by Phoebe Lane
"Of course, my mom still thinks I was just running away from things, not wanting to deal with what had happened with Christopher. And I can admit that I was, but only to a certain degree. I was just tired of living my life for other people. I had uprooted my life more than once to be there for people who just kept…leaving me."
The tide had continued to fall, and the water was now a few feet away from them. The sun was out, but hiding behind some clouds. Aislynn could hear the noises of the world as it woke up—the sound of cars on the street, dogs barking in the distance, and doors opening and closing in the houses behind them.
"Yesterday was hard for me because it was a reminder that I haven't healed completely. I've been trying so hard this past year to get healthy, to become strong enough to start over. I left Texas so that I could take some time for me, to figure things out and decide what kind of life I wanted to have."
Aislynn paused and thought of her best friend. "Ellie came back into my life in full force after things ended with Christopher. She brought all her sparkle along with her, and gave me the strength and hope to keep going," Aislynn said, spilling tears of happiness at that point. "Her coming back into my life had been the best thing that had happened to me in the last twelve months…until I met you."
Aislynn turned toward Jace and looked into his bright green eyes, bringing her hands up to his face. "I need you to understand that yesterday wasn't all about Christopher. It was about me and not being in the place I want to be yet." Jace put his hands over hers and brought them to his lips, kissing them softly and placing them on his lap.
"I struggle with…control," she continued. "I've had to live my life learning to control my emotions, learning to put aside my needs and my feelings because it was the only way to put up with my mom and her constant criticism. If I had let go of my self-control, if I hadn't learned to build all these walls around me, I would've never survived her.
"Then, to top it all off, I decided to go into a profession that demands I have absolute, full control of myself. I have to keep it together no matter what I see, or what I hear from my patients. That is my job. I…contain."
"How can I help you get where you want to be?" Jace asked.
"You already have. You have no idea how many doors you've been able to open for me without even trying. You're…you have…" Aislynn said, struggling with her words.
"Okay, this is going to sound really stupid, so humor me because it's really the best way I can explain it." Jace nodded and smiled softly. "You're like that allergy commercial, where the woman walks out into the garden, takes in the scenery, and makes you believe everything looks fine. But then, after she takes the medicine, the picture clears up, and all the colors pop out, becoming brighter and sharper," Aislynn said, taking in Jace's confused expression. "I had already started living my life in color again, but when you walked into it, the colors just exploded. You make my life brighter and in high definition."
"So you're trying to say I'm like your antihistamine?" Jace asked with a chuckle.
"I guess you are," Aislynn said and laughed.
Jace's smile faded but remained in his eyes. He brought his hand up to her chest and rested it over her heart. "I really hate that you've been through all that, babydoc. I'm sorry that the people who were supposed to love you and protect you have hurt you so much. I wish no one had ever had access to break this beautiful heart of yours," Jace said, and Aislynn felt her armor crack.
He kissed her softly, tenderly, and without urgency. They sat in silence, holding each other until their coffee turned ice cold and people started coming out of their homes and onto the beach, disrupting their little safe haven.
"I can't promise you that I'll never mess up and do something that will hurt you, but I'm going to try my very best to prevent it," he added. "You've got to do something for me, though."
"What's that?"
"You've got to let me in," he said softly. "You've got to put all these walls you’ve had to build around yourself down and give me a chance to be here for you."
"I will…I am," Aislynn said and hugged him tightly. "I'm really glad I told you all this."
"I am, too. Let's go home?" Aislynn nodded and held his hand as they got up and walked to the house. "We have my mom's benefit party tonight. You still feel like going?" Jace asked.
"Yeah, ‘cause Ellie is going to let me take away her chance to dress me up. I swear I'm like her life-size doll."
"Aren't you glad I chose this outfit for you? You can hide the bandage on your hand under the gloves," Ellie said.
"Yeah, it's perfect." Aislynn examined herself in the mirror and readjusted her dress. "Is it horrible that I’ve never watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s, yet I just absolutely adore this outfit?"
