by Rene Folsom
Coda offered to carry my portfolio as we walked out of the dean’s office, and I gladly let him. The damn thing was heavy. At least my camera bag had a strap.
“That went well,” Coda said after we were halfway across the campus. “Julia, you did a wonderful job.”
“Fuck me. Let’s just hope I don’t have to go through that again,” I said sternly. “It killed me to deny…” Pausing, I looked around to see if anyone else was within earshot. “It killed me to deny you, Aiden.”
“I know what you mean,” Aiden said, finally speaking as he walked with his hands in his pockets and his head down. “I almost quit.”
“Screw that, bro. I wouldn’t have let you do that.”
“I wonder if we can play hooky for the rest of the day,” Aiden asked as he looked over in my direction.
“I’m cool with it,” I answered. “Coda, do you have to get back to work?”
“Nope. I set aside the entire day for this.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, stopping in the middle of the courtyard and causing them to turn and look at me. “You guys knew this was happening today and you didn’t bother to tell me?”
“We didn’t want you to worry. You’ve already been through so damn much, A… Julia,” Aiden said, stuttering over my nickname before correcting himself. “We figured we could handle it without you.”
“Well, when you weren’t in class and I couldn’t get ahold of either one of you, I was flipping my lid. I thought something happened. You guys want me to spill my problems to you and give you nothing but honesty, I expect the same in return,” I demanded as I began walking again.
“Fair enough,” Coda said.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. We should’ve told you,” Aiden agreed.
“Good. Now that we’re clear on that, what do you guys want to do instead of school and work? I can’t skip work tonight, but I’m free until about five.”
“I’ve been wanting to take you to the art museum for the latest exhibit. They’re featuring 19th century French pieces, and I thought you’d really enjoy it,” Aiden explained.
“God, I wish I could kiss you right now. That sounds absolutely perfect. Let’s go.”
My footsteps echoed off the vast wood floors as the three of us walked into the large entrance of the art museum. Pausing in the foyer, I took a moment to breathe in the new air. The large, quiet atmosphere was like a sanctuary to me. I felt like I could escape all my troubles in a place where few talked and many admired the beauty all around.
Aiden and Coda understood my need for separation. Any other time, I would’ve craved their company. Even though I didn’t need the validation, I often desired having people around me. Who wouldn’t enjoy the company of those they love?
Walking through the halls, I took my time and appreciated each piece as if it were the only work of art my eyes would see in their lifetime. The moments of solitude gave me time to be myself. I didn’t have to put on a strong face in a place where there were no expectations of me. The artwork that hung on these otherwise barren walls never judged for one’s past transgressions. Falsities and pretending to be okay in a life of ruin wasn’t necessary in the face of art.
Was my life really a ruin though? Yeah, things had become extremely fucked up over the past few weeks, and I sure as hell felt like giving up on more than one occasion. But even though I battled with putting the pieces of my life back together, I knew deep down I had to continue putting one foot in front of the other.
As I did just that, placing each step in front of me and continuing forward at a slow pace, I was suddenly pushed back by the sight before me.
My breath caught in my chest and emotions threatened to overwhelm me once again. Aware my love for art would be my strength and the creativity that surrounded me would never criticize me for my actions, I inhaled a deep, cleansing breath. Closing my eyes, I took control of my reactions before gifting myself with the magnificence that hung in front of my trembling form.
“It’s the match,” I whispered. I wanted so badly to reach out and touch it, feel the brass with my own fingers, and make sure it was real—that I wasn’t just dreaming it.
After looking at every intricate detail, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror that paired the one Aiden bought for me. Instead of seeing the battered woman I had been so obsessed with, I saw strength—perseverance. I glimpsed at the woman I wanted to be, rather than the broken person I had been living as. I knew then that time could never erase the memories. The presence of my pain would always linger, but would not consume me.
Turning abruptly to find Aiden, I ran into a wall of muscle. His scent was my first trigger, his familiar arms my second.
Aiden.
“Isn’t it perfect?” he whispered into my ear.
Looking up at him, I allowed him to brush a curl out of my face before I spoke. “You knew about this?”
The gorgeous man who held me just nodded and graced me with his award-winning smile. Without removing myself from his arms, I turned my head to look at the mirror once more. The loose sweater I wore fell from my shoulder, revealing just a hint of my wings. The diamonds from my bracelet shimmered as the overhead lighting kissed its surface.
Aiden lightly brushed my hair to the side, revealing more of my angel. His fingertips sweeping across my skin sent a shiver down my spine. Such delicious torment.
Staring at our reflection made me realize I had forgotten the true meaning of my ink. I thought I needed some distraction from my silent memories. I assumed I needed my recollections to seep through my veins and leave my soul barren in order to be released from the wreckage that was my life.
The reality was, I didn’t need to make myself feel empty—void of all the emotion the nightmares brought forth. In order for me to feel weightless and find some peace, I needed to draw upon the strength I had gathered for myself so long ago. If the sadness was determined to bring me to my knees, I needed to be confident that I could pick myself up again.
I also came to the realization that I was honored with two glorious men who could pick up the slack when I lacked the might to do so myself.
