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Honesty was the problem in my relationship with Tiero. While Tiero didn’t lie to me as such, he certainly wasn’t forthcoming with the truth. And isn’t honesty on my list of values?
And then a lightbulb moment.
If I tell Aiden about Tiero and my feelings for him, he’ll back off. Surely, he’ll see he has no chance and give up on pursuing me, because I’m already taken… sort of… even though I escaped… kind of.
He is pursuing me, isn’t he? I’m not imagining it?
That moment we shared when we first met… he appeared as stunned as me. And since then, he looks at me so caringly… as if I was already his.
Why would he be here otherwise? Guys never just want to be friends, right?
Jeez, I’m overthinking this.
I guess his reaction to the truth will give me my answer.
But no matter what. Aiden and I can never happen for so many reasons… most of all, I’m not in an emotionally stable place to make any decisions about love and relationships. Best to nip this in the bud right now.
But why then does that make me sad?
Chapter Fifteen
Aiden
Ihaven’tmadeithome yet. How could I when Gary rang me from the hospital, telling me that Riley had collapsed. I’m grateful he filled me in; he didn’t have to. I guess being honest with him about Riley’s impact on me worked in my favor.
I wanted to rush to her side so badly, be there for her, make sure she wasn’t alone, but he told me—no, ordered me—to stay put and give her space.
It felt wrong.
But he has Riley’s and my best interest at heart, so I listened, and stayed at work, wearing a track in the carpet from all my pacing. I tried to distract myself with emails and phone calls to clients, but time dragged on until Gary rang to tell me she was okay and he was taking her home.
He came to see me afterward, looking tired and drained. And that’s not like him. I know he feels a bond with Riley because of his daughter, but did something else happen? He told me stress and lack of food caused Riley’s collapse, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more.
So I spent another night at Freemont, one floor below the woman who I can’t get out of my mind. It’s killing me.
I dreamed of her. Strangely, sex wasn’t involved.
It was Riley in some ethereal cloud, smiling and laughing. She was blonde and blue-eyed in that dream, making me wonder if that’s what she looked like before her makeover. Or did my mind fabricate it because Gary said she’s so similar to Rose?
This morning, I waited what seemed like hours before I went to the florist to pick a bouquet.
The sunflowers were an easy choice. I knew as soon as I walked into the shop that the bright yellow and orange would brighten her day. They called her name, just like she is calling to me on every level. I’ve not experienced such raw attraction before. She’s rooted in my psyche, and I’m more than happy to have her there.
I want her there.
Even more earth shattering is I want Riley to be the last person I see at night and the person I wake up to.
And that’s after one day of knowing her!
If that’s not crazy, then I don’t know what is.
In my entire life, I’ve not had this notion and then boom, it’s there from one second to the next… and it feels right.
And now here I am, watching Riley as a myriad of emotions play across her beautiful face.
“What made you cry?”The question seemed to catch her by surprise, followed by shock, fear, sadness, and just now resolution.
What will she tell me?
