I drag my feet along the corridor of my campus, placing my hands on the wall to support myself from collapsing because of the embarrassment I'm feeling.

Maya and Ash have stopped running after me, and I pray to God that they will never ever try to go after me.

Please, don't try to catch me, because the only thing I want to do right now is to bury myself under the earth.

There's no way that I'm going back to the cafeteria.

Oh. My. God.

To say that I'm going crazy would be the understatement of the century. People stare at me with weird looks, probably wondering why my face is red like a boiled crab and why the hell I'm walking with such shaky legs.

I think I'm hyperventilating. I need an inhaler.

I don't know why, but I feel an urgent need to escape this building. Before I know it, I'm stepping out of my campus through the back gate. I drag myself further along the pavement and slump against the brick wall. Then I face the wall and hug my knees.

Daddy.

I still remember how speechless my friends looked when I said the word and how Leah giggled as she teased me, "Oh, God, Nevaeh. I didn't expect that you're into kinky nicknames."

Kink-- K-k-kinky?

The conversation that continued after that elaborated on that topic clearly. And I. Was. Lost.

Dumbfounded.

I wish I could have just fainted.

I've called Aiden 'Daddy'. Now that I know its other meaning, the circumstances I imagine are totally different.

Daddy.... I couldn't possibly call him that?

My face feels burning.

Aiden never asked me to call him 'Daddy'. I was the one who enjoyed calling him that. It all started after a man approached me in a restaurant, and I interpreted Aiden's protectiveness as something so...silly?

How could I be so stupid?

Someone, please bury me.

I don't even know if I want to laugh or cry.

Cry, for sure. I feel like crying an ocean. No emoticons can express how I'm feeling right now.

The words I said to Aiden ring in my ears over and over again, and I want to hide forever.

"Daddy."

"Don't worry, Daddy."

"He and I are just friends, Daddy. Nothing more."

"Please, Daddy. Please teach me."

Nooooooooo. I feel like pulling all of my hair out.

I was such an idiot to think of it as a magic word.

There's no such thing as a magic word. All I know is that he...

I freeze on the spot. It's not only my face that feels burning now. My entire body is burning.

He likes it. Aiden likes it when I call him 'Daddy'.

It was shown by the amusement glinting in his eyes. He was trying to bite his smirk. He was even laughing.

Aiden's words echo in my mind, and I feel hot honey pouring down from my chest.

"Your Daddy? No, I'm not offended. At all."

"That's not the answer I want to hear, Nevaeh."

"Teach you what?"

"Good girl."

I almost choke because of the shocking realization.

"Mommy, is she okay?" someone's voice makes me turn my head.

I find a little girl and her mother staring at me with worry. I quickly shift my attention back to the wall. They might be thinking that I'm crazy.

Wait, I really am crazy.

"I don't know, honey," the mother says with concern laced in her voice. "She seems to be in a deep depression. We should look out for her."

"Should we call for help?" The little girl's voice grows panicked.

"Now that you said it, I think we should," the mother says firmly. "There are too many suicidal college students these days."

I shoot to my feet and turn around, startling them. They stare at me with a lost expression as I walk away. I need to leave before I can embarrass myself even more.

Oh, God.

While I'm walking along the street, I remember Sienna's words. I should have listened to her advice long ago.

I should have read Wattpad.

I sit up on my bed as soon as I wake up. My chest heaves up and down. My gaze lands on the clock on my nightstand. It almost reaches dinner time.

I've thought that taking a short nap before dinner would be a good idea to distract my mind from embarrassment, but it turns out to be a huge mistake.

I've just had a really weird dream about me knocking on Aiden's door.

Our conversation in the dream was beyond my sanity.

"Daddy? Dinner is ready."

"What's the menu tonight, Heaven?"

"Anything you want, Daddy."

"Good girl. Come here."

I think my brain has been corrupted.

After learning about that nickname today, I don't think that I'll be able to face Aiden again. I've been locking myself up even though he's got home from the office today. How am I going to face him during dinner?

A knock on my door startles me.

"Nevaeh." It's Ian's voice. "The dinner is ready."

I get up from my bed and open the door. After I give Ian a slight nod, he plasters a warm smile and turns on his heels.

I follow Ian to the dining room and notice that Aiden isn't here yet. The food, however, is already served on the table. Slowly, I take a seat.

"He would be joining you in a while," Ian says from behind the kitchen counter.

My heart starts to beat rapidly. I've been living with Aiden and spending time with him every day for quite a while, but after our first kiss, I still need time to adjust to this overwhelming feeling.

Ian is washing the kitchen utensils, and after a few minutes pass, I finally open my mouth, "Is he in his home office?"

"The last time I saw him, he was in his art room, painting," comes Ian's answer.

I nod. I'm glad that Aiden is spending more time in his art room to do the thing he loves the most.

Ian stretches his head to see me over the counter. "He usually loses track of time while painting. He won't listen to me, but..." he pauses as a meaningful smile creeps on his lips. "We both know that he'll listen to you."

My cheeks heat up as I divert my gaze to the table again. I wonder if everybody in the house has noticed what's happening between me and Aiden.

My eyes fall on the untouched dishes before me. Maybe I really should go check on Aiden.

I sigh, walk out of the dining room, and head to the painting room. When I arrive in front of the door, I knock on it.

"Aiden?" There's only silence from the other side of the door. "Can I come in?"

I still remember how Aiden used to warn me to not step into this room when I first came to this house, but everything is different now.

This room has become our happy place -- at least for me, it is.

Painting isn't something that reminds Aiden of his fear of emotions anymore, right?

This room isn't forbidden anymore, and I'll be seeing him more often here.

Without thinking further, I open the door, expecting to see him swiping his paintbrush over his canvas.

To my surprise, Aiden isn't here.

My gaze, however, travels around the room. I can't help but stare in awe at the recent paintings Aiden has created. He's painted new sceneries and objects, among which are mountains, a snowman, and butterflies. All of them have a calming atmosphere.

My steps stop short as I encounter his painting of me sitting on a stool and facing a canvas. I smile softly, feeling lots of warmth in my heart. It's the first painting he created when he started painting again.

My brows furrow as I spot a canvas covered in a cloak. It's the only painting here that's hidden under a cloak. I can't see it.

I swallow, reaching out to grab the cloak. My curiosity builds up.

What painting is it?

I brace myself, ready to remove the cloak. I don't know why, but my pulse quickens. My grip on the cloak tightens.

What kind of masterpiece Aiden has been trying to protect? What kind of painting has he been working on?

After taking a deep breath, I pull the cloak away, causing it to drop onto the ground.

Then my eyes widen.

My heart seems to stop.

I'm nailed onto the ground with my eyes glued to the unbelievable sight before me.