“Good. I’ll text you the address.”
AUBREY
“God, Shane is going to flip when he sees this mess,” I mutter to myself as I pour more flour onto the countertop. There are pots and bowls and mixers everywhere, spilled batter, because apparently, I’m clumsy with my baking now, a cracked egg on the floor, and just about every surface of the kitchen is covered in something dirty.
“That is why we’ll clean it all up before he gets home.” Marianne giggles as she begins to tidy up around me.
I’ve been baking since nine this morning. I’m not used to having so much free time. It’s only been a week since I cut down my hours and even on days I work, I only go in for half the time. I feel restless. So I’ve taken up baking at home, my comfort zone, and Shane is not complaining.
The doorbell rings, and I stop spreading the cookie dough on the counter momentarily, looking in the direction of the front door as if I could see through walls. “I’ll see who it is, dear. You keep making those delicious treats that makes me gain weight weekly,” Marianne says, patting my shoulder as she walks by.
I throw my head back and laugh. “Sorry!” I call as she leaves. When I bring my head back down, I’m hit with a small wave of dizziness. I place my hands on the counter and take a moment to steady my breath with my eyes closed.
I’m not sure how long I stay in this position, but when a hand lands on my shoulder, I jolt my eyes open. “Are you feeling all right, dear?” Marianne’s eyes roam over my features. She knows about my dizzy spells, as well as all the staff around the house,and they’ve all been instructed to call Shane immediately if they get too intense.
I place my hand over hers. “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little moment, but I think it passed.” I smile, hoping to reassure her.
She gives me a small, worried smile and walks over to the pantry, coming back with a granola bar. “Here, eat this. You’ve been baking all morning but haven’t eaten much aside from sugar. I’ll arrange you a proper meal in the meantime.”
My heart fills with gratitude toward her. Marianne is in her mid-fifties, and she’s taken on a motherly role in my life. It makes me miss my mom. “Thank you. I guess I kind of get a little lost when I get into my baking.” I giggle. “So, who was at the door?” I ask as I peel open the granola bar and take a bite.
I don’t recognize the smile she gives me next as she says, “A gentleman is here to see you. He’s waiting in the sitting room.”
I frown, confused at who could possibly be here for me. But then it occurs to me that whoever it is got through the gate without needing permission. And there’s only one person it could be.
I shake my head and smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Taking another bite of my bar, I walk over to the sitting room. “You know, Julian. I don’t know why you keep bothering to ring the doorbell when at this point you could just—” I stop talking the moment I catch sight of who’s waiting for me. My granola bar drops from my hand, and I grab onto the doorframe next to me.
He rushes over quickly, grabbing hold of my arm. “Aubrey, are you okay? Do I need to call for help?”
I brink a few times, lips parted as I wonder if my eyes are playing tricks on me. I finally shake my head slightly. “No… no, I’m okay.” I look around, confused, maybe expecting someone else to be with him. “Why… why are you here, Greyson?”
“You weren’t taking my calls.”
I pull my arm out of his grasp, and he takes a step back, sensing my unease. “So you thought you’d just show up at my house? Uninvited?” I feel my anger toward him rolling in. I’m not an angry person, I always try to keep the peace around me, but he’s done nothing but push me for these past three months that it’s hard not to be mad.
“I know it’s not the best thing, but I didn’t know how else to get to you…” he admits, shame lacing his voice.
“How did you even get past the gates? Because I know I didn’t let you in.” I fold my arms over my chest.
He hands me the small remote Shane keeps with him at all times. All the cars have sensors so the remote isn’t needed for them, but when we take a town car home, it works as a detector as well. “Coach told me to use this, that he thought you wouldn’t let me in otherwise.”
I take the remote as my brows lift. “Shane knows you’re here?”
He nods. “I told him I was going to go to your work to talk to you, but he told me you weren’t there and gave me your address instead.”
I’m a little shocked that Shane would let him near me while he isn’t here, but I’m also grateful that he didn’t just tell him to screw off without giving him a chance.
“So, why are you here? What? You wanted to remind me one last time of how much I’m screwing up my life? Make me feel shitty about myself for choosing my happiness for once in my life?”
A tear slides down my cheek, and I quickly wipe it away. I’m tired of crying over my brother. After the way he’s treated me, he doesn’t deserve my tears anymore. Greyson was the person I would go to for anything, any little problem, he was the one I would run to every time. I trusted him with every part of me because I knew he would always have my back. But now, I’m not so sure anymore.
“N-no!” he stutters. “Aubrey… No… I… I didn’t mean that… I do want you to be happy.”
“You didn’t mean that!? So when you said Shane would ruin my life, that this baby would ruin my life.” I place my hand protectively over my growing belly. “You didn’t mean it? What about when you kicked me out of the hospital and refused to let me see my nephews? Did you not mean that either?”
Tears continue to track down my face. “What about when you texted Em, saying that Shane would get bored with me and throw me away? That you would push me away until I came to my senses and chose you. Is that what you call wanting my happiness? Forcing me to choose between you and a man that I love?” I shake my head in disbelief as my vision blurs from all the tears.
