by K E Osborn
Trying to stifle a yawn, I listen to golf stories and swapping recipes. I excuse myself to the bathroom with a look to Sarah and Brielle who get up and follow me. The guys are so wrapped up in their conversation, they don’t even seem to notice we’re leaving.
“Could they be any more boring?” Brielle asks when we get far enough away from them.
“Tell me about it,” Sarah exclaims.
As we enter the bathroom, I look at myself in the mirror. “Oh God, I look tired,” I blurt out.
“How can they talk about golf for so long? You put the ball in the hole. It’s that simple,” Brielle huffs out.
“I know. God! Can you imagine how boring Aiden’s bachelor party will be,” Sarah jests, making us laugh.
“While I have you two here, I want to ask you something.” I take in a deep breath, and they both look at me with a raised eyebrow.
“You know how much I care about you both, don’t you?”
They nod.
“So Bree, will you be my bridesmaid?”
“Of course, I will.” She bounces up on her toes in her excitement.
Then I turn to Sarah. “Will you be my maid of honor?” Her eyes widen, and she shows the same enthusiasm as Brielle.
“Duh, of course. Ahhh… I’m so excited. Your bachelorette party is going to be epic. We’ll have giant blow-up cocks, dancing naked sailors, buckets of various cocktails, and we’ll burn a hole in the dance floor. No, literally, I’m going to set it on fire. It’ll be a night you’ll never remember,” Sarah prattles on, taking my hands.
We all giggle, making our way back to our men, who are now all standing at the bar. We move toward them, and Aiden puts his hand out for me, then he pulls me close. I cuddle into his chest, and he takes another sip of his whisky.
“Are you ready to go?” Chris asks Sarah.
“Yeah. It’s time we all left,” I suggest.
We say the rest of our farewells to everyone and head to our cars. I lean in to Aiden, and he puts his arm around me and pulls me so close I’m almost on his lap. “Thanks for tonight. Everything was perfect.” I hold out my left hand, gazing at my magnificent engagement ring.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you said yes. It would’ve been embarrassing if you’d have said no.” He chuckles.
“I’d never say no to you,” I admit honestly, and with that, he turns my face to his and kisses me passionately for the rest of the car ride home.
Arriving at the parking garage, we don’t even acknowledge Mike in our rush to get upstairs. As soon as the elevator doors open to our apartment, Aiden whisks me off my feet, and we don’t even make it to the bedroom before we make passionate love all night long.
The sun beams in as I lift my head off his chest.
“Morning, beautiful.”
I lean in to kiss him as we lay naked on the living room floor.
“What a night,” I chime.
He takes my left hand, looking at my new engagement ring and kisses my hand. “What a night, indeed.” He raises his eyebrows and grabs me around my waist, pulling me into a bear hug. I giggle as he does, and I hug him back with the same enthusiasm.
Eventually, we move from the living room to the ensuite to have a shower. My body aches from the night before as I adjust the water to the right temperature. We both step into the shower and let the water flow between us, and he lathers up the body wash in his hands, ready to wash me. We enjoy our time in the shower, holding each other as we’re both too worn out from the night before to do anything else. When we start to wrinkle, we get out, dry ourselves and get dressed for the day. Seeing as we aren’t going anywhere, I pull on one of my little negligees, and he puts on his usual pair of shorts.
Settling in on the sofa in the living room, I lie down, resting my head on his lap, completely content. He gently strokes my hair as he turns on the television. With it being mid-Sunday morning, there isn’t much on. After a bit of channel surfing, he finally settles on a finance show which I roll my eyes in response.
Relaxing on his lap, I close my eyes and take the opportunity to rest.
I open my eyes to see an orange glow coming from the kitchen. I sit up and look at Aiden who’s entranced on the finance program on the television. I look back at the kitchen. The glow is brighter and flickering as a strange sound bellows from within.
I look back at Aiden again, and he still seems oblivious. I stand and cautiously make my way to the kitchen. As I walk past the elevator, the door is slightly open, and I see a dark figure hiding in the corner. I ignore it and continue toward the orange glow.
I feel the heat, an intense heat, surging toward me. I call out for Aiden, but no words escape my mouth as I become mute. I start to panic. I run, turning away from the glow and toward Aiden.
He looks at me raising his eyebrow, but I feel something pulling me back. I turn to see a dark figure holding onto me, pulling me toward the glow.
Suddenly, flames erupt all around me, engulfing me completely.
I call out for Aiden, and I see glimpses of him through the flickering flames. He stares, emotionless as I’m overcome by the smoke, choking me until I can’t breathe.
I lie on the floor, flames licking all around me, helpless and hopeless, and I see the dark figure standing over me.
My eyes close as the flames consume me, and the dark figure has now won.
“Jeni.” Aiden shakes me as I wake. My breathing is quick as sweat pours off me again. “Baby, it was a dream.” Aiden strokes my hair as my heart races, but my breathing slows. I sit up, and he wraps his arm around me. “Are you okay? It sounded like you were choking or something.”
I turn to look at him, still slightly asleep, and his brows crease with a frown on his face. “Jeni, say something.”
“It was a dream.” I try to calm myself.
