by K E Osborn
How could he say those things to me?
I’ve done nothing to him.
That man hates me with a fiery passion too fierce to overlook.
Why does he think Aiden will turn out like him if he takes over the company? That thought is running rampant in my brain.
I scurry out the front door and down the driveway. My feet pound hard on the gravel, the sound crunching as I run fast to get away. I need a moment to breathe, to get some fresh air, to step away from that man’s vulgar comments.
Eventually, I slow down and come to a stop, then stand gazing up at the night sky, breathing frantically trying to calm myself.
I wonder what my life will be like with Aiden.
There are so many possibilities running through my head.
But isn’t this exactly what Niall wants?
Niall’s betting on me doubting his son and our relationship. He desperately wants me to break it off with Aiden. I know he wants me gone and out of their lives forever, so why am I even reacting? Well, I’m not going to let him win that easily.
Arms suddenly wrap around my waist, and I look back over my shoulder to see Aiden. Instantly, my pounding heart slows to normal, and so does my breathing at the mere sight of him. He calms me with one touch as I relax into his arms.
Aiden kisses my cheek as he gazes up at the stars with me. “Don’t let him get to you. That’s what he wants. Father’s very good at it. He’s done it well over his lifetime. He manipulates until he gets what he wants, Jeni. He’s done it to me, too.”
“It’s hard, Aiden, especially when I know just how much he hates me. I want to try to at least be civil to each other, but he won’t hear of it. Honestly, I don’t know how to make him see me as not being a threat to him or your company. All I want is you.”
Aiden exhales loudly. “He’s not worth your anguish. Try to ignore him… for me?”
“I’m trying. Really, I am.”
His soft lips kiss my cheek again, and we stand in the moonlight holding onto each other. I turn and put my arms around his waist, and then he leans in and kisses me passionately under the silver streaks of the glowing moon against the onyx night sky.
“Aiden… Aiden… Aiden!” We wake with a start to Niall yelling like a damn madman.
Aiden slowly rises from his childhood bed, kissing me on the forehead. He rolls out, then slowly walks off to his father’s room. I rub my eyes, glancing at the clock and can’t believe he woke us up at six thirty on a Saturday morning. Still, I guess it could have been worse.
I make my way down the hall to Niall’s room where Aiden’s helping his father into a shirt.
“You a fucking pervert now?” Niall calls out when he notices me watching.
Averting my eyes, I cringe at his words but then think, Yeah, Niall, I think you’re so sexy, and I can’t keep my fucking eyes off you. You gross little man!
He looks pathetic—his skin is pale and wrinkled, and his man boobs make me want to laugh. Even though I know it’s wrong, inwardly, I’m laughing inside. For someone who demands authority in everything he does, he really is struggling to pull on any of my sympathy strings right now.
“Father, keep it up, and you know what will happen,” Aiden warns, his shoulders tensing as a bored look crosses his face.
“What, Aiden? You’ll leave? Then fucking leave! I don’t need you or that little tramp in my house anyway.”
I watch Aiden place his father’s shirt on the bed. “You know what, Father? I am going to leave. You can’t even manage to put a shirt on by yourself. I hope you enjoy doing everything on your own…” Aiden grunts out sternly. Standing and storming toward me, I open my eyes wide in shock. “Jeni, let’s go,”
Niall sits taller, puffing out his flabby chest. “You can’t leave me here like this, you ungrateful ingrate, especially after everything I’ve done for you.”
Aiden turns to face him with a stern glare. “Everything you’ve done for me. Like, stand by me at my trial? You were the first to quit on me! Help me at work? You’re always pushing me, telling me I can do better. What exactly is it you’ve done for me, Father? And don’t even get me started on how you’ve acted toward Jeni. What you have done is made me resent you…” Aiden scrubs a hand through his hair. “You did this to yourself. There’s no one to blame but you… Jeni, c’mon.” He takes my hand, and even though I’m in complete and utter shock, I walk with him down the staircase to the front door.
“Aiden!” Niall yells, but we keep walking.
