by K E Osborn
I bite my bottom lip, looking down to the floor in regret. That was all my fault, and I know it.
“I wondered how long it would be before you brought that shit up and threw it back in my face. Father, I’m grateful for the way you helped me back on my feet when Jeni and I were having…” he pauses, “… difficulties. But we’ve worked through our problems, and I’m ecstatic to have her back in my life.” Aiden takes my hand in his, making me glance back up at him. “I love her. Unconditionally. I won’t have you bringing up all this shit just to make you feel good and Jeni bad. So, Father, just stop!” Aiden breathes out a heavy sigh. “I reiterate, Jeni is my fiancée.”
Niall scoffs. “We’ll see about that!” Niall mumbles under his breath, then storms off like a child back into his office.
Aiden exhales, kisses me on the cheek, then he spins and walks to his office, leaving me feeling like half of myself just walked away.
Nothing’s changed! I feel the hatred leaking from under Niall’s door toward me, but I know I have to be strong. Try to make the best of everything. So, I make my way to my desk, sit down, and turn on the computer.
Bree looks at me, exhales, says nothing and gets back to work. I can’t help but feel a little dejected knowing how badly I hurt Aiden. I can’t believe I put him through hell just because I was having a mini breakdown. I’ll never forgive myself for that, and I know in my heart I will make it my life’s work to make sure Aiden never feels that way again.
The elevator chimes, making us both look up, and a delivery driver enters with a huge bunch of pink roses, making me smile brightly. The heated moment vanishes from my mind as memories from my beautiful past flood right in.
“I have a delivery for—”
“Yep, over here,” I interject as he walks over with the flowers in his hand, which I then sign for.
“Everything’s back to normal,” Bree states in a hushed tone.
The arrangement is beautiful. I place it on my desk in their usual spot and take out the card to read.
Welcome back, baby.
I’m so glad you’re here with me where you belong.
I’ll love you, forever.
Yours always, Aiden. xoxo
My heart flutters. I have no idea how he finds the time to do this stuff, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make me feel like the luckiest woman on the face of the earth.
Walking to Aiden’s office, I knock on the door once. “Come in.”
I peek through the doorway, and Aiden’s looking at me with that all-too-familiar sparkle. “Thank you, I love them.” I close the door behind me and continue walking toward his desk.
Aiden stands and meets me halfway. Then he wraps his arms around my middle and holds on tightly. “I told you you’d get flowers every Monday, and I intend to keep that promise.”
I lean up to kiss him, and our lips meet briefly, until we’re interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Takahashi is on the line,” Brielle announces as she peers through the slightly ajar door.
Aiden’s brow furrows, looking a little irritated that we were interrupted.
Quickly, I use my thumb and wipe my lip gloss from his lips as he walks back to his desk. “Can’t leave Mr. Takahashi waiting now, can I?”
I smile and regretfully walk out to my desk, sliding back into the job easily and remembering how to do most of the tasks set as the day progresses.
Lunchtime comes around all too quickly, and Bree does a lunch run down to the local café. She leaves, and I make my way to the kitchen to make coffee.
This damn kitchen still makes me uncomfortable.
Placing a mug into the coffee machine, I press the button for black coffee just as Niall walks in. I try not to look at him while he waits, tapping his foot impatiently.
“Niall, I’m well aware of how little you think of me, but my care factor is zero. However, I would like to try and at least be respectful to each other. For Aiden’s sake. He loves us both. So, may I suggest we try and get along if nothing else?”
Niall stiffens his posture and an intense, annoyed look crosses his face. He leans in close, his voice almost a whisper. “Listen here… it’s not that I think little of you, it’s that I don’t think about you… At. All. Ever since you slimed your way into my son’s life, everything has turned sour for me. You’re like a noxious weed that keeps spreading her roots into everything, fucking up the path that I’ve laid out for my son since his birth. You’ll be his undoing, and that’s on your shoulders, not mine.” His eyes narrow in on me. “If you really love him, let him be free of you and your tangled mess of a life.” Niall walks off leaving me in the kitchen deeply hurt and with a racing heart.
