting on the rag and biting the edge of the cloth.Charlie stopped playing and looked at her, tilting his head to his side, recognizing her call.“Did something happen last night?” She asked as she lifted her mug.Instead of answering, our puppy returned to what he thought was more interesting, biting the rag. Perhaps even if he could talk, he knew the drill, and that would be not telling Deborah or Xavier what he saw last night. Charlie woke up when Jessamine stepped out of the bedroom and whimpered for a while, sensing something was wrong with us, but when we returned, he curled back into his bed and went back to sleep.“Nothing happened last night,” I muttered.“Something happened last night,” Jessamine sighed, standin
(Aiden’s POV)Charlie ran to the bathroom door when I unfastened the leash from his collar. He must have sensed Jessamine inside. He wagged his tail and then sat, waiting patiently for her to open the door. She would be pleased to hear that Charlie’s first-morning walk seemed delightful because he had already made friends with some of the tenants’ children playing in the garden.The marketing plan and the research she mentioned earlier were in her bed. I sat on the edge of the bed, scanning the contents and flipping the pages. I glanced over my shoulder, wanting to knock on the door to tell Jessamine her marketing plan was well-written and well-researched.I stood up and walked toward the coffee table, bringing the documents with me and taking my cell phone vibrating in my pocket. I placed the wireless Bluetooth earphone and answered the call immediately while my eyes were still on the paper.“Sasha,” I muttered.“Good evening… Er… good morning?” she greeted in her usual chirpy voice,
(Aiden’s POV)“Yes? You need help with something else?” I asked.My heart pounded hard, hoping she didn’t need my help putting on her clothes. I was running out of control in my system, and if she asked that, I feared I might pull her out of the bathroom and make love with her.A charming smile appeared on her lips as she shook her head. “I just want to say thank you, and I’m sorry.”“It’s okay.” It was not okay.I exited her bedroom and went out again for a walk. With a frown on my face, I felt restless and frustrated with my decision to see Jessamine again after being separated from her for many years. I paced along the pavement to think.Escaping from my extravagant life, reliving my old name, Aiden Anderson, and reuniting with her to help her steer her life’s direction were my reasons for returning to Carterville. I thought it would do me good, but it didn’t. I did not realize I would endanger our friendship by coming back.I missed her so much, and for almost ten years, I ached f
(Aiden’s POV) Two years later… “Go!” Deborah chuckled and gestured her hand, telling me it was okay to leave. “We’ll bring Kyle to the hospital later,” she promised. I nodded, picking up the bag Jessamine and I prepared last night. I walked toward the couch, kissed my son, sleeping soundly on the seat, and patted Charlie’s head. He wagged his tail but didn’t bother to follow me. Kyle and Xyla had become his new best friends. Wherever they were, he would be there. Xavier brought Deborah and their daughter, Xyla, last night when Jessamine told them she was in labor. I didn’t know if it was because Jessamine was carrying our second child that everyone seemed relaxed. Only I was panicking, unsure what to bring or how to take my wife to the hospital. “We have a driver, Aiden. Why are you panicking?” Jessamine asked calmly last night as she climbed the bed. Benedict and Xavier raised the same question. Perhaps it was not the reason why my heartbeat was pounding fast. I would love to h
(Aiden’s POV) “I don’t know, Aiden,” Jessamine murmured sadly. “You love lying to me.”I shook my head and lifted my hand, gently wiping the tears on her cheeks. “I was honest when I told you I broke up with every girlfriend I had in the past, including my engagement to Naomi. Our dads set our marriage up, not me.”If I had to choose freely whom I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, Naomi would never be on my list. She was part of my rebellion, which I regretted when she got pregnant.“Eliza,” The tears streamed down my face as I struggled to speak through the lump in my throat.My heart ached for the little one when I heard her call Jessamine ‘momma’. Eliza didn’t deserve a mother like Naomi. I opened my mouth to explain but closed it again. “You named her after your grandma’s name,” she said.I shook my head. “She named her after my grandma’s name. Not me,” I corrected.If only Jessamine knew how we fought that day but gave in because Naomi was still weak in the hospital.“
(Jessamine’s POV) “Ha! Ha!” I raised my eyebrows and glared at Aiden. “You know what? It’s too late for that. Whatever you want to say, I don’t care.”I could walk away, but I didn’t move.“Jess, please,” Aiden begged.“Fine! Go ahead with your confession. Let’s get this over with. I just want to go home.”Yet, it would be my biggest lie. For almost a month of staying here in Adilene’s, I knew I was home. Leaving here would scar my heart. Forgetting Aiden would be hell. However, he is getting married, and I don’t want to be the best friend in his love story who hinders his happiness. My sarcasm didn't appear to bother Aiden. He inhaled deeply and fixed his gaze on me. It was for a while, then he turned around, pointing at the lake.“On the other side of the lake is St. Rose Property. I bought it and opened a new business there, a law firm, and I invited Xavier to head the company,” he said, ignoring what I said. He turned to me, blinking once while waiting for my answer.I opened my
