Honey

"So cute," Serena murmured with a smile as she watched her husband run away, his face was red from her teasing.

Her smile, however, soon faded, replaced by a slight shiver as she closed her eyes. At least she wasn't alone now. The house he'd sent her to had terrified her, its emptiness amplifying her fears.

Serena gazed up at the ceiling, her thoughts drifting back to the question that had been haunting her for what felt like the hundredth time: who was she really? The possibility that she was the daughter of the couple who had wanted her dead seemed unthinkable, yet she'd asked the nurses at the hospital if anyone else had ever come to visit her. The answer had always been the same—never.

In the beginning, only that couple would visit every day for a little while, creating some fuss before leaving. Later, as the doctors said her condition was declining, Aiden began visiting daily. The hospital staff believed the story the couple had spun: that Aiden was her husband who had stayed away initially to protect her, only to visit later when he wanted to say goodbye. They told her she was lucky to be alive, lucky to have a doting husband. But was she really?

Melancholy washed over her, the uncertainty of her past and present circumstances making her feel troubled. She'd secured support for now, but she had no idea when her memory would return. She couldn't depend on Aiden Hawk's goodwill or need for her forever. What if he one day decided that he had no need for her? What would she do then?

No, she needed to find a way to make herself indispensable to him and to secure her future with or without her memory ever returning. But how was she supposed to do that? As she looked around the room, her gaze fell on the laptop placed on the other side. An idea struck her then. She couldn't research herself, but she could get information on Aiden Hawk.

Too tired to get up or walk, she tried to roll over on the bed to get to the laptop. She'd barely managed to roll halfway when the door opened and Aiden walked in, catching her in an awkward position.

"What are you doing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She grinned mischievously. "Rolling around. Did you change your mind about joining me?"

Aiden rolled his eyes and walked over to her. "No, but I did bring you something." He placed a phone on the bed beside her. "Grandmother sent this for you, so you don't have to call the police the next time you want to come home."

She sat up to take the phone but winced as she felt her legs cramp. Aiden placed the phone beside her and quickly came to her. "Are you alright?"

As he took her ankle in his hand, she couldn't help but stare at this man. His actions continued to puzzle her, one moment arrogant and the next, caring. He looked up and their gazes met for a moment before he looked away and stepped back.

"Grandma has invited the family to meet you tonigh tfor dinner. You can rest here until then."

To break the awkwardness she was feeling, Serena quickly called out, "Husband?"

She watched as he paused and turned around an irritated look on his face, "I have a name.. It is Aiden."

She nodded. Now this man, this short tempered one, she could handle, "I know. So does this phone have your number?"

"No."

She extended the shiny new phone to him with a smile," Would you be a dear and add it in for me?"Please."

He stared at her hand as if she were offering him poison and she couldn't help but shake her head, " Come on. I am asking you for your phone number! Not your property. You know I can simply ask grandmother for it. Then you can't blame me if she scolds you.."

With a long sigh, Aiden walked back to the bed, grabbed the phone, and quickly typed out his number before turning to leave again. He would have left, but he paused when he heard her mutter something under her breath.

"What did you call me?"

She looked up at him and winked, "You don't like being called 'husband,' right? So I saved your name as 'Honey.'"

Aiden stared at her, horrified. And yet, he knew there would be no point in arguing so he simply stepped out of the room and resolutely saved his wife's number as 'not honey'.