I exhale, steady myself on the kitchen counter while I come to terms with everything he’s just said. I knew he hated me, but I guess I didn’t realize how deep the venom had sunk into his veins until now. Well, at least I know where I stand.
I should tell Aiden what he said, but what’s the use? I know it will upset him, and who knows what could happen. Aiden’s already talking about quitting, and even though I despise Niall with everything in me, I don’t want that for him. I don’t want the responsibility of breaking the relationship of a father and son.
The coffee machine has finally finished, so I pick up Aiden’s coffee, step over to his door and knock.
“Come in.”
“I thought you might like some coffee.” Quickly, I walk in and place the mug on his desk. Aiden briefly looks up, smiles, and turns back to the computer. I can tell he’s busy. Without saying anything, I turn and start to head back to my desk. With my hand on the door handle, I hear, “Sorry.” I spin around as he glances up with a warm smile. “Thank you, baby.”
“No problem,” I reply, shutting his door.
I don’t like not confiding in him, and I know it’s wrong keeping secrets.
I’m so damn conflicted.
I feel like I’m betraying Aiden by not telling him about his father, but at the same time, I know if I do tell him, it will cause anguish.
Sometimes, silence really is golden.
Niall walks from his office, and I see from the corner of my eyes he’s staring directly at me. I don’t look up when he approaches my desk. His loud, stern voice fires up. “Have you finished that proposal yet?”
“I’m finalizing the last of it now,” I reply quietly.
Niall throws his hands up in the air, pulling his fingers into fists in frustration. The angry, sudden movement scares me, and I flinch away. A slow smirk crosses his face while he watches me squirm. “Get it done. I won’t tell you again,” he yells at me.
My pulse quickens as a cold sweat invades my skin. His sneer is frigid and hard. Then out of nowhere, he pounds his fist on my desk loudly, making me flinch away. Another smirk crosses his stupid butt-ugly face. The bastard knows he’s found a weakness because since the incident, I have been jumping at loud noises and quick movements.
I can’t help it—I’m scared of being attacked by Niall.
The problem is, I have a feeling now he’s spotted my weakness, and he’ll exploit it to its maximum potential. Trying to keep calm, I turn back to my screen and start typing. The bastard has the audacity to chuckle, but no matter how I try to shrug it off, it still sends ice-cold shivers down my spine. Niall turns and walks away with a cocky fluid movement—there’s almost a skip in his damn step.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Brielle’s watching me closely. She rushes over as soon as her father enters his office and closes his door. “Jeni, are you all right?”
There are no words that seem to want to leave my mouth, so I simply nod my head. I know I have to keep it together for Aiden’s sake. But the memory of Jason’s pounding fists comes flooding back to my mind. My eyes clench tight, my heart pounds dramatically, and my jaw tightens as I feel the pain in my once-fractured eye socket, the emotional turmoil of being helpless, and the torment of blaming Aiden for not being there completely over
whelms me.
“Jeni? Jeni?” Brielle touches my shoulder, and I flinch away. She puts her hands up in a surrendering motion while creasing her brows, causing me to quickly snap out of it.
“I’m fine,” I lie, trying to show her that her concern isn’t necessary.
“No, you’re not. What’s going on? You’re so pale. You’re barely holding it together. Jeni, talk to me, please?”
I try to swallow a lump that’s firmly lodged in my throat and decide I should probably tell someone what’s going on. Bree is, after all, like a sister to me. Gnawing on my bottom lip, I hesitate for a second, but she nods her head, and so I exhale. “When your father yelled at me, for some reason I relived it… the assault, I mean. He’s so loud and so obnoxious. His sharp movements and anger frighten me. He frightens me.”
Bree’s face shows understanding, so she talks in a gentle tone. “Does Aiden know?”
