by Toni Aleo
Just as I love the woman I am with Aiden by my side.
When Posey’s eyes meet mine, concern in her gaze, I’m suspicious. “What? You’re my favorite too!”
She shakes her head. “It’s not that. Have you told Aiden?”
My stomach clenches. “No,” I say softly. “I’m waiting until after the wedding.”
“Don’t you have to commit to the role by Thursday?”
I bite my lip. “Yeah, but they really want me, so they can wait.”
“Shelli,” she warns, and I shrug.
“I don’t want to upset him. I promised that Chicago was the last show I would do. If I come at him right now with another one, he’ll freak.”
“It’s what you’re born to do. He’ll be supportive.”
I shake my head. “I haven’t even talked to Mom about it. I don’t know. I would miss so much.”
“Which is fine, we’ll make it work without you, but you need to talk to Aiden first.”
“I know,” I agree, swallowing hard. But I don’t know how. We are really happy right now, really vibing. Do I want to put so many miles between us? At least when he travels for away games, I go. But if I’m in New York, we’ll go back to seeing each other whenever we can. But it is a huge honor to be asked to play this part, and I really shouldn’t bat an eye at it. It’s funny. I don’t care about anyone else’s opinion of me except for Aiden’s. His opinion matters, his feelings matter, and if he tells me no, I’ll be crushed, but I won’t do it.
Which is probably why I haven’t told him about it yet.
I reach for my martini glass, downing it to help ease my nervousness. My self-doubt. As I put down the glass, I hold my hand up to order another drink, but then I feel a body press into mine.
Before I can turn, though, a pair of lips is at my ear and hair tickles my face as the smooth-as-butter voice says, “I’ve been watching you for a solid ten minutes, and if you don’t let me buy you a drink, I might lose my fucking mind, because you, Shelli Grace Adler soon-to-be Brooks, are the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
I feel my face light up, my lips curving in the widest grin as I turn in Aiden’s arms, wrapping my arms around him as our lips meet. He lifts me a bit off the ground as his hair continues to tickle my face. He’s left it down, wild curls surrounding both our faces as we kiss, and I feel like it’s the first time I’ve tasted his lips. As we part, I tuck his hair behind his ears, kissing his bottom lip a few times while our eyes dance together.
“Funny meeting you here,” I mutter against his lips.
“My thoughts exactly,” he whispers, his lips dusting mine. “You having a blast?”
I snort as we part only slightly. “Well, your sister has a fake ID and tried to come out with it.”
He furrows his brow. “Stella? She’s nineteen—”
“No.”
He shakes his head. “Man, Emery is gonna end up in jail before she’s eighteen.”
“Probably,” I agree with a grin. “Other than that, it’s been a blast with my two pregnant bridesmaids, your little sister who can’t drink, and my cousin who can but is way too wild for me.” We both look out on the floor where Ally is dancing with Asher. Her husband. I lean in, my lips at his ear. “Also, Asher and Ally got married in Spain.”
His eyes widen as he looks down at me. He hasn’t shaved, said he won’t until the day before the wedding. His eyes are wild with surprise and a bit hazy with alcohol. He’s wearing a thin tee with some khaki shorts. He looks absolutely yummy. “No shit?”
“Yup, she told us at dinner.”
He shakes his head. “They aren’t telling anyone?”
“I guess not.”
He scoffs. “Insane, but then, I’m not surprised. They’re so private and spontaneous.”
“We’re the only ones having a big wedding.”
He grins down at me. “Because we’re the coolest.”
We share an intimate smile before we tighten our grip on each other. “I missed you.”
Aiden winks at me. “Of course you did. I rock your world.”
“You do,” I admit, kissing his jaw. “Are y’all having fun?”
On the floor with Asher and Ally is Wes, who is dancing mighty close to Stella. His hands wander down to her hips, and I feel Aiden tense under my hands. “We were until that jackass started touching my sister.”
I hold him close. “Aiden, let them be. They’re having fun.”
