Chapter 77 – Telling, Not Telling

(Aiden’s POV)

The throbbing pain cracking my brain woke me up, not Charlie licking my face. I groaned, pushing the puppy’s face away, and rolled to the other side. Charlie jumped out of bed, maybe finding my cheeks less interesting, and turned his attention to Jessamine’s shoes. The sunlight peering the room through the window told me it was two or probably three in the afternoon, but it was the least of my concern.

“Argh!” I massaged my forehead, lowering my gaze as I tried to remember how I got myself on the pull-out bed or why I was in my pajamas.

All I recalled was that after what had happened in the hospital room, Benedict went with us to the apartment after Jessamine sobbed nonstop in the waiting area as if her mother had died. Then Xavier invited us for a drink, but I did not have a can of beer like them. I had a whole bottle of whiskey for myself. Was it one? Or two?

Sonia made it clear last night that she didn’t want me for her daughter, but what was unfair to us was her h