Crossing the Line

by Annabelle Eaton

  “Everything okay?” Amanda whispers beside me while Richard is pointing to something out of the window and talking to Aden.

  “It’ll be fine,” I reply, and I know I’m right. I have to be more understanding, and so does Aden. I’m going to have to tell him not to do anything in public so then I don’t feel horrible when he lets me go.

  We arrive at the airport, and I follow the others, pulling my suitcase along behind me. How I manage to get anywhere alone is beyond me. I have the worst sense of direction ever.

  “Have you calmed down from whatever internal drama you were having yet?” he asks.

  Don’t punch him. He definitely doesn’t help. I narrow my eyes at the bastard. “I had.”

  “This is because I let go of your hand, isn’t it.” Well duh! “Millie, I explained that, and I thought you were on the same page. I’m not ashamed of you but-.”

  “I know. I’m not one of those girls that will wait around forever for a guy that’s not interested. I’m not desperate, and I don’t need to be you.” And it terrifies me how you make me feel every emotion all at the same time.

  He raises his eyebrows. “Not interested? You don’t think I’m interested in you?”

  “No, I do.”

  “But?” I shrug, and he sighs deeply. “I’ll pick you up after work and we’ll do something.”

  “After work?”

  “Yes, take tomorrow off and sleep.”

  “Are you working tomorrow?”

  “Yes.”

  “So why are you giving me the day off?”

  “Honestly?” he asks, and I nod. “Because it’s hard to get you to concentrate on anything for longer than five seconds. A tired and jetlagged Millie is going to be a fucking nightmare and, frankly, a total liability.” What an arsehole. He chuckles. “I love your reactions. I was joking. Well sort of. Take the day off and relax.” The L word again.

  “Fine, I will. But because I want to.”

  Aden grins in amusement. “Of course it is.”

  “Amelie, Aden,” Richard calls, ending our conversation. “We can board now.”

  The plane is spacious, but then it always is in first class. I immediately lay back against the seat, getting comfortable. I feel exhausted. This time Amanda is sitting next to Richard in front of me and Aden.

  “Sleep, Millie, you look tired.” He places his jacket over my lap. “Not bad tired. You don’t look bad,” he adds, quickly catching on that I’m about to ask if I look awful – I probably do.

  I close my eyes and lay my head on his shoulder, half expecting him to push me off but instead he kisses the top of my head and presses his side into mine. If this doesn’t work out, my heart is in serious trouble.

  “Amelie, we’re here.” Aden gently shakes my arm, and I groan, looking around disorientated. “We’ve just landed.” I’ve slept the whole way home? Not that it’s a long flight, but I didn’t expect to be out of it for the entire time.

  In front of me, Amanda and Richard have already got up and are walking towards the exit. I force myself up and grab my handbag. Aden tugs on my hand, making me stumble back and slam into his chest. Where’s the fucking fire?

  “You’re so beautiful,” he says. I stare at him. Is he broken? I’ve had barely any sleep the past couple days; I must look like hell. “You were mumbling in your sleep.”

  Oh that’s never good. “What did I say?”

  “You said that I drive you crazy, and then something about your troll.” Uh oh. Wow... Yeah, there is nothing I can say to salvage that.

  “Did he sound okay?”

  “Who?”

  “The troll.”

  Aden deadpans. “Did your troll sound okay? God, I never thought I’d be having this conversation.” He sighs, discouraged. “He sounded fine.” I laugh. “Let’s just go.”

  “Safe now then,” I say as Aden kisses me. Richard and Amanda have just driven off, so we’re alone.

  “Please don’t, Millie. I don’t want to argue.” He kisses me again but pulls away too soon. “I promise when things are sorted we’ll announce it however you want. Email, Facebook relationship status, written in fireworks. Whatever you want.”

  I grin, gripping the sides of his t-shirt. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  Aden shoves our cases in the car and opens the door for me, stroking the small of my back as I get in. Everything feels so natural with him as if we’ve been together forever. I’ve never been this comfortable with anyone, and I’ve never felt so accepted before.

