by K E Osborn
Niall exhales, shaking his head infinitesimally. “You don’t know what I want.”
“Then what do you want?” Mom asks.
His body slumps. “For my son to follow in my footsteps. I’ve worked hard to get Aiden to where he is today, and your daughter is tearing him away from our business and me.”
Mom shakes her head. “He’s in love, Niall… nothing you say or do is going to change that. My daughter is his soul mate, and I know, deep down, that you wish things were different. You wish you could let your walls and your tough exterior down. You wish you could tell Callie how much you love her. You wish you had control over everything, but you don’t, Niall, and that’s no one’s fault but your own.”
He glares at Mom. “I have plenty of control, thank you. What do you know about how I feel toward Callie? That’s none of your damn business.”
Mom shrugs. “Play it that way, but sooner rather than later, they will all abandon you. One by one. Mark my words. If you don’t change, they’ll all be gone before you know it.”
He swallows harshly, and I can see he wants to reply but doesn’t.
I think what Mom’s saying is getting through.
Niall huffs, throwing his hands in the air in defeat, then he turns and walks over to the car. Bill opens the rear passenger door for Niall to get in as we all take a deep breath and walk toward our cars, the argument finally over and done with.
Niall makes my skin crawl. He’s so wrapped up in himself that he doesn’t even see that he’s killing his relationships with everyone he loves. I wish someone could knock some sense into him. If not for his sake, then for Aiden’s. Because Aiden is the one who’s suffering right now, and if there’s one thing I hate, it’s when Aiden’s upset.
“Do you want to come back to my place for dessert?” Mom asks everyone. I look at Aiden, who nods in agreement along with Sarah.
“We’ll see you at Ev’s,” Aiden tells Sarah and Chris.
We walk over to the car where Mike and Callie are standing. “Callie, would you like to come back to my place for dessert?” Mom asks.
Callie exhales like she’s relieved it’s all finally over. “Sounds divine.”
We hop into the car—girls in the back, guys in the front—and drive to Mom’s as she searches through her handbag to find her keys while we all chat among ourselves. Eventually, she finds them and holds them up in the air. “Found ‘em.” She shakes them in her hand.
Bella’s there to greet us, barking and wagging her tail when we enter. Callie bends down to pat her. I think Callie secretly loves dogs, but, of course, Niall won’t let her have any pets.
After everyone greets Bella, we make our way to the living room.
“Sorry about the lack of room, guys.” Mom starts tidying up the cushions before people sit.
“Oh, this place is adorable, Ev,” Callie chimes, sitting on the sofa. Bella jumps on her lap straight away. Callie smiles as Bella snuggles into her. Sarah and I walk into the kitchen to get some tea, coffee, and cookies for everyone, and then we head back into the living room and sit.
“Is he like that all the time?” Mom asks.
“Yes!” Callie’s sullen voice is clear.
“Then why stay with him?”
Mike looks up, seemingly interested in Callie’s answer, which is interesting in itself.
“I don’t really know why. There’s no reason to stay any longer. My reasoning used to be for the children, but that’s not a good enough excuse anymore. I certainly don’t love him and haven’t for many years…” She looks at her son. “Sorry, Aiden, I shouldn’t say that in front of you.”
“No, Mom. I want you to be happy, and I know there’s no possible way he could make you happy,” Aiden reassures her.
Callie pauses like she’s thinking. “But I can’t leave. What about Brielle?”
“Mom, she’s old enough to look after herself, and you need to look after you now. You’re the priority here… honestly, I’d be happy if you left him.”
Callie’s eyes shift to my mother for guidance. “He’s right, Callie. It’s better to be on your own than to be with someone you don’t love,” Mom guides her.
“And you wouldn’t be on your own, anyway,” Mike tells her, then suddenly opens his eyes wide and gathers himself quickly. “What I mean is… that you have your children, and they’ll never allow you to be alone.”
Mom smiles, then takes a sip of her tea, looking at me with a knowing smirk. One that lets me know Mom is thinking exactly what I’m thinking.
