Bali Escape with the Single Dad by Rachel Armstrong

Author:Rachel Armstrong
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Escape Publishing
Published: 2024-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Aiden sat on the crowded beach in Kuta and gazed out over the rolling grey waves, his wet shirt sticking to his back beneath the blistering equatorial sun. He’d relieved his frustrations with a run, then taken a swim in the surprisingly cool water, both activities having helped clear his head after a restless night.

He had no idea what he was thinking. He didn’t know what he wanted and felt like such a fool.

Mia seemed like the woman he should want in his life. Yes, she was conflicted with her goals, but she’d said she didn’t want to wait to have a family. She wanted children in her life. But despite that, he knew that no one could do it all. It was a big ask—studying, beginning a career, and starting a family.

He folded his arms over his bent knees, the ache around his heart raising uncertainty inside him. He and Mia were at different stages of their lives. Their goals didn’t align. It was far safer to keep her in the friend zone. There was no reason why they couldn’t have a good relationship as friends. They could catch up on weekends and he could take Ella to visit her. They could play with Mia’s dogs, cats, and when Ella was bigger, Mia might even teach her how to ride.

That’s what he wanted, someone he could enjoy himself with. A woman who may one day be a role model for Ella. They didn’t need to mess that up with anything as frivolous as romance or love.

Friendships were more likely to last than love affairs.

Besides, Mia might acknowledge that she wanted a family, but deep down, she didn’t know what she wanted. It wasn’t her fault and he didn’t hold it against her. But not knowing what you wanted in life could be dangerous. Almost as dangerous as knowing exactly what you wanted. It led to foolish decisions. It was all good and well to say you wanted a family. But when she didn’t know where her career would take her, she was at risk of making further sacrifices.

His friend Mia could make any decision she wanted and it wouldn’t affect him. But a Mia he was in love with…

Nope. It wasn’t worth the risk. For himself or Ella.

Aiden left the beach, returned to the hotel to shower, then headed out again. He needed to keep himself busy to subdue the conflicting thoughts raging inside him, so he headed to the department store up the street. Wandering through the souvenir department on the ground floor, he considered picking up some Christmas gifts. He’d avoided the street stalls as bartering didn’t interest him in the slightest, but he liked this department store. He found a few knickknacks for his parents and something for Sally’s, as he’d managed to maintain a relationship with his in-laws. Her parents were the type of people who loved their children even when they were disappointed with them, and they’d both expressed heartache over Sally’s choice to leave him.

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