Love Me? The Trust Me? Trilogy

by K E Osborn

  I hear the elevator chime, and I know our families are arriving. Firstly, Mom arrives. I hear her talking to Aiden, the bedroom door opens, and Mom walks into the room. She looks at me and exhales and I can feel tears forming in my eyes. She walks over to me and sits on the edge of the bed.

  "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry." She leans in to cuddle me. I hold on to my mom tightly. I start to cry uncontrollably in her arms as she rocks me back and forth.

  "It's okay, sweetheart, let it all out."

  I hear the elevator chime again. She holds on to me tightly while I continue to cry in her arms. Aiden walks in and winces when he sees how inconsolable I am. He shuts the door to let me have time with my mom. He tends to the other family members who are arriving periodically.

  Eventually I stop crying and embrace my mom.

  "Sweetheart, I know this is a terrible time for you both. I'd never wish this upon anyone, but you can try again. Maybe later on down the road, when you're both more settled and ready for a baby." I know she's trying to make me see that there's hope for a baby in our future. She kisses me atop my head. "You know I love you, right?"

  I nod in response.

  "Trust me when I say it'll get better. It'll take time, and it's normal to mourn the loss of something so special, but it will get better. I promise you."

  I nod, and she exhales.

  "I'll let you rest."

  She walks out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. I hear all the people in the living room with Aiden, but I can't face them. I can't face their sympathetic eyes, and I'm-sorry-for-your-loss bullshit. How would they even know what it's like?

  I cuddle up to Mr. Snuggles again and continue to stare at nothing. I can hear Aiden talking to them. "Excuse me; I'm going to check on Jeni." He walks in and shuts the door behind him. I look over at him. "Are you sure you don't want to come out and say hi to everyone? They're all worried about you, especially Brielle and Sarah."

  I look at him and sigh. He walks toward the edge of the bed and sits down next to me as he plays with my hair.

  His hand brushes my cheek. "You know how much I adore you?"

  I sigh and sit up on the bed. "I know, love you too. Maybe I could see Bree?" I ask quietly leaning into his chest.

  "I'll get her for you." He kisses my forehead and walks out.

  I sit on the edge of the bed with my knees up to my chest. The door opens slightly, and Bree pops her head around the corner. She comes in, shutting the door behind her.

  "Hi, Jeni, how are you feeling?"

  "I'm alright, thanks."

  She sits on the edge of the bed next to me. Resting her hand on my knee, she looks at me with those sympathetic eyes. The look I was trying to avoid. I don't want pity.

  "I'm so sorry, Jeni."

  My eyes well up with tears again, when she leans in and hugs me. I decide to talk to her about what happened.

  "Bree."

  "Yeah?"

  "Can I tell you something and you won't tell anyone?"

  She looks at me curiously. "Um, yes?"

  "I think ... I think I was pulled down the ladder."

  "Pulled?"

  "Yes, down the ladder at the office."

  "By who?"

  I decide to tell her everything I remember.

  "Alistair was with me when the fire alarm went off. He asked me to climb up the ladder to get down a box in the kitchen. I felt dizzy while I was on the ladder, and he pulled at my top, and I fell."

  Bree gasps while she listens closely to what I say about her father.

  "Oh my god, Jeni! Are you sure?"

  "He saw me hurt on the floor. He told me to stop complaining and get up, and then he left me there." Tears fall down my face when memories of the pain come flooding back.

  Bree looks at me, bewildered as she takes in everything I've said.

  "You must tell Aiden, Jeni, and you have to tell him now."

  I shake my head. Has she heard nothing I've said?

  "No! This will end their relationship. I don't want to be the cause of the father-son bond being broken. I'd never forgive myself if he ended up being estranged from his father, all because I said something about this to him. I know what it's like not having a father in my life, and I don't want him to suffer the same fate as me, even though our child is now gone because of Alistair."

  "You know this puts me in a difficult position. I do understand where you're coming from though. This news would break Aiden's heart and would definitely end their relationship, especially if he knew that father did this to both of you." She hugs me while I cry. It feels good finally talking to someone about it.

