Addiction

Chapter 17.

"Alice." Hayden whispers, waking me from my sleep. His hand caressing my face in order to wake me, "Alice, it's time."

I force my eyes open though my body didn't feel like it was time to be awake yet. "Hey there beautiful," He smiles. What a beautiful sight to wake up to. "The sun is going to rise and I made you breakfast, it might get cold soon. Meet me downstairs."

Hayden made me breakfast? This is definitely going to be a really great morning. I get out of the bed, going into the bathroom to freshen up before joining Hayden downstairs. "Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee." I reply, "Why are you up so early?"

"I was doing work."

"At five in the morning?"

"I've been up since four actually."

"Why?"

He shrugs, "How would you like your coffee?" Secrets.

"Milk with three spoons of sugar." I lean against the table watching Hayden move around to make me a cup of coffee. "Do you have trouble sleeping?"

"I don't want to talk about it Alice."

"Fine, it's too early in the morning for a conversation like that anyway." After stirring the sugar into the mug, he hands it to me. "Let's go outside before we miss the sun rising."

"Lead the way." Sipping on my coffee I walk to the double doors leading to the backyard. Hayden follows behind me holding onto his own cup of tea with only milk, no sugar. How gross is that? Hayden then walks a head of me to get to the laid out cloth. It's a little cold out here, but that's probably because the sun hasn't rose yet and I'm only in a shirt.

Sitting down on the cloth, he hands me a plate of food; an omelet, sausages, and English muffins. There was a bowl of fresh diced pineapples sat in between the both of us. This is so cute. "For the record Hayden, I like my eggs sunny side up."

"Noted." He smiles digging into his plate of food. "How do you like working for Dr. James?"

"It's alright, I'm waiting until I can start practicing treatment on some of his patience. That's when it will really start to be a great experience."

"You can do that? Work with some of his current patience?"

"Yeah, of course Dr. James will have to be there analyzing my work and I won't get paid for each session, Dr. James will."

"Yeah, that's kind of how it is. Interns do work but don't get paid for it." He shrugs. "I've got a new intern yesterday, she's going to be working with my right hand man, Matthew."

There's a light breeze out and that's one thing I'm happy about. I love the cold instead of the heat, I'd rather wear more clothes and extra layers then less. The weather is one reason I love Seattle, cold winters and rainy springs and falls.

"Can I ask you something Hayden? It's a little random but it's been on my mind since."

"Sure?"

"At your birthday party, Mrs. Bur—I mean Paige, she said she doesn't go by the name Burke, why is that?"

"Her husbands infidelity of course. She knows he's been sleeping around with others, as he has been for a while, but she won't leave him."

"Is it because of the money?" I ask. I don't want to make her sound like she's using him, because I don't know Paige, but that is usually the case with these type of people, my parents included.

"She doesn't love him, I know that for a fact. She doesn't want to be with him, I know that also. She doesn't have her own job, so she's not financially stable, and he made her sign a prenup before they got married. So I'm going to say, yes it's about money." I nod not saying anything else, "Why do you ask?"