Mike has a thing for Callie.
We end up bringing Callie back to our apartment because she wasn’t ready to go home. I lie next to her on the bed the morning after all the crazy while Aiden sleeps soundly on the sofa. I can’t help but wonder how she got in so deep. Was Niall like Aiden at one stage, kind and gentle before he turned into a power-hungry douchebag?
Callie slowly opens her eyes and looks at me. “Good morning, darling. Thank you so much for letting me stay last night. I know you didn’t have to, but I’m grateful that you did.”
“It’s no bother at all. I want you to be happy, so does Aiden. He’s very worried about you.” I smile at her reassuringly.
Callie nods. “I know. I’ve been thinking about it all night, and there’s no question I need to leave Niall.”
“You’re the only one who can make that decision.”
“I know, and I’m sure I’ve already made it.”
I bite my bottom lip. I don’t want to smile as that would be inappropriate right now, but I’m glad she’s leaving the douchebag. Happiness floods me at the knowledge that she won’t be hounded by Niall anymore. My thoughts suddenly turn to him and how awful of a man he really is.
How does someone become so cruel?
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
She looks at me curiously. “Of course.”
I take in a deep breath. “Was Niall different when you first met him? I mean was he nice and then he changed?”
She sees right through me. “Sweetheart, Aiden’s nothing like his father. Niall has always been rude and obnoxious. Even when we were growing up together, he was like his father, Patrick. Patty was a ruthless man. He wanted Niall to follow in his footsteps and work as an entrepreneur dabbling in all the various business ventures he had. But Niall was incredible with numbers and had a real eye for detail. He wanted to be in finance, so when he told his father that he wasn’t going to follow in his footsteps, Patty would yell and sometimes even physically abuse Niall. I guess to knock some sense into him. Patty was set in his ways, and he wanted his only son to be just like him, and his father before him. But Niall’s personality was always like his father’s… I think that’s why they clashed so much when Niall was growing up.”
She smiles wide like she’s thinking about something. “Aiden, on the other hand, has grown up just like Niall did with his father telling him what to do and how to do it, but he isn’t like his father. He’s much calmer and more tolerant than Patty or Niall ever were. To be honest, I don’t know what I saw in Niall when I was younger. I think it was the bad-boy curse.”
“I never pictured you liking the ‘bad boys.’” I use air quotes around the words.
“Oh, yes, my first partner rode a motorcycle, and in those days, that was the epitome of a bad boy. My father was outraged that I’d choose someone so reckless. Then there was Mike. Do you know the story of how we met?”
I look at her, intrigued. “No. I thought he was hired to drive for Aiden when he was five.”
Callie smiles as if she’s reminiscing. “No. Niall and I practically grew up together. Our parents were great friends and would socialize. I think they had Niall and I paired from the start. It wasn’t until we were in our teens that Nana and Patty took Mike in after a tragedy when his parents died. He was working for them doing odd jobs around the house, and he quickly became part of the family. We were like our own little gang of three. Mike, Niall, and me. No one could break our friendship…” She exhale
s with tears forming in her eyes. “It wasn’t until Mike and I became quite close that Patty and Niall started referring to Mike as ‘the help’ and, therefore, he was in a different class than us. My parents were incredibly set on being upper-class, so to have me connecting with someone from ‘the help’ was frowned upon.”
Her nostrils flare like she’s angry at the memory, her tears disappearing. “Mike was eventually made to do jobs where we could only see each other in passing, and then we drifted apart. My parents encouraged my relationship with Niall, and I guess the rest is history.” She weakly smiles with a shrug. “I often wonder how my life would’ve turned out if Mike had come along in a different way or at a different time. But there’s no point in wondering, I guess I’ve made my bed. I better lie in it even if it isn’t in the same room as my husband’s anymore.”
I want Callie to be happy because a life with Niall will never be content. “Well, you know you can stay here for as long as you like.”
She smiles. “Thank you, honey, but I don’t want to intrude. I mean, you two are starting your lives together. You don’t want me hanging around to spoil the romance.”