Coda’s face appeared on the other side of mine and his hand brushed the small of my back. With a gentle feathering, he found my hand pressed against Aiden and laced his fingers with mine before placing a small kiss to the top of my head.
There we stood, in the middle of a fancy art museum, staring at our reflection in a mirror made for a queen.
“We love you, Angel,” Aiden whispered.
“Hell yeah, we do,” Coda followed.
A gasp was the only sound that left my lips as I listened to those wonderful words echo from their lips—words I had been waiting to receive my entire life.
Hearing those three words made me confident I could survive anything.
Epilogue
About a year later.
Something tickling my nose woke me from a deep, dreamless sleep. Squinting from the morning sun, I looked down to see Aiden’s head pressed against my bare chest, his messy morning-hair tickling my face in the process. Without moving my head, I glanced to my right and realized Coda had his face nuzzled right in the crook of my neck.
I couldn’t help myself—I started to giggle. The feel of Aiden’s hair and Coda’s nose suddenly tickled my skin, causing me to writhe beneath their strong bodies pressed hard to mine.
“Mmm. Is that an angel I hear?” Coda mumbled against my neck, making me wiggle and laugh with even more intensity than before.
“Sounds like an entire choir of angels, Coda,” Aiden replied, holding me down and forcing me to fall victim to their playful torment.
“You two are going to make me piss the bed if you keep it up!” I squealed just before twisting my body free from their muscular shackles and bolting to the bathroom. I didn’t even bother to shut the door as I relieved myself.
“Hey, I thought you got on us for never shutting the door when we pee?” Coda hollered out.
Ignoring him, I quickly f
inished my business, brushed my teeth, and made my way back to the two naked men waiting for me in bed.
“You keep walking around here in your birthday suit, Julia, and we’re going to be forced to repeat last night—over and over again,” Aiden warned.
“Shit, Aiden. I’m convinced you two are trying to kill me,” I scolded while climbing back under the warm covers, my muscles protesting from last night’s fuck-fest.
“Well, we’d fuck you again, beautiful Juliana, but we actually have a surprise for you today and need to head out soon. So, get ready,” Coda demanded.
“Ooh. I like surprises.” Honestly, I didn’t really care for anyone fussing over me. But, after being with Aiden and Coda for nearly a year, I knew they did it for pure enjoyment, not approval. They knew they already had my heart, the rest was just gravy.
While in the jeep, on our way to God knows where, I thought back over the past year. Coda turned my legal case over to one of his colleagues because of his personal involvement with me. He knew a jury wouldn’t take him entirely serious because of his individual hatred toward Rob. After the incident with the school officials, everyone in town knew Coda and I were an item.
Rob got what was coming to him. The fact my parents were forced to see the photographs, proving the torment and agony that man put me through, was just icing on the cake. Their pleads for forgiveness came a few months after the trial, once the shock factor wore off, and they could see me for who I really was—their flesh and blood. I still kept my distance, never fully trusting their motives. At least we were back on speaking terms and could begin to heal.
Sean finally popped the question and asked Sid to marry him. She was insisting on a long engagement, which was typical of her. She still held the fear that everything she cared for would eventually disappear—a fear that had been rooted in her soul since her parents’ tragic death many years ago. Thankfully, Sean was patient and accepting of her wishes. He was also very grateful she finally agreed to move in with him.
Even though their agreement ended several months prior, Aiden and Tanya stayed legally married a little while longer, mostly for appearance sake. Tanya and I became thicker than thieves and were nearly inseparable while I wasn’t working or in school.
As for me, I’d been taking life one day at a time. Thankfully, Ann and Bri were more than understanding when it came to my erratic behavior at the time of my downfall. They’ve been nothing but supportive, and I learned for the first time what a true family feels like.
Waking up next to Aiden and Coda every morning sure made dealing with the past that much easier. They were the true definition of beauty and strength, both inside and out.
“Earth to Julia! We’re here,” Coda said as he held his hand out for me. Helping me down from the tall jeep, I was gifted with a breathtaking, yet quick kiss to the lips.
Leading me toward an unmarked building located just on the outskirts of the university, Aiden and Coda’s excitement was almost palpable.
“What are you two up to?” I asked with a wary glance in both their directions.
“You’ll see,” Aiden said, his grin never faltering. Approaching a set of glass doors, Aiden flipped open a plastic box to reveal a keypad. Punching in the numbers 0-3-0-5 produced an audible click just before Coda reached for the door handle.
“Zero three zero five?” I questioned, wondering what the numbers meant.
“The day we met,” Aiden responded with a wink as he guided me through the doors with his hand.
“Well, isn’t that romantic of you,” I joked. Really, it wasn’t a joke at all. His thoughtfulness always managed to tug at my heartstrings. The fact he had a custom key code to enter this building suddenly made me realize this was a much bigger surprise than I initially anticipated.
Before I could question my suspicions, Coda flicked the lights on. I gasped and nearly fell back on my ass at the sight before me.
I stared in awe at a large room with vaulted ceilings and walls perfect for hanging art. Track lighting beamed down in a strategic fashion, causing the walls to have a patterned glow.
