by Lilly Wilde
I continued to watch them—they were smiling and laughing like a normal family. You would’ve never known they had such deep-ridden issues. Perhaps this wedding—my addition to the family—had changed some things. That’s what Sienna had said. Was that true, or just wishful thinking on her part? Maybe she was right, and maybe, just maybe, Aiden had thought better of his plan, whatever it was. He wouldn’t really destroy the company his dad worked nearly a lifetime to build, would he? Did he have the heart to do something like that? If I were posing that question to the Aiden Raine I’d be marrying tomorrow, I’d have to say no. But if it was the other Aiden Raine, the cunning and sometimes ruthless CEO, the answer would be a resounding yes.
After the fight about Nadia, Aiden had flipped back into the man who’d written the Christmas letter to me. The secret phone conversations had all but stopped, although there was the occasional call he’d take in private—I’d convinced myself they were just routine business things he didn’t want to filter over into our personal lives. He wasn’t at the office for hours on end anymore, and he was home every day before I was. Just like that, he’d changed, but it didn’t seem right. Something was still off.
I’d seen Nicholas, Aiden and Sloan huddled together on more than one occasion and since my last blowup with Aiden about R.I., he refused to discuss even the smallest detail with me, and if I were to ask either of them about it now, they would all feign ignorance.
I had to stop worrying and trust that Aiden would keep his promise—to do what was best for our family. But what I considered best and what he considered best were likely two different scenarios entirely, so a part of me knew I needed to brace myself for what was coming.
Aiden had stepped away from his family to check on Lyric. I followed him and stopped near the door of the bedroom and watched them as they played and laughed. Aiden was one-hundred percent devoted to his son. I still couldn’t believe how wrong I’d been about his acceptance of our child.
His relationship with Lyric reminded me a lot of the one I’d once had with my dad. As of late, I’d found myself watching Aiden and Lyric one moment, and crying the next. Before Aiden came into my life, I was practically absent of any real emotions. But now I have all of these feelings I’ve never had before and while I hate them sometimes, there’d been so much happiness. I didn’t think I could go back to how it was back then, but for now, I needed to tap into that former Aria in order to get a handle on my emotions. I knew that would be a challenge with so many things happening all at once. I’d barely had time to adjust to one new facet of my life before something else popped up. Would the madness ever end?
*
Everyone started to scatter as we prepared for the evening’s festivities. Aiden was with Emilie and the groomsmen, Lyric was with Dianna, and I’d stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, sighing happily in the spring breeze and enjoying the tranquility of the late afternoon sun.
I took a seat near the pool and started to relax when I heard someone clearing their throat. I opened my eyes and nearly jumped from my seat. Seconds ticked by as I stared on in shocked silence, my gaze focused on the dark brown eyes of the man with whom I once thought I’d share my future.
“Oh my God! Kellan.”
“Hello, beautiful,” he said.
I leaped into his arms. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? Thank your soon-to-be husband.”
No way! Aiden couldn’t have pulled this off. “Aiden did this? You’ve got to be kidding!”
“I don’t think I could ever kid around about that guy.”
“Oh you! Have a seat.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the chair beside mine. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you so much.”
He glanced at my engagement ring and lifted my hand. “I can tell,” he said sarcastically.
“Oh, stop it.”
“I’m only kidding,” he said, flashing a smile. “I’ve missed you, too.”
“Gosh, I wish you’d arrived a little earlier—you just missed Lyric. He’s with the nanny. I can call her back.”
Kellan’s eyes lit up. “I can’t wait to see him.”
“Oh wait. It’s close to his nap time, so Dianna is probably putting him down, but as soon as he’s awake, okay?”
“I’d like that.”
“I’m just so happy to see you,” I said.
“Me, too. You look great.” He stared at me for several seconds. “So.”
“What?” I asked.
“You’re marrying him, huh?”
“Yes. I guess I am,” I replied.
“He’s an ass. You know that, right?”
“Stop it—don’t be mean. He’s not allowed to speak ill of you, and you will not do it to him. I mean it.”
“Sure, okay,” he replied, grinning. “All kidding aside, I’m really happy for you, Aria. You look very happy. And if it’s because of him…it’s because of him.”
“Thanks, Kellan. And he’s really not that bad.”
He chuckled. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“He did this,” I said, motioning the two of us. “Something I can’t really understand. So you’ve got to give him a little credit, right?”
“Well, he managed to get you. So I’ll give him credit for that. And he did something I would have never thought he could. He put his feelings about me aside to make you happy.”
Yes. He did. Aiden loved me that much—enough to do something that would bring so many painful memories to the surface for him. “So when did you get here?” I asked.
“Last night.”
“And why am I just seeing you?”
“Jet lag. I crashed almost as soon as I arrived.” He shook his head and grinned.
“What’s with the goofy smile?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
He studied my face. “I met someone.”
“But I thought you were with—”
“That didn’t work out.”
“Okay. So tell me all about her.”
“I will. But later. Let’s talk about you and Lyric. What’s he been doing since the last video you sent?”
