Page 65 of All That She Needs

Jake walked further into the room and took a seat at the end of the bed. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"Right until your brother punched my nose? Yeah, it's all coming back to me now." I rubbed my forehead, trying to ease the lingering ache.

Roy shook his head. He looked like he was utterly disappointed with me. "You really lost it, Aiden. I've never seen you like that before."

"Not exactly my proudest moment," I muttered, the weight of shame settling in. "What happened after I... you know? Where's Asha?"

"Liam took her home." Jake answered.

"Right..." I muttered. Didn't know how to respond to that.

"In my opinion, you deserved that punch, Aiden," Jake said, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Not just because he's my brother, but because you scared her. You were hurting her."

I winced at his words, the guilt washing over me like an icy wave. Groaning in shame, my head fell to my hands.

"I never wanted to hurt her. I love her. I would never, ever hurt her." Not physically, at least. I knew I'd shattered her heart in ways that left deeper scars than any bruise.

"But you did," Jake continued, his tone unwavering as he pressed on, determined to make me understand. "Her arms were bruised, Aiden. None of us realized it at first, and she didn'teven realize it herself—probably because she was in such a panic that she didn't feel it until later. When Liam saw that, he looked ready to kill you. I had to wrestle him away to prevent him from crushing your head on the floor with his boots."

The gravity of his words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt a wave of nausea wash over me, and I turned my gaze away, unable to meet his eyes. "I didn't mean to—"

"I know you didn't mean to, but intention doesn't matter right now," Jake interrupted, his frustration palpable. "You need to get a grip on yourself, Aiden. You can't continue living like this."

I heard Roy sigh before he said, "You know what Asha said to me, Aiden? She said that she was having a good time for the first time in almost a year. She was so happy, she said. And now the night is ruined."

I had to close my eyes as they stung. Guilt barely scratched the surface. The memory of how scared she was came flooding back. Her eyes were wide with terror as she looked at me. She was looking at me like I was a monster. She was right. I was a monster.

"How is she now?" I asked, anxiety tightening my chest. My voice trembled with frustration and shame.

"Physically, she's going to be fine," Jake replied. "But emotionally? I don't know, Aiden. She looked traumatized."

Oh, God. I could never forgive myself.

"I know it's not my place to say this," Roy said, pausing as if searching for the right words. "But I think you need to let her go."

Fuck.

"You're only hurting her, Aiden," he continued. "You keep breaking her heart. You need to start thinking about what makes her happy, not just what makesyouhappy. If you really love her, you have to prioritize her happiness over your own."

I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, processing everything they had said. Silence filled the room until I finally spoke. "Thank you. For everything. I know I've troubled both of you too much, but I think I need to be alone now."

"Yeah," Jake replied, standing up. "Rest well, okay? Call me if you need anything."

"I called Sean, so you'll have someone taking care of you," Roy said. "He's on the way here. I have to take the kids to school." As he turned to leave, he paused, remembering something. "Oh, yeah. I took all the booze from your cupboards and gave it to Jake. He'll put it to good use in his bar."

I remained staring at the ceiling long after they left the apartment. I stayed in that same position when Sean arrived, lost in thought about everything. Every wrong turn I had taken, every shameful thing I had done, until a decision took shape in my mind.

I needed to let Asha go.

Part 32: Asha

I arrived at the office the next day, expecting to see Liam waiting by the elevator like he always did—but he wasn't there. A slight worry crept in.

I headed to the elevator, trying to shake off the unease. Maybe he was running late or still asleep. I couldn't stop myself from glancing back every few minutes, hoping to glimpse him. I let the elevator doors open and close a few times, lingering, but he still didn't show up.

Sighing, I decided I would go up without him.

As the elevator ascended, my mind replayed last night. After we left the bar, Liam borrowed Jake's jeep to take me home. He kept fussing over my bruised arms, as if it were a serious injury. I remember him apologizing for ruining the night, but making it clear he didn't regret punching Aiden. In fact, he said he wished he had hit him again for hurting me.

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