Chapter 34

Aria

I groaned softly, pushing myself up to a sitting position. I was still in my clothes from the night before although my shoes had been removed at some point, and my head was pounding something fierce from a night of sleeping on a sofa.

Darren appeared in the doorway with a cup of coffee in his hand. “Sleep well?” he asked.

I rubbed my eyes and turned to him. “Did I really fall asleep that fast on your couch?”

Before Darren could answer, Lucas nodded enthusiastically. “Daddy was going to carry you to bed, but I thought it would be fun to have a sleepover!”

My neck flushed at the thought of the CEO scooping me up into his arms while I was asleep. When I looked at Darren again, he had turned his back and retreated to the kitchen. I wondered if he was hiding his own red face.

“You seemed exhausted, so I didn’t want to wake you,” he called from the kitchen. “I hope you don’t mind.”

I shook my head and stood, tossing aside the thick blanket Darren had laid over me while I slept. “That’s very kind of you,” I said as I made my way into the kitchen. Blissfully, there was more coffee, which Darren offered me. I sipped it gratefully as I glanced at the time on my phone.

“I guess I should get going—”

“No!” Lucas threw his arms around my legs and looked up at me with big, pleading puppy dog eyes. “Please stay! I want to have fun today!”

Sighing, I glanced over at Darren. It was a Saturday morning, and I had nothing else going on other than wanting to get home and change out of my work clothes. A hot shower would be nice, too.

Darren hesitated for a moment, looking back and forth between me and Lucas. Finally he shrugged. “Liam’s day off is today, so I could use the extra help. If you’re not busy, I mean…”

“Pleeease?” Lucas pleaded, gripping my pants tightly. “Please stay! Please please please!”

I couldn’t say no to that face, so I finally relented.

Darren let me use his washing machine again, which I appreciated. He also let me use his shower, which I appreciated even more. I quickly scrubbed my skin, including the drool that was embarrassingly caked to the side of my face, then got out and borrowed his hair dryer.

By the time I was finished, I emerged from the bathroom in a pair of Darren’s sweatpants and one of his t-shirts, both of which were way too big. I dipped my head as I hurried past him into the laundry room to move my clothes over to the dryer, although apparently he’d already moved it for me.

“Thanks,” I said as I walked back into the kitchen with my warm clothes. “I’ll just get changed.”

Darren only briefly looked up from his newspaper. I wasn’t sure if I was just imagining things, but I could have sworn I saw his cheeks flush the most subtle shade of pink when he saw me in his clothes before he looked away again.

“I’ve got to run some errands,” he said coolly. “You two are welcome to come.”

After I finished getting changed, we headed out into the city. We made a few pit stops, first at the post office and then the pharmacy, followed by a couple of other places. By lunchtime, Lucas was getting bored and cranky, and was tugging on both of our hands desperately.

“Just one more stop, Lucas,” Darren said as we made our way down the packed city street. “And then we can—”

“What’s what?” Lucas suddenly stopped and pointed at a nearby movie theater.

Darren and I looked at each other. “That’s a movie theater,” I said. “You haven’t been to one before?” Lucas shook his head, so I explained how it worked—how you’d get a big bucket of popcorn and watch something fun in big, comfy chairs.

Maybe I made a mistake in explaining it like that. Because by the time I was finished, Lucas was practically jumping up and down with excitement. “Can we watch a movie, Daddy?” he begged, turning to his father. “Please?”

Darren sighed, glancing at his watch and then at me. “I don’t know. Aria probably doesn’t have time…”

I shrugged. “I could spare a couple hours.”

Lucas grew even more excited at that, so much so that his little wolf ears began to poke through his hair. Darren quickly tugged Lucas’s winter beanie down a little to cover them, although most people probably would have thought he was just wearing a costume if they showed.

“Alright,” Darren said softly, “we’ll see a movie. But try to calm down, okay? I can’t have you shifting in public again.”

Lucas looked a little hurt, but nodded and stuffed his hat over his ears a little more.

With that, we headed into the movie theater. Darren bought three tickets to a kids’ movie and some popcorn for us to share. I knew Darren would likely refuse to eat any, but I showed Lucas how to pick up pieces with his tongue and also made him laugh when I tossed one into the air and caught it in my mouth.

I think Darren may have chuckled a little, too, although he quickly disguised it with a cough.

We settled in our seats in the theater with Lucas between us, who kicked his feet happily and munched on popcorn. The movie began—a heartwarming animated film about two baby turtles making the trek from their hatching place to the ocean. It was cute, and made me laugh.

But it made me tear up a little, too. I sniffled, dabbing my tears with my finger, as the turtles got separated from one another. It was just a kids’ movie, but I couldn’t help it. I had always been the type to cry during movies, no matter how hard I tried not to.

Suddenly, I felt something brush my hand. I looked over in the dark theater to see Darren holding a tissue out for me. It was hard to tell in the flickering light of the movie, but he almost looked concerned.

“Thank you,” I mouthed, taking the tissue with reddened cheeks. Our fingers brushed as I took it, and my blush deepened even more.

At that moment, it wasn’t the movie that made me feel emotional. Well, that was part of it, but… it was all of it. Being here with them. Lucas between us, his eyes wide and his mouth slack as he watched the movie.

And Darren’s concern.

Despite my best efforts to quash it, I could almost picture the three of us as more than what we were—as a real family.

I’d never considered myself to be the ‘family’ type. My upbringing had been rough enough as it was, always feeling like an outsider in my own home. And the abuse I’d endured only led me to believe, deep down, that I didn’t deserve a family.

Over the years, I grew to think that maybe I just wasn’t meant to be loved enough by anyone for them to want to start a family with me. I told myself that I wasn’t interested in being a mother anyway, which made it sting a little less.

Maybe that was why I attracted men like Jackson, who only viewed me as a side piece and not a permanent thing.

And maybe that was why I refused to let myself imagine, for even a moment longer, that Darren would ever want me around permanently.

Even if I was his mate.

More tears pricked at my eyes, even though the turtles had found each other and were performing a silly underwater dance number. When a small, choked sob escaped my lips and caused both Darren and Lucas to snap their heads toward me, I knew I needed to get out.

I quickly stood and excused myself to the bathroom, hurrying away from Darren’s concerned gaze.