"We'll have to watch it on our next girls’ night, then."
"Another girls’ night, Ellie?" Aislynn asked, with doubt in her voice and an exaggerated roll of her eyes.
"No boys this time, I promise," she said with a playful smile. "We'll have plenty of time for that now, since I'll be in San Diego for the next few weeks."
Ellie and Aislynn had not discussed the details of what had happened the night before. When Aislynn came back to the apartment that morning, Ellie had welcomed her with a big hug and an unnecessary apology for not making it into town earlier to be with her. Aislynn felt truly blessed to have a friend like Ellie in her life.
"So, how did it go with Jace last night?" she gently asked.
"It was fine. I really hate that he saw me freak out, but I explained everything to him this morning as best I could."
Ellie abruptly stopped fixing her makeup, and looked up at Aislynn with suspicion. "What do you mean, 'as best I could'?" Aislynn tried to ignore the question by pretending to fix her tiara. "You told him about Christopher, right?"
"I did," Aislynn answered, but avoided eye contact with Ellie.
"But you didn't tell him everything about Christopher, did you?" Aislynn didn't have to answer. "You're walking a thin line there, Aislynn. This isn't going to end well," Ellie warned.
"I need some more time. Don't worry about it. It'll be fine. Let's just try to enjoy the party, okay?"
"Okay," Ellie said, clearly unconvinced. She reluctantly turned her attention back to her costume. "Now, how do I look?"
"Platinum blonde and hot pink looks great on you. Evan better bring the diamonds."
Jace dragged Aislynn into the back office as soon as she walked into Langley with Ellie.
"Jace, we really should get back to the party. Your parents are waiting for us, and…oh, God…" Aislynn trailed off, distracted by his mouth navigating the expanse of her neck. He kept flicking his tongue over the pulse in her jugular, and it drove her insane with pleasure.
"They'll be fine. I promise," he said and pinned her to the wall. She felt all the contours of his body pressing up against her.
"I didn't even get to say hello to them—" she added, but Jace interrupted her with a kiss. His tongue hungrily searched for hers, and Aislynn reveled in the sensation.
His lips eventually moved to her ear and bit it softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't get to do any of this earlier, and it's all I've been able to think about since you left the house," he said as he ran his hands down to her lower back.
"Okay, if you insist…"
"You look really amazing in that outfit, by the way," Jace said, referring to her Breakfast at Tiffany's costume, complete with long black dress, black gloves, pearl necklace, and tiara. "But, to be honest, I'm more curious about what you're wearing underneath."
He didn't let her respond. He covered her mouth with his again and kissed her, his tongue massaging hers with urgency. Her hands instinctively went up to his hair and pulled it softly. She didn't even feel the sting on her hand where the stitches were.
Aislynn finally pulled away to catch her breath and watched him stare at her expectantly. "Please say you're coming home with me tonight," he said.
Aislynn thought about it for a second, bu
t only to torture him. Deep in her heart, she already knew what she wanted to do. She was ready; it was time for her to take the next step with him.
"Yes," she whispered.
"All right. That's good," Jace said with a huge smile. "Let's go out there, then. Ready?"
The wine bar was alive with energy, laughter, and music. It had been rearranged to accommodate a small stage in the back corner of the main room, where a pianist was busy playing contemporary jazz pieces. Everyone was proudly wearing their "movie costumes," and most of them were easily recognizable. Aislynn immediately spotted Baby and Johnny from Dirty Dancing, Rose and Jack from Titanic, and Cecilia and Robbie from Atonement.
"Oh, sweetheart, you look fantastic!" Nina squealed and held Aislynn in a tight embrace.
"Thank you, but look at you! Sabrina is absolutely one of my favorite movies," she said, admiring Nina's long, black and white, strapless gown.
"It's one of my favorites, too. Plus," she said, whispering in her ear and motioning to her husband, who was quickly approaching them, "I've never been able to resist John in a white tux."
