Chasing His Rejected Wife
Chapter 27 -

A sharp intake of breath cut through the air just behind me, and it felt as if every nerve in my body suddenly caught fire with embarrassment. I clenched my jaw, resolutely refusing to turn and face Aiden. I was certain that locking eyes with him right now would only confirm my dread-his expression would undoubtedly be a mixture of disbelief and heaven knows what else. Instead, I found myself frozen in place, my senses in temporary disarray as my mind struggled to come to terms with the reality that my husband had overheard my best friend discussing the purchase of a sex toy for me.

This was exactly the very thing I dreaded that had kept me from getting one in the first place, and now, it was like all my fears had finally broken through and now stood, laughing at my face. Anna, blissfully unaware of the chaos she had unleashed, carried on chattering about her well-intentioned plans.

"Hey, where's your laptop? We can browse through options online and replace something that suits your taste. I've got a couple of things saved on my Amazon wishlist. There's this amazing purple "

She entered the room with such suddenness that she screeched to a halt upon seeing Aiden standing there. Her face contorted into a comical expression of shock, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets, and her mouth hanging wide open. I would have burst into laughter if the joke wasn't already on me. My embarrassment was so intense that I wished the floor would just swallow me up.

For what felt like an eternity, the room was filled with tense, almost suffocating silence. Then, breaking the silence, Aiden's voice cut through, noticeably cooler than before. "It seems I've interrupted a private conversation." "Oh no, we weren't "I stammered, desperately trying to salvage the situation, but Anna was quicker to respond.

"Yes, you have," she shot back with an equally frosty tone. There was a fierce glint in her eyes, and she lifted her chin challengingly. "We were just discussing the perfect gift for your 'wife' - a big, juicy, purple dildo. You know, something to keep her entertained while her man is busy exploring other options."

"Anna!" I hissed in a scandalized whisper, horrified by her audacity. Though deep down, I couldn't deny that I half-expected her to seize the opportunity to say something scathing the second she laid eyes on Aiden. I dared to sneak a glance at Aiden, and his face had reverted to that infuriatingly impassive expression. But I caught that subtle twitch in his jaw, a clear sign that he was more annoyed than he let on.

"I see," Aiden replied, his gaze flicking briefly to me. That single glance sent a rush of heat through me as if his eyes had the power to set me ablaze. I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry and constricted.

"No, you don't really understand, do you?" Anna shot back, her arms folded across her chest. "You've never really taken Jessica's feelings into consideration, not even before she got pregnant and especially not now." "Anna -" I began, but she was on a roll.

"You want her to stay married for the sake of the baby, but what about Jess? What does she get out of all this? To remain at home like a good little wife while you fool around with that bitch? You should count yourself lucky she's only exploring toys and not taking a leaf out of your book to replace herself a man who's willing to satisfy her."

"Enough," Aiden spoke with grim finality. "I'm not about to discuss the intimate details of my marriage with a third party." He turned to me again, pinning me with a deep look. "If you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen and we can talk about what can be done. I'd much prefer a civil conversation than a shouting match."

Anna huffed and rolled her eyes but stayed silent, leaving it up to me to respond to Aiden. I sighed and rubbed at my temples, reluctant to talk about my sex life but I knew this was an opportunity I would be a fool to miss to have a conversation about the direction of our relationship.

"Could you give us a minute?" I locked eyes with Anna and we had another silent conversation. She nodded and went into the bedroom to give Aiden and me a chance to talk. I waited until I heard the bedroom door close then let out a breath.

"I would apologize on her behalf, but she is simply looking out for me," I spoke softly, conscious of the thin walls and the possibility of Anna eavesdropping.

Aiden's mouth twisted wryly, as though he wasn't fully convinced but he merely made a hmmm sound. He leaned against the wall, hands thrust in his pants pocket, looking at the picture of indolence.

"How do you feel today?" He asked instead, his gaze on me, a hint of warmth that had not been there before. "Have you taken your meds?"

"I'm better, just the usual pregnancy stuff."

"Your meds?" He repeated.

"I haven't taken them this morning." At his disapproving look, I added. "I just finished breakfast before you arrived, but I'll take them, don't worry."

He nodded. Then. "Not that I place much stock in her words, but is that something you've considered?"

I frowned in confusion. "What?"

His mouth thinned like he was about to say something unpleasant. "Is there someone else?"

I stared at him while I struggled to comprehend what he was saying and then it clicked. I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped at the irony of the situation. Why should it bother him if there was someone else?

"Why?" I raised my chin, feeling a flash of defiance. "Are you going to order me to stop seeing him? That would be the biggest form of hypocrisy, considering who cheated on whom in the first place."

Frost dripped from every bit of him as he pushed off the wall and stalked towards me. "If you're referring to Elisa..."

"Of course, I'm talking about her!" This time I didn't bother to keep my voice low. "Or were there other women I didn't know about, Aiden?"

"There is no one, not now and not -." He broke off abruptly, probably because he'd caught himself in a lie.

"Just Elisa then," I murmured, the knowledge failed to comfort me. In a way, it could be said that there had never not been Elisa. She'd been a part of our lives, before and during our marriage; a constant reminder that Aiden was not mine to keep. Once again, the feeling that I'd been a third wheel in their relationship rose within me and left my mouth bitter and dry.

"I meant what I said when I told you I would avoid the mistakes of the past." Aiden said tightly, "There were many mistakes, mostly on my part and I will try my hardest to fix the damage."

"You can't fix everything," I replied, my voice hoarse from the swell of my emotions. "You can't just throw away real emotions just because you want to do the right thing. It won't work."

"Maybe so, but I intend to do what I can." He sighed and crouched down in front of me. "Tell me what you want, tell me what it will take to make you stay."

I studied him, searching for signs that he was not being sincere, but all I could see was the truth of his words mirrored in his eyes. "You're willing to give up Elisa?"

"I am." There was no hesitation whatsoever. "I already have."