Love Me (The Trust Me Series Book 2)

by K E Osborn

  “Why didn’t you tell me about her?” Sarah asks.

  Chris laughs, making Sarah glare at him, but then we go about ordering and eating.

  After dinner’s served, which is amazing, the chef comes out. “Hey, Chris, bringing in your friends? That’s a good lad.”

  “Tony, this is my girl, Sarah.”

  Tony dips his head with a kind smile. “She’s pretty like you said. Way too good for a punk kid like you,” Tony jests, making us laugh.

  “This is Jeni and Aiden.” Chris points to us.

  I wave, and Aiden nods his head.

  “You’re welcome anytime. Any friend of Chris’ is a friend of mine.” Tony chuckles, then walks off.

  “What do you think about coming here for my birthday?” Aiden asks out of the blue.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “When’s your birthday, man?” Chris asks.

  “It’s the twenty-second of March, but I’ll have my party here on the Saturday if the restaurant does bookings.”

  “Yeah, for sure. I’ll set it up for you now.”

  “Thanks, Chris. And, of course, you and Sarah are invited.”

  “Great, I’ll make sure I have that night off. I’ll be right back.” Chris scoots out of the booth and walks to the kitchen.

  Sarah leans forward hushing her voice. “I can’t believe Chris didn’t tell me about Jessica having a crush on him,” Sarah whispers, sending death glares to the young waitress.

  Aiden smirks and looks away. He knows Sarah needs some girl talk right now.

  “Sarah, there’s nothing to tell. I wouldn’t get worked up about it. Chris loves you. That’s obvious.”

  “Yeah, right. Then why won’t he tell me those three little words that mean so much?”

  “He will when the time’s right for the both of you.”

  “Yeah, well, he better keep his hands off that bitch, or I’ll castrate him.”

  “Sarah, play nice,” I warn.

  She glares relentlessly at the poor waitress.

  Aiden’s doing his best not to laugh as Chris walks toward us.

  With the booking settled, we leave the restaurant and head to the cinema complex.

  “Where do you want to sit?” Aiden asks as we walk up the stairs of the dimly lit theater.

  “In the middle at the back.”

  Chris goes in first, then Sarah and me, followed by Aiden. Taking our seats, Aiden moves the center arm between us so we can cuddle. I look over to see Chris doing the same with the arm rest between him and Sarah.

  I turn, resting my head on Aiden’s shoulder, and he then rests his head on mine.

  The movie previews start to roll, and almost instantly, kissing noises sound on my right. I look over and see Sarah and Chris making out next to me, and I smile.

  Eventually, the movie starts, and they unlock their lips to watch. They’re not afraid of public displays of affection. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past them to go at it in here with everyone watching.

  As the movie starts, I find myself not paying attention but become contemplative. About the loss of our baby and Aiden’s recent mood shifts. I look over at Sarah and Chris and see how happy they are together—it seems effortless for them. Sure, Sarah’s jealousy gets the better of her sometimes, but it’s obvious that Chris only has eyes for her.

  After a short time, I turn to Aiden. “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” I stand and let go of his hand, shuffling past him to make my way to the stairs. I step down them briskly and out of the cinema. Making my way to the end of the corridor, I head for the women’s bathroom. Once finished, I open the door and walk out into the empty corridor. It’s dimly lit and has an almost eerie sensation about it. Suddenly, a loud bang is heard behind me. I quickly turn but see nothing other than an upturned trash can and a soda cup rolling across the floor. I look to see if there’s anyone lurking around. I can’t see anything, so I turn back toward the cinema, but as I do, I hear another loud bang. My heart races as I look around once more, but I still see nothing. So, I quickstep it toward the cinema heading back to my seat next to Aiden.

  “Jeni, you okay?” he whispers in my ear.

  I simply nod. I don’t want to tell him I freaked myself out in the corridor.

  By the time the movie finishes, I’ve calmed down enough to be relaxed. The credits roll. I look at Aiden, and the lights in the cinema brighten.

  “You sure you’re all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Something startled me out there.”

  “What was it?”

