by K E Osborn
At five, Brielle says, “It was weird without Father here today. Is it bad if I say it was good without him?”
“Yes, it’s bad, but I know what you mean.”
She packs up her stuff and walks over to my desk. “Who are the flowers really from?” she whispers.
“Honestly, I have no idea, Bree. Do you?” She smiles like she knows something. “Bree, who are they from?” I ask.
“I don’t know for sure, but I think they’re probably from Josie, the receptionist downstairs. You know… because she’s in love with Aiden. I bet she’s trying to split you two up. You saw how he reacted when you received them. He was downright jealous. I’m sure that’s what she’s counting on. But, hey, I’m probably wrong.”
My eyes widen at the thought. “Holy fuck, you’re probably right.” And then I laugh.
“Yeah, watch out for her. She’s been after Aiden for as long as I can remember.”
“Well, she can just back the hell off,” I murmur.
Aiden strides out of his office, cocking his head to the side. “Bree, how did you get here today?”
“I caught the bus from Killian’s place. Why?”
“We’ll drop you back if you like, save you taking the bus.”
“Thanks, big bro.”
Aiden takes my hand, and we make it through to the main foyer.
“Good evening, Mr. O’Connell,” Josie calls out.
I turn and glare at her. Her eyes widen, and her mouth gapes a little at my sudden aggressive stance toward her. She quickly turns back to her computer screen.
There, that should do it—I hope.
Bree gives me two thumbs-up as Aiden looks at me raising an eyebrow. I shrug, as we continue out the doors.
“What was that, Jeni?” Aiden asks quietly.
“She’s standing up for you,” Brielle interrupts before I can say anything.
“What for?”
“Because Josie’s after you.”
I inwardly laugh as I’m excluded from the conversation.
Aiden scoffs. “No, she isn’t. She’s simply being friendly.”
“Yeah, then why is she causing trouble by sending Jeni those flowers?”
Aiden jerks back with a cringe. “What? No. She didn’t. I’m sure it was Mom. Why would Josie send Jeni flowers?”
“Duh! Sometimes, big bro, you’re so dense. Why do you think? To make you jealous, of course. So you’ll split up with her. And it worked, you were so jealous.”
I stand back and watch them talk about me as though I’m not even here.
“That will never happen. I wouldn’t split up with Jeni because someone else sent her flowers.”
“No, but she’d be counting on you getting jealous and causing an argument. Which almost happened today until you heard they were from a female.” Her words ring true, and I watch his reaction.
“No. I’ve known Josie for a long time. She wouldn’t do that. I’ll ask Mom tonight if she sent them, and when she says yes, this craziness will be over.”
“And if Mom doesn’t say she sent them?”
“Then, and only then, will I think about the fact that it might be Josie.”
“Good! Ask Mom as soon as you get home and text me to let me know.”
“Good evening, everyone,” Mike says breaking up this conversation as we approach.
“Hey, Mike. Is it cool if you drop me off at Killian’s?”
“Of course, Miss O’Connell. No problem at all.” He opens the back door, and we all slide in.
“Can you two hurry up and get engaged already?” Brielle asks out of the blue, changing this conversation’s direction in the space of five seconds.
Mike chuckles in the front as I sit here too scared to look at Aiden to see his reaction. Though, he takes my hand and kisses it gently. “One day, Bree. One day.”
My heart flutters, and a tingle runs through my entire body. He wants to marry me—one day. We’ve never even talked about marriage. Of course, I’ve thought about it especially when I had an inkling that I was pregnant, but I never knew he’d thought about it as well. I removed the thought about marriage from my mind when we lost our baby. Those pesky butterflies return to my stomach as I clutch my hands in my lap.
“Relax, baby,” Aiden whispers in my ear, kissing the side of my head.
He knows me too well.
I really need to get my emotions in check.
We reach the front of a building that has the appearance of an old warehouse. I look out the window and wonder why we’ve stopped. It’s three stories and cladded with red metal sheeting. Some of the paint is peeling off in places giving it a rustic appeal.
