by K E Osborn
“Yes,” Aiden says.
I move out the way so they can have their time together. Nana walks to Aiden’s side, and they console each other. I sit down in my seat feeling a little dizzy and in a lot of pain. The nurse walks back in with my pain meds. She opens the curtain and sees the family mess as I sit alone. She looks at me sympathetically and hands me the pills with some water.
“Glad he’s awake,” the nurse says, patting me on my shoulder before she leaves.
When the doctor comes back into the room, he tells Aiden he needs to stay overnight for observation, but he should be alright to go home tomorrow.
He gets moved to his own private room and everyone comes to see him. I sit on the edge of the bed, and he holds my hand while everyone talks to him. When my mom enters the room, I hug her tightly.
“I’m so glad you are both alright. I’m so sorry for your… loss. Sorry, I never know what to say in these situations,” Mom says, sitting next to me on the bed.
“Thank you, Ev,” Nana says kindly, while wiping a stray tear from her cheek.
After a while everyone leaves and Aiden’s dinner arrives. It’s a very dry looking slice of beef and roast vegetables. He hands me the Jell-O.
“No, that’s your dinner.”
“Jeni, baby, I know you’ve had nothing to eat today. You will eat the Jell-O, and you will love it,” he says jokingly.
“Darling, I think I’ll go and give you two some time together,” Mom says kindly.
“Thank you so much for being here, Ev. It means a lot to me,” Aiden says.
“Don’t be silly. I wouldn’t be anywhere else. And call me Mom. You two are practically married anyway,” she says, making him laugh.
“Thanks, Mom,” he says, and she leans in to give him a kiss on the cheek.
“Let me know when you get home tomorrow,” she says, walking out of the room.
I sigh when we're finally alone. He moves his tray aside and scoots over in the bed so I can lie next to him. I cuddle into his chest while he strokes my hair and kisses my head.
“I was so worried about you,” I say.
“I’m worried about you. Look what he did to you.”
I shrug. “I’m fine.”
We spend the rest of the night lying on the bed together and we eventually drift off to sleep.
***
I wake suddenly and look around to get my bearings. I’m in the hospital with Aiden. My alarm sounds, and I quickly jump up and run to my bag to turn it off. I walk back to the bed and sit on the edge. Aiden sits up.
“Morning, beautiful,” he says and he leans in to kiss me.
“How are you feeling?”
“Tired but otherwise fine.”
“I know the feeling,” I say as a nurse comes in to check on Aiden. When I come back from the bathroom, Aiden’s bed is propped up. He’s reading the newspaper and looks delectable.
The doctor comes in eventually and gives Aiden the all clear. We head out to the car where Mike is waiting, and he drives us back to our home. We arrive and there is nothing of the horror from the morning before, not even in the bedroom where Aiden’s blood soaked the carpet. Someone’s done a great job of cleaning the house, thank goodness.
We decide to take a shower to wash off the residual blood stains on both of us. Mike goes back to the guesthouse, leaving us alone. We strip off and step into our large shower together. Aiden adjusts the temperature and we both stand under the twin showerheads and relax under the cascading water. Aiden turns and holds me while he gently washes the blood from my hair and I wash the blood from his. We stay in the shower holding each other tightly.
After our shower, we make our way out to the deck. We relax by the pool’s edge, soaking up the sun, relaxing for most of the day outside, until a soft cool breeze wafts in the air, making me slightly chilled. We head back inside and hear Aiden’s cell ringing. He rushes over to the countertop and catches it just in time.
“It’s Mom,” he calls out, and then he answers.
“Hi, Mom. Yeah, we are both fine. How are you?” he asks, rubbing the back of his neck and then stretching it from side to side.
“Next Wednesday. Are you able to arrange all this or do you want me to take over?” His brows furrow and he frowns.
“Honestly, I don’t mind. If it’s too hard for you, I can definitely do it.”
He exhales and runs his hand through his hair. “Well, if you change your mind or need any help, please let me know.”
