After a long while Claire finally managed to stop crying.
When she received the notification on her beeper she was worried. But once she talked to one of the men from her security detail she was terrified. Everything from the last few days had already taken a toll on her, making the current situation even harder to bare.
Her family was the only thing that helped her get through the horrible nightmares and the taxing work hours. She would put her life on the line for them without a second thought. And the fact that they were both hurt in her absence terrified Claire. They were the only thing she had left.
After gaining back her senses she realized how she had completely exposed practically her entire hidden life to Aiden. But seeing as her brother had spent the last two hours in surgery, she didn't even care at that point. Her head would split open if she added any more worry to her current state.
Since she was feeling better, she started to slowly lift up from Aiden's chest. She wiped her tear stained cheeks and took a few deep breaths as she opened her eyes to find her little Lily still sound asleep infront of them. When she looked to her side she found that Aiden had truly kept watching over her while she let out all of her pent up emotions.
Sensing her gaze, he turned to look at her. His arm was still over her shoulder, but he had moved it onto the sofa behind her when she had started to sit up. He had stayed quiet for the past hour and a half. For whatever reason he knew exactly what she needed and simply did as he felt he should.
"Thank you." Claire told him in a low and slightly hoarse voice.
"Hmm." Aiden hummed in response as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Claire didn't stop him from doing so. She was too exhausted to care.
"I guess now I really do owe you an explanation huh?" Claire said as her lips lifted into a sad attempt of a nervous smile.
"Don't do that." He told her.
"Do what?" She asked.
"Don't try to smile when your eyes are so sad." He said to her as he looked at her.
Just as Claire was about to speak he cut her off.
"Before anything else, I have to clear up the misunderstanding we had back at the restaurant earlier." His voice was just loud enough for her to hear and not risk waking Lily up.
He fixed the blanket on her before looking up at her again and continued to talk. "There are much more pressing matters you should focus on but I can't have you think I'm an asshole. At least not to you anyway." He slightly smirked at her before turning more serious.
"Earlier I didn't explain myself well. For you to feel disrespected or insulted was never my intention and for that I apologize. When I said I wouldn't abide by the nonsense you lived by, I didn't mean it to go across as it did. What I meant to say, was that living while thinking you aren't suited to be loved by someone else is nonsense."
He could see her giving him all of her attention so he continued. "To be honest, I'm not really the kind of guy to think much differently than you about keeping others at a safe distance." He paused for a moment before resuming. " But as soon as I saw you looking out of the glass in my office I knew I had to know you. When our conversation was cut short that day I was left with wanting more of it. After watching you step down the stairs at your front entrance I was left in awe. And even as you dashed through the hospital halls barefoot I found myself chasing after you." After he said that he looked at Lily.
"And don't even get me started on how you soothed her in your arms while you could barely keep yourself together." He looked back at Claire. "So when I heard you repeatedly refuse to even think about the possibility of getting to know me in a more personal sense, I kinda blurted out what first came to my head. I get it okay? I get the whole not letting people know more than needed because it's too much to handle or there's too much at risk. And I also know that you're right about the rest of those people that come at you with half assed resolve or ill intent." He stopped for a second and raised his hand to hold her cheek. Making Claire flinch a bit as it was unexpected.
Stroking her skin with his thumb he empathized his next words. "But you and I both know I'm not the same as them. You can try to convince yourself otherwise, but your eyes can't fool me. Seeing how they hesitate when you're around me tells me you know I'm different. As well as I know you're different. I'd even go as far as saying you let your guard down around me so much precisely because you know I'm not lying to you about my intentions."
He removed his hand from her face before continuing. "I'm not asking for anything right now. We just met and I'm more than aware it's not the right time. But I just needed to let you know I'm not your typical 'hypocritical, untrustworthy and egotistical man.' "He quoted what she had said before back to her, with a knowing look and a small smirk. "Okay?" He asked while focusing on her eyes. Her eyes would tell him if she believed him or not.
Claire felt as if she were made of glass with how easily he had seen through her since they first met. His gravely calm and smooth voice was making her life long resolution of shutting everybody other than her family out, slowly start to crumble. Everything he said was true. From how she avoided people to how his mere presence made her hesitate and even fantasize about how it would feel to let him in.
Although she was drawn to his every word, Claire was never one to make drastic choices without careful consideration. Even if her current state of mind was a complete mess.
She didn't believe in giving false hope, for it was a deadly poison that slowly ate away a person's rationality. But after all Aiden had done for her in the last few hours, she couldn't find it in herself to outright reject him like she had done before.
While staring into his deep-set hazel eyes she answered him. "Okay."