Aiden slams the door hard behind us, and we walk in silence to the car.
I’ve never seen Aiden stand up like this toward his father. I’m glad he’s finally sticking up for himself and for me as well, but now probably isn’t the right time. Even though Niall aggravates me, I still don’t like seeing the man so helpless. “Are you sure we should be leaving him here on his own? He can’t do anything for himself.”
Aiden opens my door and exhales. “I know. We can’t leave him by himself. I’ll send Marissa over to care for him. But until she gets here, he can sweat it on his own… see what it’s like to have no one for a change. I’ve had enough of him treating you the way he does. I don’t want to hear any more of his caustic tone,” he raises his voice.
We get in the car, and I simply nod even though Aiden can’t see me. He’s angry, and I get why. We drive off as an awkward tension fills the air. I’m disheartened, and Aiden’s silence only serves to heighten my emotions. I turn to look at him, his brows are furrowed, and his hands on the steering wheel are clenched so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. I bite my bottom lip and exhale in exasperation knowing now is not the time to say anything. Aiden needs to calm down.
Once we’ve arrive home, we walk quietly to our room, trying not to wake Sarah and Chris.
Aiden’s still silent as we take off our clothes and crawl into bed together. The fact he’s touching me puts my mind at ease as he cuddles into my back while stroking my arm. “I love you, Jeni, more than anything in this world. You know that, right?” he whispers in my ear.
I close my eyes and smile, taking his hand in mine and holding it to my chest. “I know, and I feel exactly the same,” I reply, bringing his hand up to my lips to kiss.
Aiden embraces me, and with our love confessed and tensions eased, we both drift off to sleep with no more thoughts of Niall. At least, not tonight.
My eyelids flutter awake, feeling utterly relaxed in the arms of the man I love. After a long stretch, my mind instantly reverts back to last night and how badly all that could have gone. The dulcet tones of birds chirping in the morning sun sound outside the house, making the morning even more glorious as I lay here in complete contented bliss. Nothing could ruin this morning’s happy glow.
We get up, dress, and head to the kitchen where Sarah is finishing her breakfast.
Sarah looks up. “Morning… I’ve been thinking about some ideas for the invitations. You want to see them?” Sarah gets straight to it as Aiden goes to work making the coffee.
“What invitations?” I rub my forehead in confusion.
“For the wedding, duh.” Sarah taps on her forehead, walks to the buffet, and pulls out some paper designs.
I look at Aiden. He winks at me. I can’t believe Sarah’s started wedding planning already.
“You know we haven’t even picked a date, right?”
She groans exaggeratedly. “Well, hurry up. You need to pick a date so we can get organized. Everything takes time. When would you like it?”
“When would I like it?” I look at her confused.
She sighs, frustrated with me. “Yes… you know, summer, spring? This year? Next year? When, Jeni, when?” Sarah flounces about making annoyed gestures with her hands as she slightly bounces on the spot.
My eyes slowly shift to Aiden, who smirks and subtly walks outside to join Chris—that’s right, leave me to fend for myself. Thanks for the support, babe.
I shrug as I look back at Sarah. “I don’t know. We nee
d to discuss it. It’s Aiden’s decision, too, not just mine.”
Sarah scoffs. “That’s bullshit, and you know it. It’s your day. You can have the wedding whenever you want. Aiden won’t care, he just wants to marry you.”
I shake my head in uncertainty. I don’t want to make any decisions without Aiden. “I don’t know. How long does it take to plan a wedding, anyway?”
Sarah smiles like I’ve given her a challenge, so her eyes squint and her lips purse like she’s deep in thought. “We can have it in… let’s see…” she starts counting on her fingers. “It’s April now, so how about September?”
“What? You want me to get married in five months?” My heart thuds as a sudden feeling of excitement washes over me.
Sarah nods frantically. “Aiden,” she calls out. “September wedding all right with you?” she asks when he walks through the door.
