by Tefft, Cyndi
“What have you been—“ He stopped short in the middle of his welcome as Aiden followed me into the room.
“Oh, hey. I’m Paul.”
Aiden quickly took his outstretched hand. “Pleased to meet ye, Paul. I’m Aiden MacRae.”
Paul started to laugh and Aiden’s eyebrows went up as if to ask what was funny. “Sorry, I had a vision of Shrek just then. I haven’t ever met a Scottish person before.”
Shrek is a cartoon of an ogre from a movie and he has a Scottish accent. I sent Aiden a mental image of what Shrek looked like and he smiled, a dimple appearing on one cheek.
“Weel, I am no’ exactly an ogre, but ye’re no’ too far off, in truth,” Aiden responded, laying it on thick. “Ye should have met wee Hamish MacLeod. He was about seven feet tall with arms like clubs and a head made of stone. Aye, he may have been part ogre, come to think of it.”
“Awesome,” Paul responded with a grin, nodding his head.
I gestured to the bottom bunk and Aiden dropped my stuff onto the bed. I grabbed the wardrobe bag and hung it in my allocated sliver of the miniscule closet. Jen was a total shoe freak and her stuff always spilled over into my section so that the shutter-style doors never shut. Steph’s side of the closet was neatly organized with her clothes assembled in descending order from warmest to coldest and from darkest to lightest. Just seeing that made me smile, realizing how much I’d missed my friends in spite of—or maybe because of—their quirks.
While I unzipped a duffle bag, I started to ask Paul about Jen, but was interrupted by a squeal from behind me.
“Lindsey!” A 5’10” rocket of smooth abs and straight blonde hair launched herself into my arms, nearly knocking me over. “You said you were going to email me this summer,” Jen pouted, “but I haven’t heard one—Oh.” She stopped, suddenly noticing Aiden. Her eyes swept over him from his tennis shoes to his blond hair.
“Who are you?” she blurted, blunt as always.
“Oh, sorry,“ I said. “Jennifer Hart, Aiden MacRae. Aiden’s my, um…” I stammered, not sure what to call him.
“I’m Lindsey’s fiancé.” He took Jen’s hand and bent over it with a light kiss.
Jen’s jaw dropped open and then she whipped around to me, seeking confirmation of this outrageous statement.
Words stuck in my throat so that only a panicked squeak made it past my lips.
I nodded.
“Oh. My. GOD! I don’t believe it! Wow…” She turned back to Aiden, looking him over again with an approving nod, suddenly appraising him in an entirely new way. “Holy crap. I can’t wait until Stephanie gets here. She is going to Flip Out.”
“She’s not the only one,” Paul murmured, looking less than thrilled about the news.
Jen wrinkled her perfect nose in confusion for moment, but then sucked in a sharp breath. “Ohhh...” She dragged out the syllable like the ominous soundtrack to a horror film.” Does Ravi know yet?”
Ravi.
I hadn’t thought of him at all since the school year had ended. One drunken kiss had made him think we were back together, and even though I’d told him my heart belonged to someone else, he’d never understood. The thought of seeing him now—and telling him about Aiden—made my stomach writhe like a ball of snakes.
“They’re going to be here any second,” Paul said. “They were going to come up right after dinner to go to the movie with us.”
“You mean Ravi and Micah?” I asked, barely recognizing my high-pitched voice. “They’re on their way up right now?”
“Not Micah, “ Jen responded. “Mona, Ravi’s new girlfriend. She’s known him for—like, what? A day?—and has been plastered to his side the whole time.”
Jen’s mouth turned down—which was really unattractive, even on Jen—but I barely heard her. Blood pounded in my ears and I saw Aiden out of the corner of my eye, looking confused. A knock sounded on the door and I stifled a cry. My eyes darted around the room, wishing there were someplace I could hide so Ravi wouldn’t see me, at least until I’d had a chance to talk to Aiden.
But it was too late.
“Hey, are you guys ready? We don’t want to be—“ Ravi’s soft Indian accent floated through the door as he opened it, but the words died on his lips when saw me.
