Aiden ~ Melanie Moreland

by Moreland, Melanie

  We were right.

  She was what I needed in my life, and I was done denying it.

  Denying her.

  Laughing, I swung her around in my arms, then cupped her face again, dropping light kisses all over her cheeks, eyes, nose, and finally, kissing her hard, pouring all the love I felt into that kiss. Though I was not one for public displays, even the catcalls directed our way couldn’t stop me.

  I set her back on her feet, meeting her glowing eyes. “I love you, Sunshine.”

  “I love you right back.”

  “I know.” I exhaled hard. “It’s the greatest thing in the whole fucking world.”

  My phone beeped, and I shook my head. “That will be Bent. You need to get to class.”

  “You’ll be here later?”

  I pulled her in for one last hug. “I’ll always be here, Sunshine. You’re stuck with me now.”

  She winked and turned to walk away. “I think I can handle you,” she threw over her shoulder.

  I had to laugh. If anyone could, it was Cami.

  I lifted my phone to my ear. “I’m on my way, Bent. Hold your horses.”

  He chuckled. “Just letting you know Maddox showed up. He’s better, but he looks like hell. We’re meeting over lunch.”

  “Okay.”

  “Everything go all right?”

  I glanced toward Cami’s disappearing figure. From across the parking lot, she turned and waved, then hurried into the building. I already missed her.

  I climbed into the car, shaking my head over how pussy-whipped I had become overnight. I grinned, though, because I didn’t really care.

  “Yeah. Everything’s good. See you soon.”

  I hadn’t seen anyone except Sandy, who handed me some files and offered a cup of coffee, which I gratefully accepted. When she brought it in, she slid a plate onto my desk with two of my favorite lemon Danish pastries on it.

  “Special occasion?”

  She grinned. “I think it must be. Cami called and asked if I would get these for you.”

  I looked down, and the horrible feeling I was about to blush in front of Sandy filled my head.

  “What else did she say?”

  “Nothing. I was pleased to hear she was doing well considering what she went through yesterday. I’m not blind, Aiden. I have never seen you look this . . . happy.” She patted my shoulder. “Just remember, you deserve to be.”

  With a wink, she sashayed out of my office, leaving me to my thoughts.

  A few minutes later, Bentley strolled in, promptly sitting in front of my desk. I finished swallowing my treat and grinned at him. “Sorry, all gone.”

  “Big surprise.”

  Maddox walked in, looking terrible. His nose was red, and he looked tired. He sat down heavily, regarding me seriously. “Are you all right?” he rasped out.

  “Better than you.”

  He waved his hand. “I’m okay. Cami? She okay? Dee was freaking on the phone last night.”

  I exchanged a glance with Bentley. I wondered how often the two of them spoke while she was gone.

  “I spoke with Dee this morning. Cami is fine. She’s strong.” I rubbed a hand over my chin. “Although I’m not sure she will ever want to live in that apartment again. She couldn’t go into her bedroom to get some clothing. I had to do it for her.”

  “Dee said the same thing.”

  I glanced at Bentley. “I was thinking of the two-bedroom units in the building Maddox lives in. We keep a couple of them for out-of-town business guests. We rarely use them. Do we really need two?”

  He didn’t hesitate. “No. We could let them have one.”

  Both Maddox and I spoke at the same time. “They won’t accept it for free.”

  He chuckled. “Of course not. They’re as stubborn as Emmy. We’ll charge them what they pay now. It sits empty anyway, so really, they’re helping us.”

  Maddox cleared his throat and popped in a lozenge. “That would work.”

  “You want to talk to Dee about it?”

  “Sure.” He coughed. “You’ll, ah, handle Cami?”

  I chuckled. “I’m not sure anyone can handle Cami.” I became serious. “I don’t think she’ll object. If she never went back there, she would be okay with it.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “She will be.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Bent, could you, ah, give me that number again? For Chloe?”

  “For Cami?”

  “For both of us.”