“I don’t like that,” he says, snarling at them, even though Stella and Wes are so engrossed in each other, I doubt they notice. “He’s too old for her.”
I roll my eyes. “You didn’t say anything about Boon and Posey,” I remind him, and he gives me a blank look.
“She’s not my sister. You’re supposed to get mad about that.”
I laugh. “I didn’t because they are adults.”
He gawks at me. “Maybe not, but this brother knows that Wes is a whore who will not take advantage of my sister.”
I shake my head. “Aiden, come on. Stella isn’t dumb, and do you really think anyone could take advantage of her?”
“We’re talking about Stella here, not Emery.”
“I know. Stella is exactly the same,” I say, holding back my laughter. “Don’t pay them any mind.”
The tension leaves his body as he stares into my eyes, cupping my face. “Fine. I’ll just stare at you instead.”
I lean into his hand. “That is a solid plan.”
“I thought so,” he agrees, kissing my nose. “We’ve crashed your scene. Want us to leave?”
I look to where Ally and Asher are dancing and Boon is holding Posey. Amelia is dancing with no cares in the world, while Stella and Wes flirt, much to my man’s dismay. Everyone is so happy, and why would I want to ruin that? “No, I want you here.”
Our lips meet, and as I lay my head on his chest, I can’t help but be reminded that I need to speak to him about that email. About our future. Aiden tightens his arms around me, kissing the top of my head, and I figure it can all wait.
For time stands still when I’m in Aiden Brooks’s arms.
Chapter 4
Aiden
I flick my finger along the handle of my coffee mug as my mom yaps in my ear. “Grandpa isn’t happy with the hotel and wants to come stay here, but I’d rather not have that happen, so he and Grandma are going to go stay with Audrey.”
“Ooh, that’s rude.”
“It’s not. She lived with me a long time. She can handle your grandparents.”
I chuckle. “But she’s working on the masterpiece that is my cake.”
“Your little puck cake is done. Shelli’s eight-tier cake is going to be the death of my poor sister.”
I grin. “Mom, it’s nothing she can’t handle.”
“Aiden, Shelli wants it put into a chandelier. Who the hell wants that?”
I look over my shoulder to where Shelli sleeps facedown on the couch. Once I got to the FGL House, the drinks really started flowing. I lost sight of my sister and Wes, but if he wants to continue to be my friend, he’ll watch himself. I trust he won’t do anything with Stella, but I did stop caring once Shelli and I hit the floor. There is something insanely sexy about my girl when she dances. She leaves it all out there, and the way those hips move…downright sinful. Even sleeping, with her makeup smudged and her hair a mess, I find her perfect. The couch was small, but we made it work.
We always make it work.
“Again, Audrey’s got this. She does this kind of stuff all the time.”
“No, she does cupcakes.”
“Whatever. She’s good.”
“Shelli has gone crazy.”
I laugh. “She’s always been crazy, and I love it.”
“Well, I guess that’s all that matters.”
“It does,” I say, stretching my arms above my head with a groan. “Dad up?”
“Yeah, he’s outside putting. Refuses to lose to you again.”
I
grin. “Good. Shea is already chirping at me.”
Her laughter makes me grin. “So, just you, your dad, and your future father-in-law, huh?”
“Yeah, they wanted to have ‘the talk’ with me.”
“Jesus. Should I save you?”
“I’m good. Thanks, though,” I say. “Pretty sure I’ve already been through the talk with both of them, but whatever makes them happy. I’m just thankful to have them.”
“Absolutely. They’re good men.”
“The best.”
Emotion fills my mother’s voice as she says, “I can’t believe my baby is getting married.”
I pause. She’ll lose her shit when she finds out about Asher. I really need to call him. “Yeah, believe it. We’ve been planning this for a while, and you know I’m marrying a top-notch, successful babe.”
She sighs happily. “I couldn’t handpick a better woman for you. Shelli may be the star of Bridezilla, but outside of this wedding stuff, she’s a damn good girl.”