“He’s amazing! You know…I still can’t believe he’s mine. He has another tooth coming in, so watch out because he will bite and it hurts,” I said, laughing. “Oh, and he’s walking now. Well, not really—he’s starting to take a few steps, but he doesn’t try very often because he falls and then he bursts into tears, so most times, he crawls around like a baby on a mission. He loves music already, so I’m thinking he’ll be musical like his daddy. It seems as if the time is going by too fast. He does something new every day and I’m afraid if I don’t watch him 24/7, I’ll miss something. I’m still posting about him on the blog, which, by the way, is live now.”
Kellan’s phone pinged—he checked his text and there was that grin again.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s the person I was telling you about. She wants to meet for drinks later.”
“Wait. She’s here?”
“Yup.”
“She came with you?” I asked.
“No, I met her as soon as I landed.”
“You must really like her, because you’re smiling like a big goofy teenager.”
“I do. It’s like we said hello and something went off in the background. It’s odd. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like that before.”
I had. With Aiden. The first day I saw him, I was pulled into another world.
Kellan and I were still catching up when a reminder on my phone signaled it was time for the rehearsal. We said our temporary good-byes—he’d be joining us later for dinner.
Tomorrow I’d be Mrs. Aiden Wyatt Raine. A flutter of butterflies broke free in my stomach as I visualized myself walking down the aisle to say vows that committed me to Aiden forever. With or without the vows, I already felt I was his—th
e ceremony simply made it official. Even though it was less than twenty-four hours away, and I’d gone through all the motions, it didn’t seem like reality. I mean…come on. Aria Cason…married? It was like I was living the life of someone who sounded a lot like me, but who was saying and doing things I’d never do.
I thought back to my life before Aiden and it was so different—dramatically different than the life I was living now. It all seemed so simple back then. Hell, it was simpler. By no means was it happier or more meaningful, but it was definitely a simpler time. I guess the same could be said for anyone who’d distanced themselves from anything that could touch the heart.
It was the vulnerability. I hated it, but I’d learned it was a part of life and you couldn’t run from your truth and you couldn’t run from your destiny. And that’s what Aiden was for me. He was my truth. He was my destiny. Why had it taken so much pain and so many mistakes to learn and truly accept that?
*
Aiden and I walked into Bistrot De Venise and were shown to our tables. Other than the wedding coordinators and Sienna, Aiden and I were the first to arrive, so we headed to the bar for a glass of wine. I’d noticed that Aiden had been unusually quiet—studying me. Was he worried that the pressure of everything would finally become too much and I’d run for the hills? I was nervous, albeit afraid, but I was sure I wouldn’t run. How could I put his mind at ease? I wanted him to enjoy his time here, enjoy everything about these special moments. There was no need for us both to be tied in knots. I’d tried to give him the assurance he’d given to me, but I didn’t think anything would truly convince him until tomorrow…when I finally say the two words he’s been waiting to hear.
I looked at him and smiled through the nervous thoughts of tomorrow.
He glanced at his watch, reached for my hand and then gently tugged me from the barstool. “I have something to show you, but promise you won’t react to it, at least not verbally.”
“What?” Did he have another surprise for me?
“Promise me.”
He didn’t have that playful gleam in his eyes. Why so solemn? “I promise. What is it?”
He walked me over to the painting on the wall near the patio, and adhered to the painting was a pink heart-shaped note in which two words were written—Ti amo. The glass of wine slipped from my fingers, and I froze, my eyes glued to the tiny note. What did this mean? I looked at Aiden, frantic with questions. He placed a finger to his lips, signaling me to stay quiet. I nodded, and reached up to the note, tracing my fingertips across the words. It was her handwriting. I was sure of it. I was almost trembling as my head filled with question after question, one after another. My breathing became labored and I felt as though I was about to hyperventilate. Did this mean what I thought?
Desperate for answers, I looked toward Aiden, but he shook his head. I didn’t understand. He had to know something. How else would he have known to show me the painting?
He pulled out his phone, tapped a note and passed his phone to me.
There’s a slight possibility that we’re being watched. I’ll tell you everything later. For now, no one can know, not even Lia and Bianca.
I passed his phone back and watched as he deleted the note. He looked at me and pulled me to him. I grabbed him and buried my face in his chest. What was going on? Had Mom known all along that Dad was alive? Had she known where he was? I started replaying the memories of my childhood. Aiden was silent, stroking my hair as I tried to contain my emotions.
Wait. Was this the reason Aiden insisted we marry in Italy? How did Aiden know about this note? Why did we end up in this exact restaurant to even find it? Would I be able to see my parents? I needed to go someplace where I could speak freely to Aiden.
I lifted my head from his chest and stepped back. “I would love to sneak off for some private time,” I said, as I searched his face.
“Me, too.” He kissed my forehead. “We can’t leave right now, Aria.” He grabbed my hand and led me out of the room. I pulled away from him and rushed to the painting and grabbed the note. I looked at it once more then opened my clutch and placed it inside.