“Wow, you guys. This is gorgeous. Is this a new gallery in town?”
“Wait, we’re not done with the tour yet,” Coda said.
“We still have a ways to go, Angel.”
Leading me into a room on our left, Aiden kicked on the lights to reveal an entire row of brand new potters wheels along with several worktables and shelves for clay building. All I could do was gape in surprise. I was literally speechless with the realization of what they were showing me.
Across the main room was another classroom with high top worktables and easels suitable for various types of art classes. After taking a peek into another workroom and stockroom, I was nearly ready to speak when Aiden said he had one more surprise.
“The best part is toward the back,” he said, gesturing toward a long hallway. Venturing down the hall, we peeked in on the first room that was filled with a row of brand new iMacs, light tables, and lab tables.
“Oh, Aiden! This is too much,” I mumbled with my hands covering my mouth in amazement.
“He’s not done yet, Jules,” Coda whispered in my ear, while pulling at my waist for me to come back out into the hallway. Following Aiden with Coda trailing behind, we peeked in on a darkroom and development room. I couldn’t believe how beautiful and pristine all the equipment was.
Tears began to well in my eyes at the thought of what all this meant. Leading me out into the main gallery area, Aiden and Coda clutched both my hands, as if they knew I would float away at any moment.
Before I could force my voice to function through my astonishment, I noticed a lone pedestal positioned in the center of the room with an overhead spotlight illuminating its location. I specifically remember the center of the room being empty. The pedestal wasn’t there when we walked in.
Looking at Aiden, and then to Coda, I released their hands and walked over to the pedestal with slow precision. Centered on the top was a small ceramic angel—a cherub that looked strikingly similar to the figures that adorned my mirror.
My excitement was probably obvious as I grinned like a fool.
“It’s beautiful,” I complimented as I reached out to touch the beautiful figurine.
“Open it,” Aiden coaxed.
“Open?” I questioned with confusion. Looking closer, I noticed it was a small round box with the angel sitting on its lid. “Oh…”
Carefully, I picked up the small, ceramic box and began cracking the lid. Even though I had no idea what to expect, my stomach still jumped around like a bunch of tiny firecrackers had been lit in my abdomen.
After lifting the lid completely, the contents startled me and I dropped the beautiful, angelic lid. Thankfully, Aiden was standing beside me and caught my angel with a quick flick of his wrist.
Looking back at the contents of the box, I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.
“Oh, my God,” I gasped. First I looked at Aiden, who was grinning from ear to ear, then I looked at Coda, who knelt before me, looking up at me with nothing but love in his eyes.
“Juliana Petersen, I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life wrapped in the arms of an Angel. I love you.” Taking the box from my hands, he removed the ring and began placing it on my finger. “Will you marry me?”
Tears clouded my vision as I attempted to look at the ring wrapped around my finger. It was a beautiful platinum band with a princess-cut diamond in the center and two pear-shaped rubies on either side, making it look like the ring had wings.
Did I want to say yes to Coda without discussing this with Aiden? I’d never really thought about which one of them I would marry and, it wasn’t like Aiden was legally available to marry me anyway. Still, this was not something I should just jump in and answer without voicing my concerns. But, would Coda think my hesitation was because I didn’t want to say yes?
“Aiden?” I said. My voice sounded so weak and frightened, even though I was really nothi
ng but excited, albeit a tad confused.
“Don’t worry about me, Angel mine. Just follow your heart,” he said, answering my silent question.
“Then… yes,” I whispered. Clearing my throat, I strengthened my answer, affirming just how much I meant it. “Yes!”
Like a bolt of lightning, Coda leapt up and captured me around my waist, picking me up and planting a harsh, passionate kiss against my lips. The action had me giggling, all while tears still slid down my face. Once my feet were back on the ground, Aiden dove in for a heated, no-holds-barred kiss.
Once free from the dual-Stone lip lock, I was finally able to take a breath.
“Aiden. Coda. Just because I’m marrying one of you doesn’t mean anything is going to change between the three of us, is it?”
“Don’t you worry about anything changing,” Aiden assured.
“Yep. The only thing you have to think about is what to name your new studio,” Coda joked with a smile.
“Oh, I already know what the name will be. I’ve known for damn near a year now.”
Both men loosened their hold on me and backed away with amused, expectant looks on their faces.
“Cornerstone Studios.”
Bonus Chapters: Aiden Stone
First four chapters of Shuttered Affections in Aiden Stone’s point of view.
Chapter 1
“Wide, beautiful green eyes stared at me, burrowing under my skin and into my soul.”
I barely made it to the photography lab on time and irritation chaffed at my insides as I thought about the ignorant administrators of this school. They knew I was starting as an adjunct professor this morning, yet they completely dropped the ball when it came to my parking permit and professor identification card.
Annoyance caused me to twitch as I stood there staring at an imbecile sitting behind a desk.
The redhead in charge of making sure all my shit was in order was trying relentlessly to flirt with me, but I was way too pissed to even attempt polite indifference. She wasn’t even my type, not to mention the fact that she totally botched my first day. Honestly, she had absolutely no chance with me on so many levels.