CHAPTER 28 — Waking Up

Aiden woke up to the sound of someone speaking. Not immediately. First came the darkness. Then the panic. Then the slow, painful return of reality.

His chest rose and fell rapidly as he stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above him. For a brief, terrifying second, he didn't know where he was. His body felt heavy, his head clouded with fragments of a nightmare he couldn't fully remember.

No. Not a nightmare. A memory.

"You're awake." The voice pulled him back completely.

Aiden turned his head. Damien was sitting beside the bed, still dressed in yesterday's clothes. His sleeves were rolled up, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes that Aiden had never noticed before. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Aiden blinked several times.

"W-what happened?" he asked quietly.

Damien leaned back in the chair.

"You don't remember?"

Aiden frowned. The party.The drinking. The phone call. His eyes widened.

"Oh my God."

He sat upright too quickly and immediately regretted it as his head began to pound.

"Easy," Damien said, reaching out instinctively before stopping himself halfway. "You were drunk."

Aiden looked around the room. The enormous bedroom. The expensive furniture. The floor-to-ceiling windows.

Then he looked back at Damien. "Why am I here?"

Damien's expression remained frustratingly calm.

"You told me not to come get you."

Aiden nodded slowly. "Then?"

"You passed out immediately after hanging up."

Aiden's face slowly drained of color. "No..."

"Yes."

"No, I mean..." He buried his face in his hands. "Did I say anything stupid?"Damien was silent for a moment.

"Several things."

Aiden groaned. "I hate my life."

For the first time, something close to amusement flickered across Damien's face.

"You asked if I missed you."

Aiden froze."I what?"

"You also offered to come see me."

Aiden slowly lowered his hands. "I was drunk."

"You were."

"So none of that counts."

Damien stood up. "I never said it did."

The room fell quiet.

Aiden glanced away first.

"So..." he asked awkwardly. "Why did you actually come?"

Damien adjusted his watch. "You sounded unwell."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

"You didn't..." Aiden hesitated. "Miss me or anything?"

Damien looked at him. The expression on his face was unreadable. "No."

The answer came too quickly.Aiden nodded.

"Right."

For some reason, the response stung more than he expected. Damien checked the time.

"I have work."

"Already?"

"I postponed enough meetings last night."

Aiden blinked. "Wait... last night?"

Damien walked toward the door.

"You had a nightmare." Aiden's stomach tightened.

He remembered fragments. Blood. His mother's voice. Someone touching his hair. He looked up.

"Did I..."

"You were screaming." The words hung heavily between them.

"I see," Aiden whispered. Damien paused at the door. "You don't have to explain anything."

Then, after a brief hesitation, he added,

"Mrs. Kate made breakfast. Eat before you leave."

And just like that, he was gone.

---

The mansion felt strangely quiet after Damien left. Too quiet.

Aiden sat at the dining table in borrowed clothes, pushing eggs around his plate while Mrs. Kate fussed over him.

"You should eat more," she said gently.

"I'm trying."

Mrs. Kate studied him for a moment. "Master Damien was very worried."

Aiden almost choked. "Worried?"

She smiled.

"You should have seen him last night." Aiden slowly put down his fork.

"What happened?"

Mrs. Kate glanced around as though afraid someone might overhear.

" Master Damien drove out by himself."

"By himself?"

She nodded. "And he never does that."

Aiden stared.

"He came back carrying you."

The image alone felt impossible.Mrs. Kate continued.

"You were unconscious. You kept crying and saying you were sorry."

Aiden felt his chest tighten. "I did?"

"He refused to let anyone else take you upstairs."

Aiden didn't know what to say.

"He stayed in your room all night," Mrs. Kate added softly.

The spoon slipped from Aiden's hand. "All night?"

She nodded.

"He even canceled his morning meeting."

Aiden laughed awkwardly. "That doesn't sound like Damien."

Mrs. Kate smiled knowingly. "No. It doesn't."

Aiden lowered his gaze. His head was still full of his nightmare. But now, mixed with those memories, was another image.

Damien, Sitting beside his bed. Waiting for him to wake up. For some reason, that thought frightened him even more, Aiden lowered his gaze. His head was still full of his nightmare. But now, mixed with those memories, was another image.

