Page 92 of The Cinderella Secret
Garcia grinned. “You know at least one of them is going to suggest it.”
“Probably,” said Jackson. “Go on, get gone. I want answers by the time I get back to the office.”
He was barely off the phone with Nowitsky when his phone burped out a text from Aiden.
Someone broke into my office.
Today was seriously sucking.
33
Aiden – Murdock Esq.
Aiden bounced up the stairs to his office. Last night had been surprising. There had been some rough patches with both Ella and Jackson, but they had surprised him. They both had his back and he was starting to feel like maybe he wasn’t out here battling all on his own—like maybe he had a little bit of an army behind him. A tiny army, but powerful nonetheless. And tiny armies could take down dragons.
He happily tapped the vintage light fixture beside the door as he exited the stairwell. He still hadn’t gotten over the joy of having his own office—he couldn’t believe Evan had made the effort for him. The thought gave him pause and he took out his phone as he reached the landing.
I really don’t think your dad killed anyone. Call me.
He’d only gone a few steps when he got a text back.
You had the thought. It was there. You thought it.
Aiden made an unhappy noise that echoed in the hallway.
OK, yes, but in my defense, I did get hit on the head earlier in the day and I wasn’t thinking straight.
He waited for a response, but it seemed to be taking a long time. He tried again.
I’m sorry.
There was more silence. Aiden thought about chucking his phone down the hall. Every time he thought Evan was coming back, it was exactly this: radio silence. He took a few more steps toward his office when his phone rang.
“It’s shitty,” said Evan without preamble when he picked up. “It’s shitty that you even thought that.”
“I’m sorry,” said Aiden. “They did a lot of shitty stuff. I leapt to a prejudicial thought without considering the evidence.”
“You always think they’re evil!”
“Yeah,” said Aiden, “I do. I look at you and I want to punch Owen and Randall in the face.”
“Not everything they did was bad!”
Aiden felt like he’d just put his foot down in a bear trap only to realize it too late, and if he lifted it up in the wrong direction or speed, he was going to lose a limb.
“No,” said Aiden. “No, I suppose not everything was bad. But I don’t have a lot to go on. I only have you.”
“I’m not like that!”
“I’m not saying you are,” said Aiden speaking slowly, trying to get each word right. “I’m only saying that they treated you badly, so I tend to think badly of them.”
Evan didn’t respond.
“Maybe that isn’t right. But I do. However, even if they had done something—”
He heard Evan’s sharp intake of breath.
“I saidif. Evenif, they had done something like that, that’s not you. I know that isn’t you. I don’t think that about you. We are not our parents. They don’t affect us.”
