Redeeming Love (Resilient Hearts #2)

by Ashley Cassidy

  The rest of the week is uneventful, and by the time Friday comes around, I’ve forgotten about the incident with the strange guy. Aiden is coming back today and nothing in the world can bring me down from my excitement. I buy a big welcome back balloon and some flowers and get to the airport an hour early.

  As I wait in anticipation, what happened at the airport the last time I was here comes back to me. The thought that his family may have learned of his return and may be here again suddenly cripples me with fear. I look around nervously to see if I can locate them. I don’t see anyone, but that doesn’t completely erase my worries. I know they could show up at the last minute.

  I spend the rest of the time nervously looking around, until I notice the overhead monitors stating that Aiden’s plane has landed. Once I know he’s already at the airport and I still don’t see any trace of his family members, I calm down enough to let my excitement return.

  When I see his gorgeous face through the sea of travelers exiting the Custom’s area, everything else in the world fades away. The intensity of my feelings for him hits me in full force, erasing every ounce of worry from my thoughts.

  Once he spots me, his face beams with a breathtaking smile. We start running towards each other. As soon as he reaches me, he lifts me up in his arms and crashes his lips on mine. The taste of his lips instantly intoxicates me. We lock lips in a scorching kiss that turns my legs into jelly. He pulls back too quickly for my taste, but not before placing a soft kiss on my nose and one on my forehead.

  I look into his sparkling emerald eyes and my heart swells with joy. Happiness radiates from every ounce of his being and his joy is contagious. He starts spinning me around like a kid, and we both burst out laughing.

  “I can’t tell you how happy I am to be finally coming home to you,” he tells me in between kisses.

  “You can’t be happier than me for having you back.”

  “Oh, believe me, I could.”

  I don’t argue with him. I know there is no point. We walk up to my car and for the first time in three months I’m excited to be heading home. On the way there, Aiden keeps seeing things he missed while he was away.

  “I’m dying to go to Starbucks… That’s on top of my list. Actually, taking a hot shower with good water pressure is the first thing on the list, then it’s Starbucks,” he says excitedly.

  I can’t help laughing at him. “Six months ago, did you ever think that there would be a point in your life when the luxury you are craving the most would be a hot shower?”

  “No, six months ago, the first thing on my list was the latest model Ferrari… You want to know the funny part? I don’t think getting that Ferrari then would have made me as happy as a hot shower would right now.”

  “Everything’s relative, right?”

  “It’s more than that. When you grow up wealthy around kids who get everything they want, you feel like you’re owed everything. Because my grandpa was a billionaire, I felt like I was entitled to the lasted sports car I wanted. If I didn’t get it, I would get pissed off. Now that I’ve seen how a large number of the world’s population live and how everything you have could be gone in a matter of seconds, I’ve learned to appreciate the little things in life.”

  “Would you say you’re happier now that you were back then?” I can’t help asking.

  “Most definitely, but I think a sexy brunette I’m getting to know might have more to do with that than anything else.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yup, and I’m planning on spending the rest of the day showing her exactly how happy she makes me,” he says with a wink.

  His mere words quicken my pulse and make my heart race with excitement.

  Monday rolls around the corner before either Aiden or I are ready for it. This quarter, I don’t have any classes on Monday mornings, but we still have to get up early to go to the law firm for reading the next installment of David’s will.

  Neither one of us has said a word about the impending meeting, but it’s quite obvious that we’re both nervous about it. We have no idea what Aiden’s next challenge would be and where in the world it would take him. I just pray that whatever it entails, he doesn’t have to travel far for it. I don’t know if I can stomach having him leave again so soon after he came back.

  We walk up to the receptionist and are quickly ushered into a conference room. Lou and Steve walk in shortly after and the meeting is soon in full swing. Lou starts, “Aiden–we’ve been monitoring all your activities closely and I have to say that so far I’m incredibly impressed by how you’ve reacted to everything. All of your guides had nothing but good things to say about you. Rarely did any of them hear you complain of anything. Coming from your privileged background, your adaptability in tough situations is quite impressive. All of the local offices also said that you had great ideas about how to improve their programs and how to manage more effectively. Your grandpa would have been incredibly proud of you and so am I.”

  I squeeze Aiden’s hand under the table and gaze at his expression. Even though he doesn’t say anything, I can tell that this moment means a lot to him. Everything Aiden’s accomplished on this experiment has been all him; his family name and his grandpa’s money having nothing to do with it. He’s tasting what it feels like to accomplish something entirely on his own and it is a sweet victory for him.

  Lou continues, “So far you’ve superseded expectations on all the challenges you’ve taken up, but you’re not done yet. There are a few more left. I’ll let Steve take over to let you know what’s coming up next.”

  Steve breaks the seal off of an envelope and starts reading David’s next letter to Aiden.