  “Do you want to go home or come to mine?” he asks. I think I do, but I also feel like I need time away from him so I can think straight. He’s far too distracting, and whenever we’re together we’re in a little bubble.

  “Um…”

  “It’s not a tough question, Amelie.” Err, yes it is. “Do you just want to do something tomorrow, after you’ve slept?”

  I nod. “Yeah, I think so. I’m tired, and I need to cry.” Wincing as the words left my mouth; I drop my gaze to the floor.

  “What? You need to cry? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong, not really.”

  I don’t look up, but I can tell he’s frowning and trying to work it out. “Nothing’s wrong, but you’re going to cry?”

  “That is correct,” I reply.

  “May I ask why?” He sounds amused now so I look up and I’m not at all surprised to see the amusement in his eyes.

  “No, you may not.”

  Aden coughs out laughter. “So you’re going home, not wanting to spend the evening with me because you want to cry for no reason?”

  All right, I admit it sounds a little strange but sometimes you just need a good cry. It’s a great way of getting everything out and always makes me feel better. “Yes.”

  The drive home is silent. Every time I look at him he grins, trying to fight it. I choose to ignore it because I’m still too tired to bother explaining. He wouldn’t get it anyway.

  Aden stops the car in front of my house and turns to me. “So I’ll see you tomorrow night? I’ll cook dinner.”

  “That sounds perfect. Are you sure you don’t need me to come to work, though?”

  “No, it’s fine. There’s not much on anyway.” He leans over and kisses my cheek, brushing his fingers over my hand. “Get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  “Okay,” I whisper, looking into his eyes. And it hits me like a ton of bricks. I love you. I gulp, swallowing the emotions that are making my heart race at a thousand miles an hour. The way he stares back – like I’m the only person in the world, the only thing that matters – gives me goose bumps. Before I blurt out my feelings, I open the door and get out.

  I walk up the path in a daze; refusing to look back I love him. Shit. The hum of his engine is still behind me, and I know he’s watching me. My heart is screaming at me to go back to him, but my head tells me to carry on and go inside. I need the distance. I need to think.

  Slamming the door closed behind me, I lean against it and close my eyes. This is not good. Well it is. It feels incredible, like I’m flying, but it’s too soon. With a big sigh, I open my eyes again and almost have a heart attack as my eyes land on Mum. She’s standing right in front of me, hands on hips. Does she not even make noise when she walks now?

  “Amelie, welcome back,” she says, and her smile is warm, genuine. Is she drunk? Something in her eyes give her away, though; they’re still a little tight. She’s annoyed about something. I’ve been back a grand total of three seconds; if I’ve done anything it’s a new record.

  “Hi, Mum.”

  “How was your trip?”

  “It was good.”

  The corner of her mouth turns up in an evil smirk/grimace. “I’m sure it was.” Oh, what the hell? “Would you like to join me in the drawing room, we need to have a conversation.” Right like that was a question and I get a choice.

  “Love to,” I mutter and she shakes her head. Well her warm moment is over – in less than five second
s – so normal order has been resumed.

  She ignores me and orders the maid – who is not our usual one – to make us some tea. “Who’s that?” I ask, pointing to the strange woman in my house.

  “Gretchen. She’s replacing Anna-Maria while she’s home visiting family. I would have gotten Cordelia to step in, but she’s helping Harriet organise Harmony’s wardrobe.” Anna-Maria is visiting family or running for her life? And Harmony is one; she shouldn’t have enough clothes for it to take two people to organise, she dribbles all over her outfits, so I don’t know why Harriet spends so much on them.

  “Sit,” Mum orders sharply. Bitch.

  I sit as far away from her as I can which isn’t far considering we’re on the two-seater sofa. I don’t like that she’s beside me and not across the room. “What did you want to talk about?”

  Mum places her hands on her knees and turns to me. “Your inappropriate relationship with your boss.”

  My eyes bulge. Oh bloody hell.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I blink a few times, my mind on overdrive trying to think what to say. “My what?”

  “Oh don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, Amelie.”

