by Ivy Jordan
The only thing that I could figure was he fell into a guilt drunken stupor thinking that he may lose her, knowing that he’d lied to her, that we’d lied to her.
“You fuckers don’t care about me, none of you,” Aiden slurred, still deciding to pout instead of straighten up.
His arms swung in the direction of Luke, and then Liam, missing them both. Liam grabbed him before he fell face first onto the concrete patio, and Luke helped carry him in the house.
I stormed into my room, grabbed a bag, and then went into Aiden’s room to load it with my clothes.
“I’m leaving until you can act like a normal human being,” I snapped.
“Where are you going?” Aiden asked his tone now filled with sorrow and remorse.
It was too late. He was a rollercoaster of emotions, and most of them were aggressive and violent. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’m staying with Liam and Alyssa, if that’s okay,” I looked towards Liam, who quickly nodded.
“We’ll handle him here; you go on,” Luke insisted.
I grabbed my bag, left the house, what would be our house, and got in my car. As I drove off, I wondered if I’d ever be back, or if this was the end of Aiden and mine’s marriage and friendship.
Chapter Twenty-One
Aiden
My eyes hurt, my head hurt, hell, my teeth hurt. I stared across the living room, where I’d apparently fallen asleep in the chair by the window. Liam was asleep on the couch and Luke in the recliner by the door.
I vaguely remembered the night before as I started to stretch. These two, my friends, had come over, tossed me in the pool, and Blake…oh fuck, Blake. What had I done?
I got up quickly, too quickly, and fell back into the chair. My hands covered my head that now rested in them, throbbing.
“How do you feel?” Liam asked.
I looked up to face my friend, and felt embarrassed and ashamed.
“Rough,” I mumbled.
“I bet. You tied a pretty good one on for the last couple days,” he replied, no teasing, no smile, no playfulness in his voice.
I felt like an asshole. I knew I’d treated Blake horribly, and I barely remembered her leaving, but I remembered.
“Where’s Blake?” I asked, still groggy.
“She stayed with Alyssa,” Liam answered, still no expression.
Luke stirred in the chair, his eyes opening to the situation at hand. I was glad they’d come over, snapped me out of it, and, from the feel of my shoulders and my jaw, kicked my ass to make me listen.
“So, you’ve been in love with her for years?” Liam asked, sounding like he already knew the answer.
I stared into his eyes, unsure of what all I told him, what all I’d admitted to.
“I wish you would’ve told me,” Liam added.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I even knew, not really,” I admitted.
“From what you told me last night, things had really heated up between you two,” Liam smirked, finally a hint of emotion.
Oh God, I’d apparently told him everything. How stupid. That was his little sister.
“Well, it doesn’t matter now. I fucked things up pretty good,” I responded.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be fixed,” Liam offered.
“Why don’t you call her?” Luke suggested.
The sun was starting to come up, and I knew I needed to get to work, but hearing Blake’s voice would make my day easier. I wanted to know she’d forgiven me, that she was coming home.
“Okay,” I agreed, grabbing my phone from the table beside me.
I called, and it rang, over and over, but no answer.
I hung up, dropped my head back to my hands, and thought about what I would do if she’d left forever.
“She’ll come around,” Luke encouraged.
Liam just shook his head.
“I don’t know. Things got pretty bad,” Liam added.
“How bad?” I questioned, hoping he could shine some light on the parts that were foggy.
“She said your abuela knew,” Liam sighed.
My heart ached as I remembered those words coming from Blake’s sweet mouth. I was an ass, a complete ass. I’d betrayed my abuela and hurt the woman I loved, and if my abuela knew, my mother must’ve known as well.
“What am I going to do?” I gasped.
“Get a shower, drink some coffee, and go to work,” Luke said sternly.
“The rest will work out,” Liam said promisingly.
I wasn’t so sure I believed him. I’d made one hell of a mess. But, I took their advice, thanked them for sobering me up, and headed to the shower. When I dressed, Luke was still there, but Liam was already gone.
“I really messed up,” I sighed to my friend.
“Yes, you did,” he chuckled nervously, patting me on the back.
“Thanks again,” I said softly.
“Let’s get you some coffee and get you to work,” Luke smiled, patting me on the back.
I tried calling Blake again as I drove Luke to his apartment. When I pulled into his parking lot, and he got out of my truck, I cringed, realizing I was finally alone.
“Go get some coffee, get some work done today, and you two can talk tonight,” Luke offered as one last piece of advice.
The coffee shop was just a block from Luke’s apartment, and on the way to my work, I stopped, pulling my truck right in front, and stepped out of my truck with weakened knees. I felt like a broken man, a man that was alone and would stay alone, because of his stupidity.
Inside, the woman at the counter was friendly, making me a large coffee to go as she rushed around behind the counter. I paid, turned to leave, and noticed Blake, sitting at a booth towards the back, but not alone.
She was with a man, one I didn’t recognize. He had broad shoulders, dark hair, and a pale complexion. They were talking, quietly, and his hand was extended across the table to Blake’s.
My hands curled into fists, my palms sweating and my heart racing as I stood there and watched them.