Aiden’s gorgeous blue eyes glisten brightly as he smiles so wide I’m sure his cheeks must be hurting. “The sooner Jeni’s my wife, the happier I’ll be,” he replies, which makes my pulse flutter.
“Nawww, you two are so cute. Now, go away. We need to talk girl stuff.” She pushes Aiden back toward the door. He laughs and steps outside to be with Chris.
I don’t know if I can concentrate, I’m buzzing with so much excitement at the thought of becoming Mrs. Aiden O’Connell.
“Saturdays in September are the seventh, fourteenth, twenty-first, and the twenty-eighth. Now, pick one,” Sarah demands, flipping through her diary.
I shrug and pick one. “How about the fourteenth?”
“September fourteenth it is.” My heart jumps into my throat at the thought of a possible wedding date. “Aiden!” she calls out again.
Aiden laughs as he comes back inside looking at Sarah with a smirk. “Yes, Sarah. What can I do for you?”
“We have decided that September fourteenth is your official wedding day.”
I watch intently as his face lights up, and his bright-blue eyes sparkle. Aiden walks over to me, taking me in his arms. Wrapping my arms around his neck, in this moment, I couldn’t be any happier. The elation I feel is beyond words, and to think I could have thrown this all away. We will have no more thought about that matter. The man I love profoundly leans in and kisses me with so much passion that my knees feel weak.
“Uh-hum,” Sarah clears her throat. “You have plenty of time to make out later. For now, we have stuff to do. So, Aiden, if you don’t mind,” Sarah interrupts our moment and gestures for him to leave.
Aiden laughs at Sarah once more and kisses me quickly, then turns to go.
We have the rest of our lives to make out, and that thought makes me undeniably happy.
Aiden looks deep into my eyes as we sit together. “Baby, I know this will let your mom down, but I want you back at work as my PA seeing as I’ve lost Tori. I know you have issues with Father, and I know I am asking a lot of you, but you know the job well, and I need you with me. It’s not the same without you.” He lovingly strokes my cheek while I smile and nod.
I must admit I’ve missed working there, and even though Niall’s a gigantic pain in my ass, having Aiden and Brielle there more than make up for that asshole’s shortcomings.
“I’ll call Mom right now,” I tell him, becoming excited at the thought of being back with Aiden and the job I love. I pick up my phone and dial her number. “Hey, Mom…”
“Sweetheart, how are you? How’s my Aiden?”
I giggle. “Your Aiden is fine. So am I.” I roll my eyes and watch Aiden smirk.
“Good to hear. Are you working tomorrow at the salon?”
“That’s why I’m calling, Mom. Aiden’s asked me to come back to work with him, and I said yes.” I feel guilty for the short-term notice I’m giving her.
“Oh, honey, I loved having you with me every day, but I know you belong in an office environment, not sweeping hair. It was only ever going to be a short-term thing.”
“Thanks, Mom, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” I tell her honestly, feeling like I have the best mother in the world.
“Don’t be silly… I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now you tell that Niall to behave himself and don’t take any of his shit.” Her tone is stern as she talks, and I know she’s right. I have to be stronger if I am going to work with Niall again.
“I will, Mom. Have a good night.”
“Good night, sweetheart.”
Aiden takes my phone from me with a smirk. He reaches over and places it on my bedside table, turning back toward me. His bare masculine chest connects with mine as he leans in to kiss me. I welcome it as I quickly roll over, so I’m on top of him. I’m in a playful mood, and he chuckles, moving my hair away from his face, he then leans in kissing me gently.
“Aiden…”
“Mmm,” he murmurs in return.
“I love you.” I gaze into eyes, feeling such a deep connection with him it takes my breath away.
“I love you more.”
And that’s all we need for another deep passionate kiss.
I wake suddenly from a restless sleep. Dreams of Jason and what he did never seem to leave me.
Aiden’s softly snoring in my ear, curled up behind me, holding on with a tight grip. Reaching for the clock, I turn off the alarm, and he wakes with a start. His arms let go of me, making it easier to turn around to lay face to face with him.
“Morning, beautiful.”