  She exhales and shakes her head. "God, I could kill him for this. I can't believe he pulled you off the ladder and then left you there."

  "Shh, I don't want them to hear."

  Aiden opens the door and looks in. I'm worried that he might have overheard. He walks in and sits on the bed next to Bree.

  "How's my girl doing?" Aiden asks Bree.

  She wipes a tear from my cheek with her thumb. "She's going to be fine." She pats my knee.

  He leans over and kisses me. Brielle stands up and goes to walk out.

  "Thanks for letting me vent," I call out, and she closes the door behind her.

  Aiden moves in close to me. "I want to take you away from all the stresses so we can start to move on and you can relax. I know that we can't forget what happened to our baby, but we can move past this and on to the rest of our lives. We'll have children in our future, and I very much look forward to that day, but for now, baby, I think we should just go away. You and me, for a week or so, to relax and be together. What do you think?"

  The thought of seeing Alistair again makes me feel physically sick, so I quickly agree. I need some time away from him, and this is exactly what I need.

  "Sounds perfect."

  "Do you think you could come out to see everyone? I know they want to see you."

  I see in his eyes that he needs me. I decide hesitantly to go out and see everyone. We walk out of the bedroom hand in hand; everyone looks at me exactly how I knew they would, with sympathetic eyes and saddened faces. I accept hugs from everyone but stay close to him the entire time, never letting go of his hand while everyone makes small talk.

  Sarah comes over and hugs me tightly, and I hug her back. She doesn't say anything, which is perfect. She knows me so well.

  Everyone starts to leave. They all give a final goodbye hug. I exhale when the elevator doors close for the last time, taking the last of our family and friends down to their cars. I turn to look at him.

  "You did great. I'm so proud of you. I know how hard that was for you."

  "Proud of me?"

  "Yes, you did so well with everyone here, considering I didn't think you would even come out at all."

  I sigh and snuggle into his chest. "I didn't think I'd come out either." I look at the gift baskets on the coffee table.

  "Jeni, we'll leave in the morning and come back next Thursday. Are you happy with that?"

  "Where are we going?"

  "Leave that to me. Have you got your passport?"

  "Yes, it's in the bedroom."

  "Good. You'll need it tomorrow. It's a surprise."

  I shake my head and walk back to the bedroom. It'll be our first vacation together. He brings his laptop and walks into the bedroom with me. I lay on the bed while he sits planning our secret trip.

  ***

  Aiden is packing a suitcase for each of us. I smile at his enthusiasm while he neatly folds the clothes and places them in the suitcase gently. He looks startled to see me when he walks back out with more clothes.

  "Hey, beautiful."

  I sigh. I don't feel like going anywhere. I'd rather stay here and wallow in our bed, with him cuddling me. I still feel weak, but I help him pack.

  "How are you feeling?" he asks wrapping his arm around my waist.

  "A little tired and sore, but I'm okay."

  "We better hurry, Jeni. We have to le
ave in ten minutes for the airport."

  My eyes widen in shock, because we don't have much time. I put on a flowing summer dress; I don't want any pressure on my stomach.

  Aiden takes both suitcases to the elevator, and we make our way to Mike's car.

  "Can you tell me where we are going?"

  He pulls me into a cuddle. "Vienna."

  "Vienna, as in Austria, like in The Sound of Music?"

  "Yes, it's a very romantic city. I thought it would be ... right for us." He pulls my head close to his and kisses me. I giggle for the first time in days. I feel excited.

  * * *

  We land at Vienna International Airport in the late afternoon; we make our way through customs and out to the baggage area of the airport. There is a chauffer waiting for us, with a sign saying O'Connell.

  "Guten Tag, Mr. O'Connell," he says to Aiden.

  "Good day, call me Aiden, and this is Jeni."

  "Sehr gut, mein name ist Jörg. Aiden and Jeni, if you would like to follow me," he says with a German accent. He takes my suitcase and starts to walk. I look at Aiden for an explanation.

  "He said very good, my name is Jörg, and you understood the rest," he whispers to me. I walk next to him as we reach a black stretch limousine.