“We should probably go in,” Aiden announces.
My forehead crinkles in confusion as I stare at Aiden.
“You coming, baby?” he asks.
I nod in confusion as we get out of the car. “Where are we?” I whisper to him.
He chuckles. “This is where Killian lives.”
“In a warehouse?” I don’t know if I’m impressed or horrified.
Making our way up a set of rusty stairs outside the building that looks to lead to an equally rusty door, Brielle leads the way. Aiden is on her heels with me trailing behind, wondering what I’m about to see.
“You look worried?” Aiden chuckles.
I shrug, then we walk through the door into a stunningly beautiful open-plan space. I stop and stand in complete and utter awe. A kitchen and living area are combined into one with separate rooms for bedrooms and bathrooms. It’s an amazingly spacious apartment, and nothing like the rustic exterior that was on display outside. There’s a black iron staircase in the middle of the main room heading upstairs, and the walls are like the exterior of the warehouse, rustic and red. Everything in the apartment is new and modern—it’s a real mixture of old and new.
This place is so cool.
Aiden looks back at me standing in the doorway. “Not what you expected?”
I turn my head slowly from side to side in amazement. “Not at all. This place is…” I can’t even finish my sentence as I move my hands around. I’m at a loss for words.
“I know. It’s deceiving from the outside.” Aiden walks over to me, grasping my hand, entwining our fingers and pulling me in.
“Killian, where are you?” Brielle yells out, making her way to the living room.
“Back here.” Killian walks into the room with a towel around his waist.
I stare. I can’t help it. He looks so much like his brother with his chiseled abdomen and disheveled wet hair. I swallow and look away, slightly embarrassed that I was ogling him.
“Oh shit. Sorry. I didn’t know you were here, Jeni. I’ll go and ah… put some clothes on.”
I start to giggle, sounding like a damn schoolgirl.
Aiden raises his brow with a huge smirk. “Really? You’re crushing on my gay brother?”
I shrug. “He’s hot.”
“Hotter than me?” Aiden wraps his arms possessively around my waist and pulls me to him.
“Hmm… maybe a little,” I tease with a cheeky grin.
“Oh really? Should I be worried?” He lets me go, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
“Oh yeah. For sure. I’m so going to turn him straight.”
Aiden leans in and kisses me, his tongue finding mine, then he shifts pressing every inch of him against me.
“Get a room!” Brielle yells as she slumps on the sofa and throws her feet up on the table.
We both chuckle when we break our passionate kiss. Aiden winks at me, taking my hand, and leads me to the sofa.
Daniel walks in through the main entry door. “Hey, guys,” he chimes, sounding surprised. He walks toward us placing something on the counter when he passes.
“Daniel, how have you been?” Aiden asks, standing to shake his hand.
Daniel pushes his hand away and goes in for a hug. “Good. Miss seeing your ugly mug, though.”
Aiden chuckles, tapping his back, then t
hey pull apart and Daniel turns to face me. “How’s personal assistant life for you, Jeni?”
“All good, Dan. Love the work, but the boss is a tad strict. You failed to mention that!”
“Niall’s being a jerk as usual?”
“No, I meant Aiden,” I joke, making everyone laugh but Aiden. He stares at me with a fake frown on his face. “You know you’re cute when you pretend to be angry.” I lean in grabbing his cheeks, and he can’t help but give me one of his panty-dropping grins.
Killian comes out, fully clothed this time, and walks up to Daniel, kissing him on his cheek. “Did you get the magazine layouts?” he asks.
Dan nods. “Yup, they’re right over there.”
Killian walks over to the counter.
“Hey, Daniel, you better watch out,” Aiden hollers, piquing everyone’s interest.
“Why is that?”
“Jeni’s going to turn Killian straight. She wants him for his body,” Aiden calls out, loud enough for Killian to hear.
