Her Charming Secret (15 page)

“I don’t know, Matt. Aubrey can choose a good name,” Aiden replied as he took the puppy from him. “It’s time for you to go home, champ. You will love your new friend,” he said to the pup.

They thanked Matt for looking after the puppy and mostly because he kept it a secret from Alex. Saying goodbye they took the puppy home. Adele had to hold him tightly in her arms as he kept jumping. By the time they got home Aubrey was awake. Alex’s car was also parked in the driveway. So the whole gang was here already. It was going to be hard to sneak in with the puppy so Adele went inside while Aiden was going to go in from the backdoor and they slowly managed to distract everyone and take the puppy upstairs.

When Adele walked up towards her room where they had already hidden a basket for the puppy, Aiden called her.

“Ady, look . . . he fell asleep,” Aiden grinned. He looked absolutely cute. Aiden placed the small basket near the bed and they walked outside. There was still time for the party and they had to do few last minute arrangements.

The cake was hidden, so Aubrey had no clue about it; she was busy talking to Aiden about her new teacher, who had said that a happy family was a loving family. So there she sat on his lap, explaining all about the happy family. Alex looked like he needed sleep, and as for poor Ashton, he looked as if someone scared the hell out of him.

“That bull woke me up,” he said as he sat next to Adele. “The bull called Alex. He shook my sleeping bag, tried to lift it and put me down again before throwing all those candies on top of me. Chase him away, Ady.”

“Shut up, you moron,” Alex retaliated. “You were sleeping like a log, and that was the only darn way to wake you up.” As they fought about the sleeping and waking up thing, Adele saw her grandfather giving her grandmother a rose. 
Wait, isn’t that from Mom’s garden?
Adele thought.

“Fur you, mi darlingz,” he said as he pulled her towards him and they started dancing. She shook her head realizing that her family was officially crazy. Nick and Lynn were chatting in the kitchen, although it looked more like they were guarding the cake. Suddenly the doorbell rang; she glared at Ashton as she thought he mentioned the wrong time on the invites, but when Ash opened the door, William came in with a huge smile.

“Happy Birthday, sweetheart!” he said and hugged Aubrey.

“Thank you, Uncle Will!” She smiled and hugged him back. He moved towards the kitchen to talk to their parents after saying hi to them. Two hours later, all the guests started coming, and, to Adele’s surprise, Gabriel walked in. He went over to Aubrey, who hugged him tightly, and stood there talking to Aiden. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk to her so she stayed next to Alex. He was like her personal talisman that kept Gabe at a distance. But Gabe came over to them and said hi to Alex, which was surprising; Alex replied politely. Gabriel hugged Adele and pulled her to the corner of the room. She had no idea what he wanted to talk about, so she stayed still.

“I got her an iPod,” he said out of the blue.

“What?” Adele knew she sounded crazy but he knew her well enough to know she wasn’t.

“An iPod Touch. Is that okay? Aiden has a similar one, so I thought she would love to have one too,” Gabe explained.

“No, Aiden has an iPhone, Gabe.” Okay, wait,
she
was officially crazy. Her fiancé had just bought her baby sister an iPod and she was thinking about the phone her brother had. He shook his head and pulled her into an embrace. Again she stayed still, but finally she gave up by wrapping her arms around him. The party started when Alex and Ashton started screaming about a Princess Castle. That was when they realized that they had made a mini castle for Aubrey, which they had kept in the backyard. 
Gosh! They worked together to make that?
Adele thought. It was beautiful and Aubrey could easily go in, but got upset when she pulled Aiden in with her and poor Aid didn’t fit.

“I like it,” Aubrey declared. Looking at Alex and Ashton she said, “I love you both, but I love my Aidey more.”

Ashton just shook his head, a little annoyed, but Alex didn’t seem to mind. They already knew that Aubrey would love Aiden’s present even if it weren’t all that special.