“Can I get you anything else?” the woman at the cash register asked, pulling me back to reality.
“No, thank you,” I mumbled, quickly finding my exit from the shop.
I was mad, furious actually, that Blake was confiding in this man, this stranger. I wanted to know who he was, why he was there, and what Blake was doing with him.
I rushed out of the coffee shop, climbed into my truck, and sped off towards work. At my desk, I dialed Blake’s phone again but got no answer. Of course not; she was busy chatting it up with this man, whoever the fuck this man was to her.
I dialed Liam and waited less than patiently for him to answer.
“Hey, man, you make it to work?” he answered.
“Yes. Who’s Blake having coffee with?” I demanded.
“What do you mean?” Liam asked, his tone confused.
“I saw them, Blake and some guy. They were having coffee, and looked pretty chummy,” I snapped.
“I don’t know. I’ve not been in her life for a long time. You probably know more about her than I do at this point,” Liam admitted.
“Well, whoever it is, she is letting him pet all over her in public,” I growled.
She was still my wife; fake relationship or not, the marriage was real. I hated to think she was already moving on, that maybe she’d been with this guy all along, and I was, what, just a place to stay, something to do?
“I can ask Alyssa,” Liam offered.
“Thanks, let me know what you find out,” I said quickly, hanging up the phone.
All the guys at the shop were asking where I’d been. I shrugged them off with a lie of being sick and then ducked into my office for the day. I tried to finish paperwork, but I just shuffled things around. All that was on my mind was Blake, and this man, and what they were possibly doing together.
When my phone rang, I grabbed it quickly, hoping it was a call from Blake. Instead, it was Alyssa’s name scrollin
g across my screen as I answered.
“Hey, Alyssa,” I greeted her as friendly as I could muster.
I was still furious, and my imagination was growing wildly at the unknown.
“I found out who the guy Blake was speaking to was this morning,” she announced.
“Who?” I asked quickly.
“You have to promise not to get me involved. Blake is my friend and my sister-in-law. I want you two to work out, but I don’t want to upset her or hurt you,” Alyssa warned.
“I’ll leave you out of it. I just need to know what’s going on,” I replied, holding my breath after I spoke, waiting to hear who this mystery man was, and why Blake was with him in public at the coffee shop.
“His name is Graham. Blake and he are friends,” she said.
“Okay, so where did he come from?” I demanded.
“I don’t know,” Alyssa answered.
“So, he isn’t a boyfriend?” I questioned.
The other end of the phone was silent, too silent. I cleared my throat, feeling the pain burning in my chest like indigestion.
“Alyssa?” I pushed.
“They used to date, but they are just friends now,” she responded reluctantly.
“Thanks for letting me know,” I sighed, hanging up the phone.
Wow, so it’s an old boyfriend. He obviously wasn’t from around here, so, what, he rushed over to comfort the lady in distress? Classy.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Blake
I wasn’t sure why I drove to Aiden’s, other than it was supposed to be my home as well. Now, it didn’t feel like it, and I knew as I pulled into the driveway that I should’ve gone to Liam and Alyssa’s instead.
The light flickered inside the house, I assumed from the television. Aiden had called several times the day before, but nothing all day. I didn’t answer, mainly because I had no idea what I would say.
The last message, one that was belligerent, angry, and about a man, one I could only assume to be Graham, had me concerned the most. I had to clear things up with Aiden, even if only for the sake of our friendship. The marriage, well, that was obviously over, the jig up, and there was too much tension surrounding it to be truly fixed. What was the point anyway now? There was no reason to continue the illusion.
I shut off my car, locked it as I got out, and headed towards the front door. I held my keys in my hand, wondering if I should use them or knock as I stood on the front porch.
Finally, I decided to try the door. It was unlocked, making my dilemma less of an issue. I went inside.
The living room was empty, but the television was blaring the news. I grabbed the remote, turned it off, and walked towards the kitchen.
Aiden was at the table, his head pressed against the wood, and a bottle of whiskey sitting next to him. A rocks glass was on the other side of him, but empty, and the aroma of the alcohol wasn’t present like it had been a couple nights before and for several nights preceding.
I grabbed the bottle from the table, opened it, and began pouring the contents into the sink.
“Thanks. I couldn’t get myself to do it,” Aiden smirked, lifting his head from the table.
He looked like shit. His eyes were bloodshot, he had dark circles under his eyes, and his normally dark, beautiful skin looked blotchy, and even pale in some spots.
“You aren’t drinking?” I asked, surprised to hear his sober voice.
“Nope. I was going to, but I changed my mind. Didn’t really feel like going for a swim tonight,” he offered a crooked smile in my direction.
It was obvious he was irritated, but I was thankful he was sober.
“Good idea,” I noted.
“So, who the fuck’s this Graham character?” he hissed.
“You’re acting like a child, you know that?” I snapped, rolling my eyes in his direction.
“Who is he?” he demanded, this time louder.
“A friend,” I replied.
“A boyfriend?” Aiden snarled.