  She is a witch.

  I know I should own up and explain, but something is stopping me – fear maybe. Aden wants to wait before we go public. “Mum, I really don’t know what you’re talking about.” And now I’ll find out if I’m a good liar. I get away with those little white lies like ‘you look great in that’ and ‘yes, Oliver, Thomas and Joshua are little angels’ but I don’t know how this one is going to go down.

  She sighs sharply. “I saw him kiss your cheek in the car, Amelie.” Oh not so much of a witch then… in the magical sense anyway. “Do you have any idea how this looks? Having an affair with your boss is completely inappropriate and-”

  “Mum,” I snap. “We’re not having an affair! He kissed me on the cheek. The cheek. Your snooty friends do that all the time.” Her already sour face hardens when snooty leaves my mouth. “It does not mean that were screwing every chance we get. Unless a kiss on the cheek is a promise in your world?”

  “That’s enough,” she shouts. Whoa. Her face is red, and it looks like she’s going explode any second. “How dare you suggest…I can’t even…” She stands up and blows out a big puff of air. “I don’t even know you anymore.” She knew me before? “I’ll forget how rude and inappropriate your comments were, and we’ll concentrate on the issue at hand.” Taking a deep breath, she sits back down, composed. “What is going on between you and Aden?”

  “Nothing. He kissed me on the cheek.”

  “You’re aware that Isabel has shown interest in him? They seem to get along well.” I almost laugh. Who isn’t aware that’s she showing interest in him?

  “Yes I’m aware,” I reply through gritted teeth. Isabel can back off. Aden is mine. Jesus I sound so territorial. I don’t like that I’m so jealous, but I really feel like pulling Isabel’s hair out.

  “Good because I’m going to invite him, Richard and Collette over for dinner at the weekend.” I get to watch my sister flirt with my sort of boyfriend. Fabulous. “Please try not to ruin this for your sister.”

  I frown, hurt. “Why do you think I’d want to ruin anything for Isabel?” I mean I do when it comes to Aden, but she doesn’t know I’m crazy about him. Does she really think that little of me? She shakes her head and looks up to the ceiling. “No, go on, Mum, I really want to hear this.”

  “It’s just the way you are, Amelie. You’ve made it clear you don’t want this lifestyle. You want something else, despite what your father and I have strived for. There’s nothing wrong with how we live. I don’t understand why you don’t want it or why you make fun of those who do.” Okay, that doesn’t answer my question. “All I want is to know you’ll be looked after.”

  I’m taken aback at the honesty in her voice and worry in her eyes. “I can look after myself,” I whisper. “I don’t need a man to do that.” Why is that such a bad thing? I want Aden, but I don’t need him to do anything for me.

  Mum half smiles. “Maybe you’ll understand when you have a daughter of your own.”

  “You’d honestly prefer me to meet a man and be looked after?” Who would want that for their child? Surely you want them to have a great career and be able to support themselves?

  “Yes, I would.”

  Wow. I don’t really know what to say now. She’s never going to change her mind and neither am I. Her life isn’t for me, and nothing is going to change that. “Mum, can you please just trust that I know what I’m doing?”

  “I believe that you think you’re doing the best thing, but it’s hard watching your child do something you believe is a terrible mistake. Your father and I want the best for you. We want you to have everything.”

  “I can get everything I want for myself.” Well I’d need a significantly large pay rise, but it isn’t impossible. The thing is, though, I don’t want everything. I just want the freedom to make my own decisions.

  Mum half smiles again. “I’m proud that you have your independence, but I wish you wasn’t so determined to do everything yourself. You’re too much like your father, you know?” Am I? “Right, I need to telephone Aden and then his parents.” She pats my hand awkwardly and stands up. Did I just dream that? We almost had a normal conversation. I’m left feeling confused and, although we’ll never agree, sort of happy.

  I make my way to my room to sort out my suitcase and dial Aden’s number on the way. “Missing me already?” he asks, missing out the hello.

  “Just wanted to tell you that my mum almost caught us. Oh and you’re being invited to dinner at the weekend to get to know Isabel more.”