(Jessamine’s POV) Awkward? Yes. Angry? No. Maybe.I stood on the porch, staring at Aiden as he kissed our son. He took him from my arms, and my trusting son didn’t even cry. My baby continued to babble ‘Ba-ba’ba’, and guess what? Everyone found it adorable. “Yes, he’s Dada!” Mom muttered excitedly, not considering the feeling of her hurt daughter.I was invincible to Sasha and Aaron. I wanted to scream that it wasn’t their house, but they greeted Deborah and my mom, said something nice to Kyle, and eagerly went inside when my friend invited them for a coffee. They should have at least waited for me, and then I pouted, remembering it wasn’t mine either.Aiden turned to my mother. “Is it okay if I talk to Jessamine alone?”“Of course,” she muttered. “You have all day,” she chuckled with her joke.I opened my mouth, wanting to protest, but I closed it again because it was also the same thing I wanted. Deborah was right. Every time he returned, something happened. He would sweep me of
(Jessamine’s POV) I inhaled to smell the sweet scent of fresh air in Adilene’s from the porch, but instead, I caught the whiff of the aroma of the coffee bean Mom was grinding from her hand-cranked grinder. I glanced at the crib, checking on Kyle. A while ago, he played with his toes, putting them in his mouth. Perhaps he thought of them as built-in toys. This time, he rolled over, reaching the tail of the giraffe stuffed toy.Kyle just turned four months, but he could do many things—normal baby stuff. He could bear weight on his legs when sitting upright, rolling over, grabbing toys or Charlie’s fur, and babbling a combo of vowel and consonant letters. When I asked him something, and he didn’t cry, it was up to me to decide what it meant. Deborah and my mom thought differently. My friend bet that when Kyle reached the age of six months, he could count numbers and recite the alphabet. Mom proudly told her he was probably like me, a history of my life she now loved to retell.‘Jess
(Jessamine’s POV) I caught Aiden wincing when I hissed, cringing as Colleen pressed her finger on my scalp. My sister must be waiting for us to be alone. I knew that my crying didn’t help, but she would understand why I wailed like a baby on the staircase. I would explain everything to her later.Colleen sighed and turned to Aiden.“Don’t worry, Aiden. She’ll live. Long enough that the two of you will probably see your ten to fifteen great-grandchildren, in case you get back together,” she muttered jokingly instead of giving him her prognosis of my condition.“When did you become a fortune teller?” I arched my head to see her face.Colleen shrugged and grinned. “It’s one of my many talents, you know,” she said, turning around and walking toward the crib. “Want to see the garden, Kyle? Let’s give mommy and daddy some privacy. What do you think?” she asked gently, scooping my son from the crib.As if it was Aiden’s cue, he held the door open and closed it gently as soon as my sister an
(Aiden’s POV) My heart was still racing, and my breaths came in ragged gasps after sprinting all the way from the driveway to reach Jessamine. My body was still buzzing with adrenaline, but when I saw her crying, I was like sucked into a vortex, returning me to the first time I saw my best friend.I was nine years old again for a split second, seeing a cute little girl in a braided pigtail, curled up in the swing, holding the same math book I had in her arms. At first, I thought she was hurt, but when I approached her, she was perfectly okay and told me, between hiccupping and crying, that she didn’t know how to answer her homework.Of course, she couldn’t. I doubted if she could even read the sentences in the book. She must be five or six years old. She should be in the preschool building, enjoying learning the alphabet or numbers instead of worrying about the word problems in the book.What was a little girl doing in front of the classroom of the third-grade class? She must have mi
(Jessamine’s POV) I reached for the doorknob, but before I could grasp the exquisitely crafted knob, I clenched my hand and immediately concealed it behind me as if opening the door was a sin. I was reluctant to leave the bedroom for a few reasons, but Anne informed me that Susan was waiting for me in the family room and wanted to speak with me.If only there were another way to the staircase without passing Naomi’s bedroom.“She went out to see her doctor,” Anne muttered.“Huh?” I turned around, lifting a brow, pretending not to understand what she said.Anne’s lips curved into a shy smile. “If you were worried about seeing Ms. Naomi outside, she left to see her doctor,” she said, repeating the message, perhaps thinking I didn’t hear her the first time.“Ah,” I chuckled and sighed in relief. “Thank you for telling me, Anne. I don’t want to have part two of our encounter in the garden,” I joked. Partly.She laughed briefly. “Don’t worry about Kyle. I’ll ask someone to get you if he c
(Jessamine’s POV) “Ouch!” I winced when Aiden pressed his finger on my scalp.It was a light touch, but the tingling on my scalp worried me that I would go home bald or I might be wearing a wig on my wedding day. Maybe my hair would have grown an inch or two at that time. Still, I would feel bad. I imagined having my hair loosely braided vertically and horizontally on that big day, but after what happened, I should think of another hairstyle.Aiden clucked his tongue, sighed, and sat on the edge of the bed, turning the chair I was sitting on to face him. I was still mad at him, but sometimes I tend to forget whenever I get stunned by his gorgeous face. I hissed, cursing inwardly and lowering my head to avoid his gaze.“Does it hurt?” He asked worriedly, lifting my chin to meet his eyes. “Tell me, Jess.” When I didn’t answer, he continued, “I’m bringing you to the hospital now.”I squinted, shaking my head. “I’m okay. This is nothing serious. Why don’t you check on Naomi?”He scoffed,