I go to reply, but Aiden walks in. “Mom, I have a spare apartment free on the second floor if you want to stay here. I’d rather know you’re safe with us than alone somewhere else,” he says, obviously overhearing our conversation. He walks over to the bed and sits on the edge by his mom.
Callie smiles and nods. “I promise, I won’t intrude.”
Aiden hugs his mom as I grin mischievously. “Mike is on the second floor. I’m sure he’ll keep you company.”
“Jeni,” Aiden warns, sternly.
Callie looks at me with a gleam in her eye and shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. Mike and I are good friends. It’ll be nice knowing he’s there.”
I smile at her knowingly while Aiden sits on the bed, his eyes darting between us with his brows furrowed like he knows we’re hiding something from him, which we are. Callie hasn’t said it directly, but I know she’s excited about being near Mike. Her body language gives her away, and now that I know about their past, I hope they find comfort in each other again.
Deciding we should eat breakfast, we get up. I walk to the kitchen and rummage through the cupboard for something to cook, giving Aiden and his mom some alone time as they sit in the living room to talk. Finally, I decide on pancakes, and it takes about fifteen minutes to prepare them onto plates—a stack for each of us with strawberries, maple syrup, and a dash of cream on top. After I set the table, I head back to the kitchen to pour the coffee.
“Guys, it’s ready.”
“This looks delicious.” Callie beams with a smile.
“You should come over more often, Mom. She never cooks like this for me.”
“That’s because you do all the cooking, babe.” I gesture a kiss.
“We’re going shopping today to furnish Mom’s apartment. Do you want to come?” Aiden asks happily.
“Absolutely… I love shopping.”
“Now, are you sure you want to do this, Mom?”
“I’m sure, honey. It’s time.” Callie nods and smiles, placing her hand on top of Aiden’s.
“Guess we’d better drop by the house to pick up a few things, then?”
Callie winces. “I don’t know if I’m ready to see your father.”
“But won’t you need some of your things?” Aiden questions.
Callie’s eyes fill with tears as her body tenses. I know she’s struggling with the thought of seeing Niall, so I say, “I’ll get whatever you need. Write me a list. Aiden, if you’ll take me there, I can pick up everything Callie needs.”
Her bottom lip quivers. “You would do that for me?” A single tear rolls down her cheek.
“Of course, I will, Callie. You’re like my second mom, and I’d do anything to help you.”
She stands and walks around to hug me. I embrace her back, and Aiden mouths, ‘thank you.’
After breakfast, I send off a quiet text to Bree to check on her without anyone knowing. I didn’t want to bring up the incident with Callie around, so I did it on the sly. Bree’s doing okay, has the mother of all headaches, but is recovering fine this morning.
Cleaning up after breakfast, we head out to purchase items for Callie’s new apartment. We stop at several stores, picking out the essential furniture she will need as well as some accent pieces. It takes nearly all day, but we manage to find everything she requires with a few wants as well.
Aiden pays for it to be delivered immediately, so she has somewhere to call home.
Leaving the last store, we drive straight to the O’Connell mansion. As we drive up the driveway, Callie doesn’t say a word. Mike pulls up and turns the engine off.
“Mom, stay here. Don’t worry, we’ll get everything. It shouldn’t take us long,” Aiden advises.
She nods as we hop out of the car and then walk to the front door. We stand and wait for what seems like ages when no one answers the doorbell. Aiden rings it again and again. Still nothing. He looks at me with his eyebrow raised, and I know he’s thinking the same thing as me.
Something isn’t right.
He takes his keys out of his pocket and opens the front door.
The place is in darkness.
“Father?” Aiden calls out. “Father, are you here?”
He’s greeted with nothing but silence in return.
Looking around the door, I peer down the hallway to see a light coming from under his father’s study door. I point toward the room. We head to the doorway, and Niall’s sitting in his computer chair slouched over the desk with an empty bottle of whisky knocked over next to him. A tiny amount of sadness seeps into my veins for Niall. He obviously cares more than he lets on to get completely hammered and pass out like this.
