by K E Osborn
After Mike leaves, we make our way out to take it easy by the pool where we soak up the sun and relax most of the day. That is until a soft, cool breeze wafts through the air, forcing us back inside.
Suddenly, Aiden’s phone starts ringing, and he catches it just in time. “It’s Mom,” he calls out, then he answers, “Hi, Mom. Yeah, we’re both fine. How are you?” he asks, rubbing the back of his neck and then stretching it from side to side.
“Next Wednesday. Okay. Are you able to arrange all this or do you want me to take over?” His brows furrow, and he frowns.
“Honestly, I don’t mind. If it’s too hard for you, I can do it.” He runs his hand through his hair. “Well, if you change your mind or need help, please let me know.” He looks over at me. “Yes, that should be fine. Hang on… I’ll ask Jeni.” He covers the receiver and looks at me. “Is it all right if Mom and Mike come over tonight for dinner?”
“Of course.” I smile.
“Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks, Mom, see you soon.” He ends the call and sighs. “That was about the funeral.” Aiden walks over to me.
Biting my bottom lip, I move to hug him. He pulls me in so tightly, I can’t move, but I don’t complain. I feel for him. Sorry that his father is gone, but even sorrier I couldn’t save him. I may have disliked the man, and he treated me appallingly, but I never wanted to see him go in such a terrible way.
I try to fight back the overwhelming sense of guilt I have, even though in my mind I know there was nothing I could have done to save Niall.
Only a half hour passes before Callie and Mike show up. “Jeni, darling,” Callie gushes, walking into the kitchen.
“Hey, Mom… Mike,” I say.
“How are you both?” Callie asks.
Aiden shrugs. Callie takes Aiden outside to sit at the table on the deck. I think they need a moment.
“He’s not doing so well, is he?” Mike asks while helping me with the coffee.
I shake my head. “I’m devastated for Aiden and can only imagine how he’s feeling right now,” I tell Mike quietly.
Mike furrows his brows, and he wraps his arm around me. Causing me to smile. “I know he’s glad he has you, Mike.”
We walk outside and sit at the table to listen to Callie and Aiden talking about the funeral arrangements.
Aiden’s phone rings, and he takes it from his pocket and answers, “Hello. Yes, hi, Marissa,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “Yes, I was going to call you. Sorry, it slipped my mind today.” He looks down to his lap as he rubs his temple. “Of course, come by in the morning, and we’ll sort something out.” He looks over at me. “Thanks, Marissa, see you then.” Aiden ends the call and places his phone back in his pocket, turning to his mother.
“I’ll go and check on dinner,” I say, and head off inside. My phone rings, and I raise a brow. Seems like the phones never stop ringing.
I walk over to the counter and answer. “Hello?”
“Hi, darling, how are you feeling?” Mom asks.
“I’m fine. Callie and Mike are here for dinner. She’s talking to Aiden about the funeral,” I tell her sullenly.
“Mmm… yeah, not a nice thing to talk about, but I guess you have to have one if you want to say goodbye. Personally, I hope no one turns up.”
“Mom,” I warn sternly.
“Well, it’s true. After what he did to you, he deserves a minimal send-off,” she says honestly, and it makes me sigh.
“I’ll be going to support Aiden, and I’d like it if you came to support me,” I say truthfully.
“Of course… but only for you. When is it?”
“Wednesday, two o’clock.”
“I’ll be there. Take care of yourself… and Aiden. If you need anything, I’m always here for you. Don’t you ever forget that,” she says.
“Thanks, Mom. I won’t. Talk soon.”
Aiden comes inside to pour himself a drink and check on me. “Who was that?”
“Mom,” I reply, walking over and giving him a hug.
Dinner, although somber, we make the best of it and enjoy each other’s company.
The morning is glorious, but we’re both still recovering, so we lay in bed together, resting and cuddling until we hear the doorbell chime.
“Fuck. That’ll be Marissa,” Aiden says, jumping out of bed, throwing on some jeans and a polo shirt. He rushes downstairs while I casually rise, get dressed, and slowly make my way to meet them. My muscles still aren’t up to scratch, and the pain is crazy.
