by K E Osborn
Niall murmurs as he comes to with Chris standing beside him. Niall tries to stand and wobbles slightly while blood runs from his nose. “C’mon, Callie, it’s time to go home,” he mutters.
Callie looks at him furrowing her eyebrows and frowning. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“What? Yes, you will. You’re my wife. We have to go home.”
“I’m no longer your wife. I’m with Mike.”
Niall’s eyes open wide. “What? When did that happen? Mike, how could you?” Niall stumbles around the room bumping into the furniture. Seeing the mess he’s in is unsettling, I guess Aiden’s punch has made him unstable on his feet.
“Callie, you’re my wife, and I love you. Callie, we have to go home.” He seems very confused.
“Niall… what part of I’m not going with you, don’t you understand?” she scalds him.
“What? Why?”
“Because I’m with Mike,” she reiterates.
Niall gasps and takes a step back, scratching his head. “What? When did this happen?”
Chris takes him by the arm and sits him on the sofa.
Aiden’s holding me, but he’s looking at me concerned. “Baby, are you okay?” he asks, but I don’t answer.
“Callie!” Niall calls out.
Chris stands close to Niall making sure he doesn’t attack anyone again.
“Chris, be careful,” Sarah warns and starts to walk toward him.
He points at her. “No, Sarah, stay back. I don’t want you near this asshole,” Chris insists.
“Callie, we have to go home,” Niall continues.
I’m shaking in Aiden’s arms. My throat’s hurting as my pulse beats erratically.
“Who are you? And where’s Callie?” Niall asks Chris.
“I’m Chris. You remember me, don’t you?”
Niall shakes his head. “No. What’s going on here? Who are you? Where’s Callie?” he asks, becoming upset.
Callie walks over to him, but Mike takes her by the arm to stop her. “It’s all right, Mike, I don’t think he’ll hurt me.”
“I’m coming with you just in case,” Mike replies as they both walk over to Niall.
“Niall, are you all right?” Callie asks, hesitantly sitting next to him.
Niall smiles, and his stiff posture relaxes. “Oh, Callie… we should get married. I love you so much,” he coos as he takes her hand in his and pats it ever so gently.
Mike and Chris edge closer, making sure that if Niall tries anything, they can get to her.
“Niall, we’re already married. We married years ago, and now we’re separated.”
He furrows his brow. “I… I don’t know what you mean. Callie, I’ve only known you for a year or so.”
Mike swallows hard and takes out his phone.
“Who are you calling?” Callie asks.
“An ambulance. I think there’s something wrong with him,” Mike states while he dials 911.
“Niall, we’re getting you some help,” Callie placates him. Niall’s eyes search around the room, his face taking on a confused blank stare.
Aiden kisses my forehead. “Baby, it’s going to be all right,” he says as I try to recover from the attack.
Mom looks at the state I am in and shakes her head as she walks over to Niall with fierce intent. “How could you try to kill my girl like that, you f-fucking asshole!” Mom’s voice breaks like she’s having trouble keeping it together as she rushes forward, her hand coming out and slapping Niall across the face as hard as she can.
Chris steps in, holding Mom back.
Niall’s eyes flood with tears as he backs up like he’s afraid of her. “No, Father, don’t hit me,” Niall murmurs, cowering into the sofa. “I’ll be good.”
Mom stands back in disbelief at the crumbling man before her.
Bree brings me a glass of water, and I try to drink it slowly, soothing my sore throat. Sarah sits on the floor next to me while we watch Niall closely.
“Father, don’t hit me,” Niall yells out. He crawls into a ball on the sofa, and Callie places her hand on his leg. “Mommy, make him stop hurting me, please,” Niall begs, cuddling into Callie, who clearly swallows hard and looks back at us raising her eyebrow.
Finally, there’s a knock at the door and Mom answers. Two EMTs head inside, and one comes straight to me and the other goes directly to Niall.
“My name is Mandy.” She squats beside me. “Can you tell me what happened?” she asks kindly as Aiden wipes the tears from my cheeks with his thumb.