“Yes, that should be fine. Hang on, I’ll ask Jeni.” He covers the receiver and looks at me.
“Baby, is it alright if Mom and Mike come over tonight to have dinner with us?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.
“Yes, of course.” He should be with his family in a time like this.
“Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks, Mom, I’ll see you soon.”
He hangs up his cell and sighs sadly.
“That was about the funeral,” he says, walking over to me. I bite my bottom lip, and I move to hug him. He pulls me in so tightly I can’t move. I feel sorry for him, sorry that his father’s gone, and sorry that I couldn’t save him.
“You know it’s not your fault, don’t you?” he asks, knowing exactly what I’m thinking.
I nod even though I don’t entirely believe him as he strokes my cheek.
“That’s enough of the sad stuff.” He takes my hand and leads me to the sofa. We wait for Callie and Mike to show up, which they do half an hour later. Aiden answers the door while I make a pot of coffee.
“Hi, Jeni darling,” Callie says, walking to the kitchen.
“Hi, Mom and Mike,” I say.
“How are you both?” Callie asks us.
I try to fight back the overwhelming sense of guilt I have. Aiden shrugs and looks down. Callie walks over to him and hugs him.
Mike helps me with the coffee, and Callie takes Aiden outside to sit at the table on the deck.
“He’s not doing so well, is he?” Mike asks.
I nod my head, trying to fight back tears that threaten to fall.
“I know if I’d have tried harder, I probably could’ve saved his father. I’m devastated for Aiden and can only imagine how he’s feeling right now,” I say to Mike quietly.
“Miss Taylor, there was nothing you could’ve done. Blair was helping as well, and he couldn’t lift his father either. It’s no one’s fault, especially not yours. Please don’t blame yourself,” he says, wrapping his arm around me.
I inhale, hold my breath, and exhale, trying to calm myself.
We walk outside and sit down to listen to Callie and Aiden talking about the funeral arrangements.
I take Aiden’s hand under the table, and he intertwines his fingers in mine. He seems somewhat brighter than he has all day; I think he really likes the idea of his Mother and Mike.
Aiden’s cell rings again, and he takes it from his pocket and answers.
“Hello. Yes, hi, Marissa,” he says, leaning back in his chair.
“Yes, I was going to call you; sorry it slipped my mind today.” He looks down into his lap as he rubs his temple.
“Of course, come by in the morning and we’ll sort something out,” he says, looking over at me. I smile at him to try to make him feel better.
“Thanks, Marissa, see you then.” Aiden hangs up and puts his cell back in his pocket, turning to his mother.
“I’ll go and check on dinner,” I say, walking inside. My cell rings, and I walk over to the counter and answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, darling, how are you feeling?” Mom asks.
“I’m okay. Callie and Mike are here for dinner. She’s talking to Aiden about the funeral,” I say sullenly.
“Mmm, yeah it’s not a nice thing to talk about, but I guess you have to have one, if you want to say goodbye to him. Personally I hope no one turns up to his funeral.”
“Mom,” I say sternly.
“Well, it’s true. After what he did to you, he deserves a minimal send
off,” she says honestly, making me sigh.
“I’ll be going to support Aiden, and I’d like it if you came to support me,” I say truthfully.
I hear her sigh as she thinks over her answer.
“Of course, I’ll come. But I’m going for you, not him. When is it?” she asks.
“Wednesday at two p.m.”
“I’ll be there, honey. Take care of yourself and Aiden, and if you need anything I’m always here for you, don’t you ever forget that,” she says kindly.
“Thanks, Mom. I won't. Talk to you soon.”
I hang up and Aiden comes inside to get a drink and also to check on me.
“Who was that?” he asks.
“Mom checking in on us,” I say, walking over to him and giving him a hug. He holds me close to him.
Our night continues and although the mood is somber, we do have a nice evening.
CHAPTER 23
I move in behind him and wrap my arm around Aiden’s stomach, pulling him in tight. He stirs and wakes slowly rubbing his eyes.