I’m in disbelief of my mom. “Mom, I don’t even think she’s bridezilla status. She’s been chill, just knows what she wants. I love that about her.”
“Well, yeah, because she was so damn sure of you.”
“Right? I needed that.”
“Very true. We may have messed you up.”
“It’s okay,” I say softly. “She’s fixed me.”
She thinks that over for a second. “Maybe, but there is still time for her to go full bridezilla.”
I laugh with her. “Let’s hope not,” I say, just as Shelli’s phone buzzes on the counter. I reach for it to find a text from Shelli’s old agent on the screen.
Miranda Foxtel: Hey, you going to answer that email, or am I? What’s the word on Hamilton?
I bring in my brows, my whole face scrunching up with the motion. I’m not an idiot, and it doesn’t take me long to put two and two together. Shelli has been offered a job. “Hey, Mom? Let me call you back.”
“You okay? Your voice sounds weird.”
“Fine,” I say before hanging up, which I’ll hear about later, but I need to know what’s going on.
I look over at Shelli to find her sitting up, rubbing her face as she groans. “Is that my phone going off?”
I get up, taking her phone and a cup of coffee to her. “Yeah, Miranda texted you.”
She’s one hell of an actress, because, without missing a beat, she takes her phone and says, “Oh, okay.” I lean my hip on the couch as she takes the coffee cup, not making eye contact. “Er, thanks.”
“Anytime.”
I watch as she looks at the text before throwing her phone onto the couch and getting up. She heads for our bedroom, clearing her throat before calling back to me, “Don’t you have golf with our dads?”
I nod, following her. “Yeah, in about an hour.”
“Oh, cool. I’m gonna take a shower, wash the alcohol off me.”
She starts to undress, and I cross my arms before sitting down on the little chair she has in our room. I stare at her, resisting the urge to take her naked body right in our bed. If I weren’t so pissed, I would. But she lied about cutting ties with Miranda, and now she’s holding back information. I’m not sure why, but it makes me mad. Once she is naked, she starts to braid her hair before turning to see me watching her.
She forces a laugh. “Stalker, what are you doing? Didn’t you get enough last night?”
I shake my head roughly. “I’ll never get enough, but don’t distract me with your sexy body and sexy time.”
Her brows crash together. “Huh?”
“Miranda texting you.”
“Yeah?”
“I thought you cut ties with Miranda?”
“I did. I can’t keep her from contacting me, Aiden. That’s rude. She got me a lot of jobs, and I still care for her. She’s pregnant right now. Things didn’t work out with the baby’s father, but she’s going to raise—”
“Shelli.”
She presses her lips together, her eyes finally meeting mine. She swallows hard, crossing her arms across her chest. “I was offered the part of Eliza Schuyler in the musical Hamilton.”
Okay, I’ll give it to her. That’s a huge deal, especially with how popular Hamilton has become in the last couple years. But that doesn’t matter. “Okay? Why didn’t you turn it down?”
She bites her lip, her eyes pleading with mine, but I’m not giving in. “I don’t want to.”
I nod slowly, anger eating me alive. “Shelli, you said Chicago was the last one.”
“But this is a dream part!”
“Chicago was the dream. What the hell?”
“I didn’t look for this. I didn’t even ask for this. They chose me, and yes, this has happened before with a lot of shows and I’ve turned them down left and right. But I can’t say no to Hamilton. Aiden, it’s Hamilton! We love that show, and now I’ll be Eliza. Come on, that’s incredible.”
“No. Shelli, you retired! You have a life here, we’re buying a house, and you’re training to own the Assassins. When in the world do you have time to go to New York for months at a time to rehearse and everything else?”
“We can make it work. We made Chicago work just fine.”
“And it was rough, constantly flying back and forth and the late-night calls because we were both so busy.”
“But we made it work. This is my dream.”