“Oh my God, Aiden!” I flush bright red and sink further into the sofa.
“Jeni, my sweet… you’re the only girl I know who I would let try to turn me straight,” Killian yells back.
“Hey!” Daniel and Aiden say in unison.
Brielle laughs. “You asked for that, you shithead.”
Aiden sits and pulls me close to him. “You ready to go?”
I look up at him through my lashes. “You’re mean,” I whine.
“Yeah, but you love me.” He kisses my head, stands, and holds out his hand for me to take. “See you later, guys,” Aiden calls out loudly as we both walk toward the exit.
“See ya,” they all say together as we reach the rusty door.
“What’s on the other two levels?” I ask referring to the first and third floor of the warehouse.
“The first floor is where Killian does all his photographic stuff, like processing and framing. It’s like a workshop.”
“And the top?”
Aiden shrugs. “Nothing much. Mainly storage, I think.”
“This place is so cool.”
“Yeah, Killian found it one day and bought it. He turned it into his dream home and a workshop.”
Walking back to the car, Mike is ready to drive us home.
“Do you mind if we call in and see Mom first?” Aiden asks as we slide out of the car.
“Of course not.” I take his arm as we head to Callie’s apartment and arrive not long after.
Callie opens the door, immediately making eye contact with Mike. They slyly smile at each other as we walk in with him closing the door behind us.
“Hi, honey, how was your day?” Callie asks, hugging Aiden.
“Good, Mom. Yours?”
She gestures for us to come in. “Not bad. Did some moving around of bank accounts and set up my apartment a little better. What do you think?”
I take a look around, and the area suits her perfectly. “It’s lovely, Callie.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” She walks us to the sofa. “How was your father today?”
Aiden stiffens. “He didn’t come in.”
“What do you mean he didn’t come in? He never misses work.”
“He, ah… wasn’t feeling well.”
She sighs, flattens out the imaginary creases in her skirt, and exhales with a small smile while composing herself. “I guess I don’t need to worry about him anymore.”
“Mom, he’ll be fine. He’s … I don’t know… lost at the moment.”
I don’t want Callie to worry so I change the subject. “Thanks for the flowers you sent me today, they’re lovely.”
Callie tilts her head as her brows crease. “What flowers, honey?”
“You didn’t send Jeni flowers today?” Aiden asks.
“No, sorry. Was I supposed to? Now that you mention it, I probably should have.”
“No, Mom. It’s fine. I think I know who sent them.” Aiden shakes his head while I rub his back to comfort him.
“Is something wrong, honey?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong. But a friend at work is… well—”
“I think she’s trying to split us up,” I interrupt quite abruptly.
Aiden looks at me and sighs. “It’s not going to work.” He takes my hand, and I nestle into his shoulder.
“She sounds like a crazy woman, trying to split up a perfectly happy couple.”
“Guess some people will do anything for love.” I shrug.
“You think Josie loves me?” Aiden asks, his eyes widening.
“Not sure. But if it is her, then we need to be careful,” I say, feeling aggravated that she’s taking her fascination with Aiden that one step too far.
“Agreed.” Aiden sighs. “Let’s see if anything else happens. Hopefully, it’ll be a one-time thing.”
Callie purses her lips. “Be careful. If it’s a girl who works with you both, and she’s jealous of Jeni, she may do something to hurt the business,” Callie informs us.
Aiden nods in agreement. “I’ll take care of it.”
All this talk of Josie is making me angry. My muscles tense, and my head’s starting to hurt so I change the subject again. “Have you got dinner organized? Or would you like to have something with us?”
“You’re a darling. But thank you, no. I can look after myself. Plus, I wouldn’t want to intrude on you two.”
“Mom, you’ll never intrude.”
She smiles. “Even so, I’m enjoying my alone time. It’s nice to have to look after only myself after all these years.”
Standing, we make our way toward the door. “If you change your mind, or you need us, we’re only a few floors away.” Aiden hugs his mom.