  He dug into his pocket, bringing out his phone. “Absolutely.” He stopped. “You’ll really go and see her, Aiden?”

  “Yes.”

  “Cami’s staying with you again?”

  I dropped my eyes. “Yeah.”

  “For how long?”

  I lifted my gaze. “For fucking ever if that’s what she wants.”

  “Holy shit,” Maddox muttered, repeating the words I had said to Bentley on Sunday. “You did it, didn’t you?”

  “I love her,” I said simply.

  He sat back, shaking his head. “Jesus, I get sick and miss a couple of days, and look what happens. Bentley gets engaged, you declare your love.” He grinned. “Thank God I came back before Reid stepped up to the plate.”

  We all started to laugh.

  Maddox leaned forward, his hand extended. “Congrats, Tree Trunk. You deserve it.”

  I shook his hand and met Bentley’s gaze.

  “So the engulfing happened.” He grinned.

  “Yeah.” I grinned. “It did.”

  Bentley stood and rounded the desk, waiting.

  “What?”

  “I’m proud of you, Aiden. For taking care of Cami, admitting your feelings, and for facing your fears. I know none of it was easy.” He held out his hand. I stood, shocked, when instead of a handshake, he pulled me in for a hug.

  “I’m proud of you,” he repeated in my ear.

  His words were simple but profound, and they meant everything to me.

  He stepped back and slapped my shoulder.

  Maddox looked between us. “I am not hugging you. Even if I didn’t have a cold, I am not doing that shit.”

  “Whatever, Mad Dog. You’re just jealous Bent got in first.” I held out my arms. “Come on, you know you want to.” I pounded my chest. “You want a little piece of Aiden loving too.”

  “Fuck you.”

  I started to laugh, and they joined in. Of the three of us, Maddox was the least fond of PDA. Bentley sat down and sent me Chloe’s number.

  “Let’s get down to business so Maddox can go home. The last thing I need is to catch his cold.”

  Sandy entered, a hand on her hip. “You know, if the three of you behaved like normal businessmen, I wouldn’t have to walk around the office trying to find you. You don’t have to sit around a desk having your little powwows. I set up the boardroom with your lunch.” She fixed a stern eye at Maddox. “I got you chicken soup. Eat it.”

  “Thanks, Sandy.”

  “You love it, woman.” I grinned at her. “Keeps you on your toes.”

  “Whatever. Do you need anything else?”

  “Can you dig out the files on the apartments we keep on Westside?”

  “Yes, and 1740 is the nicer of the two. Better view and a great layout.”

  “Okay. That one, then.”

  “All right.”

  We all exchanged a glance when she left. “She’s scary good.”

  Bentley chuckled and stood. “Yep. And she is all ours.”

  Maddox followed Bentley, and I was behind him. At my doorway, he stopped and turned sharply, grabbing me in a fast, hard hug.

  “Way to go, Tree Trunk. I’m proud too.”

  Then he hurried away.

  Dee came home a few days later, an unexpected end coming to the case she had been working on. One female member of the family had exploded outside the courtroom, refusing to have any part of the proceedings. She had told the various family members exactly what she thought of their greediness, and somehow mana
ged to do what no one else had done—open up the lines of communication. They settled the disputes themselves, splitting everything in a peaceful manner and bringing the tumultuous situation to a close.

  We picked Dee up at the airport, with Maddox tagging along. The emotional reunion between the two sisters was touching. Dee enveloped Cami in her arms, rocking her like a child, tears running down her face. Cami’s shoulders shook with sobs. The stress of the past weeks showed in Dee’s fatigued posture and unusual emotion. She was always stoic and calm.

  I felt Maddox tense when he saw her, and I heard his muttered curse. I cast a glance his way and saw the raw emotion on his face, before it smoothed out and he adopted his usual neutral expression.

  There was definitely more going on between them than either was admitting.