Nicholas brought the cake out with William’s help. By the look on everyone’s face, Adele knew that they loved it. Gabe whispered that he wanted something similar for their wedding. A Princess cake for their wedding; she laughed at the thought. Yet again, Aiden surprised everyone by playing the birthday tune on the piano, and Adele joined him. Aubrey cut the huge cake with her dad’s help. It was time for the presents; everyone had bought something good, but Adele knew the present Aiden had chosen would be the best. Gabe gave Aubrey the iPod and she said she loved it because Aiden had something similar. Alex and Ashton had already given their present, and it was in the corner of the room. Alex seemed to be busy texting throughout the party, so they didn’t disturb him.

Adelynn and Nicholas had actually made Aubrey’s day by getting her a ticket, which they later found out was for a trip to Disneyland. Danielle had given Aubrey a set of novels she had written specially for her. Pierre didn’t give Aubrey the herd of horses like he wanted to in the first place, but he did something stupid again. He bought her a house in France, next to his holiday home.

“You gave ’er a petit house. I give ’er a bigggg house,” he said to Alex and Ashton. They just snickered and walked away to eat some more cake. Grandpa’s smirk was wiped out of his face. He stood there wondering what he had done. Adele went upstairs with Aiden and he lifted the puppy up from the basket. The pup was wide-awake now, and looked like he was grinning at them. They took him down to Aubrey. Pierre jumped when he saw the puppy and Aubrey ran towards them.

“Here you go, Princess,” Aiden said as he handed over the puppy to her.

“Is he mine?” she asked when the puppy licked her. Nicholas came and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Of course, he is yours, and you have to take great care of him.” She nodded and hugged the puppy.

“What about his name, daddy?” she asked Nicholas and he looked confused. But Alex the Great replied with a huge grin on his face.

“Call him Boo or Boo-Boo.” He smirked, but everyone stared at him as if he were crazy, “What? It was a suggestion and a very good one too.”

“Why don’t you call him Fluffy?” Adelynn said, smiling at Aiden. He stood still, not knowing what to say.

“Yay! Fluffy! Aidey, say hi to my Fluffy,” Aubrey jumped as she hugged Aiden again. He smiled and hugged her back tightly. It felt as if Aiden got his pet back too.

The party was almost over and all the guests except William had gone back. They were helping Aubrey unwrap her presents. She was sitting on Aiden’s lap as he showed her how to use her iPod. Gabe had to leave; he looked disappointed, but knowing he was busy, Adele told him to go. He placed a soft kiss on her brow and left.

Alex had been distracted throughout the party; he kept talking to someone on the phone and was still texting someone. When Adele asked Aiden, he told her that it might be a friend, who may possibly be a girl; Adele understood immediately that Alex wouldn’t want anyone to disturb him, so they didn’t. He excused himself before dinner and left. William asked Aiden if anything was wrong, but Aid couldn’t answer, so he let it go. After chatting for a long time, they finally started helping their mom with dinner. It looked like she had cooked up a feast, so they were in for a grand time.

*  *  *

The birthday bash was a rocking success, although all Alex did was chat with Abigail. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with Aubrey on her special day, but he just couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye to Abigail. He asked her if she would have dinner with him later that night, and once she (reluctantly) agreed, he concentrated completely on the little angel, who was presently running around in circles around Aiden.

As soon as the party ended, Alex excused himself and got into the car before Aiden or Adele could stop him. The twins would know that something was going on; they were sharp and knew how to get an answer out of him. They could easily be detectives and solve mysteries, but the way Alex’s life was heading, he knew that he would be their first case. He met Abigail at a nearby restaurant; it was her choice, but it was his favorite as he often went there with his cousins. Abigail had told him that she would meet him there so he didn’t have to pick her up. He saw her waiting outside wearing skinny jeans and a plaid shirt, her hair pulled up in a ponytail; she looked stunning.

“Hey, is everything alright?” he asked her, walking towards her.