“No. And Brielle, I don’t want him to either. His relationship with his father is precarious at the best of times. It’s fragile, and in some ways, it’s already broken. I don’t want to damage his relationship with him any more than it already is…” I look around. “Aiden told me this morning he wants to leave, and I know it’s because of me. I don’t want to be responsible for a father and son parting ways, or for Aiden to leave the family business. Please don’t say anything. Promise me, you won’t?” I beg.
She hesitates before she responds, “I promise. But I have a condition.” I raise my eyebrow in response. “Jeni, you can’t be afraid of every man who might make sudden movements or who are loud and obnoxious around you. Believe me, I know Father is all of those things. Have you considered talking to someone about what happened?”
“Not really. But maybe I should. It was discussed back when it happened, but I never went. D-Do you think you could come with me if I can find someone who deals with post-traumatic stress?”
“Of course, I’ll come with you. I will go one better and find someone and make an appointment. We’ll go during one of our lunch breaks. Sound good?”
I nod in agreement, and she pats me on the arm in a gentle and caring way and then heads back to her desk. A sense of relief washes over me as I realize that maybe I do need some help.
Taking in a deep breath, I contain my breathing, and my heart rate steadies. The last thing I want is for Aiden to see me like this or for Niall to see a weakness he can exploit any further.
The day continues without incident, and at around five o’clock, Niall and Aiden come out of their respective offices. Aiden’s putting on his suit jacket as he exits his door and strides toward me. I pick up my bag and walk to meet him.
Niall steps over to the elevator, trying to put on his suit jacket but struggles with his arm still in the cast. He huffs and ends up holding onto it while he stomps inside.
The doors close, and Bree starts laughing, really laughing. “Did you see how much he was struggling with that jacket? It was hilarious. He’s so stubborn, he won’t ask for help.”
Aiden takes my hand, and the three of us head to the elevator. Bree pushes the button, and we all step in. “So, when are you guys getting married?”
“September fourteenth,” Aiden answers, his twinkling eyes shine as much as his big grin.
“Oh my God, there’s an actual date? That’s so cool. Is it next year or the year after?”
Aiden shakes his head. “No, this September.”
Brielle’s eyes widen, she gasps, and places her hand over her mouth. “You’re planning a wedding in five months? Are you crazy?”
The elevator doors open. Bree really has no idea how true those words are. My emotions are all over the place. Being with Aiden is the only way I know how to function, but being around his father stirs feelings and memories I’d rather not have. The memory of ‘He Who Shall definitely Not Be Named’ and how he attacked me still haunts my dreams.
I keep all this to myself. Aiden is the last person I want to confide in, which feels wrong because he is the first person I should run to. I know he already feels guilty enough. Guilt that was probably all brought on by me and my stupid brain deciding it was his fault.
Now, I realize just how wrong I was. There was nothing he could have done to stop what Jason did to me that horrific day. Even with this realization, it’s not enough to let go of the fear that has me trapped in my head. And now, I have my own guilt knowing I was the reason for his stress, leaving him to the care of his father.
Sarah is standing in front of the fridge staring aimlessly into it. Aiden raises his brow as the vision of a perturbed Sarah is a sight not often seen. We walk past her and into the dining area.
“Hey, Sez.”
She exhales. “Yeah, I’m fine, just fine,” she replies, obviously not listening to what I said while she continues to stare.
“Find anything you like?” I ask.
“No. And I’m starving. I’ve been studying all day and didn’t eat lunch,” she grumbles with some annoyance in her tone.
Aiden walks over to the fridge, closes it while Sarah looks at him with her eyebrows raised and a frown forming on her face.
“It’s my turn to cook tonight. So sit, have some wine, and I’ll whip up something,” Aiden tells us.
It makes my heart flutter while Sarah nods, walks over, and slumps on the seat crossing her arms.
“Is Chris going to be home for dinner?” Aiden asks, glancing at Sarah and her slouching posture.
Sarah huffs. “No.”