She lets him go and hugs me. “Sweetheart, it’s always a pleasure.”
“Have a good night, Callie.”
She lets me go, and we head to our apartment. Upon entering, we kick off our shoes, going straight to the bedroom to get changed into something more comfortable.
“What’s for dinner?” I call out, making my way to the living room as I slump on the sofa.
“Spaghetti?”
“You need a hand?”
“If you want.”
I’m quick to meet him in the kitchen. “What would you like me to do?” I ask seductively.
“There’s this one thing you could do.” He winks.
I smirk and lean in close to him. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Kiss me.”
I lunge at him, jumping, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He catches me, holding on to my ass. Aiden twirls us around and sits me on the counter, pushing against me. Leaning forward, I run my hands through his hair.
Suddenly, we hear the elevator chime. He pulls back while furrowing his eyebrows as he helps me off the counter. Together, we walk to the elevator looking at each other with cautious eyes as we’re not expecting anyone. When the doors open, no one’s there.
Aiden investigates further and finds a smaller version of Mr. Snuggles in the middle of the elevator. My spine tingles as Aiden peers at me with unspoken questions. I shake my head not knowing what the hell is going on. Stepping into the elevator, he grabs the teddy bear and walks back to me. It’s quiet except for the sound of the doors closing. Aiden stands there frowning at the Mr. Snuggles look- alike.
My heart starts to thud in my chest as I suddenly feel quite cold. “Do you think someone’s playing a prank on us?”
Aiden looks at the red ribbon around its neck. There’s a note attached.
“This is fucking weird.” Aiden opens the typed note, and we read it together.
Just for you, Jeni <3
It sends a chill over my entire body, causing it to violently shake. “Josie must’ve taken my key card,” I mumble under my breath.
Aiden quickly pulls out his phone, panic written all over his face. “Mike, can we get the security footage up here from the parking garage facing the elevators?” I wrap my arms around myself feeling co
mpletely vulnerable. “Excellent. Can you bring it up here as soon as possible, please? We’ve had an unexpected visitor.” I shudder at the thought. “Yes, we’re both fine. See you soon.” He ends the call.
I lean into his side and wrap my arm around his waist. “Aiden, this is scary.”
He kisses my forehead. “Mike’s coming up. You might want to change.” He slowly looks me up and down, staring at my black, lacy, see-through negligee.
I nod and head off to the bedroom to pull on my robe, wrapping the belt tightly around my middle as Aiden scrutinizes the bear. As I walk back in, I ask curiously, “Find anything else?”
He’s quiet, but then he says, “Yeah. This eye looks strange.” He pulls it hard, and the eye comes out. Fucking hell, there’s a miniature video camera attached to it.
His eyes widen as do mine. “Oh, hell no!” He throws it to the floor and stomps on it. “This is all kinds of fucked up.”
The elevator chimes, and we both look at it, waiting to see who, or what is coming. My body stiffens, and my blood runs cold as I wrap my arms around myself again for comfort. It opens, my heart in my throat, but I relax a little when Mike comes into view. He steps in with the footage from the camera outside the parking garage elevator. Aiden shows Mike what he found hidden inside the teddy bear.
Mike’s watching me intently while I stand in the background with my arms wrapped around myself.
This is crazy.
Now someone is trying to spy on us.
What the hell?
This Josie girl must be completely insane.
Mike places the thumb drive into the laptop. Aiden fast-forwards and we watch various people coming and going.
“Stop! Pause! There! Who’s that?” Aiden asks.
We move the recording along a little further, and a dark shadow walks to the elevator. The person wears all black, including a hoodie covering most of their face, but whoever it is, has sunglasses on as well. The figure could be either a man or woman, there’s no way of telling because of the baggy clothing.
Aiden exhales loudly and throws his hands in the air. “Nothing. We have nothing.” Running his fingers through his hair, Aiden paces in frustration.
We continue to watch as the figure places the teddy bear in the elevator and then runs away.