“Lindsey.” His eyes locked on to mine like we were the only ones in the room, his heart written all over his face.
I felt like I was going to be sick.
Aiden’s cough broke the spell and Ravi’s gaze flickered over to him.
“Who’s this?” Ravi demanded, looking back at me.
Before Aiden had a chance to answer, Jen piped in helpfully, “That’s Aiden, Lindsey’s fiancé.”
Ravi looked as if the wind had been knocked out of him.
Aiden tipped his head in acknowledgment, murmuring, “Hallo.”
Ravi shook his head in disbelief, staring at me like there had to be some big misunderstanding. “But you’re still wearing my necklace…” My hand reflexively went to my throat and closed around the silver charm at my neck: a music note with a tiny diamond at the bottom.
Aiden’s eyes burned into the side of my face. All the air left the room and I couldn’t breathe. I ordered my feet to go running out the door but they stayed cemented in place.
Ravi began to retreat and bumped into the girl—no, supermodel—standing behind him. She looked Italian, with dark shoulder-length hair perfectly framing her face, heavy eye make-up that accentuated her cocoa eyes, and lips painted a shade of red no one else on the planet could pull off. Her flimsy dress left no doubt that yes, her boobs really were that big and her waist really was that small.
I hated her instantly.
One corner of her mouth curved up in an indulgent smirk when she looked at me. She put an arm around Ravi’s waist, clearly marking her territory.
“I’m Mona, Ravi’s girl,” she said in a thick New York accent. I think she might have said “Nice to meet you,” but from the tone of her voice and the sneer on her lips, she really meant, “Bring it, bitch.”
Anger seeped through the cracks of anxiety in my gut and it was all I could do to keep from launching myself at her to wipe that freaking grin off her face.
Arcs of tension crackled in the air as we all stood, staring at one another.
Finally, Paul spoke up. “Okay, well, this is awkward… Let’s just go to the movie. I’ve been waiting to see The Last Ninja and I don’t want to be late. See you later, Linds.” He gave me an apologetic shrug as he ushered them out of the room. When the door closed with a click, I let out the breath I’d been holding, grateful that was all over, whatever the hell that was.
But it wasn’t over, not by a long shot.
“Who is he? And why haven’t you told me about him?” Aiden’s voice had turned to ice behind me.
Shit.
I had to force myself to turn around and meet his gaze. All the adrenaline I’d felt before suddenly deserted me, and I crumpled onto the bed.
“He was my boyfriend last year, before the accident. And I didn’t tell you about him because I haven’t even thought about Ravi since I left school.”
“Your boyfriend, eh? You told me you’d never loved another, in my uncle’s château in Versailles. Or were you lying to me, then?”
I rubbed my hands over my face in frustration and took a deep breath, trying to think of a way to make this right. “No, I was never in love with him. He’s just a good friend. Well, at least he was.” I looked at the door for a second, realizing we’d never be friends again after this. My heart squeezed in my chest.
“Well, he’s obviously still in love with you. Or did you not see that?”
I nodded numbly but couldn’t think of anything to say. He sat down next to me and gently pulled on my necklace so that the charm lay draped over two fingers of his hand.
“And this belongs to him?” He was trying to mask the hurt in his voice, but it came through loud and clear, tearing me in two.
I unclasped the neckl
ace and dropped it into his hand. “He gave it to me for Christmas. It’s a music note because we were in a band together. I told you about the band and our concert when I… well, when I thought you couldn’t hear me.” His hand closed around the chain and he grunted in recognition. “I used it to wear your ring around my neck.” A muscle in his jaw twitched at the mention of my wedding ring.
“You can have the necklace,” I said. “Maybe you could sell it if you need to, if that would help.” I started to get up off the bed but Aiden put a hand out to stop me. His expression had changed—his eyes looked softer, far away—but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“Is he the one who was driving the car the night ye died?”