"Aislynn, it's so great to see you again. You look beautiful," he said.
"Thanks, Mr. Quinn," Aislynn said, feeling her face blush. These Quinn men really have an effect on me.
"Mr. Quinn is my father, and he wasn't a very nice man. It's John, please."
"All right, John."
A memory of Jace saying something similar to her the day they had met flashed in her mind as he gently squeezed her hand. It warmed her heart to realize that they were simultaneously thinking about the same unspoken memory. It made her feel connected to him.
"Nina, save me a dance for later," John said and kissed her cheek. "Excuse me, everyone, I want to go say hello to some people, and then convince them to donate obscene amounts of money tonight. Jace, you want to join me?"
"Coming, Dad," Jace said and turned to Aislynn. "Will you save a dance for me, too?"
She kissed him softly on the lips and nodded. She wasn't really that much into PDAs, but she couldn't resist herself even in front of his mom. Their conversation earlier that morning had sparked something inside her that she couldn't quite put her finger on yet.
I can't, or I won't?
"And be careful with that hand," he said, kissing her palm softly. Even through the fabric of her black gloves, she could feel her skin tingle.
What is this feeling?
"What happened to your hand, dear?" Nina asked, concern etched on her face.
"Oh, I cut myself yesterday and had to get some stitches."
Aislynn went on to tell her about her accident, leaving out the glorious details about her embarrassing meltdown. Evan and Ellie joined them at that point, and Aislynn felt grateful for the distraction.
"Ladies, you look fabulous!" Evan said.
"Thanks, Evan," Nina responded. "Did you go blonde just for this event, Ellie?"
"Not really. It was just time for a change. Besides, there's no way to pull off a Marilyn Monroe with any other hair color."
"And lucky for me, this blonde prefers this gentleman," Evan said, kissing her nose. "I'm just glad she only changes her hair color this fast."
"Aww, I would never trade you," Ellie said. "You're a keeper."
"Is everything okay?" Aislynn asked Nina as she anxiously scanned the room.
"I wonder where Tessa and Alex are. We're supposed to start the presentation here in a few minutes," she said.
"Oh, I just saw them walking in. Aislynn, you're really going to get a kick out of her costume," Evan said with a chuckle.
"Why is that?" Nina asked, as Aislynn turned toward the front door and caught sight of a statuesque Tessa walking in with her husband. She was dressed in a floor-length, scarlet red gown and white gloves. Alex looked dashing in a black, tailored tuxedo.
"Oh my God, it's Pretty Woman!" Aislynn said, throwing her head back in a laugh, and told everyone the embarrassing story of how Evan had saved her from the dirty, old, drunk man that had propositioned her the night they’d met.
Waiters walked by and served them all drinks, as Tessa and Nina excused themselves to take the stage. They first welcomed everyone, and then thanked Evan and Jace for sponsoring the event.
"Three years ago, I found myself waiting in a hospital room while my oldest son, Jace, was undergoing chemotherapy," Nina said, and Aislynn felt the acid in her stomach rise up and burn her chest, intensifying the sudden ache in her heart. She held on to Jace's hand and gently squeezed it under the table. She felt more like hugging him, but she told herself it wasn't the time or the place for that. She kept her eyes on Nina as she continued her speech.
"I met a lot of people in the hospital during that time, but I will never forget a young woman named Elizabeth. She was there with her eight-year-old daughter, Amy, who was also undergoing cancer treatments. One morning, Elizabeth came in looking very distressed, and she told me she had just been laid off from her job. Her boss had fired her because of all the time she had taken off to be with her daughter in the hospital.
"While Elizabeth took care of her daughter away from home, her husband had to care for their two other small children. He was having to miss a lot of work and was on the verge of losing his job as well. No jobs meant no insurance for her family, and hence no way to continue Amy's treatments. She felt truly lost." Nina became very emotional at this point, and Tessa had to continue the speech for her.
