Page 93 of The Cinderella Secret
“That’s easy for you to say. Your parents weren’t shitty.”
“Really?” demanded Aiden. “Then why didn’t they—”
“Why didn’t they what?” snapped Evan.
“Why didn’t they come get you?” said Aiden, not knowing if it was the right thing to say, but unable to hold it in anymore. “They should have taken you away. Why didn’t they do that? Why didn’t Grandma do that?”
Evan didn’t respond.
“Sorry,” said Aiden, when the silence had gone on too long. “I just… They failed. OK? They were good parents to Nika and me, but they failed you. And I have a really fucking hard time looking you in the eye sometimes because I… I know it would have been different if you had been with us.”
There was a ragged breath from the other end of the phone and Evan gave a weak, watery chuckle. “I thought you said our parents didn’t affect us.”
“I’m probably wrong,” said Aiden. “Ella says I’m wrong anyway, and she’s right a lot.” Aiden realized he was standing in a public hallway trying not to cry, and he started to walk more swiftly toward his office.
“Aiden, I’m not your fault.”
“I don’t want you to be anyone’s fault,” said Aiden. “I want you to be OK.”
“I’m working on it,” said Evan. “I’m kind of asshole, so it’s not going that great. But I’m working on it.”
Aiden laughed. “You and Jacks—Damn it! They broke my Daredevil window!”
“What?”
Aiden stared at the ruin of his door. “Someone broke into my office. They broke my Murdock Esq. window!” Now he really did feel like crying. He loved that stupid sign.
“I’ll be right there,” said Evan. “Call the cops and text Jackson.”
“I… Yeah, thanks,” said Aiden.
Aiden called 9-1-1 and was told that unless it was burglary in progress, he should call the non-emergency number. He hung up and dialed 3-1-1 because it wasn’t like he knew the non-emergency number and the 9-1-1 operator wouldn’t give it to him. Because apparently arguing about giving out the non-emergency number took less time than giving out the number?
Evan arrived just as he finished his phone call with the police. He’d gone through the office and was standing in the front desk area. He looked glumly at his cousin.
“They broke my Daredevil window.”
“Sorry,” said Evan.
“I really liked that sign.”
“You can get it replaced,” said Evan.
“It’s not the same,” said Aiden with a sigh. “Replacing it means I’m trying too hard. Before I could just pretend I hadn’t gotten around to it.”
“But,” said Evan, “if I buy it for you, then you can’t replace it without offending me because it’s a gift.”
Aiden chewed on that. “Yeah, OK. That could work.”
“Did they take anything?” asked Evan as he looked around.
“Nah, they just rifled through all the papers. I keep most of it on my laptop, which I take with me, and the important shit is at the house.”
“Your house?”
“No, our house.”
“Right,” said Evan, correctly interpreting that to mean Deveraux House.
