~Joan~
Aaron arrived exactly five minutes later. I opened the door just wide enough to let him in, careful to keep our shoulders from brushing.
I stayed by the door as he walked a few steps into the room and then turned to face me. My teeth caught my lower lip as I fought to hide the tremble I felt building.
His brows knitted together as his eyes searched me, and I swallowed hard.
“Can I… can I hug you?” I asked, meeting his gaze. A small, stubborn part of me hoped he’d say no, that it would snap me back to reality and away from this growing delusion.
It would remind me what we were-just casual, no strings attached. But every minute I spent with him chipped away at my defenses. I could feel my heart peeling open, wanting to confide in him.
I’d already told him things I hadn’t planned to. Things I used to only share with Rhoda. And now, somehow, he was replacing her, though in an entirely different way.
“Come here,” he said softly, and my chest tightened as my eyes instantly filled with tears. I knew I was being foolish, but that didn’t stop me from rushing into his arms.
He hoisted me up effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist, and I buried my face in the crook of his neck. His scent filled my lungs-clean and familiar-and I held on tighter, willing myself not to cry. I’d already done enough crying with Aaron. I didn’t want to make this more complicated than it already was.
He shifted backward and sank onto the couch, keeping me close. His hand moved to my hair, patting gently as I nestled against him, allowing myself this fleeting moment of peace.
“You want to tell me what happened?” he asked.
I sighed. “I went for an interview today.”
His chest rose under my cheek, and I could tell he wasn’t satisfied with my evasive answer.
“That’s not what happened,” he said firmly. His hand cupped the side of my face, tilting it so I couldn’t avoid his gaze.
I hesitated, then swallowed hard. “My name was changed,” I whispered, the words scraping against my throat.
“What do you mean?”
“When I applied for the job, I used my name, but when I got to the company, they told me it had been changed to Joan Knight.” I glanced up at Aaron, watching him as he pieced it together.
“Ace Knight? Your father?” he asked carefully.
I shook my head. “I have no parents, as far as I’m concerned.”
“I don’t know how it happened,” I continued.
“Maybe the company’s database was hacked or something.” Aaron’s expression hardened, his jaw tightening. “If they did that, it means…” He trailed off, a dark look crossing his face. “They’re watching you. They have access to you.”
A shiver ran down my spine. Hearing him confirm what I’d already suspected made it worse somehow.
“Yeah. I felt like someone was watching me when I left your house. The driver even said we were being followed.”
His gaze sharpened. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”
I sighed. “It isn’t something that’d interest you. We both have our private lives, Aaron.”
The air around him seemed to grow colder. “I’m interested in everything that concerns you. Call it obsession or whatever you want, but I don’t care. If something threatens you, I need to know. Understand?”
His words struck me, my heart skipping a beat as I nodded silently. I kept my mouth shut, afraid of saying something that might push him over the edge. Just like last time.
I shifted slightly on his lap, noticing how warm he was. His body heat, his scent-it was all such a huge contrast to the icy persona he usually wore.
“You have to move out,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence.
I blinked at him. “What?”
“They know you’re staying here. It’s not safe anymore.”
I sighed, feeling the weight of his words. “Aaron, I have nowhere to go. I’ll move out once I get this job. Don’t worry about me.”
His expression hardened further. “What if you don’t get the job? Or what if they get to you before then?”
I hesitated, biting my lip. “Rhoda might let me stay with her, but…” I trailed off, gesturing between us. I didn’t need to spell it out. If I stayed with Rhoda, she’d find out about me and Aaron.
“Move in with me,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re not my boyfriend, Aaron. I can’t just move in with you.”
“You’ll be safe with me. That’s all that matters,” he said, his jaw tightening again.
“I’ll be fine,” I argued, trying to lighten the mood. “I learned some karate when I was younger.” In the orphanage. But I stopped short of mentioning the orphanage. That wasn’t something he needed to know.
His unimpressed look silenced me.
“I’ll assign a bodyguard to you,” he said firmly, cutting off my protests. “And you’re not going to fight it.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but his sharp gaze stopped me.
“He’ll only follow you when you’re out, and from a distance. You won’t even know he’s there.”
I sagged against him, realizing I wasn’t going to win this fight. Having someone to watch my back wasn’t the worst idea, anyway.
We stayed like that for a while, the silence wrapping around us like a blanket. Slowly, I felt myself start to drift off. Aaron’s steady breathing and the rise and fall of his chest made me feel safe, maybe safer than I’d ever felt.
“Pack a bag,” he murmured suddenly. “We’ll leave for Paris tomorrow.”
I hummed sleepily, too tired to ask why. But as the words sank in, a knot of realization formed in my stomach.
I was beginning to trust Aaron.
And that fucking terrified me.