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“Rae, I took you as a friend to help me because I had no clue.”
Kasey grabs my shoulder. “That’s just it, bro. You ask the girl you love to marry you, then you should know what she likes. You shouldn’t have to ask someone else. You have some serious groveling to do and if I were you I’d take the ring back and choose one on your own.”
I watch as Kasey heads off to join Diego around the pool table.
Silence follows and is broken by Rae. “I’m sorry, Aiden. I should have thought of that. I was just excited that you were asking her to marry you, you know? I didn’t mean to cause anything between you and Sarah…again.”
“It’s not your fault, Rae. It’s mine.” I smile and kissing her on the forehead, I head out the door.
I know exactly which ring I want her to wear and as soon as my dad is back home in the morning, I plan on asking him for it. I should have done that to begin with instead of acting spontaneous when I walked past the jewelers with Rae. I’ll even go so far as to admit that I’d forgotten about the ring that has been saved for me for over twenty years.
Walking through her front door thirty minutes later, I’m about to shout out to her when my cell rings.
My first inclination is to ignore it until I see Kasey’s number—he never calls.
I can’t even get a greeting out before his words penetrate my frozen brain.
“Diego’s been stabbed but he’s going to be okay…I think…Just get to the hospital and calm Rae down. She’s hysterical and not helping anyone.”
16
Sarah
Hearing the front door opening and closing, I struggle into a sitting position on the bed and finally get to my feet, wondering why Aiden’s only coming home now when it’s so late. Where’s he been all this time? He’d disappeared to get out of my way, and since then I’ve been thinking about how ridiculous I’m being. I’m the one he asked to marry him, so why should I get worked up when another woman goes ring shopping with him?
Because it should have been me, that’s why.
There’s also the fact that there is still a small stab of jealousy were Rae is concerned, which is why it was so easy for me to get upset to begin with.
We do need to talk and although I’d rather not, we need to clear the air and then maybe I’ll be able to sleep…well, after I’ve taken another pain pill.
I’m halfway down the hall when I spot Aiden standing just inside the doorway with his cell to his ear.
“Tell Rae I’m on my way,” he says before he pockets his cell. As he turns to leave, he glances at me for a few seconds and then walks back out the door. Seconds later he peels down the road like a bat out of hell, all without one word said to me.
Leaning against the wall, I stand here numb wondering what the hell just happened, and what I’ve done to deserve that. He stared straight through me before he left.
Twenty minutes later someone is pounding on my front door.
Greg.
“What are you doing here?”
“Are you okay? Where’s Aiden?” he asks as he comes in, Matthew right behind him.
“I’m okay,” I whisper, feeling anything but.
“No, you’re not. Was Aiden here?”
“He came in and was on his phone. Minutes later he saw me standing in the hall and just left. He didn’t say anything. Not one word.” I finally give in to the tears and cry on Greg’s shoulder as he pats me on the back.
I flinch when my arm is nudged, and he asks, “When did you take pain meds?”
“When I left the hospital.”
Greg curses under his breath as he nods in the direction of the kitchen to Matthew. “She always leaves pills by the coffee machine.” Greg smiles as his gaze holds mine.
“Listen Sarah, I’m not sure what’s going on between you and Aiden, but that call he got…it was probably about Diego. He’s in the hospital.”
