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“That is also true, yes.” I motion for Aspen to sit down, and she takes the seat in front of my desk.
“Where is she? How is she doing? Is she going to start classes?” She bombards me with questions, not even giving me the chance to answer one before she fires off the next.
“She is in her room right now.” It’s not a complete lie, but also not the total truth. “She needed a few days to recover and wrap her head around everything before starting classes.” Again, not technically a lie but not the whole truth either.
Aspen huffs, sagging into her chair. “I know I shouldn’t care about what happens to her, but that’s just not the kind of person I am. What if she just got roped into all of this, but really, she is completely innocent.”
I want to snap and be the authoritative father figure but hold myself together. Delilah is not Aspen. She is not innocent. She is a reminder of everything I failed to be for Aspen.
“She is not you, Aspen. You realize that, right?”
“Maybe not…” She nibbles on her bottom lip nervously.
“Delilah will start attending classes as soon as her clothes are delivered.” And I’m ready for her to go to classes.
Aspen’s eyes light up. “Oh, she could have some of mine. We should be around the same size.”
“I don’t know.” The thought of Aspen’s clothes on Delilah leaves an unsettling feeling in my gut. “I’m sure she is okay waiting for her own, plus pissing off Quinton isn’t really that high up on my priority list.”
Aspen snorts. “I think you underestimate the amount of shopping Scarlet and Ella made me do and overestimate Quinton’s ability to tear apart clothes. There are boxes full of outfits I haven’t even worn yet.”
A smile tugs on my lips at the mention of Ella and the way she has been spoiling Aspen. “If you say so.”
Aspen might’ve had a rough start with the Rossi’s, but since they realized who she was, they have taken her in as one of their own, and I know they would do anything to make her happy.
I will never be able to offer Aspen the kind of family she deserves, but knowing Xander has accepted her into his gives me a sliver of peace.
“So…” Aspen clears her throat. “Since I’m here… I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind telling me…” She looks around the room to avoid my eyes. “A little more about… well, you.”
“As I told you before, I’ll tell you anything you want, but my past is not pretty, Aspen. There is a reason Charlotte was scared of me. I treated her terribly. I was selfish and cruel. I didn’t care about anything then, not even my own life, which made me a very dangerous person to be around. When you don’t care if you live or die… it’s a place in your mind you never want to be.”
Aspen swallows down her disappointment at my confession but not before I catch a glimpse of it. “I remember you telling me about how you used to fight for money. Was that the same time you met her?”
“Yes, it was. That’s actually how we met. She saw me at a gas station and asked if I was okay. She was worried about me, and she didn’t even know me. I thought she was cute, and I ended up going home with her so she could wrap up my broken fingers.”
“That sounds like something I would do too.” Aspen grins, her shoulders sagging like she was worried the story would be much worse. “So you kinda dated?”
“I wouldn’t call it that. I was very clear in my intentions. I told her from the start I didn’t want to do feelings. I just wanted sex.” I’m not ashamed of telling Aspen the truth, but I’m still relieved when she doesn’t seem to judge me for it either.
“So why did you stop?”
“It was a rough time in my life. I was still dealing with the aftermath of my parents’ murder. I was so angry, so out of control, and one night, Charlotte saw that part of me. I scared her away, and she never looked back.”
We sit without saying anything for a few moments. I can see on Aspen’s face that she needs a little time to process it, and I’m happy to give it to her. “That’s in the past.” She finally breaks the silence. “You’re not that person anymore.”
“You always see the good in people. You have that in common with your…” Shit, I don’t even know what to call her.
“You can say mother. I mean, that’s what Charlotte is. She did give birth to me, and if what Quinton has told me is true, she gave me away to protect me, not because she didn’t want me.”