“Yeah, that was Ravi. He broke his leg and got a nasty gash in his forehead, but he slept on the couch in my hospital room because he didn’t want me to have to be alone.” The memory made my voice catch and I fought to keep it together. “I didn’t remember anything at first, when I came back. I was drugged and in a lot of pain. I’d have dreams here and there and nothing made sense, but Ravi was with me the night it all came flooding back. I was screaming and thrashing that I wanted to die and he was there…” I stopped, unable to speak, remembering how awful it had been. Aiden stroked my hand, giving me the strength to continue.
“I wasn’t the same anymore, once I remembered you. But Ravi thought it was because of the accident, and he blamed himself. I couldn’t tell him the truth and he could never understand why I had to break it off with him. He thought I couldn’t forgive him for the accident.” I looked down at our hands clasped together. A tear dropped from my cheek onto his skin. Then another. And another. He pulled me into his arms, settling my head against his chest.
“Och, love. Dinna cry.” He rocked me back and forth like a child and I exhausted myself, letting go of the pain of that moment when the memory of him and all that I’d lost suddenly became clear. Wiping my face, I looked up at him with a weak smile.
“I can’t believe you’re really here. After all that.” I gripped his hand in my own. “I love Ravi, as a friend, though God knows he’ll probably never speak to me again after today. But Aiden, you…” I couldn’t even find words to describe what he meant to me.
He pressed his thumb to my lip. “Be still, mo chridhe. I understand.” He pulled his arm off my shoulders and dropped the necklace into my hand, curling my fingers closed over it. “I want you to keep it. It was a gift, and a special one at that.”
He kissed me softly and then stood up. “I need to go. It’s time.”
“Be careful, Aiden.”
He pulled me to my feet. “I promise. I’ll call to you in my mind every night before you sleep, and I won’t take any risks I don’t have to. I am not certain how long I’ll be gone, but I’ll not come back before I have the papers. And then we can start our new life together, aye?”
“Come back soon. I’ll miss you.”
He held me close, the steady beat of his heart tattooing the promise on my own. When he pulled away, he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me. Everything else melted away until only Aiden remained.
And then he left.
Chapter 12
After the emotional train wreck of running into Ravi, I decided some chocolate therapy was in order. I walked across the campus to the dining hall and found Stephanie sitting alone, picking at a plate of lettuce. I swung by the dessert table and grabbed a piece of chocolate fudge cake and headed over to surprise her.
“Since when do you like salad?” I asked from behind her. She squealed my name and jumped up to give me a hug, grinning so hard her eyes had turned to slits behind her round, white-rimmed glasses. I sat down across from her, determined not to feel the least bit guilty about my million-calorie splurge.
“How was your summer? I’m sorry I didn’t write like I said I would,” I mumbled, shoving a forkful of the gooey brown bliss into my mouth.
“That’s okay. I mostly spent the summer in an office doing the books for my dad’s business.” The corners of her mouth turned down in distaste, making it clear exactly how she felt about accounting as a future career option. Then her face brightened and a light blush tinged her cheeks.
“Oh, but I did have the most wonderful time playing violin with Brandon and his brother.”
I urged her to elaborate with a combination of arched eyebrows and inquisitive noises, since my mouth was full of cake.
“You remember Brandon, right? He played viola at the hospital with me when we visited you after the accident.”
I assured her that I remembered him well: skinny, glasses, reddish blond hair, but cute in his own, shy way.
“Well, anyway, it turns out his family lives in Portland too, not far from my parents. His brother, Brian, plays piano and they do gigs together like wedding receptions, cocktail parties, and stuff like that. Brandon called and asked if I wanted to join them.”
I interrupted her, waving my fork. “Wait, brothers named Brandon and Brian?” She rolled her eyes and nodded, her sandy-blonde ponytail bouncing on her shoulder.
“That’s nothing. They’ve got two sisters—Britney and Breanna—and their parents are Brock and Brenda.”
“Brilliant,” I said and she laughed. I’d forgotten how Stephanie always laughed at my jokes. Man, I’d missed her.
“Our trio played almost every weekend this summer. It was so much fun. Sure beats debits and credits, I’ll tell you that.”
I gave her a knowing smile. “So, Brandon, huh? Are you two an item now?”
Her face changed so fast, it was like I’d wiped the smile off with an eraser.