I blink. “Can I get a list of these dreams? ’Cause last time I checked, you wanted to be a team owner after you hung up your heels from Chicago.”
She strikes her hands to her hips. “Excuse me for being successful and talented and always wanting to better myself. Yes, your career is sound, you know exactly what you want, but it’s not that easy for me. I love to sing, to perform, but I also love being home and owning the team. I do. But, Aiden, I’m only twenty-three.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“I think I may have rushed into the notion of being done with Broadway. I think I needed to get out when I did, but ever since being back from Chicago, I’ve completely immersed myself in the wedding and anything I could get my hands on so that I wouldn’t miss the stage.”
Talk about a kick in the gut. This is out of left field, and I can’t believe my ears. “You didn’t tell me this.”
“Because I thought I wanted to retire, Aiden, but I don’t think I can. Not yet.”
“Shelli, we had a plan.”
She looks away. “I don’t know if that is the plan I want right now.”
I swallow hard, cupping my forehead in my hand. “Three days before the wedding, you want to change the plan.”
Her hurt gaze meets mine. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. We’re getting married in three days. We are looking at houses, our season starts in a matter of weeks, and hell, what about having a baby?”
She holds up her hands. “Whoa there, buddy. I’m not ready to have kids. I assumed you weren’t either, but now you’re bringing that up?”
“Well, you can bring up leaving me for New York again. Why can’t I bring up kids?”
She blinks, her eyes so wide, they just might fall out. “Aiden, kids aren’t on the table for us right now. I want to enjoy us.”
“How, when you’ll be in New York?”
“That’s not fair. We made it work before.”
I shrug. “Well, maybe because I was under the pretense that it was the last time.” I turn to leave, but she’s right on my tail.
“So, what? You won’t make it work if I’m in New York?”
“I don’t want my wife gallivanting through New York, kissing whoever is playing Hamilton.”
“Oh, be real. For one, I don’t gallivant—”
“Shelli, all you do is gallivant! You are a gallivanter! Anyone who sees you will want you. And then what? I’ll be chopped liver.”
She throws her hands up in the air, her breasts bouncing, and I really don’t know how I am resisting her right now.
I should get another Stanley Cup for this. “What in the hell? You’re not chopped liver. You’re everything. I won’t want them. I only want you. You, Aiden. You’re my forever.”
I shrug, reaching for my golf clubs. “But I’m apparently not enough in your life. You need more, and I don’t know how to grasp that.”
Her jaw drops, and before she can say anything, I go out the door, the clubs in my golf bag smacking into the doorframe. It’s so loud, but slamming the door behind me is louder. Or so I thought. The roar of her anger, my name like venom off her lips, shakes the walls. I fall back into the door, closing my eyes and pressing my lips together.
Damn it, why did I say that?
I want to open the door; I want to go back in there and figure this out, but I know I’ll say more that I shouldn’t.
No. We need to cool off.
I need to cool off and wrap my head around what the hell is actually happening.
Chapter 5
Aiden
I down my second beer as I lean back in the golf cart, while Shea and my dad shoot the shit with some buddies of theirs. I should probably get out and socialize, but I’m super in my feelings. My phone rang and dinged off the hook, but I ignored Shelli the whole way here. I even left my phone in the car, which is really going to piss off my lady, but I need some time to think. Probably should have hit the ice, skated off all this frustration, but here I am. About to golf with my dad and my future father-in-law.
I know I can talk to both Shea and my dad about the situation, but I don’t want to. I hate that I’m upset over this. It shouldn’t even be an issue. Shelli isn’t flighty or unsure of herself; she knows what she wants, and if she had just told me from the jump that she wasn’t finished with Broadway, then we would have readjusted. Now, though, I’ve gotten used to having her fly with me to all the games. I love lying in bed with her after a game and talking about it. What I could have done better, or what she saw that I didn’t. We are always home together for dinner, and that’s extremely important to me. I never had that growing up because my dad was gone all the time. Thankfully, Shelli’s and my schedules are the absolute same.