Page 56 of Offside Devil

“Your room is so cool,” she whispers to him. “Don’t you love it?”

Aiden bites his lower lip and finally nods.

I may not be an expert with kids, but I know when he’s lying.

“I’ll let you look around and get settled,” I say instead of following the trail of my disappointment and decapitating the stuffed snake currently tangled around my leg. That wouldn’t solve anything.

I lift my hand to ruffle his hair, but Aiden shifts away from me as I pass him in the doorway.

I’m not even five feet from his door when I finally hear his raspy little voice. “Different.”

“It’s very different. Is it a good different or a bad different?” Mira asks sweetly. Aiden doesn’t say anything, so she continues, “It’s okay if you don’t know the answer right now.”

Aiden sniffles. “Everything is different.”

All at once, he bursts into tears.

Mira is quick to calm him. I feel like a creep listening in from the hallway—like I’m an intruder in my own damn house. She may not have much experience with kids, but she’s good with Aiden.

Better with him than I am.

I showed up today and swiped my card, but it’s not the same as understanding how to talk to him. Making space for him in my house isn’t the same as knowing him.

Fuck.

“A lot of things have changed really fast. That can be a lot to take in,” she explains. “It’s okay if you need time to adjust.”

Mira starts singing, her voice low and sweet, and I want it to be me, goddammit. I want Aiden to talk to me. I want him to come to me when he’s upset.

But in a surprisingly selfless twist, I’m also glad he has someone even if it isn’t me.

Aiden is the only thing that matters. I’m keeping Mira in my life so she can help me with my son—until I can become the father he needs.

The only question is how long that’s going to take.

And if Mira and I can survive each other until then.

24

MIRA

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Zane.”

I know from the schedule Hanna sent over this morning that Zane has a half-hour break right now, but I still didn’t expect him to answer my call.

I can practically hear him gritting his teeth. “You texted this morning and said you wanted to get Aiden out of the condo. I'm making that happen. The words you're looking for are, ‘Thank you, Mr. Whitaker.’”

I glance at the behemoth of a man standing next to what has to be the world’s largest SUV. I'm pretty sure it's actually a Transformer. Apparently, when Optimus Prime is not saving the world from aliens, he’s chauffeuring me very conspicuously around downtown Phoenix.

“The bulletproof car is one thing, but where did you find this driver? The fucking WWE?” I hiss, keeping my voice low enough that Evan—driver by day, boulder by, well, always—doesn't hear me. He seemed nice when Aiden and I came downstairs and met him five minutes ago, but this isn't about him. “I can drive my own car and I don't need a bodyguard.”

Lowkey. Under the radar. I’ve lived a quiet life for years and now, I might as well walk around the city with a big flashing sign over my head. Look at me! I’m important! I need extra protection because of how special and attention-worthy I am!

“That’s why I didn't hire Evan for you.”

My cheeks flame. “That's not what I—Don't twist my words.”

“Then don't give me so many words to twist,” he retorts. “Say it just like we rehearsed and then I can get back to work.”

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