“Hi, Marissa,” I greet as I meander into the kitchen.
“Hello, Miss Taylor, lovely home you have here,” she offers.
“Thank you, but it’s all Aiden’s handy work. He chose everything.”
“Jeni and I were thinking, seeing as you are no longer working at Father’s mansion, you might like to come work for us?” Her eyes widen, and she smiles. “We’d like you to look after the household the same as you did at my old apartment. What do you say?” Aiden asks.
“Of course, that would be fantastic. Thank you, both. I look forward to working with you, Miss Taylor, and being back in your employment, Mr. O’Connell.” She’s so formal it makes me want to giggle. But I don’t, of course.
“It’s settled, you can start whenever you’d like,” Aiden offers, walking over to me, putting his arm around my shoulder.
“Thank you, Mr. O’Connell.”
“We can work out a schedule another time.”
“Of course. And, Mr. O’Connell… I’m so sorry for your loss,” she says with a frown.
“Thanks, Marissa,” Aiden replies, rubbing her on the shoulder.
“Have a good day.” She turns, leaving out the front door.
A few days later, we’re eating breakfast before Sarah and Chris arrive as we have a day of wedding planning. We are outside and finish just before the doorbell rings.
“I’m so excited,” Sarah says, rushing at me for a hug.
I laugh, and Chris rolls his eyes. They walk into the kitchen where Aiden’s drinking his coffee. “Morning, guys,” he announces.
Chris nods, and Sarah completely ignores him because she’s preoccupied getting out her laptop. Chris walks over to Aiden and starts up a conversation. Sarah pulls me to the sofa to check out all things wedding on her laptop.
“We’re thinking of shopping for a dress today, if you want to?” I ask.
“Oh, my fricking God, yes. Now I’m even more excited. I loved my dress, but I can’t wait to get you into a full-on princess gown. C’mon, let’s go,” Sarah practically yells, closing her laptop and throwing it on the sofa. Sarah stands and drags me to the door with Aiden and Chris following close behind.
“What are you guys going to do while we’re dress shopping?” Sarah asks.
Aiden’s eyes narrow as he smirks—I can tell he’s being devious straightaway. “Oh, we’re coming, too. I want to make sure Jeni chooses the right dress.”
I laugh as Sarah looks at me furrowing her brows, and her mouth opens wide. “You can’t see the dress before your wedding, and you definitely can’t see her trying on the dresses either. It’s tradition, Aiden.” Sarah’s enthusiasm only makes me laugh harder.
Aiden chuckles. “I’m joking, Sarah... Chris and I will go check out suits while you’re dress shopping.”
“Oh, thank God. You ‘almost put a hex on the whole damn thing’!” She quotes a line from Independence Day.
We all head out and hop into two separate cars. Driving the short distance, Sarah and I arrive at the bridal boutique known for their designer dresses.
There are gowns everywhere—on racks, on mannequins, even on the floor. Sarah’s face lights up as a sales assistant walks over to greet us. “Good morning, ladies,” her posh tone matches her attire.
“Good morning,” Sarah replies politely.
“Is there anything I can help you with today?”
“We’re looking for a wedding dress,” Sarah says, pointing at me.
“There are plenty
of designs as you can see. Do you have any idea what you might like?” I bite my bottom lip and shake my head. “How about we start over here and anything you like, we can pull out and try on.”
I want to make sure I get this right so it’s not only one I will love but Aiden will too.
Sarah and I search through the massive number of dresses and pull out three. They’re all pretty, but none of them are right. As we go to walk out of the shop, one dress catches my eye.
I walk over and pull it off the rack. It’s strapless, has a sweetheart neckline, and the top looks like a corset. It’s fitted and covered in lace with beading, not too much bling but just enough for me. Around the waist there’s a pink sash that forms a flower on the right side made out of fabric. The bodice of lace continues into the skirt but stops at the bottom of the waist. The skirt is flowing and a little puffy. The top layer of the opaque material is gathered in sections giving it a princess look.