“Who told you that?” she asked, a note of panic creeping into her voice.
“What? Nobody. Sheesh… What’s the big deal?”
Her eyes darted around the room as if to ensure no one had heard me suggest such a thing. “I’m with Micah. He’s kind of got a jealous streak, so I don’t want him thinking I’m interested in Brandon. Because I’m not,” she said, a little too loud to sound believable. I sat back, frowning at her, trying to figure out what just happened. She quickly changed the subject.
“So enough about me. What about you? What did you do this summer?” Her voice was artificially cheery and I wondered how bad Micah’s jealous streak was that it made her go all psycho at the very mention of another guy. I decided to let it go.
You have enough issues of your own to deal with just now, I told myself, thinking of the debacle back in the dorm room. I took a deep breath and tried to decide where to start. She took care of it for me though, when she reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling it close for inspection.
“That’s a cool ring. Is it made of wood? And why are you wearing it on your left hand?”
“It’s my engagement ring.” The words felt strange and exhilarating on my tongue.
Stephanie dropped my hand and gaped at me. The magnification of her glasses made her eyes look huge all of a sudden.
“What?! Who is he? Where did you meet him? When did this happen? Is he here?” Her eyes scanned the nearly empty dining hall as if expecting to see my betrothed magically appear. I giggled, since Stephanie always asked questions in an unending string when she got excited. She must have thought I was laughing to keep from answering though, and tugged at my hand.
“Come on, spill!”
“Okay, okay… His name is Aiden MacRae and he’s from Scotland. I met him this summer in Idaho when I was staying at my family’s cabin in Priest Lake. And no, he’s not here. He, uh, had a mix-up with his passport, so he left to get it taken care of. He was here, though. Jen and Paul got to meet him.”
And Ravi and Mona. I added in my mind, but tried to push that image aside. But Stephanie followed my train of thought, and I could tell by her horrified expression that she’d come to the same conclusion.
“Yes, we ran into Ravi and Mona at the dorm, too,” I said. “It didn’t go well.”
A nervous laugh bubbled out of her but then she pulled herself together and her e
xpression changed to one of compassion and support, the Stephanie I knew and loved.
“Well, I can’t wait to meet him. I’m so happy for you, Linds!” She got up from the table and came around to give me a hug, and I relaxed, suddenly very happy for me, too. Maybe all that worrying I’d done was for nothing. I dropped my plate and fork in the bin for dirty dishes and followed her out.
“Seriously, though, what’s with a wooden engagement ring?” she asked over her shoulder and I laughed, glad to be back.
Chapter 13
The first few days of school flew by as I got acquainted with new teachers and new subjects. I reveled in the fact that I was no longer a freshman and felt a little pang of sympathy for the newcomers I saw wandering around the college with their campus maps. As a sophomore, I knew my way around not only the grounds but the systems as well. So I went to the work-study office to sign up for a position as soon as they opened on the first day. Since I was one of the early birds, I snagged a highly coveted assignment in the game room. As a freshman, the only work-study jobs available by the time you figure out how and where to sign up are serving food in the cafeteria or vacuuming floors for the physical plant. No, thank you.
Now I had a sweet job “supervising” the game room two nights a week. I sat in the corner office and worked on homework, occasionally glancing up to make sure everyone was playing nice, and they paid me an outrageous amount of money to do it. My kind of work-study! And since Dad was paying for my tuition (God bless him), I got to keep all the money I earned. I had something special in mind to save up for, which made it even better.
I resolved not to worry about Aiden since there was nothing I could do to help him, but having him gone was like missing a limb. During the last school year, I talked to him constantly in my mind, thinking he couldn’t hear me anyway. Now I knew he could hear me, but I didn’t want to reach out to him and possibly distract him at the wrong moment.
He checked in with me every night, but refused to tell me where he was or what was happening. Still, just hearing his voice and knowing he was alive made it easier to sleep without him. The hardest part was that I had no idea how long he’d be gone. A few days? A week? A month? I’d given him my car and my cash card, so I knew he’d be okay that way, but I was getting antsy for him to hurry up and come back.