  We stood to the side, giving the girls privacy. I had done the same thing when Emmy came to see Cami. She had been emotional, hugging Cami hard, and crying. Even Bentley’s hug had been longer than usual, his formal façade disappearing as he spoke to her quietly, expressing how worried they had been. It had done my heart good to see the way people loved my girl. It made me grateful I was able to love her openly now and give her what she needed.

  When they finally broke apart, Dee approached me, her voice quavering.

  “I can’t begin—”

  “You don’t have to.”

  She flung her arms around me, and I hugged her in return.

  She stepped back, wiping her eyes, and turned to Maddox. Cami and I discreetly moved away to get Dee’s luggage. I glanced over my shoulder. He had her engulfed in his arms, and he was stroking her hair while talking to her. There was no doubt it was a private moment.

  Once we collected Dee’s luggage, we drove them home. I watched Cami carefully, not surprised to see her tense up when we entered the apartment. I had agreed to leave them alone for the night and let Cami talk to Dee about the place in Maddox’s building. They needed the time together, but I hated the thought of her in a place that frightened her. Sandy had arranged a cleaner, and Cami’s room was fresh and back to its normal state. Thoughtfully, Sandy had purchased new bedding as well, so all traces of Louisa were gone, but I wasn’t convinced it was enough.

  Leaving Cami was difficult, and that was a new experience for me. “Call me later, all right, Sunshine?” I urged. “Anytime.” I bent my head lower, my voice quiet so only she could hear my words. “I’ll come get you if you need me to.” I paused, brushing my lips over her ear. “I love you.”

  She smiled up at me, her eyes bright. “I love you too.”

  “I mean it.”

  “I know.”

  Maddox dragged me away and kept me company. We worked out, ordered pizza, and sat back with some cold beer. The entire time, I thought of Cami. I had never known anyone to take over my thoughts the way she did. Since I admitted my feelings for her, it seemed a completely new side of my mind and heart had opened up, and she occupied every square inch. For the first time, I understood Bentley’s devotion to Emmy.

  “Aiden.”

  “Sorry, what?” I asked Maddox, twisting open the cap on another beer.

  “I asked how it went with the lawyers and police.”

  I took a long pull on the bottle, the icy liquid soothing the burn of the hot peppers Maddox had included in the pizza toppings. I wiped my mouth with a napkin, tossing it into the empty box.

  “Rather than having to go to court and dealing with the expense of a trial, a deal was made. All parties agreed, so it was done quickly.”

  “One you’re not happy about, I take it.”

  I shrugged. “Louisa is being confined to a long-term mental rehab facility in Alberta. She’ll get counseling and treatment. She isn’t going to be free for a long time. When she does, she will not be allowed anywhere near Cami. Louisa’s parents, well, her father at least, is finally stepping up and admitting his daughter needs help.” I shook my head in disgust. “Cami was her biggest advocate. She didn’t want Louisa to go to jail. She wanted her to get help.”

  “You wanted her to go to jail?”

  “I’d lock her up and throw away the fucking key, but Cami says that wouldn’t do anyone any good. I suppose she’s right.” I picked at the label on my bottle. “She has a huge capacity for forgiveness.”

  “That is a good thing considering . . .”

  I chuckled dryly. “I’m well aware I have benefitted from that forgiveness.”

  “You’re a lucky man.”

  “I know.” I let my head fall back to the cushion. “I love her, Maddox. She’s changed me so much without even trying. It’s as if she’s brought the world into focus.”

  “And she’s the center of that focus?”

  I stared at him. “Exactly.”

  Our eyes met and he looked away with a nod. His expression told me without words there would be no more discussion on the matter tonight.

  I reached for the remote. “Netflix?”

  He reached for a beer. “Yeah. We need to chill.”

  I threw the remote at him as he laughed.

  Dee and Cami walked around the condo, peeking in cupboards and talking quietly. They both looked exhausted.

  Cami had texted me early in the morning, saying her sister had agreed to see the condo, and Dee wanted to speak to me in private.

  I wasn’t sure that was a good thing. I was certain she had a few choice words for me, but I knew I deserved them.