Sarah smiles at me. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go try it on.”
The sales assistant laughs. I head into the dressing room, and with the assistant’s help, I put on the dress and start to get my hopes up that this might just be the one. I step outside of the dressing room, and Sarah gasps, taking a step back.
“Well?” I ask before I check the mirror.
Sarah’s eyes glisten as I turn to face the mirror, and I’m taken aback—even I think I look beautiful. They say when you find your dress, a feeling comes over you, that everything in your heart and soul lets you know, and you can feel it deep inside. Looking at myself, my body trembles as I stare at myself in awe. I know instantly, this is the dress.
“So?” Sarah asks.
“This is the one!” I smile.
Sarah jumps up and down with excitement and snaps a picture.
“When is the wedding?”
“September fourteenth,” I tell the assistant, biting my bottom lip waiting in hope that it will be ready on time while she checks her schedule.
She smiles. “Next year?”
My heart sinks. “As in a few months.”
Her smile doesn’t falter. “Yes, we can have it ready for you,” she tells me, looking at her calendar again.
I smile and turn my head to look into the mirror one last time. Then I head back to the dressing rooms before we spend the rest of the afternoon looking at invitations and flowers and who knows what else.
We’re in for a big day, I just hope Aiden and Chris are prepared for hurricane Sarah.
Aiden moves a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I move toward him, and he pulls me close, kissing my head while I snuggle into his chest.
“Back to work today,” I say nonchalantly.
“Yes, back to the grind. I have so much paperwork to do, restructuring the business and reorganizing everything. It’s going to be hectic, and I’ll need your help,” Aiden admits.
“Are you telling Bree today about her promotion to VP?”
“Yes. Hopefully, she’ll take it. I’m really looking forward to working with her. She has a good head on her shoulders, and I always knew Father would never bring her into the business. Well, at least now I can give her that opportunity.”
We head into work and step off the elevator to see Brielle at her desk. “Good morning, Mr. President,” she swoons in her best Marilyn Monroe voice, making us laugh.
“Morning, Bree. Can we have a talk in my office?” She raises her eyebrow but nods, and the three of us walk into Aiden’s office.
“Have a seat.” He gestures to Brielle, pointing to his sofa. She sits, and we follow, sitting on either side of her. “Now obviously, I’ll still have Jeni as my PA, but I don’t have a vice president at the moment, which means that you have no one to PA for until we fill the position.” Aiden is playing this so well. “Obviously, you have no job at the moment, so unfortunately, I’m going to have to…” He pauses for effect.
Bree’s eyes go wide, and her mouth opens slightly looking mortified that her brother could even think about doing this to her.
“So…” Another pause. “I’m going to have to offer you the VP position.”
“Jesus Christ, really? Aiden, you’re a fucking asshole. I thought you were going to fire me. Thank you. I won’t let you down,” she says. “I can’t believe it. Father would never have given me this opportunity. He always said ‘finance isn’t for females’ and that I was only good enough to sit at a desk. So, again, thank you, Aiden, it means so much to me that you’re willing to give me a chance, and I have so many ideas I want to share with you.”
“One condition,” he warns.
“Anything!”
“You have Father’s office. I’m staying in mine.”
She furrows her brow and looks at him with a confused stare. “But Father’s office is bigger, and it’s always been the president’s office.”
“Yes, true, but I like my office, and we can switch things up a little. Actually, we can do whatever we want. Plus, I have good memories in here.” He looks directly at me, making me blush.
“Well, I won’t say no to the bigger office as long as I can redecorate it,” she gushes.
“Of course, it’s dark and dingy in there, change what you want. Also, I have someone in mind for your PA.” He smirks. “Do you want me to call him or should you?” Aiden asks.
Bree’s eyes light up with excitement. “I’ll call him. Daniel will be so happy. He loves Killian, but he can’t stand working for him… it’s not the type of work he loves doing. Of course, he would never tell Killian that, though.” She chuckles.