“Hi, Alex. Let’s go eat, first. I’m starving.” She smiled and walked towards the restaurant, and he followed her. They got a table at the corner, giving them some privacy.

“So . . . Wassup?” he asked after giving their orders.

“I wanted to talk about Jo and Aiden.” She sighed. Abigail told him all about Jo’s feelings which she was trying to hide. He knew that Aiden liked her, too, but he was still in denial. They talked for a while, but she had to go as she had some work. He offered to drop her at her place and she agreed without a fight.

When they reached her place, she offered him some coffee and he accepted. Somehow, spending time with her – even just a little – made his day brighter. With the coffee, their gossip started and they lost themselves in their talk. It was late when he checked his wristwatch and he really didn’t want to leave. But he thought he outstayed his welcome, so grabbing his coat, he started walking towards the door.

“Thanks for agreeing to meet me, Alex,” Abigail murmured. “I’m just worried about Jo and I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“She won’t,” he muttered. There was this urge – a sudden urge to bend his head and kiss her, hold her in his arms – that sudden urge made him do exactly what he was thinking; he kissed her lips and held her tightly in his arms. After a minute, he realized that she wasn’t responding.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked. Just as she brought her hand towards his face to slap him, he held her hand. “Old trick, Abigail. Surrender to your feelings; I know that you love me and here I am, standing right in front of you – confessing my love for you. I love you, Abigail. Just give me one chance.”

She looked at him and lowered her face. “What if you break my heart? What if you leave?”

“Why would I? The attraction between us is so strong that I can’t imagine a day without you. I love you, baby.”

She rested her head on his chest before whispering, “Just one chance, and don’t you dare hurt me. I know a million ways to kill a person and hide the body.”

“Never.” He snickered as he leaned down to press his lips on hers. The sense of rightness was blissful, and even though they did not deepen the kiss, just standing there and kissing felt amazing. Eventually, they sat down on the couch, just smiling at each other and kissing, and it felt like everything was finally right in the world.

- Chapter 13 -

Forced Holidays

Adele was busy with her wedding shopping, and every so often she forced her twin to go along with her. Although Aiden got bored, he didn’t complain. He was a little weird when they were out shopping one day; they were at a bookstore, and he kept staring at a book – which was odd because it was for kids.

“Aiden, do you want that book?” she asked him; he shook his head. Later, as she put away all the stuff she bought, she thought of Aiden’s behavior and wanted to talk to Gabe about it. As she was thinking about him, the doorbell rang. She rushed to open the door and found Gabe grinning as he held out a bouquet. He walked in and kissed her lips lightly.

“Missed me?” he asked, handing her the bouquet. She smiled and hugged him.

“A little,” she teased him and sat on the couch, pulling him along with her. Gabriel placed his arm around her and pulled her closer.

“Oh! So you want me to go back, huh?” Now it was his turn to tease her, but she moved away and looked down. “Baby, what’s wrong?” Gabe asked anxiously.

“Please don’t talk about going away, Gabe,” said Adele. He knew that he wasn’t spending much time with her, but that was because of his work, which didn’t allow him to take a break. “Ady, I was busy. My patient hasn’t completely recovered, and as his doctor it is my duty to help him. Please try to understand that, love.”

“You are always busy, Gabe! Who is this patient of yours?” she asked annoyed. Sighing, he got up and ran a hand through his hair.

“Aiden,” he sighed.

“What? But Aiden is alright,” she said disbelievingly.

“Adele, do you know what exactly happened to him? I mean, did your parents tell you everything?”

“What are you talking about, Gabe? I know that he lost his memory, but he recovered,” said Adele.

He stared at her for a minute and said, “Come with me.” He walked to his study, pulled out a chair for her and opened his laptop. Adele sat quietly as he showed her a few pictures of the human brain. “What’s this, Gabe?”