He nods, stroking my hair. “That’s right, just a dream. You’re here with me, and I won’t let anything happen to you. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nope, it’s not even worth worrying about. I barely remember what it was,” I lie, trying to reassure him and myself.
I stand to get a glass of water from the kitchen, checking the elevator as I walk past to make sure I’m not dreaming again. The doors are firmly shut. I get a large glass out of the cupboard and pour myself some cold water from the refrigerator.
Suddenly, arms wrap around my waist. I jump with the shock, dropping my glass of water to the floor. The glass shatters into small pieces around my bare feet. I spin around, and Aiden is staring at me bewildered and wide-eyed. “Jeni, it’s me.”
I sigh with relief and hug him tight as I feel a twinge of pain on my leg and sharpness on my feet. He lets me go and looks down at the mess on the floor, and the blood oozing from the cuts on my feet from the glass.
“Stay still until I get something to clean that up.” Aiden watches me closely.
He rushes to the bedroom to put on some shoes, then he walks back into the kitchen and picks up the dustpan and broom, sweeping up the glass surrounding me.
The dream has me shaken for some reason.
He looks up at me periodically to check I’m okay. Then, he gets a cloth and wipes up the water spilled across the floor.
“There, all done. Now, let’s have a look at your feet and leg.” He lifts me in case he didn’t get all the glass and takes me into the living room, sitting me on the sofa, examining my feet closely. I don’t even feel the pain when he gently wipes the blood away from them. “Baby, are you all right? You’re… you’re so jumpy.”
I nod, trying hard to convince both of us that I’m fine.
I know I’m not—that dream felt so damn real.
“You’re going to need some bandages for your feet. We only have a few Band-Aids in the first-aid kit. The cut on your leg is small, but I’ll have to go down to Mom’s to see if she has something we can use. Will you be okay here for five minutes?”
I nod. “Of course. I’ll be fine. I’ll wait here.”
He kiss
es my temple and stands, then heads out. I sigh and decide to keep myself occupied while he’s gone. My eyes shift to the flowers on the table from when I was in hospital, and I realize I haven’t read any of the cards attached to them. Pulling the coffee table toward me, I open them, one by one.
To my darling Jenifer. Hope you get well soon. Love always, Mom.
Baby, I love you so much. Get well soon. Forever yours, Aiden. xoxo
Dear Jeni. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Love Callie, Brielle,
Killian, and Daniel.
I smile and take the last card from the biggest bunch of flowers and read.
I’m sorry, Jeni <3
My heart starts to pound. I read the card a second time and look at it with a sense of familiarity.
Why would anyone write ‘I’m sorry’? What a weird thing to say.
Maybe it’s like ‘I’m sorry you’re sick’? No, that doesn’t seem right.
The <3 looks familiar.
Then it hits me.
It’s the same person who sent me the flowers originally and then the teddy bear.
Suddenly, my skin prickles in goosebumps, and my heart beats faster. I realize the person who’s been taunting my dreams is the dark figure who lit the fire. It must’ve been the person I saw in the elevator when the doors were closing on my way to the kitchen that night. Memories flood back in a split second as I remember vividly turning off the stove before I went to the bedroom. When I came back, the kitchen was on fire, and the elevator doors were definitely closing.
The person must’ve been in the apartment but on their way out.
The dark figure was actually in our apartment.
With me.
My heart beats so fast, I feel physically ill.
The elevator chimes, and a sense of relief hits me that Aiden is back, and I can discuss this with him.
The doors open, and I glance up to see a manly figure dressed in black, but his head is down. I can’t see who he is, but my heart smashes against my chest. My feet hurt as I stand defensively when he enters the living room.
“Who the hell are you?” I yell.
He lifts his head.
His dark eyes meet mine, and I recognize him instantly.
“Jason?”
He takes a step toward me.
I take one back, and my abusive ex stands in front of me.
Jason tilts his head, staring right through me. “I see you got my flowers, Jeni.”
“Jason, what are you doing here?” My forehead crinkles in confusion.
He smiles, but it’s menacing. “I’ve come to take you back, Jeni.”
His face seems different.
His eyes dart around, taking on an even more crazed look than when we were together.
He looks unhinged.
“You look lovely in that.” His eyes me up and down, instantly making my heart pound even more but in a really bad way.
I move my arms to cover myself. “What do you mean, take me back?”
“I know I hurt you when I cheated and left you for Annie.” I cringe at the mention of her name. “But I know now that I’m meant to be with you. I needed to show you that I still love you. So, I sent you flowers and a teddy bear that looks like Mr. Snuggles.”
My body tenses as his stare is laser-focused on me, making me feel extremely vulnerable. “Jason, did you start the fire?”
He looks down at his hands. “I was angry that you were with… him. I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.” A sting of pain moves over his face but quickly disappears.
I inhale sharply at his admission. “Jason, why now? Why would you come back for me after nearly four years?” I take another step back.
“Annie left me. She said I have anger-management issues. Then I knew… I knew you were the one I’m supposed to be with. It’s only you. It’s only ever been you.” A crooked smile sweeps across his face. He takes another step toward me as I search the room for a way out.