Bree walks over to Aiden’s desk to use the phone. She dials the number, and Aiden scoots over, sitting next to me on the sofa, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
“Hey, Danny, it’s me.” He answers her call. “I’m fantastic. How are you?” she asks.
Bree smiles brightly and waits for him to stop talking. “That’s great.” She rushes her answer like she’s pushing the conversation along. “I have an offer you can’t refuse.” Bree listens for a moment then blurts out, “How would you like to be the PA for the new vice president of O’Connell Finance?” she asks with an almighty grin. “Yes, I’m serious. You’ll never guess who it is.” She laughs. “No, it’s me!” She points to herself, making us both laugh. “Oh, that’s so good. Yes, I’m excited. When can you start?” she asks more seriously this time. “I’ll see you in an about an hour… and bring me coffee,” she orders, laughing. “Nah, I’m only joking. See you soon.” She hangs up and exhales.
“That went well, I take it?” I ask.
She nods her head with a giant smile.
“Good. Back to work everyone. We have a lot to do to get this business back in shape after Father let things slip,” Aiden instructs. “Bree, stay please, so we can go over your ideas, and perhaps get things back on track quickly.”
I smile, walking out of Aiden’s office to get on with our day at the new and improved O’Connell Finance.
Today we remember the tragedy that took Aiden’s father from us. We slowly get dressed in our black attire and make our way with Callie and Mike to the funeral home. When we arrive, the funeral director greets us, handing out the memorial cards. I grimace because Niall looks grumpy in the picture like he always did. I’m not sure there was a time when Niall ever smiled, to be honest. Well, especially not in front of me, anyway.
Brielle and Logan arrive with Killian, Daniel, and Nana, who is most distraught. Tears freefall down her pale face as she doesn’t say anything to anyone, just folds in on herself in grief for her son. I hate to see Nana this upset—it really pulls at my heartstrings. It’s always said that a parent should never have to watch their child be laid to rest before them. I imagine Nana’s feeling this the most.
Slowly, people start to arrive. I spot Sarah and Chris through the crowd as they stand with my mother, but I stay by Aiden’s side the entire time. I need to be here for him, even though I have very mixed emotions about today. Aiden’s putting on a brave face, but it’s cl
ear he’s hurting. His eyes give it away—they’re dim and glassy, and he’s hardly talking. Even though his father hurt me, Aiden still loved him, and this was not the way any of us wanted it to end.
The funeral service is somber. I can’t hold my emotions in anymore as I start to weep—with happiness, with regret, with relief.
Aiden wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him as the minister continues to talk, but I’m not even listening. I look at Aiden who’s frowning and generally looks sad. Everyone’s sad that Niall’s passed.
Aiden holds onto me tightly as the memorial concludes.
We walk out to the car in silence, and then head back to Callie and Niall’s mansion. I sit in the back of the car expecting Aiden to sit in front with Mike, but he slides in with me. He moves so he’s sitting right next to me, and then he lifts me onto his lap and moves us over, so we’re against the window while Callie slides into the front passenger seat.
The car ride to the mansion is silent.
Honestly, I can’t wait for this to be over.
A song plays on the radio, and I listen to the lyrics of Johnny Cash’s “Hurt.”
I find the words of that song fitting for Niall.
What did he become?
Everyone he loved he lost in the end, and eventually let us all down, especially Aiden.
Mike pulls up, and we slowly walk through the doors, heading into the living room, and sit as we wait for people to arrive.
Leisurely, the guests trickle in, and give the family their condolences. Aiden stares off into the distance. It concerns me, and I feel like he may fall into a heap at any moment. I know he feels conflicted because he loved and hated his father, and in the last few days before his passing, Aiden had nothing to do with him.
I’m sure Aiden feels like he abandoned Niall when he needed him the most—guilt like that can eat at you. I just hope Aiden can work past his issues with his father, and Niall’s memory doesn’t continue to haunt us because I need this ghost to move on.
We wake at the mansion to a loud thud like something’s dropped in the kitchen, followed by laughter.