  “It was dark, and there was a couple of loud noises. That’s all. Just my overactive imagination.”

  He kisses my forehead, watching me intently.

  “You guys ready to go?” Sarah interrupts.

  Making our way to the car, we drive back to Sarah’s, where we head inside for coffee and catching up. Sarah and I move to the kitchen, and the guys sit at the dining table. They chat to each other while Sarah puts on the Keurig while I pull out four mugs from the cupboard.

  Sarah looks at me, frowning. “You okay?” she asks quietly.

  “Yeah, fine. Why?”

  “You don’t seem your normal chirpy self tonight, and when you got here, you’d been crying. I could see it in your eyes. Don’t deny it.” She casually looks over at Aiden while I exhale and look toward the floor. “Is everything okay?” I shake my head. “Then what is it? Is he cheating?” she asks, her eyes squinting and her brow furrowed.

  “No. Nothing like that. He… he got a little angry last night because of his father and that worries me.”

  Her jaw clenches. “Jeni, is he hurting you?”

  “No. It’s hard to explain. He was different, that’s all. It was something I didn’t expect from him.”

  “As long as he’s not hurting you because Chris will kick his ass.”

  “I know, it’s nothing like that.”

  “I mean it. You talk to me, anytime.”

  “I will, but there’s no need. I have it handled.”

  We stay there for the remainder of the evening chatting, when all of a sudden, I yawn loudly.

  “C’mon, Miss Taylor. Let’s get you home to bed.”

  I stand. “Thanks for a great night, guys,” I say through yet another yawn.

  Aiden takes my hand, and we head to the car.

  We don’t even make it out the driveway before my eyes close, and I fall into a deep sleep.

  Aiden is proving to me how it was a once off event.

  As each day passes, we seem to be falling back into our old routine. The loss of our baby will always be remembered, but it feels like we are slowly healing.

  At work, I’m much more proficient at my job, no longer relying on Brielle. It doesn’t seem to matter, though. I will never be able to please Niall, who still taunts me every single day behind Aiden’s back. The name calling is ever present, and though it hurts, it’s at least bearable due to the thick skin I’ve grown.

  “Happy birthday, babe,” I chime, leaning in to kiss Aiden.

  “Urgh, yeah, birthday,” he whines grumpily.

  “Birthday means presents!”

  “I have everything I need right here.” He pulls me to him, kissing me deeply.

  His phone rings, disturbing our passionate kiss, and with an audible exhale, he answers, “Hi, Mom.” He places it on speakerphone for me to hear.

  “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Aiden. Happy birthday to you. Hip hip hooray. I love you, darling,” Callie sing-songs on the other end of the line.

  Aiden and I both smirk. “Thanks, Mom. Jeni’s listening.”

  “Hi, Callie.”

  “Hi, darling. Sorry about my terrible singing. Aiden, you should know better than to put me on speakerphone when I’m singing.”

  “Sorry, Mom.” He chuckles.

  “We’re going to Vinchenzo’s tomorrow. Is that right, honey?”

  “Yes, seven o’clock. They have a table reserved for us.�
��

  “Excellent. And your mother is coming as well, I hear, Jeni.”

  I nod even though she can’t see me. “Yes, she is. She’s very excited to see you again.”

  “I’m excited to see her, too. Aiden, my love, have a fabulous day, and I’ll see you both tomorrow night.”

  “Thanks, Mom. See you then.”

  “Bye, darlings.”

  He hangs up and goes to sit, but I pull him back to the bed and kiss him again. I feel him smiling against my lips.

  “Mmm… Jeni, we have to go to work,” he mumbles, interrupting our kiss.

  I frown at him and pout. “At least let me give you your present first.” I lean over under the bed and pull out a small box wrapped in blue wrapping paper with a little bow on top. I’m excited to see if he likes it. He takes the small box and rattles it to see if he can hear anything.

  I shake my head. “Just open it.”

  He unties the little blue bow, tears the paper, and opens the lid to find a business card-sized piece of cardboard. He pulls it from the box and looks at me with an eyebrow raised.