I lean in kissing him. “Morning, babe.”
He places his arm around me again and pulls me to him. My head nuzzles into his neck while he yawns.
“Well, I guess we’d better get up.” Aiden unwraps his arm from around me, sits up in our bed, and I follow suit.
After getting ready fast and a quick breakfast, we head outside to greet Mike, who, as always, is patiently waiting for us. “Good morning, Miss Taylor, Mr. O’Connell.”
“Morning, Mike,” we both say in unison.
We enter the car, and Mike pulls out into the morning traffic. “We’ll be going straight to the office today, Mike. Jeni’s decided to come back and work with us again.”
I can’t help but notice Mike’s smile in the rearview mirror. “Well, that’s great news. I’m happy we can get back to a normal routine,” Mike replies chirpily.
“Sure is, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m a very lucky man, Mike.” Aiden wraps his arm around my shoulders pulling me closer to him, and I rest my head on his shoulder for the entire ride to work.
We step through the main foyer to the elevator after we arrive. For some reason, nerves flood me, and those damn pesky butterflies are wreaking havoc in my stomach today.
Aiden pushes the button for the elevator, and we step in.
“Will your father be in the office?” I nervously ask.
Aiden takes my hand in his, entwining our fingers. “I have no idea. I probably should’ve called him to see how he was doing, but with the way he treats you… honestly, I can’t be bothered with all the bullshit.” He shakes his head. “I’m over it. I want to quit and start up on my own.” He waves his hand through the air in frustration. “I can’t stand the way Father dictates everything, including who I should or shouldn’t be with. He has no right to talk to you, or me, the way he does. And to be perfectly clear…” Aiden’s still flicking his hands around while I simply listen, “… I’d rather have a company of my own that I could run the way I think it should be run.”
I certainly understand his reluctance to stay in the family business, but I’d feel responsible if he left. Seems all Aiden’s problems started when I arrived on the scene, and I don’t want him to be sorry later in our marriage when he realizes he left his father behind. Then perhaps, blame me for any issues Aiden might have following that huge decision.
“Guess we’ll find out if he’s here when we walk in.”
The doors open to the pristine office suite. Brielle’s sitting at her desk. She looks up casually, then her face alights in a glorious beaming smile a
s she jumps up and runs toward us. “Jeni, you’re here. Does this mean what I think it means?” She raises her eyebrows while gently biting her lip waiting patiently for my answer.
I nod my head with a smirk. “Yes, we’re back together. And you’ll have to put up with me here at work, too.”
She squeals and hugs me tightly. “It’s about time. I was starting to get really worried that you guys would never work it out. You are both so damn stubborn.”
“Is Father here?” Aiden asks abruptly.
“Yes. And he’s in a really great mood, too.” Her tone is clearly sarcastic.
I roll my eyes. Is that asshole ever in a good mood?
Niall steps out of his office, sees me, and immediately his neck turns bright red. So red, in fact, I think if it continues up to his face, he will have a damn stroke. His lips purse together as he furrows his brows. “What is that doing here?” He waves his hand in a shooing motion toward me.
Aiden’s face ignites in the most vibrant shade of red, and his eyebrows knit together so furiously I’m not sure they can ever untangle themselves again as he glares at his father.
I’ve never seen him so angry.
I’m sure if Niall says the wrong thing, or maybe anything, Aiden’s likely to explode.
The tension between them is building. I know it’s because of me. I need to find a way to fix things before it’s too damn late.
But Aiden steps forward, his fists balled together so tight his knuckles are pale white. “Jeni is my fiancée and my PA, Father. How many times do I have to tell you stop calling her that? She has a name, it’s Jeni. Fucking. Use. It,” Aiden spits out, then leans in kissing my cheek tenderly. It’s a stark comparison between the treatment of his father and me.
“I recall, not that long ago, picking you up from the floor of your apartment in a drunken stupor because it left you. Don’t you remember that, son? Don’t you remember how utterly fucking broken you were? And who was it that put you back together? Or has your memory gone with your common sense?”