"Soon after, Nina approached me about Elizabeth's situation and decided it was imperative we step in and help," Tessa continued. "We reached out to our family and friends, and they helped us collect donations to assist Elizabeth’s family. Today, Amy is a healthy eleven-year-old girl who enjoys school and can't wait to be a teenager. With the help they received, Elizabeth and her husband were able to dedicate all their energy and effort into caring for Amy and their other kids, without having to worry so much about their financial situation."
"This family is just one of many that face this problem every day," Nina continued. "This organization was created on behalf of my son and to benefit families like Elizabeth's. Your presence here tonight helps tremendously, but I encourage everyone to give as much as you can." Nina searched through the audience and locked eyes with Jace, as a soft smile spread across her lips and tears sprung to her eyes. "And when you go home tonight, remember to kiss and hug your loved ones, because every single day counts."
Everyone clapped and cheered, but Aislynn had no time for that. She impulsively put her hands around Jace's neck and kissed him. She didn't care about the people around her; she didn't care that she was being so emotional in front of his family and friends. She needed to feel him, touch him, hug him, and convince herself that he was fine.
"I'm okay, babydoc. I'm here. Please, don't cry," Jace said, wiping her tears away, and kissing her over and over, not letting go of her until she did. Aislynn hadn't even realized she had been crying.
"Damn it, Mom gets me every time with that speech," she heard Alex, Mr. Tough Guy, say. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he was wiping his eyes with his napkin as he stood up and left the table.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry," she whispered to Jace, who smiled sweetly at her.
She felt Ellie nudge her under the table and grab her hand. "Are you okay?" she asked softly in Aislynn’s ear.
She warned me about this. She said it would be hard.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said and turned to Jace. "I'm going to the restroom to get myself back together. I'll be right back."
"Do you want me to go with you?" they both asked in unison, clearly worried, but for two very different reasons.
"No, I'll be fine. Thanks, though."
The energy in the room picked back up as the music played, and the waiters lined up to serve their first course.
As Aislynn made her way to the restroom, she spotted Tessa talking to Alex in the back of the room. She looked upset, and it was obvious that Alex was trying to calm her down. Evan then joined them, and th
ey all scanned the room for something…or someone. Whatever was going on, they didn't look happy to be dealing with it.
She took some time in the restroom to freshen up her makeup and collect herself. She was really surprised by how overwhelmed with emotion she'd become. Elizabeth's story had been incredibly moving, but it was the thought of losing Jace that had made her lose her composure. And now that she had shared with him more details about her past, it was even harder to imagine not having him in her life. The mere thought petrified her.
Aislynn left the restroom feeling calmer, but as soon as she opened the door, she ran into trouble. Tessa was in the hallway outside of the restroom arguing with a tall, beautiful, dark-haired woman dressed as Rene Russo's character in The Thomas Crown Affair.
"Why the hell are you here?" Tessa asked the woman. Her tone was harsh and accusatory, her voice brittle as ice. She had both hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.
"Listen, I know you're mad at me, and you have plenty of reasons to be upset, but I'm not here to explain myself to you. I'm here to talk to Jace," the woman said. Her face was pained and her eyes looked apologetic.
"Of all the places and the times you could've chosen to do this, you pick this one! Are you out of your freaking mind?" Tessa demanded.
Aislynn quietly stood by the bathroom door, trying to figure out what was going on. Her sharpened instincts kicked in immediately and helped her put two and two together. This puzzle wasn't that hard to figure out, really.
Tessa...angry...woman...here for Jace...this must be—
"Chloe?" Jace asked with a trembling voice, suddenly appearing in the hallway to her left.
It's her, Aislynn thought, as a sharp pain stabbed her in the chest.
"Jace," Chloe said, letting out a deep sigh. "I need to talk to you."
"What are you doing here?" he asked, but didn't give her time to answer. "This isn't the place for this, Chloe. We have nothing to talk about."