“My soon to be father-in-law choked me,” I say very quietly.
She immediately looks over at the other EMT and then back at me. “Did you pass out at all?” she asks while she wraps a blood pressure cuff around my arm. I shake my head. “Sweetheart, can you breathe properly through your mouth? Are you getting enough air?” I nod, as she continues to check me over. “I think you’re going to be all right physically. I’ll check your blood pressure now, and we’ll go from there.” She pumps the cuff, and as it tightens around my arm, it’s almost painful. “Your blood pressure is way too high. We’ll need to take you to the hospital, and have you checked over by a doctor. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she says, putting her hand on my knee in reassurance. “Can you stand?”
Aiden stands, taking me with him, but I stumble as I feel weak and lightheaded like I might actually pass out. I sway on the spot, but Aiden holds onto me tightly.
“Mandy, we need to get Mr. O’Connell to the hospital as soon as possible,” the male EMT states.
A cold sweat invades my skin as my head feels fuzzy. I sway slightly, and I start to see flashes of light while my limbs go numb.
“Jeni, are you okay?” Sarah asks.
The room turns black, and I collapse into Aiden’s arms.
Waking in a small, brightly lit room, my throat hurts. I move my hand to gently feel it and tense at the pain.
Aiden is quickly by my side. “You scared me for a moment there,” he whispers while stroking my hair. Blinking a few times, I look around a room and notice I have an audience.
It’s hard to swallow. My throat feels dry and coarse. Noticing my discomfort, Aiden hands me a glass of water with a straw.
“How are you feeling?
“I’m fine,” I whisper. “Where’s your father?”
Aiden swallows hard and frowns. “He’s being tested for dementia. The doctors think that his regression back to childhood, his confusion with recognizing people, and his sudden change of mood are all contributing factors. He’s always been grumpy but never violent and sadistic. They think the testing will see dementia as a probable outcome,” Aiden tells me.
Well, that explains a lot.
I never thought of Niall as being ill.
I knew he was sick and twisted but not mentally ill.
“Are you all right, Aiden?”
“You’re the one in the hospital bed, and you ask me if I am all right? You always surprise me with your selflessness,” he says.
“It all makes sense now. If his diagnosis is positive, then we can get him the help he clearly needs.”
“Jeni, sweetheart, do you need anything?” Mom asks.
“I have everything I need right here,” I say, gesturing to them all as I look around the room.
After a few hours of monitoring, I get the all-clear from the doctor, and Aiden takes me home. He carries me to the sofa and turns on the television while he prepares drinks.
Mom, Callie, and Mike join us at the house. Mom, of course, sits next to me on the sofa.
“Thanks for being here, Mom.”
She scoffs. “Honey, you were attacked, again. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Aiden brings us both a warm cup of coffee and sits down on the other side of me. Cuddling into his side, I spend the rest of the night being comforted in his arms, surrounded with those I love.
I turn to look at Aiden and find him staring at me. He runs his finger gently across my neck, tracing wha
t I assume are bruises. I swallow, and he gently moves his hand from my neck to my cheek. Then he leans in and kisses me softly.
“I have to go into O’Connell Finance today to deal with the accounts that Father was meant to be handling, but you need to stay home and rest.”
I shake my head. “Ah… no way. I’m coming with you,” I say but my voice is raspy, not wanting to let Niall’s attack get the better of me. I’m stronger than that now.
He exhales out a huff of frustration. “All right, but let it be known I’m not happy about it. I’d rather you stayed here, but if you want to come home at any point, we will.”
I simply nod, we get dressed, have breakfast, and Aiden insists on me having an extra glass of juice for energy. I don’t bother to argue. We head out the front, and Mike’s waiting for us, but he seems surprised to see me.
He looks at Aiden and raises an eyebrow.
“Yeah, yeah, I tried to make her stay home, Mike, but she won’t,” Aiden relays, answering Mike’s unspoken question.
