“You’re back?”
Mr. Flores also looked over. “Hey, kid, you just get back?”
Lucas handed Caroline a small cake box. “Yeah, passed by that bakery you like and picked
something up.”
Caroline hesitated before asking, “How is he?”
Lucas paused. “He’s okay. Keeps asking to see you, though.”
David snorted at this. “He better want to see her. After what he did, the least he could do was take a
knife for her.”
Both Lucas and Caroline couldn’t help but smile at his protective attitude.
Though Lucas worried Caroline might rekindle feelings for Aiden after he took a knife for her, he respected her enough to ask.
“Do you want to see him?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Caroline nodded.
A flicker of sadness crossed Lucas’s eyes.
David assumed Caroline still had feelings for Aiden and let out another disapproving grunt.
“Why are you still thinking about him? After all that pain, you still want to see that bastard?”
His tone carried the frustration of a parent watching their child make the same mistake.
Caroline realized they’d misunderstood and quickly explained.
“I’m not hung up on him, and I’m not going back to him. I just… think it’s time to end it for real.”
She sighed. “Right now, he thinks that because he saved me, I’ll forgive him. If I never see him, he’ll
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Done Playing My Uncle Hubby’s Forbidden Backup Doll
16.9
Chapter 23
keep that fantasy alive forever.”
“If he keeps thinking that way, I don’t know what he might do next.”
She took Lucas’s arm. “I’m with you now. I’m not interested in anyone else.”
The next day, Lucas accompanied Caroline to the hospital.
Aiden had convinced himself that saving Caroline would earn her forgiveness.
After their conversation last night, Lucas understood now. Only Caroline could cut off Aiden’s delusions and end this situation.
The moment Caroline walked into the room, Aiden tried to sit up with a smile–then immediately winced, clutching his wound and falling back.
“Caroline, you come. I’m so glad you’re here.” He deliberately lowered his voice to appear weaker.
Caroline didn’t engage. She pulled the bedside chair farther away before sitting down.
“You wanted to see me. What do you want to say?”
Aiden glanced at Lucas standing nearby. “I want to talk to you alone.”
Caroline looked at Lucas.
He nodded. “I’ll wait outside. Call if you need me.”
Once Lucas left, Aiden immediately reached for Caroline’s hand. But she pulled away.
“If you’re not gonna say anything important, I’m leaving.”
A flash of pain crossed Aiden’s face. “Caroline… You’re still not ready to forgive me?”
Caroline avoided his gaze. “Aiden, you saved my life and I’m grateful. But that has nothing to do with
us.”
“I’ve told you many times–we’re over.”
Aiden still tried to win her back. “Caroline, we had something real, didn’t we?”
Caroline didn’t even look at him. “Yes, we did. I loved you very much once. But that’s in the past.”
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Done Playing My Uncle Hubby’s Forbidden Backus Dell
Chapter 23
“Aiden, you’re eight years older than me. When you were with me, were you thinking about our future, or were you using me to reminisce about Elise?”
“When I told you I was pregnant and you chose baby names, were you thinking about us, or were
you so obsessed with Elise that even our child was meant to commemorate her?”
“Every time you lied to me, sneaking around with Elise–were you thinking about our relationship, or your history with her?”
“Love? You have no fucking right to talk to me about love. If you ever loved me, you wouldn’t have been with Elise while I was carrying your child.”
Aiden was speechless. He could finally managed. “Caroline, I was wrong. Please forgive me.”
Thinking about the little one, Caroline couldn’t hold back her tears.
Aiden tried to wipe them away, but she moved back.
“Aiden, we’re done. Really done.”
Caroline looked directly at him. “If you ever felt anything for me at all, I’m begging you–let me go.”
“Your love is heavy. I can’t carry it anymore.”
“Please, just let me go.”
Aiden watched her tears fall, his hand reaching out to wipe them, then pulling back.
After a long silence, he sighed.
“Caroline… I’m sorry. You can go.”
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