Last and Forever

by Brooke, Rebecca

  Time to save Violet Obsession.

  29

  Lexi

  The door to the office stayed closed for what seemed like an eternity. In that time, Chloe had grown tired of the cartoon Aiden had put on and had turned her attention to the blocks in the corner. One by one, she brought them over and set them on my knee, trying to balance them. When it didn’t work, she glare at them, then drop them to the floor. She went to get another one and tried again.

  The whole time, I kept sneaking glances at the door, willing it to open. He knew Miles had already moved on. What if Kylee and Dylan had found something else too? I told him we’d find him another path, but I wasn’t sure it would be that easy. I knew nothing about the music business.

  Eventually, Chloe got sidetracked by her playhouse and disappeared inside. I played around with my phone and flipped through the channels on the TV to pass the time.

  The moment the door opened, Zeus leapt off the couch and ran down the hall to see Aiden. As he walked farther down the hall, I could see his face clearly. Red-rimmed eyes stared back at me. I jumped up and raced down the hall to him, flinging my arms around his waist, and pressed my cheek to his chest.

  I hate that any of this hurt him and there wasn’t much I could do about it. The decisions he made, even in the throes of grief, had consequences. His arms tightened around me and we rocked from side to side.

  I leaned back. “Did they say no?”

  His gaze shift down to me. “No. They’re going to fly out in a couple of days so we can talk. Less press attention if they come here.”

  “Okay, but then why do you look so sad?” I reached up and ran my thumb across his cheekbone.

  He sighed and stepped back, taking my hand in his. We wandered into the living room, taking a seat on the couch. “The conversation with Miles was harder than I expected it to be.”

  “Is he mad?”

  “He was until I explained why I hadn’t come back sooner, then he understood. He already signed an agreement with Cerulean Dream, but he wished us well.” The raw, raspy tone of his voice hit me square in the chest and tears sprang to my eyes before I could stop them.

  “I’m sorry.” I laid my hand on his thigh, trying to push some strength into him.

  “I don’t think it would be as hard if Miles hadn’t helped me create Violet Obsession. It started with the two of us and I thought it would always be that way.”

  “You never know. Someday it could be that way again. Life has a way of bringing people back together at the right time.”

  He glanced down and brushed his thumb beneath my eye. I hadn’t even realized a tear had escaped. “You’re very wise.”

  “I don’t know about that. Let’s just say I’m learning.”

  “You learn a lot faster than me.”

  We sat there, caught in each other’s gazes. Every thought and emotion was there for me to see in those stormy gray eyes. The regret was clear in the way his shoulders slumped.

  “What did we say this morning? We can’t live in the past. We need to live for the future. I know it won’t be the same, but Kylee and Dylan deserve for you to try.”

  He nodded and scrubbed a hand over his face. We leaned against the back of the couch, watching Chloe play. Aiden cleared his throat and I glanced up.

  “Have dinner with me tonight?”

  “Umm…where did that come from? You realize I’m already sitting on your couch, right?”

  He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting my face to take a kiss. “I was sitting here thinking about all the things I haven’t done and we’ve never been out together.”

  My brows drew together. “I’m pretty sure we’ve been out together a lot. At least once a week or more for the last few months.”

  “Not as a couple. We’ve been out as friends. I want to take you out and hold your hand. To bring you back here and have you spend the night with me.”

  Heat rushed to my face at the low timbre to his voice. “I think I like that idea a lot.”

  He took his phone from his pocket. “I’ll find us a babysitter, then we can take Chloe to the park.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  In the end, Aiden had found someone to watch Chloe, although he didn’t say who. I figured it was probably his mom or dad, since they were our normal babysitters. I followed him over to the park so I could drive by the clinic before heading home to get ready.

  Aiden told me to dress up, but he wouldn’t tell me where he was taking me. I stepped out of the shower and wiped the moisture from the mirror. The image staring back at me looked completely different from the one I saw yesterday. Eyes bright and cheeks flushed, with a smile stretching across my face, I looked happy. And I was happier than I had been in a long time.

  When I bought the clinic, I thought I’d reached the pinnacle of happiness. Who needed a guy to make her happy? What I didn’t realize at the time, it wasn’t just a guy that made me happy. It was having a man who loved me and cared about me that made me love everything about my life. Things were perfect.

  My phone chimed from the counter, dragging my attention away from my thoughts.

  Aiden: Don’t forget to pack a bag. You’re staying here tonight.

  My fingers flew across the keys.

  Me: Is that so?

  Aiden: I want to wake up with you in my arms again.

  Me: Then I’ll bring a bag.

  I set the phone down to finish getting ready. The black dress hung on the back of the bathroom door. I hadn’t worn it since the night I brought Aiden home from the bar. How had things changed since then.

  I finished my hair and makeup, before slipping the dress on. The fabric molded to my curves as it slid down over my skin. I managed to get the zipper up and took one last look in the mirror. This was an outfit for a date, not a night out with a friend.

  With a smile I couldn’t wipe from my face, I put my overnight bag in the car and started toward Aiden’s house. Butterflies bounced around my stomach, but I couldn’t figure out why I was nervous. It wasn’t as if this was the first time we were out together.