“Morning, beautiful,” he says as he turns over in my grip.
“Morning, my gorgeously handsome fiancé,” I say. We lay there in bed together, cuddling each other until we hear the doorbell ring.
“Oh, crap. That will be Marissa,” he says, jumping out of bed and throwing on jeans and polo shirt. He rushes downstairs while I casually get up, get dressed, and slowly make my way to meet them.
“Hi, Marissa,” I say to her as I walk to the kitchen.
“Hello, Miss Taylor, lovely home you have here,” she says.
“Thank you, but really it’s Aiden’s handy work; he chose everything,” I say.
“Jeni and I were thinking that seeing as you are no longer working at the mansion that you could come work for us?” Aiden asks Marissa.
“We would like you to look after the household the same as you did at the apartment. What do you say?” Aiden asks.
“Of course, that would be fantastic. Thank you, I look forward to working with you, Miss Taylor, and being back in your employment, Mr. O’Connell,” she says.
“It’s settled then. You can start whenever you’d like,” Aiden says, walking over to me and putting his arm around my shoulder.
“Thank you so much, Mr. O’Connell,” she says.
“We can work out a schedule another time.”
“Of course and, Mr. O’Connell, I’m so sorry for your loss,” she says with a frown.
“Thanks, Marissa,” Aiden says, rubbing her on the shoulder.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it, have a good day,” she says and heads toward the front door.
Marissa leaves and we relax on the sofa, watching TV for the rest of the day.
***
We both get up and have some breakfast before Sarah and Chris get here for a day of wedding planning. We eat our breakfast outside and finish just before the doorbell rings. I head over to answer it.
“Morning, I’m so excited,” Sarah says, rushing at me for a hug. I laugh at her and Chris rolls his eyes. They walk into the kitchen where Aiden is drinking his coffee.
“Morning, guys,” he says.
Chris nods and Sarah completely ignores him because she is preoccupied getting out her laptop. Chris walks over to Aiden and starts up a conversation. Sarah pulls me to the sofa to check out all things wedding on her laptop.
“We were thinking of shopping for a dress today, if you want to?” I ask.
“Oh my fricking God, yes. Now I’m even more excited. I loved my dress, but I can’t wait to get you into a full on princess gown. C’mon, let’s go,” she says, closing her laptop and throwing it on the sofa. She gets up and practically runs with me to the door. Aiden and Chris laugh and follow closely behind.
“What are you guys going to do while we’re dress shopping?” Sarah asks.
Aiden sees the perfect opportunity to tease Sarah.
“Oh, we’re coming too. I want to make sure she chooses the right dress,” he says, making me laugh.
Sarah looks at me disgusted.
“You can’t see the dress before your wedding day, and you definitely can’t see her trying on the dresses either. It’s tradition, Aiden,” Sarah says, making me laugh harder.
“I’m joking, Sarah. Chris and I will go and check out suits while you’re dress shopping.”
“Oh thank God. You nearly just put a hoax on the whole damn thing,” she says as a wave of relief washes over her and she relaxes.
We arrive at a bridal boutique known for their designer dresses. We get out of the car and make our way inside. I kiss Aiden and we walk in opposing directions towards different parts of the store. There are gowns everywhere—on racks, on mannequins, even on the floor. Sarah’s face lights up. A sales assistant walks over to greet us.
“Good morning ladies,” she says.
“Good morning,” Sarah says politely.
“Is there anything I can help you with today?”
Sarah pulls up my left hand to show the assistant my engagement ring. “My bestie here is getting married, and we need to find her the most perfect of perfect dresses,” she says enthusiastically.
“There are plenty of designs we can look at. Do you have any idea what you might like?”
I bite my bottom lip and shake my head.
“How about we start over here and anything you like we can pull out and try on,”
I suddenly I feel a little nervous, obviously I have never tried on wedding dresses before and I want to make sure I get just the right one that not only I will love, but one Aiden will, too.