  Aiden -I hope that you enjoyed your stay abroad and the travels broadened your horizon. Now that you’ve seen the work of the Foundation up-close, it is time to learn about the ins and outs of the company that started it all, Pierson Investments. I want you to spend a period of between one to three months at the Company. You will have the same title and work responsibilities as you had at the company you worked for in the beginning of this experiment. However, in addition to that, I’ve been able to get permission from the Board of Directors to grant you unrestricted access to all the financial books of the Company. I want you to review the books and learn of the inner workings of our family business. The purpose of this prong of the experiment is two-fold. One is to teach you about the core of the business and show you the functions of the management team, and the other is to see if you are a good fit for Pierson Investments.

  It is not a secret that Pierson Investments was my pride and joy. My deepest hope has always been that the Company will stay in the family. As you know, neither Tom nor Chris are possible candidates for fulfilling this dream. You are the only person I would even consider for this position. You are my last hope. But I only want this for you, if it is a good fit.

  So as you begin this phase, I ask you to keep an open mind and more importantly an open eye to learn everything you can about the Company and to see if this is what you want for your life.

  With all my love, Grandpa

  As the letter was being read, I could feel Aiden’s body tense up next to me. Now that it is finished, he’s sitting motionless with a grim expression on his face. I squeeze his hand to comfort him, but he makes no reactions. I’m not sure what’s causing his sudden change in mood. To me, this part of the experiment does not sound bad at all. In fact, I’m very happy that he gets to stay here for the next few months.

  Steve’s voice brings me out of my thoughts.

  “You start tomorrow morning, Aiden. Everything has been arranged. All you have to do is show up there at eight thirty in the morning. Your salary will remain the same as before and the same rules we had before with regards to not accepting any financial help from anyone still apply. Do you have any questions?”

  Aiden just shakes his head. We leave the office shortly thereafter and drive away in silence. I try to talk to him a few times, but he brushes me off. He’s so deepl
y in thought that I’m scared about distracting him, but my curiosity finally gets the best of me.

  “Penny for your thoughts.”

  He releases a deep sigh. “I’m just thinking about the next couple of months.”

  “What about the next couple of months has got your mind so occupied?”

  “Just stuff.”

  “You’re being very cryptic, Aiden. What’s going on?”

  He swings his head my way in anger. “Stop questioning me, Aleah. I have a lot on my mind.”

  “Are you telling me to shut up?” I ask, my voice raising in volume.

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” he retorts.

  I’m stunned silent. How could he go from being so loving and sweet this morning to such an ass hole in a mere few hours? We drive in silence the rest of the way.

  Once we get to the parking garage of my penthouse, I turn my head towards him, waiting for an apology or at least a sweet goodbye to make up for his sudden rudeness. I sit there staring at him, until he finally looks my way.

  “What are you waiting for? Don’t you have to get to your car to go to class?” he asks.

  My mouth drops open.

  “I was waiting for you to get your head out of your ass and apologize to me for being such a jerk, but now I’m not even sure I want that.”

  I swing the door open and leave the car without taking a backwards glance. I’m expecting at any moment for him to get out of the car and come after me, but I don’t hear anything behind me. When I can tell he’s most definitely not following me, I finally bring myself to look back. I see that his car is gone. He didn’t even bother to wait for me to get in my car. He must have backed out and driven the other way, since I didn’t even see him pass by. This is extremely uncharacteristic of him.

  I notice my hands are shaking in fury. The anger that his actions stir in me is explosive. I feel hurt, confused and angry, and I’m beyond puzzled at what may have caused this kind of behavior from him.

  TWENTY-THREE

  ALEAH

  Aiden calls me at night and acts like nothing happened. He tries to be sweet and affectionate, but his words sound hollow to me. I don’t feel any emotion behind them. I also have a hard time reciprocating his affection when I’m still reeling from earlier today.

  I wait for him to say something about his behavior and to address what happened earlier. But after a brief conversation, he says he’s tired and ready to get to bed, telling me goodbye before I have a chance to ask him any questions.

  I sit there confused and bewildered after he hangs up the phone, wondering what the hell is wrong with him. I don’t sleep well at night and go to school the next day tired and edgy.

  I wait for a phone call or at least a text message from Aiden all day long. It’s his first day of work at Pierson Investments and even though I don’t know what the problem is, I can tell from his strange behavior that something is really off. The fact that he doesn’t even attempt to reach out to me all day makes me even more worried. I hover my fingers over his number at least a dozen times during the day, but I hold myself back from calling. I can’t handle another humiliating outburst from him. If he goes off on me again, I don’t know if we can recover from that.

  Finally after seven in the evening, I hear my phone ring. My heart rate picks up as I see his number. I hit the answer button with trembling fingers.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi.” His voice sounds tired and distant.

  Neither one of us says anything after that. I wonder how we could go from talking to each other for hours at end to not being able to say anything other than a simple hello in less than a day. Just the thought makes my chest hurt.

  “How was your day?” I finally bring myself to ask.

  “It was okay, I guess. How was yours?”

  “Just another day of classes. Nothing special.”

