Man in the Mirror

Chapter 7: Everything I Wanted

Aiden looked at the clock beside him and shut off the alarm with a hard smack. He smiled to himself knowing that Holden was present yesterday. He wasn't sure why it happened, but he always followed Holden. He felt it had to do with the alarm Holden constantly set for 5 am. It used to annoy him, but now all he could think about was having another day with his Ace.

She wasn't sleeping in his room, which means that Holden hadn't made a move. Aiden knew he wouldn't. He was so subdued and reserved. The opposite of him. He crept into the room next door and found her sleeping peacefully. He got into the bed with her and began kissing her neck. He pressed his erection into her before sucking the spot beneath her ear and caressing her stomach underneath her negligee. She moaned a response which further drove him. "Jack," Aja whispered causing Aiden to still.

The anger that built within him was instant. He wanted to move away from her, but he had an idea. It was probably terrible, but he wanted to see something. He continued to kiss on her before she turned around and slowly woke up. Aja was shocked to see Mr. Blanchet in her room. She didn't know which Mr. Blanchet she was currently looking at, but the fact that he was all over her meant he was either Jack or Aiden. It could be Holden, but she doubted it. She wanted him to be brash and bold, but that wasn't him and deep down she loved that.

"Mr. Blanchet," Aja said cautiously. "It's me, Aja. It's Jack." She smiled widely at him before pulling him into a deep kiss. The kiss didn't feel like their usual one, but she chalked it up to him getting acclimated with being back. "I missed you." She said against his lips as he squeezed her hip. "I missed you too." Aja looked at the clock and groaned. "It's too early," Aja said nuzzling into his neck. "Let's go back to bed." He nodded his head before pulling her in closer.

"I think we should play hooky this afternoon. Let's just spend the day together doing whatever we'd normally do." Aja looked up at him and smiled. "Okay. I'd like that. I have to catch you up on what you've missed at breakfast." He nodded before rubbing her arms. Aiden thought of what he wanted to uncover. He wanted to see how she interacted with Jack. He wanted to know what was so special about him that Anders adored him and Aja seemed to think about him even in her sleep.

They got ready in their own rooms that morning and Aiden scoffed at Jack's plethora of suits all pressed and ready. He looked on the opposite side of the expansive closet and found his jeans, shirts and kicks. They were so different. That was probably why Anders adored Jack and hated him.

Jack along with the others were so perfect with their hobbies and manners. He couldn't help it that he was a natural born rebel. Even before finding out about the psychotic cocktail that was their life, Aiden went against the grain. He would pretend to be Jack to see if Aja was different with him. He wanted to know if she cared more about him. If she even loved him.

He had a slight glimpse into Jack's mind and remembered her face and the fact that he should know what she felt like and taste like, but he didn't. He didn't have the specifics just the ghost of a memory. He walked out in a white dress shirt with gray slacks and matching vest.

The dress shoes were annoyingly narrow and Aiden wondered how he could go all day dressed like this. "Don't you look handsome," Aja smiled at him causing him to smile in return. "You look beautiful, Aja." Aiden took in her curves in the white dress and smirked. She was wearing his favorite color and he loved it.

Aja was confused by the expression Jack held, because it didn't suit him. It was familiar and belonged to someone else. "What do you want to do this afternoon?" He asked holding out his hand. She took it happily. "Breakfast first so Anders and I can tell you all that you missed. Then knock out some work emails and assignments. Let's hang out in the library around 3. You said you would teach me how to play chess." He stilled for a second causing her to stop abruptly. "Let's take a raincheck on the chess. We'll do something else." Aja eyed him wearily but nodded.