  It's freezing! Aiden puts his jacket around me as Jörg puts the suitcases in the trunk and opens the door for us. I slide into the back of the limousine and see that the roof is lit with tiny blue and purple lights. The bar on the side has neon tube lighting around the edges of it. It's almost like a miniature nightclub. He slides in next to me.

  "We're heading to our hotel first. We're staying at the Hotel de France Wien; it was built in 1872."

  "You seem to know a lot about Vienna."

  "Yeah, I've been here a few times with the family."

  "Tell me more about our hotel."

  "It's five-star. It's located on the elegant Ringstraße Boulevard in the center of Vienna. I know you'll love it." He pulls me in for a deep kiss.

  I still feel weak, but I manage to keep up with Aiden.

  We arrive at our hotel; I step out of the limousine to see a large historical building with flags out the front and a giant revolving door. Jörg takes both our bags, and we walk through to the main foyer. The pictures on the wall make for good viewing while he checks us in. He walks over and leads me to an elevator. We make our way to our room, the bellhop taking our bags for us.

  "I didn't realize it'd be so cold."

  "Yes, it's a lot warmer in Mornington Vale, than it is in most of Europe this time of year."

  We walk into our room, and it's stunning. Everything is big. The bed is king-sized, and the room is large with a sofa and a TV in the main living room and an en-suite off to the side. There is a mini bar fridge, and the room is lovely and warm, heated from the bitter cold outside.

  The bellhop places our bags on the bed and leaves so we are alone together in our suite. He walks over to me and leads me to the window. We look outside. The city skyline is simply breathtaking.

  We decide to spend the rest of the day in the suite, ordering room service. Lying on the bed next to him, I start to unwind from the stresses of the past few days. I snuggle into his chest while we watch some show on TV. I can't understand a word of it. Aiden can pick up words here and there, but he doesn't know German fluently. It's nice to just be together, alone.

  ***

  Aiden gets up out of bed, puts on some boxer shorts, and opens the door to a waiter who is serving our breakfast.

  I'm quite hungry. I take a sip of my orange juice and start to eat the delicious breakfast in front of me.

  We decide to go to the Donau Park, which is on the north bank of the Danube River. We put on our warm winter clothes and make our way down to the lobby, where Jörg is waiting for us.

  "Guten Tag, Aiden and Jeni," Jörg says as we slide into the limousine.

  We drive to the park, and on exiting the limousine, I see a mini train that tourists are riding, a giant chessboard, a tennis park, and a skater park. There's a bike path and even a small zoo. I stand in awe then we start to walk through the wonderful park. He takes my frozen hand in his to warm it up. We walk around and come across a horse-drawn carriage. He walks up to the driver and asks if we can have a ride. I walk over to them, and then he helps me into the carriage. The horses are a magnificent pure white, and their manes are plaited, making them look elegant and beautiful.

  The carriage is open, and when the carriage driver tells the horses to move, it starts to snow, softly and lightly. I look at him and almost squeal with excitement because I've never seen snow before.

  "Oh my god, it's snowing," I say holding out my hand to catch the tiny icy pieces of confetti-shaped snow. Aiden wraps his arm around me as we travel around the park in the carriage with the soft gentle snow falling on us. It catches on my eyelashes; it's so lovely.

  "This is very romantic."

  He leans in and kisses me. "Only the best for my girl, how are you feeling?" he asks cautiously.

  "I'm fine. I must admit being in Vienna with you is way better than being at work." It's fantastic being away from Alistair, but of course, I leave that out. He holds me tight. I start to shiver as the carriage makes it way back. We get out of the carriage and thank the driver.

  We walk hand in hand into a little gift shop, where they have souvenirs and various things for tourists. We look around the small shop, and I find a matching set of gloves, scarf, and beanie. I pick them up and walk around the shop to find Aiden, who has wandered off looking at snow globes. I walk up behind him and put my arms around him, embracing him from behind. He chuckles and turns to face me.

  "Do you think Bree would like this?" he asks, showing me a snow globe of a Ferris wheel.

  "It's gorgeous, but ... what is it?"

