CHAPTER 70: THE WHOLE BED TO MYSELF

Alexia’s POV

Damn, I was satisfied. What a feast. Food really is the best lover. It doesn’t cheat, doesn’t forget about you for some long-lost childhood sweetheart, and most importantly—it never disappoints.

Leaning back in my seat, I let out a content sigh, patting my stomach like a job well done.

"If I die right now, at least I’ll die full," I muttered.

Mike snorted. "That’s the most Alexia thing you’ve ever said."

I lazily turned my head to glare at him. "Excuse me? I’ve said far greater things in my lifetime."

"Like what?" he challenged, smirking.

I thought for a second. Then, with all the wisdom in the world, I said, "Always say yes to extra cheese."

Mike shook his head, laughing. "You know, sometimes I wonder how Aiden deals with you."

I scoffed. "Oh, please. The real question is how I deal with him. You saw what happened tonight."

His smirk faded slightly, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah... that was messed up."

I hummed in agreement, but honestly? I didn’t even feel like being angry anymore. Aiden was Aiden. He did what he wanted, and I wasn’t about to waste my energy on it.

"Eh, it is what it is," I said, stretching my arms. "It’s not like I was expecting a romantic night anyway."

Mike gave me a look. "That doesn’t mean you deserved to be treated like that."

I paused for a moment before shaking my head. Nope. I wasn’t doing this. I wasn’t about to sit here and play the sad, pitiful wife.

I grabbed my drink, took a long sip, and then said, "Well, anyway, enough about that. Now that my stomach is happy, we can go. Take me home, chauffeur."

Mike rolled his eyes but started the car. "You’re impossible, you know that?"

I grinned. "And yet, here you are, still dealing with me. You must like suffering."

He chuckled as we pulled away from the park, heading back to my lovely, Aiden-less home.

When we pulled up in front of the house, I grabbed my bag, pushed the door open, and hopped out. Finally. Home.

Just as I was about to head inside, a loud honk made me pause. I turned around, eyebrows raised, and there was Mike, grinning like an idiot with his head poked out of the car window.

"I wish I was Aiden... Good night, Alex."

And with that, he sped off, leaving me standing there like a confused idiot.

I blinked. What?

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Wishing he was Aiden? Was this about Liz? About Aiden ditching me tonight for his childhood sweetheart? Or was this... something else?

I shook my head. Nope. Not my problem.

It was his wish, not a damn riddle for me to solve. I had bigger concerns—like taking off this dress, slipping into my pajamas, and sleeping off the embarrassment of tonight.

With a shrug, I turned on my heel and walked inside, deciding I’d let future me deal with whatever the hell that meant.

I flopped onto the bed with a satisfied sigh, sinking into the luxurious softness. Aiden’s bed. Yeah, I refused to call it our bed because—let’s be honest—it wasn’t. He had claimed it from day one, and I had been relegated to the couch like some stray cat he picked up out of pity.

But tonight? Tonight was different.

Tonight, I had the bed all to myself. No grumpy husband waking me up at the crack of dawn, no tension in the air, no awkward silence between us. Just me, the softest mattress known to mankind, and the bliss of uninterrupted sleep.

Aiden hadn’t come home yet. I doubted he would. He was probably still at the hospital with Liz. I could call him to confirm, but why bother? It wasn’t like I was his concerned wife waiting up for him. Nope. If anything, I was thrilled—because this meant one thing:

The bed was mine tonight.

Smirking, I rolled over, stretching my arms out like a queen claiming her territory. No one to shove me off the bed. No one to snatch the blanket away. No one to complain if I drooled.

A blessing.

After finishing my nightly routine, I bounced on the bed a few times, just because I could. God, it felt amazing. Maybe I should thank Liz for keeping Aiden occupied.

With a final satisfied hum, I curled under the covers, cocooning myself in warmth. Let him stay out all night. I’d be sleeping like a baby.

*******

Yep, Aiden didn’t come home all night—not that I was surprised. And lucky for me, I didn’t have any ungodly early classes today. My first one wasn’t until 10 AM, so I slept in like the queen I am.

By 8:30, I finally rolled out of bed, took a nice, long shower, and had breakfast in peace. Just as I was about to leave, Tobias—Aiden’s ever-efficient assistant—showed up to take me to campus. Say what you want about my so-called husband, but at least he was committed to making sure I got my degree.

Before I got in.

I paused, my hand hovering over the car door handle as another familiar car pulled up right in front of the house. Mike.

What the hell was he doing here?

The engine cut off, and moments later, he stepped out, dressed casually yet effortlessly stylish as always. He had this smug look on his face, like he knew exactly what he was doing, and that irritated me.