  “Turn it over,” I direct him.

  He turns over the piece of cardboard revealing a voucher for a romantic weekend stay at a bed and breakfast near the ocean.

  “Do you like it?” I ask excitedly.

  “Like it? I love it. Chris and I will have a great time there.” He laughs.

  I scoff and pick up my pillow, hitting him with it.

  He grabs the pillow, pulling it so I fall forward into him. “Thank you, baby. This is awesome.”

  “There’re some available dates coming up in the next month or so.”

  “Okay, I’ll look up when’s best and pick a time for us. I’m excited.” A cheeky, boyish grin appears on his face.

  We kiss one last time before we get ready for work and go through our morning routine, arriving at our usual time.

  Niall’s in meetings out of the office today, so it’s actually a pleasurable day. Walking up behind me, Aiden spins my chair and leans down, resting his hands on the arms. His face is exceptionally close to mine. I stare into his eyes, those mesmerizing, bright blue eyes as he leans in and kisses me, making my heart skip a beat as it does whenever he’s near me.

  “Get a room,” Brielle yells out.

  We continue to kiss. It’s almost like that saying, ‘When the cat’s away, the mice will play.’ That’s how it feels with Niall out of the office.

  Aiden, Brielle, and I are playing practical jokes on each other all day and generally having a good time. It’s the best day I’ve had since I started here. The elevator chimes, making Aiden let go of the chair and break our kiss. He stands and straightens himself, wiping the small traces of lipstick from his lips.

  The doors open, and Niall walks into the foyer and straight past us into his office. He doesn’t appear to be in a good mood.

  So what’s new.

  I sigh, along with Aiden and Brielle. We know our fun is now over. I glance at the time on my computer. It’s nearly time to go home, anyway. I finish up and start to turn everything off. Brielle does the same while Aiden goes back to his office.

  Niall storms out and glares at Brielle. “Come on, Brielle. It’s time to go.” She widens her eyes at me, stands, collects her bag, and walks with Niall to the elevator like she’s unsure as to why he’s demanding her leave right this second.

  Aiden comes out and watches the two of them waiting for the elevator doors to open. Brielle looks back at us, making a funny face. We both chuckle under our breaths as Niall leads his daughter into the elevator.

  “See you tomorrow, guys,” Brielle yells out.

  Niall looks down, glaring at her. She manages to roll her eyes without him seeing, and the doors close.

  “What was that about?” I ask, wondering what crawled up Niall’s ass and died today.

  “I don’t know. Probably a deal fell through or something. He’ll be in a great mood for my dinner tomorrow by the looks of things.”

  “Yay,” I mock.

  Aiden shakes his head despondently as I stand from my chair, taking my handbag, and walk to the elevator with my birthday boy in tow.

  We step out and walk through the main foyer.

  “Good evening, Mr. O’Connell. Happy birthday,” Josie calls out.

  I look up at him, shocked that she even knows it’s his birthday.

  “Thanks, Josie. Have a good weekend.”

  As we reach the doors, I lean into him. “She knows it’s your birthday. Stalker much?”

  He grins at my apparent jealousy. The smug bastard. But I can’t be angry at him for it. Aiden’s amazing, he can’t help it if women are falling all over themselves to be near him.

  We walk to the parking garage where Mike’s waiting for us. “Are you having a nice birthday, sir?” Mike asks Aiden as we approach.

  “It’s been one of the best so far.” Aiden winks at me while Mike opens the door.

  “Good to hear, sir.” I slide into the car, and Aiden follows in behind me.

  “To the scope, please, Mike,” I announce.

  “Sure thing, Miss Taylor.”

  Aiden raises his brow. “We’re not going home?”

  “Nope. I’ve got a little something planned.”

  We drive along a dirt track, through the gates, up the steep hill, and we’re there.

  Aiden looks at me with his head cocked to one side, then gets out of the car, and Mike pulls out a blindfold, handing it to me. “Thanks, Mike.”

  “What’s going on?” Aiden asks, curiosity etched in his features.

  Mike walks around to the driver’s side, hops back in the car, and quickly leaves.