  "It's the Ferris wheel at The Prater, which is a massive amusement park in Vienna."

  "I think she'll love anything you give her."

  I feel emotional and lean up and kiss him.

  "What was that for?"

  "Because you're the best partner a girl could wish for. You've been so supportive the last few days, and I truly am thankful."

  "I'll always support you. I love you so much, and even though we've lost something special, it doesn't mean that we have to deny ourselves happiness."

  In that moment, I realize I am happy, not joyfully or blissfully happy, but happy to be here with my man.

  We buy souvenirs for everyone. He takes the tags off my newly purchased scarf, beanie, and gloves and helps me put them on. He puts his arm around me before we head outside. We spend the rest of the day wandering hand in hand around the park while snow softly falls.

  We make our way back to the hotel. The heated room instantly warms me when we walk in and close the door. I take off my scarf, gloves, and beanie, followed by my jacket, and place them on the sofa as Aiden runs us a bath. He walks back into the room and over to me, taking my hands.

  "If you don't mind, I'd like to do that."

  I giggle and drop my hands to my sides. He seductively takes off my clothing for me. I lean toward him and start to undo his jacket. He shuffles out of it, and it falls to the floor. I continue by pulling his hooded sweater over his head and then pull his shirt off, and his masculine bare chest is showing. I move my hands down to his jeans and undo the button and fly. His jeans drop to the floor, freeing his erection. I giggle at him; he's always ready to go.

  "Babe, don't get too excited. Remember the nurse said we can't make love for a week or so after ..."

  "She said we can't have intercourse. She never said anything about foreplay." He pulls down my underwear so I'm naked in front of him. He bends down and cradles me to his chest and he lifts me up. I squeal as he carries me to the bathroom.

  He puts me down in front of the bathtub, and he slowly enters the water, leaning back against the bath. He taps his legs for me to sit in with him. I step in front of him and lie down so my back is against his chest. He moves his arms a
round me, holding on to me in a bear hug, kissing me atop my head. This feels good; I relax as the soft bubbles surround my body. He gently kisses my cheek. He slowly moves his hands to my breasts and massages softly. I relax my head back into his shoulder and enjoy Aiden's touch while he massages and twirls his finger around my nipple.

  I feel relaxed as he works his way down my body, massaging slowly and tenderly, until his hand is down there. I close my eyes. He slowly massages me and the muscles in my core react, aching and pulsating at his touch. He moves his finger down to circle on my clitoris as he starts to kiss my neck. I swallow and start to breathe heavier while his finger continues its movement. His lips graze my ear, gently tugging on my earlobe with his teeth and sending a shiver down my spine. I start to moan as he moves fast but gently on my clitoris, making my breathing quicken.

  "Mmm," I murmur. He continues to kiss my ear and then tugs gently. He moves in circles over my clitoris.

  "Tell me if I'm hurting you," he whispers in my ear. I moan in response. My head falls back onto his shoulder as the tantalizingly slow motions make me shudder with want. He moves a little quicker, making me moan again.

  "Oh, Aiden." I start to feel the heat rising, and my back arches and my breathing hitches, his finger moves quicker.

  "Come for me, baby," he whispers in my ear.

  I ache all the way to my lower stomach. I feel it hit me, and I hold my breath.

  "Ahh," I call out. His fingers move quicker until I convulse around him and scream out his name. "Aiden!"

  He kisses my neck as I fall from the high. My breathing is erratic and unsteady. I lean my back into his chest. My breathing eases when he wraps his arms around my waist, holding me to him. I feel his erection poking into my back. I can't help but laugh as I feel it.

  "What's funny?" he asks, almost sounding as though he's insulted.

  "No, no, babe, that was great. I'm laughing at you poking me in the back." I sit up and turn around in the bath to face him, splashing water on the floor. "Oops."

  I move to the other end of the tub and rest against the back of it. I gesture for him to sit against me. He turns in the tub, spilling more water over the side and making us both laugh. He leans his back against my chest and rests his head against my shoulder. He moves his face to the side for me to kiss him, which I do. I wrap my hands around his waist and cuddle into him while he rests against me.