  But it was the first time we’d be out together as a couple.

  A car I didn’t recognize sat in front of the house next to Aiden’s Land Rover SUV when I pulled in the driveway. I debated on bringing the bag inside with me. Who knew who was inside to watch Chloe for the night?

  After a few moments, I grabbed it from the back. Whoever it was would have to get used to Aiden and me being together as a couple. I carried it to the front door and let myself in. The sound of the TV playing from the family room hit my ears. I set my bag on the stairs and made my way down the hall, where I found a surprise.

  “Hey,” Jackson said as he turned around and caught my gaze.

  Megan had Chloe in her arms, bouncing her up and down.

  “Aiden roped you two into babysitting for the night?”

  “Yep. I told him I wanted to spend some more time with Chloe before we went home.” He smirked.

  “I didn’t even know the two of you were still in town.”

  Jackson smiled. “We’re here for a few more days. It’s nice to be able to get away from all the cameras for a while.”

  “Le Le,” Chloe called out when she spotted me.

  She squirmed in Megan’s arms until she set her on the ground. She beelined her way to me and I scooped her up into my arms. “Hey, princess. I saw you a little bit ago.”

  Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Jackson watching the two of us, a smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. Megan walked over and looped her arm through Jackson’s.

  “She really loves you.” Megan grinned.

  Chloe played with a strand of my hair. I glanced down at her and thought back to that morning when she kissed me. “I guess she does.”

  I set her down to play and peeked into the kitchen. “Where’s Aiden?”

  “He’s upstairs getting a shower.”

  “Did he tell you about his conversation with Miles?”
/>
  Jackson sighed. “Yeah. You’re right, they can’t change it, but they need to work together to salvage what they have.”

  “I know they couldn’t replace Aiden, but”—I glanced toward the hall to make sure Aiden hadn’t come down yet—“will they be able to replace Miles?”

  “Aiden was the face of Violet Obsession, just like Mari is the face of Jaded Ivory. They’re much harder to replace when they’re the first person that comes to mind when they think of the band. With the rest of us, it’s a little easier if necessary.”

  Megan shook her head. “You’re not easy to replace.”

  He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’m not saying it would be easy, but it would be a hell of a lot harder to replace Mari. Same with Aiden. They’ll be able to find another keyboard player, but they may not have the same chemistry off stage as they did with Miles, but they’ll get someone with talent.”

  Zeus ran into the room, interrupting our conversation. Chloe noticed him immediately and went chasing after him, grabbing for his tail. Megan picked up Zeus into her arms. “Poor boy, you don’t like getting your tail pulled, do you?”

  I scooped up Chloe. “Remember what we said. No tail.”

  “No,” Chloe repeated, holding out the word.

  “Good girl. Now go play with your toys and leave Zeus alone.”

  “K, Le Le.” She threw her arms around my neck, giving me a quick hug before I set her down and she ran back to her toy box.

  A warm hand landed on my shoulder. I glanced back and found Aiden standing there, his eyes sparkling. “She listens better to you than she does to me.”

  My face warmed. “I don’t know about that.”

  I slipped his hand in mine and he turned me to face him. His eyes ran down my outfit appreciatively. “You look absolutely stunning.”

  “Thank you. So do you.” It was the first time I got a good look at what he was wearing. Dark dress pants with an opened sport coat screamed professional, until your eyes reached the open collar of his shirt revealing the tan column of his throat and glimpses of the tattoos beneath.

  He brought me to his side and faced Jackson. “We have reservations, but I have something I want to talk to you about when we get back, if that’s okay.”

  “Whatever you need, it’s yours.”

  “Thank you.” Aiden bent down. “Chloe.” She turned and came over to him. “I want you to listen to Uncle Jackson and Aunt Megan while Lexi and I are gone. Okay?”

  “K.” She smiled, showing off the few little pearly white teeth she had.

  “Good girl.” He stood up and relinked our fingers. “If you need anything, call us.”

  “We’ll be fine.” Jackson put his hands on the back of Aiden’s shoulder, giving him a little shove toward the door. “Go enjoy your night.”

  “Will do, Dad.”

  Jackson flipped him off. It was nice to see them fall back into their normal routine with each other. I mentioned that after the hostess seated us at the restaurant.

  “I like seeing you and Jackson back at ease with each other.”

  “It’s nice to be in familiar territory again. It feels like I’m taking my life back piece by piece, all thanks to you.” He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips to kiss the back of it.

  “I can’t take the credit for things you’ve done.”

  He leaned forward on the table. “I wouldn’t have done any of those things without your encouragement.”

  “Well, I’m glad I could help.” I took a sip of the water on the table and picked up the menu.

  I’d never been to Manresa. It was far out of town and I never bothered to look into it before. The food very far removed from the burgers joints and Italian restaurants we visited in town. I studied the different choices, trying to decide what to get.

  Aiden raised a brow. “You all right over there?”

  “Um…yeah… How did you hear about this place?”

  Aiden shrugged. “Jackson suggested it. Said he took Megan here a few times when they were in Westlake.”