Damien, Sitting beside his bed. Waiting for him to wake up. For some reason, that thought frightened him even more. Before he could process it further, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway.

A second later, Charlie burst into the dining room.

"Aiden!"

Aiden nearly jumped out of his chair.

"Senior Charlie?"

Charlie stopped in front of him, staring as if he had just witnessed a ghost.

"Oh my God. You're alive."

Aiden blinked."...Was I supposed to die?"

"No!" Charlie exclaimed. "I mean... not exactly. But when Damien drove out by himself, I honestly thought someone had declared war."

Mrs. Kate laughed softly. "I told you he was worried."

Charlie collapsed into the chair opposite Aiden and dramatically pressed a hand against his chest.

"You have no idea what happened here."

Aiden swallowed. "What happened?"

Charlie leaned forward. "My brother. Drove. Himself."

The room fell silent. Aiden frowned. "Is that unusual?"

Mrs. Kate and Charlie exchanged a look.

"Very," they answered together.

Charlie nodded vigorously.

"Do you understand? Damien Smith does not drive himself when he's emotional. Actually, Damien Smith is never emotional."

"I'm not emotional," Aiden muttered.

"I'm talking about Damien!" Charlie groaned.

He pointed dramatically toward the staircase.

"Last night, he stormed out of this house like the building was on fire. Sean nearly had a heart attack trying to follow him."

Mrs. Kate nodded."And when he returned, he carried you upstairs himself."

Aiden's ears turned red. "He... carried me?"

Charlie grinned. "Like some tragic movie hero."

"Please stop."

"He refused to let us help."

"Please stop."

"He stayed beside your bed all night."

"Please stop talking."

Charlie laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.

"Oh, this is incredible."

Aiden covered his face with both hands. "I hate all of you."

"No, you don't," Charlie said cheerfully. The room finally relaxed into silence. Mrs. Kate placed another cup of tea in front of Aiden.

"So," Charlie said after a moment, his expression turning thoughtful, "where is your friend?"

"Justin?"

"Yes."

Aiden looked confused.

"At home, probably recovering from drinking half the city dry."

Charlie smiled. "Invite him."

Aiden blinked. "Invite him?"

"For lunch."

"To the mansion?"

"Yes."

"No."

Charlie looked offended. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean no. Justin would never agree to come here."

"That's why you're going to ask him."

Aiden sighed. "Why?"

Charlie leaned back casually. "I think he's interesting."

Mrs. Kate suddenly became very busy arranging flowers on the table. Aiden narrowed his eyes.

"Interesting?"

"Very."

"Senior Charlie..."

"Yes?"

"You don't have bad intentions, right?"

Charlie placed a hand dramatically over his heart. "I am deeply offended."

"That's not a no."

Charlie laughed."Just call him."

Aiden hesitated. He knew Justin.

The moment he heard "Smith mansion," he would probably disconnect the call and throw his phone into the ocean. Still, after ten minutes of Charlie's relentless persuasion, he finally gave in.

The phone rang twice.

"Aiden?" Justin's sleepy voice answered. "If you're calling to tell me I'm dead from alcohol poisoning, I'm hanging up."

"You're not dead."

"Good."

"Do you want to have lunch?"

"Depends."

"At Damien's mansion."

Silence. Long silence.

"...Hello?" Aiden asked.

"Did you just say Damien's mansion?"

"Yes."

"The Damien?"

"Yes."

"The billionaire one?"

"How many Damiens do you know?"

Justin groaned loudly.

"Absolutely not."

Aiden sighed. "I knew you'd say that."

"Of course I would! Last night I woke up in my own bathtub. I don't even know how I got there."

Charlie suddenly snatched the phone.

"Hello, Justin." There was another long silence.

"...Senior Charlie?"

"The one and only."

"Oh my God."

Charlie smiled. "We're sending a car."

"What?, A car."

"No, that's not necessary."

"It already left."

"What?!"

Charlie looked at Aiden and winked. "See you soon." He hung up.

Aiden stared. "You already sent a car?"

Charlie smiled innocently. "About twenty minutes ago."

"Why?"

"Because I knew he'd say no."

Mrs. Kate burst into laughter.

For the first time since waking from his nightmare, Aiden found himself laughing too. He wasn't sure if he should be terrified Or relieved.