“This is the medial surface of left cerebral hemisphere. I want you to observe this part,” he said as he placed his finger on the lowest part of the image. “This is the Brodmann area 37, the fusiform gyrus. In simple words, this area specializes in recognizing: faces, words. The day when Aiden had that accident, he hurt this part of the brain. Injuries to this area can leave people clueless; not being able to recognize a person, even a loved one, is very common. That’s what happened to Aiden. He couldn’t recognize Aubrey.”

“But he does now. So that means he’s fine, right?” Adele asked curiously.

“I’m afraid not. It doesn’t work that way, darling. Yes, he recognizes Aubrey, but there was someone else. Remember he keeps talking about seeing a girl in his dreams? As far as I know, she must be real. He has lost his memories of her, and the only way he remembers her is through his dreams. Only if he gets that part of his memory back will he recover completely. We need to monitor him constantly to see any changes. And yes, there are a lot of improvements; he is able to describe her.”

“That means he is remembering her? But how can you be sure of that?”

“Adele, that’s why I need your help. You understand him better than anyone, and he will share with you. Try talking to him, baby. For me, please.” Adele knew that she couldn’t do this alone, but she also knew the best person who could help her. She nodded quietly. Gabe pulled her into a tight hug. He was asking her to do something he couldn’t, but he didn’t have any other choice. Adele distracted him by talking about the wedding and soon he forgot that they actually spoke about Aiden, as they got lost in their own world.

The next morning, bright sunrays fell across Adele’s face when she woke up to see Gabe gone. He left early every day. Finally it was her turn to put her plans in action, and she got up to freshen herself and get dressed. She wore a floral summer dress and her slip-ons and was off to her father’s office.

*  *  *

 Jo was sorting out files for Aiden. He was busy all the time; right now he was at a meeting with the chairman. She was about to go into his office to clear his third cup of coffee, but stopped when Adele walked in and talked to the CEO’s secretary. She politely excused herself and walked towards Jo.

“Good morning, Jo.” She smiled.

“Morning, Adele. Are you here to meet Aiden? He is busy right now,” Jo replied politely.

“No, I’m here to see my dad. I already have an appointment with him. I’ll see you later,” said Adele as she walked away. She knocked on the door to her father’s office and walked inside.

“Hey, kiddo, have a seat,” Nicholas called, pointing towards the couch. “Give me a minute.” He was talking to someone on the phone. “Sure, darling. I’ll have a word with him later. Yeah. Love you too, Lynn.”

Nicholas placed his mobile phone down and walked towards the couch. He sat next to his daughter, who was grinning widely. “Mom still calls you every day?”

“She has been doing that for 26 years and it still feels great. It’s like I just met her, but when I see you kids I feel kind of old.” Nicholas laughed. 

“Daddy, I’ve come to ask a favor. It’s about Aiden,” said Adele calmly.

“Go ahead, Princess.”

“Don’t you think his work has been hectic lately and he needs rest?” Adele sighed, thinking about her workaholic brother. “Can’t he take a break?”

“He is currently working on the new project, a new hotel in Marseille, but that can be taken care of. I’ll see what I can do, kiddo. Lynn was talking about Aiden, too. He seems to be stressed and has no time to visit us. That saddens her, you know.”

“That’s why, daddy. Maybe a week away from everything would be great.”

“Well, as the boss I can do that,” Nick smiled. “Don’t worry about Aid. I’ll take care of this. Now tell me how everything is going. How’s the wedding shopping?”

Adele sat there explaining about everything. She was going to choose the wedding dress this week. The wedding was taking place at their home, and Nick felt relieved because his father-in-law finally gave up. Pierre now wanted Aiden to get married in France. He was already looking for French brides for his grandson. Nicholas knew that his son would listen to him first, just like his daughter.

Aiden came out of the Chairman’s office sighing. His workload had increased, and he had no time even to drink coffee. Well, that was what he thought, but Jo knew better. She came into the office and handed him his fourth cup of coffee.

“Strong,” she teased him.

“Thanks, Jo. I really need this.” He sighed as he sipped the coffee. The bitter liquid was always the best stress-buster to him.