I stood there, arms crossed, watching Mike approach me like this was something totally normal. It wasn’t.

"Morning, Alex... I had come to take you to campus, but it seems Tobias beat me to it," he said, grinning as he walked around the car.

I raised a brow. Huh?

Was I dreaming? Or was Mike actually here, offering to take me to school like some overenthusiastic Uber driver?

"Why?" I asked bluntly.

Mike chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "What? Can’t I give you a ride?"

I narrowed my eyes. "No, you can’t. Because last time I checked, you had a life and things to do, so what are you doing here, Mike?"

I blinked at Mike, trying to process what was happening.

Why was he here?

It wasn’t like we had made any plans last night. Heck, I had barely understood his cryptic "I wish I was Aiden" comment before he drove off. And now, here he was, offering to drive me to school like some knight in shining armor? What was his deal?

Tobias, Aiden’s ever-so-dedicated assistant, looked beyond relieved at the offer.

"Mrs. Lake, if you could allow Mr. Black to take you instead, I would greatly appreciate it because I have a lot of errands to run for Mr. Aiden."

Ah. That explained it.

It wasn’t that Tobias suddenly trusted Mike to be my chauffeur. It was simply that he had too much on his plate thanks to my darling husband.

Great. That settles it then.

I wasn’t about to make life harder for Tobias when he was already drowning in Aiden’s never-ending demands. Besides, if Mike had nothing better to do than play driver, who was I to argue?

"I’d be happy to take you to school," Mike added, flashing me a wide grin.

I narrowed my eyes. He was in way too good of a mood.

Suspicious.

I crossed my arms. "What’s with the sudden enthusiasm, Mike? You don’t have a job or something?"

Mike chuckled. "I do. But taking my current favorite person to campus sounded more interesting."

I scoffed. "Oh please, don’t start with the fake act. I’m not buying it."

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. No flattery talk. But seriously, do I need a reason to do something nice for you?"

Yes. Yes, he did. Because no one did anything for free, especially not in this circle.

But instead of arguing, I shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. Let’s go before I’m late."

Mike looked victorious as he opened the car door for me. Tobias didn’t waste a second before speeding off, probably grateful to have dodged chauffeur duty for the day.

As I slid into Mike’s car, I couldn’t help but wonder—why exactly was he acting this way?

Mike hummed as he drove, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel. He was in an annoyingly good mood. I, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out why he was here.

"So," I started, watching him from the corner of my eye. "You’re just randomly giving people rides now?"

Mike chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe I just enjoy your company."

I scoffed. "Yeah, right. What do you really want?"

He glanced at me briefly, smirking. "You’re suspicious of everything, aren’t you?"

"When it comes to you Black brothers? Absolutely."

Mike laughed, genuinely amused. "Relax, Alex. I just figured you’d want a ride from someone who isn’t constantly reporting back to Aiden."

That caught my attention.

I turned to fully face him. "What do you mean?"

Mike shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "I mean, Tobias is Aiden’s little spy. Whatever you do, wherever you go, he reports it back to your dear husband. But me?" He gestured at himself dramatically. "I don’t answer to Aiden. If you wanna take a detour, grab food, skip class—whatever—I won’t tell a soul."

I narrowed my eyes. "And why would I want to do that?"

Mike’s grin widened. "Because I saw how pissed you were last night."

I stiffened.

Of course, he noticed.

"Leaving you at that event must’ve sucked," he continued, his tone a little too casual. "I mean, everyone was watching, and then boom—Aiden’s gone, running after another woman."

I clenched my jaw, turning to look out the window. "I don’t care."

"Right," he drawled, clearly not believing me. "That’s why you ordered enough food for three people last night. Emotional eating, much?"

I whipped my head toward him. "Excuse me? I just happen to love food."

Mike burst into laughter. "Uh-huh, sure, Alex. Sure."

I exhaled sharply, crossing my arms. This guy is insufferable.

"Look," he said, his tone softening just a little. "I’m not saying you should care about Aiden. I’m just saying... I see you, okay? You put on this whole ’I don’t give a damn’ act, but I know it stung, even if just a little."

I swallowed, looking straight ahead. I didn’t want to acknowledge what he said, but deep down, I knew there was some truth to it.

He sighed. "So, wanna skip class?"

I turned to him, incredulous. "What?"

Mike grinned mischievously. "I’m just saying, you don’t have to go. You could take the day off. Do something fun. Maybe even get back at Aiden a little."

I tilted my head, raising a brow. "And what exactly do you have in mind?"

His smirk deepened. "How do you feel about motorcycles?"