Always next to you

Chapter Forty-Nine

NICOLE

I haven't seen Aiden in three days. Every day I woke up and his side of the bed was without wrinkles. What we were doing was very dangerous, and we had to do it while continuing our regular life to avoid suspicion.

If Aiden wasn't coming home, then it was very likely that he wasn't getting any sleep. It would be a shame if he reverted back to taking pills like he used to.

In the days I spent at home, Halo, Oliver, and Mia kept me company. We held meetings, worked and ate food. There was no space for any fun activities.

Oliver went to work at the Zen building on some days but he only went with Jonas. He was forbidden from leaving the house without Jonas. It made me understand that Jonas was even more overprotective than Aiden.

Thinking about the time Aiden installed a tracker on my phone, I was not surprised. Oliver, on the other hand, did not seem to mind. I didn't know if we were close enough for me to ask about their relationship, but they seemed all right.

My work today ended early because I had too much free time and I finished too early. I worked in the coding den till I passed out and Halo would carry me to Aiden's room. I would wake up and look for Aiden in the past two days.

Every instinct in me wanted to call him, but I froze every time I saw his name on my screen. My heart would jump wildly in my chest like something bad would happen.

Although I didn't want to put meaning into anything, it seems I have nearly completed my reliance on Aiden Stark. I fought really hard, and I got in trouble so many times, but he always seemed to appear when I was at my worst.

I sighed and sank into the nearest couch as I stared at his contact information saved on my phone.

"Can you cut that out?" Halo exclaimed.

"What?!" I shouted back.

"The sighing. It's the fifth time in the past seven minutes,"

A rush of guilt spread through my body, and the embarrassment rushed to my face. Why was I this depressed because of a boy? Technically, Aiden was a man, but it was all the same to me.

"When is he coming back?" I groaned.

It was said in a very low tone, so I was sure no one would hear me since Halo and Oliver were at different corners of the coding den. Oliver turned a part of it to his design studio and Mia was writing in her room.

"Why don't you call him and ask?" Halo asked.

I jumped up on the couch. I've been caught. They knew who I was sulking about without me saying anything.

"But then he'll know I was thinking about him," I replied.

It was the truth. Even when I was working or talking business with people, I was thinking about him. Until I figured out why this was happening, Aiden's absence was good. If only I didn't miss him so much.

"I'm sure that's not what he'll be worried about," Oliver laughed.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I'm sure by now you've figured out that our men are more alike than you know. I can bet Aiden is going crazy at work thinking about how long it would take before he comes home to see you,"

"He didn't even call,"

"You didn't either,"

I gritted my teeth and threw a pillow at him. Did they have to call me out like that?

"If it bothers you so much, then why not go and see him at the office," Halo said. "You guys are engaged and I'm sure if you go with a bodyguard he won't get mad,"