As soon as we arrive at the office, the elevator doors open to Bree working at her desk. When she spots me, her mouth drops open, and her eyes widen. “I wasn’t expecting you. How are you, Jeni?”
I shrug. “Fine. I want to keep busy.”
I notice Aiden glance at his sister while frowning. Brielle winks at Aiden, giving him the don’t-worry- I’ll-look-after-her signal. I roll my eyes, and we continue into his father’s office.
“Baby, you can use my laptop and stay in here with me rather than sit out there. I want to be able to see you and make sure you’re safe. I thought he was going to kill you. I don’t want to let you out of my sight,” he says, taking me in his arms.
I tilt my head. “Aiden, don’t be silly. I can sit at my old desk. I’m fine, just a little bruised.”
“Nope. No arguing. I want to be able to see you. I need you in here with me. This is for me, not you. I need to know you’re okay every second of the day. Plus…” he smirks, “… you’re really very pretty, and I like to look at you.”
How can I say anything to that? He’s so sweet.
Brielle comes in frowning, and her eyes are glistening with tears.
“What is it?” Aiden asks.
“Just had a phone call from Mom. The tests came back positive for dementia. They’re suggesting we get a nurse to watch and care for him. They’re saying it’s a swift onset, and he’ll need round-the-clock care. They say he’s also suffering from major depression.”
Aiden nods. “As much as I don’t give a shit about him, it’s good to know what’s wrong.”
I inhale slowly and look at Aiden. “I’m not defending or sticking up for him in any way, but he is your father, and although he’s an awful example of a father, at least you have one. He’s sick. He will need your help, Aiden,” I say.
“You’re right in one way, that man’s an unbelievably bad example of what a father should be. Look at what he did to you. To the woman I love. You’re so precious to me, Jeni. He can help himself. Sick or not, I’m not going near the old prick.”
Bree winces. She obviously feels sorry for her father. “I’m going to go see him and make sure he gets the best care. Now that Father’s mentally incapable of running the company, I guess this makes you president of O’Connell Finance…” she pauses, gauging Aiden’s response, “… that is, if you want it.”
Aiden frowns and looks down at his hands, and I can see he’s fighting an inner battle with himself.
“You need to go and help with your father’s arrangements. I can ask Mike to take me home, or I can go and see Callie until you’re done.”
“No, I won’t leave you again.”
“I’ll be here when you get back. Well, not here, but maybe at home with Callie and Mike. I’ll be fine.”
“No, I can’t. I’m sorry, Bree. You’ll have to ask Killian to help you. I’m not leaving Jeni. She needs me, and I need to be with her.”
Bree nods and leaves. I feel awful that Aiden has chosen me over Niall, but at the same time, I understand where he’s coming from.
Aiden seems distracted now. I know this is weighing on him, even if he tries to put a front.
“Aiden… you okay?”
“I just can’t focus. What would you like to do today?” he asks me.
“Let’s go home. I feel safe and loved there.”
Aiden picks me up, cradling me in his arms, and carries me out of the office.
I chuckle and shake my head. “You know, you don’t have to carry me.”
“I know,” he says matter-of-factly, carrying me into the elevator. I think he’s going to put me down, but no, he carries me through the main foyer with everyone looking at us and then down the stairs to the parking garage. I can’t help but smile the whole way as Aiden simply takes care of me.
Mike opens the car door, and Aiden slides me onto the back seat carefully. I’m sure he thinks at any moment I’m going to break.
For the rest of the day, we relax on the sofa, watching television.
“When do you want to see the psychologist again?” Aiden asks. “I’d like you to see her as soon as we can get an appointment.”
“I’ll call tomorrow,” I reply. “So, changing the subject, do you want to be president of O’Connell Finance?”
Aiden shrugs. “I guess it would be easier than starting our own business. With Father out of the picture, it’ll make working there bearable again.”
“So then, Mr. President, what are you going to do about a vice president?” I ask curiously.
“I was thinking of giving it to Brielle, if she wants the position. She knows the industry inside and out. She’s more than qualified, and she knows how everything works. I thought I might give her the chance that Father never did. This way we can keep it a family business.”