  I giggled. “This is definitely not a burgers and French fries kind of place.”

  A frown pulled at the corners of his lips. “No, but I wanted to take you somewhere different. Somewhere special. Did I mess up? Would you have rather gotten something simple?”

  My chest warmed. “No. Not at all. I know you told me to dress up, but I wasn’t expecting all this.” I gestured around the room with my hand. “But thank you. I like feeling special.”

  He linked our fingers together and gave my hand a squeeze. “You’re very special to me.”

  The waiter arrived a few minutes later to take out orders. Throughout dinner, Aiden told me stories about the band and the things they had done on the road. About their music. Stories he kept to himself all this time. I could see the relief and relaxation as he shared them with me.

  The drive home was more of the same. Until then, I hadn’t realized how much of the conversation I’d been holding up when we did go out together. He talked almost the whole night and I let him, enjoying hearing about his life as a rock star. A life he hoped to get back to someday.

  He turned to me after he put the car in park. “I’m sorry I talked your ear off tonight.”

  “Don’t be sorry. These are the stories I’ve been waiting to hear.”

  “I know. Tonight I wanted to tell you so badly about my life on the road. To get you to know the people that have been my family since college.”

  I caressed my hand down his face. “I’m glad you did and I can’t wait to meet them in a few days.”

  He took my hand and brought it to his face for a kiss. “They’re going to love you.”

  He pulled my hand toward him, capturing my mouth when our faces were inches apart. I slid my tongue across his lips, dipping inside as soon as they parted for me. He cupped my face in his hands, tangling his tongue with mine.

  He broke the connection of our lips, panting. “God, I want to take you upstairs, but I have to get rid of Jackson and Megan first.”

  I laughed, my own heart rate racing. “You told him you wanted to talk to him when we got back.”

  Aiden groaned and rested his head against the seat. “I’m an idiot.”

  “No, you’re not. You have other things on your mind. My bag is here and I’m staying, which means we have all night. Talk to Jackson first. I’m sure it’s important if you mentioned it before you left.”

  He rolled his head along the seat to look at me. “See, wise.”

  “Maybe or maybe I just want all your attention on me.”

  “Trust me. My attention is on you.” He reached for me again, but I opened the car and stepped out of his reach.

  “No fair.” He reached down and adjusted himself and climbed out of the car.

  Hand in hand we walked to the door. Jackson and Megan were watching a movie when we stepped into the family room.

  “How was dinner?” Megan beamed. “I love that place.”

  I dropped my purse into the chair next to me. “Delicious. I didn’t even know it was there.”

  “How was Chloe?” Aiden asked, pulling his arms from the sleeves of his jacket.

  “An angel,” Jackson said with a smile. “We played for a bit before she got tired. She finished her milk and has been out cold since.”

  “Good. I’m glad. She had a long day at the park with us.” Aiden took a seat on the small couch, facing Jackson. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

  Jackson reached for the remote and pressed pause, obviously seeing the same serious lines on Aiden’s brow that I did. “What’s up?”

  “I talked with Tom today.” From what Aiden had told me over dinner, Tom was the publicist/manager for Violet Obsession and Jaded Ivory.

  Jackson leaned forward on his thighs, now deep into the conversation. “What did he say?”

  “Said he’d love to see us back to making music, but we needed to come in and play a new song for
him.” Aiden sucked in a deep breath. “I reminded him that we no longer had a keyboard player and without a label behind us, we’d have trouble finding one.”

  “Okay, what do you need me to do?”

  Aiden picked at a non-existent piece of lint on his pants. “Do you think that Heath would mind playing with us for Tom, just to prove we still have it? Then we can take our time finding a keyboard player while we write more songs. I’d love to have a contract lined up to attract better people.”

  A slow smile stretched across Jackson’s face. “I’m sure he would love to. I’ll give him a call in the morning. But I can’t see a reason why he wouldn’t want to help.”

  Aiden blew out a breath. “Thank you.”

  Jackson clasped Aiden on the shoulder. “Anytime. This is our dream. I won’t let yours fade away, not if I can help you save it.” They stood and Jackson pulled him into a hug. “You’re my bother and you always will be.”

  I saw the tears forming in Megan’s eyes just as they did in my own.

  When they broke apart, Aiden’s gaze lifted to me. Even through the emotion, I could see the heat there. Jackson must have noticed it too since he hustled Megan out of there, promising to call in the morning.

  Aiden brushed away the moisture on his face, his gaze roaming down my body. He sauntered over, extending his hand out. I slipped my fingers into his, heat radiating through me. Every nerve cell in my body was on fire.

  Aiden took my lips in a heated kiss and scooped me into his arms.

  As he carried me up the stairs, determination gleaming in his gaze, I pointed to my stuff.

  “My bag.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll get it in the morning. You won’t need anything in it tonight.”

  He kept going and this time, I didn’t try to stop him.

  30

  Aiden

  My hands trembled as I paced back and forth in my office. The awards and gold records hanging on the wall taunted me with every pass. Lexi had convinced me to hang them only a few weeks ago. It had been one of the last boxes I’d avoided.