“Where is he?” I ask with a touch of concern.
“He’s helping his sister’s best friend move. The one who’s all over him all the time. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned her to you or not. But anyway, yeah, he’s helping her, the stupid idiot. She’s probably helping him out, too… if you know what I mean.”
I can’t help the slight smirk that forms. “You know Chris would never do anything like that. He’d never cheat on you. He loves you too much,” I tell her honestly, knowing in my heart he will never stray.
“Yeah, I know he’d never cheat. But dammit! He hasn’t even told me he loves me yet.”
Aiden looks directly at Sarah. His eyes dart around, biting on his lip like he’s trying to decide on whether to say something or not. “Sarah, he loves you. I know he does. He’s worried that saying those words will scare you off. Don’t tell him I told you, though, bro code and all that,” Aiden tries to ease her mind.
Her eyes glisten. “How do you know? Did he say something to you?” Sarah sits a little taller in her chair, a faint hint of a smile crosses her features.
“Yeah, he told me that right back at the beginning of your relationship, you said that saying ‘I love you’ too quickly would scare you off. Now he has no idea how to tell you, and believe me when I tell you, he’s all-in. He’s terrified because the last thing he wants to do is to scare you off.”
Sarah’s face lights up. “Holy fuck… he loves me?” She jumps up out of her chair and runs into the living room. “This calls for a dance party,” she beams, switching on the television to the music channel, and she begins dancing around the room like a lunatic.
I grin, leaning closer to Aiden. “Was that true?”
“Yeah, he was telling me the other day.”
“Is it any wonder I’ve fallen for you so hard? It was nice of you to tell her like that.” I gaze into the face of the man I love so deeply, and with that show of kindness, I fall in love with him just a little bit more.
“What can I say? I’m a nice kinda guy.”
I smile, dipping my head in agreement—I am not going to argue that point. “Do you need a hand with dinner?”
He raises his eyebrows insinuatingly. “I know where you can put your hand, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with dinner.”
“Aiden,” I giggle. He looks down at me with an all-encompassing smile, and I can’t help but return the gesture.
I love it when he’s all-alpha.
I eat the last mouthful of my dinner as Chris opens and
walks through the front door toward us. “Hey, guys.”
Sarah jumps up from her seat so quickly, it falls to the floor, then runs to him. Her body leaps through the air, and she wraps her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, making Aiden and I both laugh as he struggles to catch and hold onto her.
“I take this as you missed me, babe?” Chris chuckles, leaning in for a kiss.
Sarah pulls away, looking him directly in the eyes. Chris cocks his head to one side, furrowing his brow. Before he knows it, Sarah blurts out, “I love you, Chris Starke.”
Chris’ face lights up like he has the energy of the Hoover Dam running through him. “You don’t know how good it is to hear you finally say that. I’ve been waiting for what seems like an eternity to say… I love you, Sarah Carlisle.” Chris leans in, kissing her passionately. He tightens his hold and carries her, without hesitation, to their bedroom while Sarah giggles all the way down the hall.
We chuckle as they leave, and I feel an overwhelming happiness for my best friends, who have finally acknowledged their love for each other. I glance at Aiden. “I remember when you first said you loved me.” I smile at the memory.
“It was the best moment of my life… besides you agreeing to marry me… well, both times.” He kisses my forehead, then rests his against mine.
“I think the dishes can wait till tomorrow, don’t you?” I raise my eyebrows seductively.
“Absolutely.” He leans down, hoisting me over his shoulder and carries me to the bedroom. On the way, he slaps my ass and as soon as we enter our room, he throws me on the bed. I giggle as I bounce on the mattress involuntarily. Aiden rips off his shirt showing his gorgeous, chiseled chest and moves toward the edge of the bed. Kneeling over me, his knees either side of my legs, he makes his way up the bed, planting feather-light kisses on my collarbone. I inhale deeply at his touch and close my eyes, enjoying the beautiful feelings that are all Aiden.