“Honestly, I think she’ll love that,” I reply.
Aiden and I decided we would take the entire week off work. So today, seeing as Sarah and Chris are both off as well, we decide to spend the day together. Aiden and Chris are out playing a round of golf.
Could they be more boring?
Sarah and I are hanging out at home doing girlie stuff like watching The Notebook and crying like babies. We’re in the theater room halfway through watching the gorgeous Ryan Gosling doing swoon-worthy things to Rachael McAdams when Sarah starts to cry. I look over at her and giggle. I know the breakup scene is coming, and we know the movie so well that she’s pre-empting the scene.
“I know… I hate this next part, too,” I say as I take her hand.
She bursts into a full-on river of ugly face crying tears.
“Oh, hun, what’s up?” I ask, trying not to laugh at her.
She shakes her head and crosses her arms over her chest. “This is fucked up,” she says, making me laugh. “Don’t laugh, it’s not funny,” she says being completely serious.
I smirk. “It’s a little funny, Sarah. How many times have we watched this movie? You’ve never been this upset about their breakup, well, except for maybe the first time we watched it. But this… this is like the seventeenth time,” I say, giggling again.
“It’s not about the stupid fucking movie,” she yells, making me sit up and take notice. I look at her raising an eyebrow, my mouth opens slightly.
Oh, she’s actually really crying.
Sarah never cries.
She sulks and whines, but never cries.
“Hey, what’s going on? I didn’t realize you were upset. Talk to me.”
She wipes her cheeks and sniffs. “I think—”
“Yeah?”
She huffs. “I think I’m late.”
“What, for an assignment? That’s okay, I’m sure your professors will let you turn it in a little late,” I say.
She tilts her head at me and frowns. “Jeni, don’t be stupid. You know what I’m talking about.”
I bite my bottom lip—oh shit!
“How late are we talking?”
“I’m not sure exactl
y. I can’t remember when I had my last period, but I know it was definitely more than a month ago. But you know me, I never keep track of that shit.”
I inhale sharply and nod. “Okay, well… let’s not panic. C’mon, up you get,” I say, dragging her from the recliner.
“Where are we going?”
“To the drugstore. We need a test, pronto.”
She shakes her head and backs away. “Oh, fuck no… I don’t want to know. Can’t I just pretend like this isn’t happening?”
“Sarah, c’mon,” I say, dragging her through the kitchen. I grab my bag and keys on the way out, then drive us to the local drugstore and find a parking space close to the doors. We want to buy what we need and get home before the guys return. I slide out of the car, but Sarah stays in the passenger seat.
I know how she feels. When I first thought I was pregnant, I was terrified. I walk over to her door and open it. “C’mon, Sez, let’s buy what we need so we can go home,” I say.
She huffs, getting out of the car, slamming the door. Taking her hand, we walk into the drugstore. With hurried steps, we pass the aisles looking at the signs to find the right section. We finally find the ‘sex section’ as I call it and start checking the shelves—condoms, lubricants, flavored massage oil?
What the fuck?
Off to the side, I see the pregnancy tests that Sarah has already spotted. She’s staring aimlessly at the boxes with tears glimmering in her eyes, and she’s breathing slighting faster than usual. She’s overwhelmed, so I pick up a box and read it. She mimics my actions, then grabs a different brand, then another and another. She keeps pulling boxes from the shelves until her arms are full.
I raise an eyebrow. “Um… Sarah, I think you only need one test.”
“No, I’m getting one of each brand, that way I’ll know for sure. C’mon, don’t just stand there. Grab some more,” she says as she starts to hand them to me. She picks up one of each brand—about ten in total—and we seem to be running to the checkout. People are looking at us with eyebrows raised as we scurry, but Sarah doesn’t notice. She’s too busy trying to get through in her mad rush. The look on the checkout assistant’s face is priceless. Of course, Sarah had to pick the one with the pre-pubescent male. He looks embarrassed as he swipes all the pregnancy tests and places them quickly into a paper bag.