“Jeni, when I saw you that day at the restaurant next to O’Connell Finance, I knew I had to be with you again. When you dropped your handbag and the elevator key card fell out, I took it before you could see me, and I followed you back to your apartment that night, so I knew where you lived.”
I vaguely remember going there with Brielle while Aiden and Niall worked over lunch on the new Anderson account. I certainly remember dropping my bag and the hooded man who bumped into me.
Holy fuck, it was Jason!
“How did you get into the apartment this time? We swapped the codes so the card you had wouldn’t work anymore.”
He grins. “Come now, you know me better than that. My cousin, she’s a helpful little thing.”
“Your cousin?” I scrunch my face in confusion.
“Yes, you might know her. Her name is Josie.”
I cringe. Oh fuck! I knew she had something to do with this!
“How did she get the new card?”
“Apparently, you’re still as clumsy as ever, so when you tripped over in the main foyer and spilled your bag everywhere, it was the perfect time for her to switch the cards and give you back the one that doesn’t work.”
“Why’s Josie helping you?”
“Because it’s a win-win solution. Don’t you see, Jeni? We split you and that imbecile you call a boyfriend up, you and I get back together, and Josie is free to have the idiot for herself. God knows why she wants him, though.”
Anger floods through my veins. “He’s not my boyfriend!” It’s all I can think to say.
Jason smiles a beaming smile like that’s the best news he’s heard all year.
“He’s my fiancé.” I show him the ring on my finger.
Jason’s face turns from a smile to a frown. Intense anger surges over him, and I know instantly that what I have just blurted out was a bad decision. A crazy look forms in his eyes, the one that always terrified me as his hands ball into tight fists. “You know we’re meant to be together, don’t you?”
I swallow hard when bile creeps up. He stalks toward me. Luckily, the coffee table is between us.
“Jeni, come with me. We can get married and live happily ever after like we were meant to,” he whispers.
Tears well in my eyes when he reaches his hand out to mine. I flinch away, and he frowns. “This will be so much easier if you accept that you love me.” His voice takes on a much sterner tone.
My eyes shift to the elevator. My stomach flips, and my chest squeezes, but I decide to make a run for it, there’s not much else I can do right now. So, I step out from behind the coffee table and walk around to meet him. Jason looks at me with a loving expression in his eyes.
“Close your eyes,” I whisper, leaning in like I’m going to kiss him.
He smiles, closing his eyes. I wait until he shuts them completely, then tiptoe over to the elevator. Although my feet are killing me, I can’t help but utter a tiny whimper.
“Come now, don’t be shy,” he murmurs.
Dammit! He opens his eyes to see me by the elevator pressing the button frantically. I freeze, stunned, as he looks at me pursing his lips and flaring his nostrils. “You know I don’t like to play games.” Jason storms over to me, and I try to run in, but he yanks me by the arm, holding so tightly it hurts. He pulls me back and grabs both my arms firmly. I let out a yelp at the brute force he’s holding me with.
“Now, now, Jeni… if you behave, this will be a lot easier for you,” he grunts out menacingly.
“Jason, why are you doing this?”
He tilts his head. “Because I love you, Jeni. I’ve already told you that!”
“Jason, you’re hurting me.” I try to fight back the tears as they pool in my eyes.
He tilts his head again. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“Then don’t,” I plead.
Jason lets my arms go, and I rub them where he was holding them so tightly. “Look, Jeni, come with me, love me and never leave me, and everything will be all right.” His fingers stroke through my hair.
He puts his finger up to my lips to silence me. “Shush now.” His face is so close to mine, he leans in to kiss me.
I curl up my face in response, but I figure it’s best to play along until Aiden returns.
Jason moves in closer and gently kisses me. Tears flow freely down my cheeks when he moves his tongue into my mouth. Revulsion overcomes me as I reluctantly kiss him back.
Please let this be over soon. Please. Please.
Jason moves his hand to my breast as fear overwhelms me. Honestly, I can’t take anymore, and I pull back from him. He stares, his face turning red in such fierce anger that he raises his hand and slaps me across the face so hard it knocks me to the floor. I moan and grab the side of my face in pain as the tears flow rapidly.
“Jeni, now what did I say!” he yells, then his mood switches instantaneously when he finds remorse. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I never mean to hurt you.” He crouches down next to me as I flinch away from him in disgust. “Don’t be like that.” Gently he strokes my arm while I sit on the floor holding the side of my face.
“Jason, what’s wrong with you?” I blurt out before my brain has time to stop me.
His face scrunches and his nostrils flare. “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? Why are you fighting me on this, Jeni? You know we belong together, and I know you still love me. You always have and always will.” He believes every damn word he’s speaking.
I think he’s truly gone mad.
“Jason, I don’t think we’re good together.”
Violently pulling at my arms, he stands taking me with him. “Stop playing games. Now let’s go!” He drags me toward the elevator, but I struggle against him and break free. I run toward the balcony, but he catches me quickly and throws me to the floor. My stomach crashes into the corner of the glass coffee table, knocking the flowers off and the table breaks beneath my weight. I roll onto the floor, clinging to my stomach and moaning in pain as the tears start to really flow now.
