AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That sounds very sweet.”
I notice that Iris is watching this interaction, like she’s studying me, trying to find some fault.
I pop the last bite of my sandwich into my mouth, deciding that I’m obviously in the way here. “Soph, how about I go work on the laundry while you and your aunt visit?”
“Okay,” Sophie says flippantly.
“Great.” I smile as I drop my plate into the sink; I’ll wash dishes later. “I’ll be around if you guys need me. Just let me know.” I try to flash a smile in Iris’s direction, one she doesn’t return. “It was nice to meet you, Iris.”
Iris nods stiffly. “You too.”
I make my escape quickly, climbing the stairs to the third floor to gather up Sophie’s laundry that’s probably scattered on her bedroom and bathroom floor. Sophie seemed to be unaffected by the strange first meeting between her aunt and me, but I can’t pretend I’m not a little uncomfortable. It’s very clear that Iris thinks I’m not needed here, and I can only wonder how that might make things weird going forward. Still... based on everything Aiden has told me, I can’t help but be a little sympathetic. It must be hard to have lost a sister and a niece all at once. I would probably be bitter too. I tell myself that there will be plenty of time to get on Iris’s good side, and who knows? Maybe we can even be friends. Eventually.
I think back to Iris’s cold expression, my optimism wavering.
On second thought.
—
The encounter with Iris stays on my mind for the rest of the night—through a round of board games and even while getting Sophie ready for bed before tucking her in—and maybe that’s why it feels impossible to get to sleep. I toss and turn for maybe anhour trying to drift off, and eventually I doze at some point, but it’s restless. Like one of those instances where you’re awake enough to know you’re asleep but asleep enough not to be awake. If that even makes sense.
At some point, I give up on the idea of it altogether, swinging my legs over the side of the bed in a huff and deciding to head up to the kitchen for a drink. If I can’t get sleep, I can at least get hydrated, I guess. I rub my eyes as I leave my bedroom, closing the door behind me and trudging up the stairs.
I don’t notice him at first, my eyes still heavy and my yawn meaning I’m not really looking where I’m going as I shuffle across the living room, but just before I round the counter I hear him startle, making me do the same thing.
“Aiden?”
He looks surprised to see me there, almost like maybe he’d forgotten I was even here—his eyes exhausted with dark circles underneath them and his button-down half-undone to reveal a stark white T-shirt underneath. “Cassie? What are you still doing up?”
“Sorry,” I offer, stifling another yawn. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Oh.” He nods, standing in the light of the open fridge with an amber bottle in his hand. “I hope I wasn’t being too loud.”
I wave him off. “No, no. It wasn’t you. Just a long day.”
“You’re telling me,” he huffs, finally closing the fridge door, making it so that the only thing casting any light is the soft glow of the bulb from the vent hood over the stove.
“Brutal?”
He pops off the cap of his beer. “Very.”
“Sorry about that.”
He takes a swig, making a satisfied sound when he pulls the bottle away. Even haggard looking, it’s hard to miss how good he looks, which is a sharp reminder that we’re alone here in the near dark just staring at each other. Probably not the best idea.
I scratch my scalp sleepily. God, I’m exhausted. “I met Iris today. She’s... a character.”
Aiden’s mouth presses together in a tight line. “She wasn’t awful to you, was she?”
“Well, I’d be lying if I said she was going to be inviting me to her birthday party anytime soon,” I tell him. “But it could have been worse, I guess.”
Aiden leans against the counter near the fridge. “I’m glad she wasn’t rude, at least.”
“I didn’t know Sophie’s mom ran a flower shop,” I point out, making conversation for reasons that escape me, given that it’s so late.
“Oh, yeah.” Aiden nods before taking another sip. “It’s a pretty popular shop. Iris runs it by herself now.”
“She really seems to love Sophie,” I note.
