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He studies me, his gaze roaming over my face, and I know by the twitching of his jaw that I’m failing at hiding all of the indecision warring inside of me.
I can’t help it though, my mind is in overdrive. What I need most of all is to talk to my mom, and to my legal team to determine how much power Gavin might have now that he’s married into my family.
When my father died, the company was split fifty-one to forty-nine between my mother and myself. Mom decreed that I was to have operational control of the company on her behalf because although she fully supported Dad, she has no interest in publishing. It's a passion that only my father and I shared, one she'd never dream of taking away from me.
Aiden flips his hand over to lace his fingers with mine before lifting his arm and brushing his lips over my knuckles. “You fainted in shock. You’re not fine.”
“It was a surprise. I never thought Mom wouldn’t take steps to protect herself or the company.”
"She probably wasn't expecting an impromptu wedding, let alone have the time to get a prenup drawn up." He takes a swig from his beer bottle. "She also doesn't suspect her husband." His tone changes and I can't help but wonder if there is a double meaning behind his words.
“I should’ve told her.”
“You probably should’ve said something, yes,” he concedes. “Even if you only had suspicions, it’s always better to tell someone if you have doubts rather than keep it to yourself.” His eyes drop from mine as he takes another drink. It’s as if he’s avoiding something and right now, with the state of my life, I can’t let that slide.
“Is everything okay, Aiden?”
His head jerks before he releases my hand, scrubbing his face before raking his fingers through his hair. It’s then I notice how tired he looks. And here’s me just piling my stress on top of everything. “It’s fine, beautiful,” he says with a small smile I can tell he’s not committed to.
“I’m sorry. You didn’t sign on for any of this.” The server appears in front of us, placing our selection of small plates on the table before leaving us alone again.
Aiden looks down at his watch and then back at the food before raising his eyes to mine again. "We should eat. I'll have to leave for the airport soon." I don't miss the change of subject, but I let it go. Avoidance, thy name is Alyssa.
My heart sinks because despite everything, he looks wary. Thinking back over the past few days together, he’s been distracted. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still been wonderful and attentive, but even still, I sense he’s holding himself back. Rather than push the point, I decide it’s better to end his visit on a high note rather than unsettled.
I know Aiden, and I trust him implicitly because he's never given me a reason not to. He'll tell me what is on his mind when he's ready, and in turn, I hope that whatever is it, we'll work past it together. That includes whatever effect Barrett… Mark… whatever the hell his name is, has over me.
Maybe I’m guilty of being subconsciously distant from Aiden this weekend too. I had so many hopes for our time together, except all of that crashed and burned when I came face to face with the man haunting my thoughts. I can only hope that Aiden isn’t reading more into my reaction.
Harrison included Barrett/Mark's address in the folder of information. I found it while we were driving to the restaurant. Now that I have it, I'm acutely aware of it. Without realizing it, Harrison has given me the choice of seeking closure. If I wanted to, I could go get answers and shut the door on that episode. I could clean the slate and pursue a relationship with Aiden without the baggage that's weighing me down. I'd already planned on spending the next two weeks before Aiden comes back expelling the man from my head so I could give Aiden my full and undivided attention.
He deserves nothing less than all of me, that’s something I know for certain.
I smile over at him, deciding to shove everything else going on in my life out of my head for the rest of our time together. "Okay. What should we try first?"
He grins at me and I take it as a win because this time, it’s an honest-to-goodness genuine smile.Perfect.
After we finish dinner, we made our way back to my apartment building, a comfortable yet uneasy silence stretching between us.
"Aiden?" I ask when we reach my front door. He must've been a million miles away because his head jerks in surprise when I speak.
“Sorry,” he says with a frown. “I’m just tired.”
I open the door and we both walk inside. Dropping my purse on the couch. I move toward the kitchen to make coffee. “Would you like a drink?” I ask, turning around to find him standing with his suitcase. “Aiden?”
“Aly, I think it’s time I left,” he says and I stop breathing.
“You’re leavingnow?”
"I need to get to the airport, and I think I should take a cab."
“Oh.” My voice is soft, not hiding my shock. “Did I do something wrong?” I walk back, stopping in front of him. He drops his bag to the floor before lightly placing his hands on my hips.
“You didn’t do anything, Aly. It’s been a long weekend, and I just think you need some space to deal with everything that’s going on around you. Me being here and confusing you even more isn’t going to help anyone.”
"No . . ." He closes the distance between us and slides a hand up my side until he's cradling my jaw. His eyes roam over me, scanning my features while he runs his thumb over my cheek. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear he's committing me to memory. That thought makes me want to jump into his arms and beg him to stay. But I don't.
“I want you to know something, and I want you to promise me you’ll remember it, whatever happens.” His voice is as gentle as his touch, and I can’t stop my body from melting against his.
