Page 80 of Icebound Hearts

“I’ve been replaced?”

Sophia grins. “Can you blame me?” Aiden glances at me, his gaze softening.

“No, I can’t blame you at all. She’s my favorite person, too.” My breath catches.

“We’ll head out there now and see you in a little, okay?” Sophia nods eagerly before saying goodbye and hanging up.

As soon as the call ends, I turn to Aiden with pleading eyes, and he smirks like he already knew this was coming.

“Fine, Angel Face,” he murmurs, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead before grabbing his keys. We gather our things, tossing them into the backseat of his car before heading out. The drive is easy, familiar, filled with quiet conversations and Aiden’s hand resting on my thigh. Halfway there, he makes a quick stop at the store to grab Sophia’s favorite ice cream, and I can’t help but smile at how effortlessly thoughtful he is.

Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the hospital. The second Sophia sees me, she throws herself off her bed and into my arms.

“Oh my gosh, I missed you so much!” she squeals, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck.

I laugh, holding her close, careful not to squeeze too tight. “I missed you too, pretty girl. Are you ready to get your hair braided?”

Sophia gasps, nodding rapidly, excitement buzzing off her in waves.

“I see how it is—you don’t care about your brother at all,” I tease.

She giggles mischievously before turning and rushing over to Aiden. He effortlessly scoops her up, spinning her in the air as she squeals.

“Where’s Auntie Maria?” Aiden asks, glancing around the room as he sets her down gently.

“She went to grab some food,” Sophia answers, still grinning.

Aiden nods before pulling out the small ice cream tub and placing it inside her small mini fridge. “Alright, I take it back—you’re my favorite person, Aiden.”

I burst out laughing as Aiden gapes at her in mock betrayal. “Ice cream bribery works so fast with you,” I say, shaking my head. Sophia shrugs, completely unbothered.

The three of us play uno, while chatting about the skating class Aiden and I teach. Sophia’s eyes light up as she declares thatshe’s going to join once she’s cleared, and the excitement in her voice makes me smile so hard my cheeks ache.

Once we finish, I settle in beside her on the bed, carefully braiding her hair as we watch a movie. Her tiny fingers relax against the blanket, and before long, she drifts off to sleep. The steady rhythm of her breathing fills the room, and I take a moment to watch her, feeling a warmth settle deep in my chest. Just as I tuck the last strand of hair into place, the door opens,

and Maria steps inside, her face lighting up when she sees us. “It’s so good to see you both,” she says, her eyes filled with gratitude.

“You too,” I reply, standing to greet her. We chat for a while, catching up as she glances between Sophia’s peaceful form and Aiden, who looks completely at ease beside me.

Eventually, we say our goodbyes and head back to the house to get ready for Alexei’s party.

Spending time with Sophia always fills me with so much energy. She’s a burst of light in my life, and being with her and Aiden feels so right.

Chapter thirty - five

AIDEN

I am definitely beating up people tonight. No, not because of me. Not at all. Alexei’s birthday party is tonight and my girl looks like a fucking goddess. I know I will have to check motherfuckers all night and I’m not looking forward to that.

The moment Kat walked into my room to ask me if she looked good, I just wanted to grab her, throw her in my bed and lock us in my room forever. So no one could take her away.

Kat has on a pair of light pink low waist cargo pants, that hug her curves too well. For a top, she has on a small black bralette shirt, that makes her look so good. Her hair is wavy and reaches her hips. Her tiny waist and toned stomach are on display and she looks beautiful. She applies her lipstick in front of my mirror and I can’t take my eyes off of her. I let out a groan and rub my face with my left hand as my right rests on my hips. “What is it?” Kat asks turning towards me, her eyebrows dipping in confusion. I walk towards her wrapping my arms around her waist bringing her closer to me.

“You are so fucking beautiful it drives me crazy.” My angels face breaks into a full blown grin. I lean down and give her a chaste kiss.

“Aiden! I just put lipstick on.” Kat whines getting out of my hold and turning around to face the mirror. She makes sure her lipstick is good and runs her fingers through her hair to make sure it isn’t tangled. I decided to put on a pair of black denim jeans with a black short sleeve, simple as always.

I put on my white sneakers as Kat puts on hers and then we walk out of my room hand in hand.

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