  “What?” he replies flatly. “How?”

  “She saw you kiss my cheek. I told her it was innocent”

  “Okay good. Just give me a month, yeah?” I grit my teeth and nod even though I know he can’t see me. “Wait, dinner?”

  Ha, bastard, you’ve got to survive dinner. “Yes, at the weekend. Saturday probably but I’m not sure. My mum seems to think that you and Isabel are getting along so well. I think she’s planning your wedding for next year.”

  He groans. “She stalks me on lunch meetings, and now I’ve got to sit there at dinner? Millie, you know I don’t want anything from Isabel, don’t you?”

  My heart flutters. “You’ve mentioned that.”

  “Good.”

  “What would you do if Isabel made a pass at you?”

  “I’d push her away and tell her I’m not interested.” Hmm, that could be amusing. Perhaps I should tell her to go for it? He deserves to be a little uncomfortable for all the letting go of my hand and pretending we were just friends incidents we’ve had.

  The week passes quickly. Work is back to normal and tiring. I’ve also realised there are more complications when starting something with your boss other than how it looks. Taking orders from someone you’re sleeping with makes you want to staple their face. I know he’s my boss, but it’s not easy; I just have to find a way of separating the can’t take our hands off each other us from the professional at work us.

  Tonight I don’t have to worry about work stuff, though. Tonight I have to worry about my sister making a move on the man I’m very quickly falling for.

  “You’re on time Amelie,” Mum says, making no attempt to hide her shock as I walk down the marble staircase.

  “Oh, sorry. Should I go back upstairs?”

  “Don’t be so facetious, Amelie.” She turns and walks off.

  The doorbell rings so I rush to answer it, even though I’m not the maid. What would Mum think? “Hello,” I say to Aden, Richard and Collette. Aden’s mum is beautiful woman with shoulder length blonde hair that fans her heart shape face. Aden has his hair colour and striking blue eyes from his Mum but everything else from his dad.

  “Good evening, Amelie,” Collette says politely, giving me a genuine smile. Her eyes don’t light up – the way A
den’s do – but her response to me is still warmer than my own mums.

  “Please come in.” I step back, opening the door and I’m immediately met by Mum and Dad’s scowl. Right, shouldn’t answer the door to dinner guests. Fuck knows why, they all know we have staff!

  After fifteen boring minutes of small talk, we’re told dinner is ready and go through to the dining room. I walk behind Aden, trying not to stare at him. I hate why he’s here and that I can’t do anything about it.

  “You look beautiful,” Aden whispers in my ear as he sits beside me. He’s between me and my sister. Awkward doesn’t even begin to cover it. It doesn’t help that Isabel is wearing a tight, but fortunately tasteful, blue dress. Let’s just say it leaves sod all to the imagination. Mother really allowed that? Is she really that desperate to get Isabel married?

  “So, Aden,” Isabel says for the six millionth time since Aden’s arrived. “How is work going?”

  I can’t see his face because he turns to look at her. Bastard. Okay can I get angry with him for looking at the person talking to him? Yes, why not, I’m mad and jealous. “It’s going well, thank you, Isabel.” Ooh thank you, Isabel, I say in my head, imitating his voice. I want to drown myself in the cheese sauce.

  “That’s good. You must be pleased the meetings in Dublin went well?” No, he’s fucking devastated. I roll my eyes and take a swig of the freshly poured white wine. Tonight is going to be long.

  It’s times like these that I wish Aden will grow a pair and tell everyone about us now. Actually it’s times like these that I wish I was anyone else. For twenty-one years, I’ve lived in this house, minus the two for University and I never once felt comfortable. This isn’t a home to me. I feel like I’m imposing.

  “I am. It means that I can now take the company where I want it. We’ve had to turn down too many artists because we couldn’t accommodate them.” We have? “That’s all in the past now, though. Now the business can grow and develop at a rate I want it to. I’ve already set up meetings with two bands and an incredible young solo artist.” He speaks so passionately about work it makes my heart melt, and I almost forget I want to kick him.