Page 76 of The Cinderella Secret
“Yes,” said Aiden. “I think Bai does, at least.”
“Bullshit,” said Evan. “This is bullshit. Dad didn’t kill anyone.”
“I didn’t say he did,” said Aiden. “Sometimes a mugging is just a mugging.”
“Then why didn’t you want Jackson to get the file?”
Aiden hesitated. He knew that was a mistake, but he didn’t have a good lie ready.
“Right,” said Evan. “Right.” He pushed away from the table, knocking over a pile of papers and heading for the door.
“Evan! Evan, it doesn’t mean anything!” Aiden tried to go after him but found himself hemmed in by boxes. By the time he reached the dining room door, Evan was already leaving the house. “Damn it!” Aiden ran his hand through his hair and winced as he got to the sore spot.
“Let him go,” said Dominique.
“I realize you hate him,” snapped Aiden, “ButIwant him in this family.”
The dining room was silent.
“I meant that he would be better with some time to cool down,” said Dominique. “Something that might be good for all of us.” She grabbed her purse and followed Evan.
“Fuck,” said Aiden and clunked his head against the door jamb. “Ow.”
“Aiden,” began Jackson.
“What? You want to tell me how I’m screwing up too? You think I haven’t figured it out?”
“I think you’re doing a great job,” said Jackson.
“Really? Because everyone was here and everyone was happy, and I blew it, just like I always do. I get Evan in a good place then I piss off Dominique. I can’t ever keep everyone happy.”
“They don’t need you to,” said Jackson. “Dominique is fine. What she needs is for you to stop feeling guilty about liking Evan. And Evan needs you to tell him the truth. You can’t wrap up everything in a bow for him.”
“And what if that pushes him back into drugs? I can’t do that. I need—”
“Aiden, Evan’s happiness is not on you. Neither is Nika’s. They are both incredibly strong individuals. They can handle their own shit.”
Aiden rubbed his head. “God, my head hurts.”
“So go upstairs and grab some shut eye,” said Jackson. “We can take a fresh look at this in the morning. And maybe by then I’ll have the Zhao police file.”
Aiden looked longingly up the stairs to where he could just see the edge of his old bedroom door. “I should probably go home,” he said, but didn’t move.
“Why? You’ll just be back over here in the morning. If you spend the night, you know Theo will make you pancakes.”
Theo came out into the hall from the kitchen and surveyed them both with his trademark frown.
“Your bed is turned down, Mr. Aiden. Shall I put you down for flapjacks in the morning?”
“Blueberry?” asked Aiden hopefully.
“Of course,” said Theo primly.
“Oh, all right,” he said to Jackson. “But only because there will be pancakes.”
“Theo reallyismy secret weapon,” said Jackson. “Your lumpy noggin needs the rest anyway.”
Aiden rubbed his egg-shaped lump again. His head hurt and he’d been up far too late last night. What he really wanted to do was wrap his arms around Ella and fall asleep for about a hundred years. “You’ll get the case file, right? We need to prove that Randall and Owen didn’t kill Bo Zhao.”
