Unfolding

Chapter 30

"You didn't think I just invited you over to watch my kids, did you?" She asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Then, she turned to me and grabbed my wrist dragging me along with her while Aiden just shook his head. She was leading us down to the basement, the one part of the house I had not been in until today. However, let me just tell you it was equally impressive as the rest of the house. Trailing behind her down the stairs, I took in the white marble tiles with specks of gray and the white walls. The only wall that wasn't white was the one where the fireplace and TV were mounted. Instead, this wall was covered in slabs of beige tile mimicking stone and giving the whole room a rustic cabin vibe. There was an L-shaped couch right in front of the fire place, with a gray plush carpet accompanying it. The semi-flush mount lighting was dimmed about half way, giving the room an overall cozy vibe.

"Welcome to my little den." Ella said as she began opening and closing the cabinets in the built-in behind the couch. "Jake tried to turn this into his man cave, but I beat him to it and turned it into my woman cave."

"I don't blame you." I replied taking a seat on the couch. "You have four kids. I think you need a little more than a woman cave."

She hummed in agreement before coming to stand in front of me. "Mani-pedi or movies?" In one hand she was holding an LED Lamps, while in the other a bottle of red OPI nail polish.

"You think I have enough energy to do my nails right now?" I cocked a brow at her.

"Movie it is then!"

About halfway through Legally Blonde, Ella turned to me with a mischievous grin. "I don't know about you Natalie, but I'm starving."

Then she shouted, "AIDEN!"

All this girl needed was a bell!

A few minutes later, Aiden poked his head into the basement from the top of the stairs. "What?"

"Natalie and I are hungry." She declared.

"And?" He rolled his eyes, visibly annoyed.

"First of all, cut the attitude." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Second of all, go pick us up some food."

He just looked at her blankly. "Chop-chop!" She waved him off, when he made no motion to move.

"You might want to try a bit of lavender under your pillow tonight. It does wonders for psychotic behavior." Aiden bit back from the top of the stairs, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Oh boy.

"I'll tell Grandma you said that the next time she calls." Ella smirked. I saw Aiden's face turn an unusual shade of pale before he scrambled away, no doubt to actually go get us food. Meanwhile, I was trying really hard to contain my laughter.

Once Aiden was out of earshot, Ella turned to me and grinned. "Works every time. I swear that boy is terrified of her!"

"I met her a few months ago." I replied. "She's really nice, and it seems like she loves Aiden a lot."

"Oh, she does!" Ella snorted. "More than any of us. Hell – more than her own son I think. But that doesn't mean she's not the hardest on him. You see, Aiden can be a total dick when he wants to be, and Grandma Amy is always there to remind him that he needs to treat girls with the respect because they're not just toys for him to play with."

She shook her head before continuing. "I swear, my dad and Grace's house used to be a whorehouse before you came along." When Ella saw my reaction, she quickly added, "He doesn't do that anymore, obviously!"