“Don’t you think you need to take a break?” Jo asked.

He was going through the documents that she had sorted out before. He looked up and shook his head. “Nope!”

The phone on his desk rang. He answered evenly and Jo looked at him curiously. “The CEO has summoned me. See you later!” She waved back and banged her head on the table. Being his secretary was worse than any other job. She worked when he worked, and ultimately she had no break either.

Aiden knocked on the door and walked in to see his sister laughing along with their father.

“Adele?”

“Look who’s here!” she teased. “When was the last time you saw Aiden, daddy?”

“Two days ago!” Nicholas played along. Aiden sighed and sat on the settee. Adele noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes. “When was the last time you slept well?” She asked him, but her tone had changed tremendously.

Aiden sighed. “Two days, no wait . . . hmmm . . . I think four days ago. Yup! Four days ago.”

“That’s it! I’m taking you off the French project. You will not be coming to work for a whole week,” Nicholas declared.

“What? Are you firing me?” Aiden got up and started moving around. “After all that hard work, I get fired. Why me?”

“Son, I’m not firing you. You are getting paid leave for a week. Remember you still have two months left?” Nicholas smirked. “And I think your secretary needs a break too. Poor thing, what did she do to have you as her boss?”

“Well, I would just say that it’s destiny. An unusual way to meet someone,” Aiden murmured. “Alright, so I can go now?”

Nicholas nodded. “Remember, we are always here for you, so go. Live your life!”

“Aiden, wait,” Adele called. “Do me a favor?”

He nodded curiously. “I don’t know where you’ll go now, but if you ever find my brother, tell him that I miss him a lot and want him to come back home. Can you do that? Can you bring the old Aiden back?”

“I’ll try my very best.” Aiden winked and walked away. Jo wasn’t seated at her desk, and when he walked into his office, he saw her resting her head on the desk.

“Hey, you!” Aiden called. She looked up and smiled. “You okay, Jo?”

“Uh huh! Why did the boss summon you?”

“Well, he decided to let me take a break. For a whole week.” Aiden smirked. “And guess what? You will be getting a week off, too.”

“WHAT?” Jo jumped and hugged him tightly; she pulled away instantaneously and looked down.

“Whoa! Calm down,” said Aiden. He touched her shoulder lightly. “I’m going home now. Wait, I need coffee! Want to come along?”

“YES!” She grinned like a three year old. She walked away singing that she was finally free. Aiden ran his hand through his hair. One week without Jo was going to be boring. Picking up his laptop and coat, he walked out.

 Jo and Aiden went to the café down the street, and once again he ordered a strong cup of coffee. “Aiden, you seriously are addicted to caffeine. Try drinking something else. Green tea will be good,” said Jo.

“Green tea is not green. It looks black, like coffee, don’t you think?” He winked at her.

“Yeah, right! So what are your plans for the whole week?” She was expecting him to tell her about the work, but his reply was surprising.

“I’m planning to leave town for a while. Go around and have some fun. Want to join me?”

“Where are you going? And what do you have in your mind?” she asked curiously.

“For the first time in my life, I can’t think of anything, so why don’t you?”

Jo knew that he was making his biggest mistake by letting her plan, but she knew how fun it was going to be. “I can do that, but I have a condition!”

“And what’s that?” He raised his eyebrow.

“I get to choose the place and the things we are gonna do. This will be a mind-blowing holiday, but . . . I won’t tell you where we are going. It will be a surprise and you will not say no to anything, agreed?” she challenged.

“Done! So when are we leaving?”

“Tomorrow!” She grinned. “Now go home and get some rest ‘cause you won’t be getting any for a whole week, Aidey!” She laughed.

He knew that it would be exciting – not because of her surprises, but because he was going to be with her for a whole week.

“Alright!” He laughed along. Aiden dropped her off at her uncle’s place, where she was staying for a month due to her publishing work, and went back to his parents’ place to say goodbye to his mother.