Despite the newfound knowledge that laid shock to my system, the rehearsal dinner was off to a fantastic start. Everyone was having a great time. I glanced at Lia and Bianca and felt a surge of guilt. Dad wasn’t gone—he was very much a part of the living—but I could never tell anyone…not even my siblings. My father would never know his grandchild—he would never know the wonderful women Lia and Bianca were growing into. To add an even more painful layer to this story, there was a possibility that Mom wasn’t dead—and we wouldn’t be able to see her either. I hated this.
Aiden squeezed my hand underneath the table. I looked up to see his doting eyes on me. I wanted to cry, but I choked back the emotion and immersed myself fully into this evening. Everything was perfect—well, almost. My parents weren’t here. I didn’t know if I was better off knowing the truth or not. I did know that I wished I could share this special time in my life with them.
I could easily picture my mom’s reaction to the proposal. She would have jumped up and down like an overly excited kid at Christmas, nearly severing my hand from my body once I’d shown her the gorgeous engagement ring. I imagined she would have hosted a family dinner—to celebrate the pending nuptials and to also become better acquainted with Aiden and his family. From what I’d been told, Mom was already quite fond of Aiden, so her growing rapport with him would have been fun to watch. She would have helped me try on wedding dress after wedding dress, while Sienna would have insisted nothing off the rack. Undoubtedly, Mom and Sienna would have had more than a few differences of opinions, which would have only added to my growing list of wedding woes. But I would have secretly loved every minute of it—I would have suffered through it all if it meant I had my mom.
And Dad would have liked Aiden, I was sure of it. Maybe not initially…and maybe not very much when I was dealing with the painful parts of our relationship. But once he saw how much Aiden loved and protected me, he would have given his support. He would have given Aiden the if you hurt my daughter again, I’ll hunt you down speech. He would have been the one walking me down the aisle tomorrow, instead of my sisters.
My parents would have sat in the front row, their eyes glistening with tears as they watched their firstborn committing herself to the one man who completed her. After the wedding, there would have been endless poses for pictures. I would have become agitated but Aiden’s stolen glances would have made it all seem painless. A pang of sadness hit my heart as I glanced around the table and continued my musings on all the things that would never be.
After dinner, everyone was busy drinking and mingling. The other guests who had been flown in from the States had arrived, and from the looks of it, most of them here tonight were enjoying the Italian wine and spirits.
I scanned the room, wondering where Aiden had wandered off to, and my breath caught when I saw him in what appeared to be a heated conversation with Kellan. Why had Aiden put forth the effort to bring Kellan here if he’d planned on doing this? I started toward them, as anger crept into the night that just a few moments ago, was almost perfect. How did he take me from one emotion to the next so drastically and so frequently?
“What’s going on?” I demanded when I’d reached them.
They both looked at me but said nothing.
I focused my upset toward Aiden. “Are you being rude to him?”
“He’s being the same jerk he always is,” Kellan said.
“Watch it. Don’t think that my asking you here has changed a damned thing,” Aiden said.
“Aiden. Why?” I asked. I didn’t understand why he’d do this. Why he’d do anything to ruin this night.
He exhaled in a rush and then his jaws flexed as he looked back at Kellan. “Why don’t you tell her?”
I looked at Kellan and wondered what he could possibly tell me that would cause a quarrel on tonight of al
l nights. “Tell me what? What is it?”
Kellan pulled his glare from Aiden’s face and looked down at me. “Your groom is not too fond of my choice of dates?”
“Date? Are you referring to person you told me about earlier?” I asked.
“So you already know?” Aiden asked. “Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“Aria knows there is someone, she just doesn’t know who the someone is,” Kellan said, his eyes still on mine.
“What am I missing?” I asked.
When Kellan didn’t respond, Aiden blurted out, “I walked in on him in bed with my sister.”
Wait. What? “Allison? Is she the person you’d told me about?” I asked, incredulous to the notion of them being intimate, let alone the act.
“No. It’s Sloan.” Kellan replied.
Kellan had sex with Sloan? What?
“Now do you understand why I’m being rude to your special guest? I told him this would upset you. And I’m not crazy about it myself. He was out of line. And I have a few choice words for my sister.”
“Hey. Leave her out of this,” Kellan said.
Aiden stepped closer to Kellan. “Who the fuck are you to tell me anything?”
“Aiden. Don’t. Please. People are starting to stare. Can I have a minute with Kellan?”
“Why?” Aiden asked as he and Kellan held their fighting stares.
“Because I need to speak with him…in private.”
Aiden’s brows scrunched in angry confusion as he looked at me, and then he shook his head and walked away, cursing under his breath. I knew this would mean a talk with him later, but it was obvious I couldn’t talk to Kellan with the potential of Aiden throwing a punch at any second.
“So Sloan is the person you met?” This felt wrong, but I didn’t quite understand why.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Why should I tell you, Aria? You’re marrying someone tomorrow, or did you forget?”
Kellan had never been cruel to me about Aiden. He never liked it, but he was never cruel. He was still hurt by my choices. I knew that, but I couldn’t believe he would purposely seek out Sloan to cause a problem between Aiden and me. “But Sloan is Aiden’s sister.”