Sarah and I search through the massive amount of dresses and pull out three. They’re all pretty, but none of them are right. As we go to walk out of the shop, something catches my eye.
I walk over to the dress and pull it out. It’s strapless, has a sweetheart neckline, and the top looks like a corset. It’s fitted and covered in lace with beads, not too much bling but just enough. Around the waist is a pink sash that forms a flower on the right side made out of material. The bodice of lace continues into the skirt but stops at the bottom of the waist. The skirt is flowing and a little puffy. The top layer of the opaque material is gathered in sections giving it a princess look.
“What are you waiting for? Go try it on,” Sarah almost yells.
The sales assistant laughs at her. I go into the dressing room, and with the assistant’s help, I put on the dress. It feels comfortable, and I can move easily in it. I start to get my hopes up that this just might be the one. I step outside of the dressing room, and Sarah gasps and takes a step back.
“Well?” I ask before I check the mirror.
Sarah has tears in her eyes. I turn to face the mirror and even I think I look beautiful. I know instantly, this is the dress.
“So?” Sarah asks.
“This is the one,” I say, and the assistant claps her hands together.
Sarah jumps up and down with excitement. I laugh at her, and she takes a picture for my mother to see.
“When is the wedding?”
“September fourteenth,” I say.
I bite my bottom lip, waiting in hope that it can be ready on time while she checks her schedule.
“Yes, we can have it ready for you by September second,” she says, looking at her calendar again. I turn my head and look into the mirror one more time.
I get changed and head to the register to pay for the dress. I check the price tag and gasp. Argh... $35,000.00 for a wedding dress?
“Holy shit, Sarah, I can’t get this dress. Look at the price.”
“Oh, shut up. Aiden said any price, and thirty five grand isn’t really that much,” she says sarcastically with a smirk. Aiden told me he that wants me to have anything I want so I hand over his credit card and try not to think about it.
I feel excited, really excited that I am actually doing this. We walk out of the dress store and into the menswear department. We see Chris trying on a suit with a black waistcoat, black tie and a
white shirt; he looks sexy as hell. Sarah gushes when she sees him, and I can’t help but laugh at her.
“Hey, beautiful girls, any luck?” Chris asks, buttoning up his shirt.
“Yep, found the perfect dress. You look dashing in that, Chris,” I say.
“Thanks. If you don’t want to see Aiden in his tux then you should probably wait outside. He’ll be out any second,” Chris says.
I think for a moment. I really want to see what he looks like, but it’s probably best to keep it as a surprise for the day, so I decide to leave.
“We’ll meet you at the bridal store next door,” I say to Chris who nods his head.
I see the dressing room door open, and I quickly drag Sarah out the door to avoid seeing Aiden.
We walk into the gift shop to have a look around at the centerpieces, guest books, and all things wedding. Eventually the guys come in and spot us.
“Hey, baby, heard you found a dress that you love.” Aiden says.
Sarah claps her hands together.
“Oh, Aiden, it’s beautiful. You’ll love her even more when you see her in it,” Sarah bursts out before I say anything.
Aiden gives me that loving smile he does so well and takes me into his arms.
“It is very pretty and I love it,” I say.
“Not as pretty as you,” he says, kissing my cheek.
“What do you think of these invitations?” I ask, handing it to him. He picks up the little rectangular, open ended pocket, which is pink with white lace through the middle with a white band through the center of the lace where you put the names. He pulls out the invitation from the center of the pocket and it’s white with a pink ribbon on the top with a bling circle in the middle. It’s elegant and formal with a touch of fun.
“This is very you,” he says.
“But I want you to like it, too,” I say honestly.
“Jeni, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy. And I love this invitation. It’s very pink, but that’s you. I say go ahead with this one,” he says, making me happy.
After a quick lunch, our next stop is to see Aiden’s florist. We arrive at an elegant flower shop.
“Good afternoon, Mr. O’Connell, we don’t see you in here very often anymore.” The young male sales assistant says.