Aiden exhales, shaking his head as he walks over to his father, lifting him off the desk.
“What? Who’s there?” Niall mumbles, the smell of alcohol lingering in the air.
“It’s me,” Aiden murmurs, leaning his father back on his chair.
It breaks my heart that Aiden’s family is falling apart around him.
Niall hesitantly opens his eyes, and they roll around in his head belligerently.
“Jeni, can you go and get Mom’s things?”
Obviously, Aiden wants to be alone with his father.
I nod and walk out of the study, then up the stairs to Callie’s room. Looking around for a suitcase, I find it, placing it on the bed to pack the list of items Callie supplied.
I have a last look around to ensure I’ve retrieved everything before leaving the room again. I know Callie’s doing the right thing, but I can’t help but feel a little sad. It’s never easy when a relationship ends, no matter how volatile it may be. Stepping down the stairs with the suitcase, my heart is heavy. At the bottom of the stairs, I place an amenities bag on the suitcase and make my way back to the study only to find Aiden and Niall are no longer there.
“Aiden?” I call out, wondering where they’ve gone.
“In here.” The sound is coming from a room down the end of the hall. It’s a room I’ve never been in before, and Aiden has Niall laid out on the sofa with a pillow under his drunken head.
“Is he all right?” I ask when I enter the room.
“I’m fine, you little trollop.” Niall tries to sit up, but when he does, he grabs his head and falls back on the sofa.
“You dizzy, Father?” Aiden grits out through his teeth.
“Shut up! I’m not dizzy,” he slurs.
If it wasn’t so sad, I’d be laughing.
His eyes turn to me and blink a few times. “You! You awful woman, you’ve ruined everything. Aiden’s whipped, and I’m fucked!”
“Father, rest. Do you know where Bree is?”
“Ha! She sleeps somewhere at Killian’s,” he rambles.
“She’s at Killian’s?” He tries to decipher his gibberish.
“That’s what I said!” Niall shouts with venom
, making us both jump.
Aiden exhales abruptly. “Father, get some sleep. Mom is with us. She’s not coming home.”
“Good riddance.” Niall’s eyes roll back, and he slips into unconsciousness.
“Aiden, you all right?” I ask.
He stands, his hard eyes glassing over. “Let’s go.” He storms past me to the stairs, grabbing Callie’s bags on the way out.
Stopping at the doorway, I chance a glance back toward Niall. “Aiden. Aiden, wait! Should we leave him like that?” I yell as he storms toward the waiting car.
Aiden opens the trunk, throws the bags in, and slams it shut. I guess that answers that.
I close the front door, then run toward the car. “Talk to me,” I yell as he gets in, slamming the door. I reach the car and open the rear passenger door. “Aiden?” I ask breathlessly.
“Get in the car. We’re leaving.”
Mike and Callie both stare at Aiden, concern washing over their features.
“What’s wrong?” Callie calls out from the back seat.
Aiden talks softly and less demanding. “Nothing. Jeni, please… get in the car.”
I huff but do as he says. I’m the first to jump on the ‘we hate Niall’ bandwagon but leaving him here like this—in this state—it doesn’t feel right.
“Thank you. Mike, let’s go,” Aiden instructs.
Mike’s eyes shift to me in the rearview mirror, and I shrug. I don’t know what else I can do.
“Aiden O’Connell, you tell me what’s wrong, right now!” Callie blurts out.
I guess if he won’t listen to me, maybe he will to his mother?
“Mom, it’s nothing for you to be concerned about.”
“Aiden, tell me,” Callie’s tone has become softer.
“Mom, don’t.”
“Aiden!” she warns this time more harshly.
He turns to face us. “Fine! But you asked for it. He’s in there, shitfaced, and all he could say when I told him that you left is… good riddance.”
Callie purses her lips. “Good… I needed to hear that.”
“Huh?” Aiden asks, raising one eyebrow.
“I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing. Now, well, now I know I am. Thank you for telling me. Thanks for everything today. You are a better man than your father could ever be.”