“We dated, but broke up two years ago. We stayed friends,” I explained, feeling irritated that I felt the need to explain anything to this man.
“Yeah, right,” he growled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I insisted.
“I saw you two all snuggled together at the coffee shop. You’re still my wife,” Aiden roared, standing from the chair he’d been resting in.
I chuckled. “Your wife. That’s a joke.”
“That’s all it ever was to you, wasn’t it? A joke?” Aiden responded.
“Why are you acting this way?” I demanded.
“Because of you. You’ve turned me into a crazy jealous person, and I can’t take it,” Aiden admitted, his tone softer than before.
I watched as he pushed his hands through his hair nervously and then turn back to me. His eyes were so bright, suddenly no signs of red, and filled with a familiar hunger that aroused me.
The thought of Aiden being jealous drove me wild. I leaned in, first placing my hands on his shoulders, and then letting them run down his chiseled arms. My lips parted as he pushed into me, our mouths met, and passion erupted through my veins.
I couldn’t believe I was standing here, in Aiden’s kitchen, kissing him after everything that had happened. But he was jealous. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
“I’m glad you came home,” he whispered, pulling his lips from mine.
His eyes were so intense, so fiery, they made my knees weak as they pierced into mine.
I gripped onto him, kissing him hard once again; our hands searched each other’s bodies, pushing up clothes, tearing at material until we both were without shirts. Aiden’s mouth bit my breasts gently, causing me to moan and arch my back as he worked to remove my pants.
Before I knew it, I was on the kitchen table, nude, my legs spread, and his tongue buried deep within my moist flesh.
My fingers ran through his hair as he worked his tongue deeper into my body. What was I doing? I couldn’t stop him or myself. It felt so right, and I’d missed him terribly.
His hands gripped at my thighs, pulling me to the edge of the table. That look in his eyes was still hungry, and the curled lips on his face were covered in a glaze of my arousal.
I watched as he undid his jeans, tossing the belt onto the kitchen floor with a loud clang. He searched in his pocket for the protection we needed and then discarded the denim onto the floor as he kicked off his work boots.
He leaned in, kissing me, no alcohol on his tongue, just my sweetness, and then quickly rose, standing before me as he slid the condom onto his cock.
I exhaled audibly as he pressed into me, my body shook as he entered me, and I let out a loud moan of relief, satisfaction, and desire into the large room as my hips rocked with his.
I lifted up, gripping his shoulders, digging my nails into the flesh of his back as we both relentlessly worked to satisfy our urges.
The length of his cock penetrated against my tender flesh with smooth, fast strokes while the girth spread me, filled me, sent me to a place where my eyes rolled back into my head, the world disappeared, and it was only Aiden and me.
My tailbone ground into the wood as Aiden pushed harder and deeper into me, my legs quivered, and my heart raced. I moved my mouth to his neck, tasting the sweet and salty sweat on his flesh as I gently bit down.
The growl that rolled from his throat vibrated through me, sending me close to the edge. I wasn’t ready. I wanted this to last, fearful that it might be the last time.
Aiden’s hands slid beneath my ass, lifting me towards him. My legs spread around his waist, tightening at his back as he carried me through the kitchen, down the hall, and to his room, our room.
The bed was made, not slept in, but the sheets we’d ordered were covering the mattress, blue and white stripes.
As he laid me down, the smoothness of the fifteen hundred thread count material soothed my back. The material was cool and slick, making it easy to slide me to the center w
here he pinned me to the mattress with his hard cock.
I cried out gibberish that made no sense as he pounded into me. My body ached from the sheer pleasure, and my mind reeled from the constant confusion that was filling my heart.
Aiden’s thrusting slowed as he stared into my eyes. I wanted to blurt out that I loved him, that I’d always loved him, but I bit my bottom lip. He had a strange look in his eyes, one that made me feel he wanted to say something too, maybe the same thing, that he loved me, and always had, but he didn’t.
His eyes slammed shut, and his head fell back against his shoulders as a deep growl vibrated from his lips. My legs were weak, exhausted from the quivering, tightening of the muscles and tension that was being released as they clamped around Aiden’s muscular frame.
My body relaxed, like a wave of pleasure pouring over an inferno, I released, orgasming in a powerful rage as Aiden joined me.
He fell to me, the weight of his body heavy and comforting against my petite body. I didn’t mind. In fact, I loved it, and hated for him to move.
“Stay with me,” he whispered, staring into my eyes with a sweetness that made me melt.
“Yes,” I agreed, barely able to speak as I caught my breath.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Aiden
The anxiousness that had been swarming me all week was gone, just like that. Waking up with Blake in my arms brought a peacefulness that I’d been missing back into my life.
She looked so sound, so happy, as light snores rolled through her nose and throat. I didn’t want to wake her, but instead, stay in bed all day once again. I wanted to go back in time, to the place where we were working, where we were growing closer, and a future didn’t seem so far-fetched.
Blake squirmed under the blanket, her body turning towards mine. She worked her way into my chest, her warm breath soothing my skin.
“Good morning,” she grumbled without opening her eyes.
My hand stroked her blonde hair, pushing it gently away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.