  And then we’re silent again. The weight of the heavy silence between us cuts deep into my sagging shoulders.

  “I had a really long and stressful day at work. Just called to hear your voice and see how you’re doing. I think I’m going to hit the sack early tonight.”

  What the hell? We’ve merely said more than a few words to each other and he’s already trying to get off the phone. I can’t take this anymore.

  “What is going Aiden? Why are you acting this way?” I can’t help asking.

  He releases a deep sight, before responding. “I was afraid you’d ask that. I… This has nothing to do with you. I just have a lot on my mind right now and need to step back for a few days to get my head straight.”

  “If it has nothing to do with me, then why are you acting so weird towards me? Why are you shutting me out?”

  “Don’t do this, Aleah.”

  “Don’t do what? Are we in a relationship or not...? If we are, then you can’t just shut me out when you have stuff on your mind. Relationships are about being together in thick and thin, not closing the door at the other person’s face at the first sign of trouble.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I asked for just a few days. Why can’t you be a little more understanding?”

  This really pisses me off. He’s acting all sorts of weird without giving me any reasonable explanation, and now he’s saying I’m not understanding.

  “I think I’ve been more than understanding during our whole relationship. If you can’t see that then I don’t know what to say.”

  “Damn it!” he curses under his breath. “Listen. I don’t want to fight. Just give me a few days and I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

  He hangs up before I have a chance to get another word in. I sit there, with tears running down my cheeks and my heart in shambles.

  I don’t hear from Aiden the rest of the week. It’s been three full days and I’m going out of my mind. I tell myself that if I don’t hear from him by the end of the weekend, I’ll show up at his apartment and demand an answer or break up with him. I have enough other concerns about our relationship. If we can’t even communicate correctly with each other in times of trouble, then there is no reason to be together.

  My head is so wrapped up in thoughts of Aiden, that I don’t hear my phone ring at first. I just parked my car in the parking garage, and am walking towards the garage elevator, with my head bent down low and my thoughts scattered, when I feel the phone ring in my purse. I grab it before I get to the garage elevator. Seeing Aiden’s number on the screen makes my heart skip a beat.

  “Hey… I miss you,” he says, as soon as I pick up the phone.

  “Hi.” I want to retort something smart, like you wouldn’t be missing me, if you’d bothered to call and talk to me, but I hold myself back and wait for an explanation. Instead he attempts to have small talk with me.

  “How was your week?” he asks.

  “Not that great,” I say honestly. “How was yours?”

  “Pretty shitty. I worked long hours every day and have nothing to show for it. There was a lot of tension at work this week.”

  I find myself holding my breath as I wait for him to provide more explanation. My mind is so wrapped up around my conversation with Aiden that I don’t even pay attention to where I’m going. My brain is on autopilot as I exit the garage elevator and walk into the lobby of my residential tower. I notice a large group of people waiting for the elevators inside the lobby, but I don’t pay any attention to them as I continue listening to Aiden. I just follow everyone in the elevator when the doors open and put in my access code and press the button for my floor.

  “There’s been a lot of change at Pierson’s since Grandpa left, and I’m not sure all of it’s been good. Management doesn’t want me there. I’m already head butting with them, and they’re making it very difficult for me to access all of the information Grandpa said I’d have access to. It’s just a big mess,” Aiden says.

  “Is that what you’ve been upset about?” I ask him.

  “Yes and no. There are…there are other issues involved
.”

  “I’m listening…”

  The elevator doors open and I step out onto my floor. I don’t stop to think about why there was another person in the elevator with me all the way up to my floor, when I live on the top floor and my penthouse in the only house on this floor. I don’t even pay attention to the guy following me outside the elevator, until he calls my name, and my blood turns to ice.

  I freeze on the spot, the crippling force of fear too strong for me to even breathe. I don’t need to turn around to see who is behind me. I’d recognize that voice anywhere. The decibels and sounds are etched into the darkest corners of my mind. I gather enough strength to slowly turn my head around. I’m instantly overtaken by the look as realization hits me. It’s the same look as the one I saw in the parking lot a week ago. Same type of hat pulled down low, similar sunglasses, and the same beard. But this time, I recognize him instantly, as his features are illuminated by the lights in the hallway and his voice is fresh on my mind.

  “Miss me?” he asks in a derisive tone that has my insides turned into ice in a heartbeat.

  I straighten my shoulders against my crippling fear and force myself to look him in the eye.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Imran?”

  “I’m here to finish off what we started in the car last year. You’ve given me blue balls since then. I’m here to claim what’s mine. I know you’re not a virgin anymore. You’ve been going around the block pretty freely since then, but I was the one who took your virginity. And I’m going to finish what I started and enjoy what I deserve.”

  Cold sweat starts running down my arms as breathing becomes hard. For a second I think I’m going to pass out, but then I hear Aiden’s voice through the phone I’m still holding in my hand. I’ve dropped my hand down from my ear, but I’m pretty sure he can still hear me if I start screaming.