  I wanted to sweep Cami into my arms and just hold her when I saw her. Take her back to the loft and make love to her until she forgot everything except being with me. Hold her while she slept. I held myself back from doing that, though—at least for now.

  Dee entered the larger of the two bedrooms and Cami brushed past me in the hall. I pulled her close briefly, then stepped into the room as she returned to the kitchen. Dee was by the windows, staring at the city below.

  “This is a nice condo,” Dee murmured. “Beautiful view.”

  “I agree.”

  She turned, meeting my eyes. “I find it hard to believe the rent is the same as what we pay now.”

  “It’s a business thing.”

  She crossed her arms. “Business, as in you taking care of my sister business, Aiden?”

  I mimicked her actions. “Business, as in the place is available, it’s safe, and it’s free of memories for Cami, so yes.”

  She studied me for a minute, then began to talk.

  “When our mom died, it was just Cami and me. I had to work, go to school, and look after her. She was just a kid, you know?”

  “So were you, really. You were young to take on so much responsibility.”

  She shrugged. “I hadn’t been a kid for a long time, and there was no choice. Our father wasn’t going to help look after her. She only had me. Cami was always good, though. She never complained and always tried to help. She had a paper route, collected bottles, all sorts of things when she was young. When she got older, she babysat, tutored other kids, waitressed, anything she could to help contribute. When she left school, she got a full-time job waitressing. We didn’t have the money for tuition, and she didn’t know yet what she wanted to do with her life.”

  I waited, knowing she was going somewhere with this conversation.

  “She quit waitressing and got a job as a PA because the money was better. I started with the law firm, although it was the lowest of the low jobs.” She chuckled. “You have to start somewhere. Cami hated the PA job almost as much as she hated waitressing. Her boss was an idiot and liked his fruit cut up for him daily. Cami was better than that. She had finally figured out she wanted to follow her passion and become a fashion designer and where she wanted to go to get her education. She has such talent.”

  “I agree. She does.”

  “She hated her job, but she stuck with it and saved for her tuition. She refused to let me help her. I was paying my student loans and trying to make ends meet for us. She worked as a PA and found the job at Glad Rags where she’s still
working. She saved and paid her own way.”

  “Like Emmy.”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s one of the reasons they’re so close. They’re similar in many ways.”

  She hummed in agreement. “Once she went to school, the only thing she let me do was pay our rent. She contributes every month toward the bills and looks after herself financially.”

  “Why are you telling me this, Dee?”

  She sighed and passed a hand over her face. “She didn’t sleep all night. Even though her room is clean, she will never be able to go back in there and rest. She could barely stand getting her clothes out of the closet.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  “She came into my room to sleep, but neither of us could rest. Knowing that woman had been hiding in my closet, knowing what she’d done to Cami. I could almost feel her in there with us, feel her hatred—even though I know she’s miles away and can’t hurt us.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep either.”

  “Then, please, accept this place.”

  “Cami has always been independent, refused to let me help her, even when I started making more money. But she’ll accept this from you.”

  I studied her. “Will you?”

  “Why are you doing this?” She waved her hand. “Why are you all doing this?”

  I stepped forward, holding out my hands beseechingly. “Dee, I know you haven’t been happy with me, with my actions. I can’t take back my behavior. I wish I could.” I dragged a hand through my hair. “I pushed Cami away even when I wanted her close. I fought her. I fought what I felt, but I’m done fighting. I love her. I can’t deny it, and I’m tired of trying to every day. I need to make sure she’s okay. The place you’re living isn’t okay anymore. She is never going to be comfortable there again. No matter what we do to change the way it looks, she is never going to feel safe.” I swallowed heavily. “I thought I was going to lose her. I swore if she was okay I’d never to let her go. I’d take care of her.”

  “You saved her.”

  “She saved me right back.” I swept my arm around the room. “We, all of us, want you to have this because it’s something we can do to help. Bentley and Maddox both are onboard with this idea. It’s not charity or a handout. It’s family helping one another.”