  “Here, put this on.”

  “Hmm… role-playing, huh? I didn’t think you were into that, but I’m happy to oblige,” Aiden jokes.

  “Just put it on, you idiot.”

  He wraps the black blindfold over his eyes, tying it in a knot at the back. I place my arm in his and guide him along.

  “You’re not going to walk me off the edge of the cliff, are you?”

  “Yes, I am. Now walk.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He fake salutes.

  I guide him along to the telescope on the edge of the cliff where a table and chairs are set up nicely for a surprise birthday dinner.

  “Take off the blindfold,” I chirp.

  When he removes it, his eyes widen. “Wow! When did you get time to set this up?”

  I bounce on my toes as I watch his excitement. “It was my idea, but Mike set it all up for me. Surprise!” I beam and bite my bottom lip. I’m excited to be doing something for Aiden for a change.

  “It’s fucking perfect. Thanks.” He pulls out a seat for me to sit, and then walks to the other side of the small table to seat himself.

  I wave my hand in the air, and the waitress comes over.

  “Where did you hire her?” he asks as she walks toward the table.

  “She’s a friend of your friend, Frankie. He’s cooking for us tonight. He has a catering van set up over there and is cooking the same meal we had on our first date.”

  He shakes his head in disbelief. “You’re amazing, you know that? Wait! How did you get Frankie’s number?”

  I smile showing my guilt. “I borrowed your phone while you were in the shower.”

  He smirks, seemingly impressed.

  “Mr. O’Connell. May I say happy birthday. Would you like something to drink?” the waitress asks.

  “Macallan, and Jeni? What would you like?”

  “Moscato, thanks.”

  The waitress nods. “No problem, I’ll be right back.”

  “This is truly unbelievable. No one has ever done anything like this for me.”

  I rest my elbow on the table and put my chin in my hand. “No one had done this sort of thing for me before I met you. I’m just returning the favor.”

  “This is the best birthday I’ve ever had. Great day at work. Dinner with my girl. It doesn’t get any better than t
his.”

  I chuckle as the waitress comes back with our drinks and places them on the table in front of us.

  “Dinner will be ready for you shortly, sir,” she tells us and walks off.

  The sun’s starting to set in its usual hues of pink and turquoise as he takes my hand on the table and gently rubs my thumb with his, sending a shockwave through me. He still manages to make my heart race with a simple touch. The waitress comes over and places the same garlic flatbread we had at the waterfall on our first date. We begin to eat while chatting mainly about work. I’m finally starting to understand some of the terminologies he uses.

  Aiden abruptly stands and walks to me. He places his hand out for me to take, making me wonder what he has in mind. He walks with me to the edge of the cliff and holds me from behind while we watch the sun go down, slowly fading from serene colors until it’s almost dark.

  The waitress lights little candles on the ground and a couple on the table giving it a romantic ambiance as they flicker in the evening breeze. She strides back to the catering van, and my attention is drawn to Aiden again. It’s so great to be here with him, just like on our first date.

  That all seems like such a long time ago now but like it was yesterday at the same time.

  I turn in his grasp so I’m facing him. He looks down at me, and we continue staring at each other.

  Emotion runs through me—happiness, contentment, and most of all, an abundance of adoration and love.

  The waitress comes over with our meals, placing them on the table. She doesn’t interrupt our moment like the waitress did on our first date.

  Aiden loosens his grip. “Guess we’d better eat before it goes cold.”

  “Guess so,” I mumble, mourning the loss of his contact.

  The food is absolutely delicious, just as it was the first time.

  “Frankie’s a great chef, but don’t tell Chris I said that. How do you know Frankie, anyway?” I ask the question I’ve been wondering since our first date.

  “We went through school together,” Aiden admits, then he places some more food into his mouth.

  I tilt my head. “I don’t hear you talk much about your friends.” I’ve come to the realization that he never talks about his friends.

  He shrugs. “I don’t have many. I’m too busy with work and lost contact with all my university friends. Father made sure that work was my priority, so my social life was non-existent.”