Letting go of Grace (33 page)

“You OK?” He whispers in my ear as his hands land on my shoulders. I nod trying not to sniffle. One hand lets go of my shoulder and I see a familiar white handkerchief dangle in front of me.

“You always seem to know when I am crying.”

“I can feel it Hannah,” he whispers.

“How do you feel it?”

“I don’t know, but I can feel your pain when you are hurt or sad.” His chin rests on top of my head.

“I’m so sorry, Aiden,” I cry.

“Shh, I know, Hannah. I’m sorry too”

I turn to face him. “Sorry for what? I’m the one that messed up.”

He steps closer and rubs his thumb across my cheek.

“I read your letter, Hannah.”

“Oh…” I start to look down but he cups my chin and brings my eyes back to his.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I was in a bad place and was on the verge of relapsing. I didn’t want to be around you like that.”

“Did you?” I ask quietly.

“No,” he answers as he gives me small smile. “I almost did, but damn if I didn’t want to. I’m sure the cravings will linger but I’m keeping clean.”

“I’m proud of you, Aiden.”

He bends slightly and kisses me softly. “Thanks Hannah,” he breathes against my skin.

I start to tremble and I know he can feel it. He pulls back to look at me again. His hands come up to my arms and he runs his hands up and down lightly.

“Are you OK?” I nod my head.

“I do want you in my life. I always have,” he says as he winks at me.

I let out a shaky breath and smile nervously back at him.

“Can we talk after the burial? I have to get going.”

“S-sure,” I answer. I start to turn to walk to my SUV when he takes hold of my hand.

“I meant after we go to the burial. You’ll come with me, won’t you?”

I bite my lip and shake my head yes before I whisper, “Of course.”

The ride to the cemetery is quiet but comfortable. He holds my hand the entire way as he looks out the window. I’m grateful for the alone time with him.

We are pulling up to the cemetery when I finally speak.

“I’m here for you,” I whisper as I squeeze his hand.

He nods his head and steps out of the SUV “Thank You,” he says before he starts to walk. I follow alongside of him. It is just her sons and their spouses or partners here, along with Addy. Hostility and anger roll off Grant as we walk up.

“Well, well, well. Look at the happy couple,” Grant says with bitterness. Aiden’s hand drops mine as he stands in front of me like he can block Grant from me. I look over at everyone and it seems that they have moved to our side, leaving Grant and Carla to stand opposite of us.

“Grant, today isn’t the day,” Aiden says, speaking calmly.

“Doesn’t look like any day soon will be a good day to hash it out. You guys had me locked up, remember?” He laughs. Carla laughs and places a hand on his shoulder which he immediately shakes off.

“Today is about mom,” Aiden reminds him.

“Why should we mourn her? Why would I even shed a tear over a woman who left us?” Grant takes a step closer. Aiden places his arm out to keep me from stepping next to him. Grant doesn’t like this and he starts to chuckle venomously.

“What, are you too afraid to let Hannah near me? Are you afraid she will come running back to me, Aiden?”

“Oh God, you’re delusional,” I fume

“Are you sure, cause last week I thought I was your god. Weren’t you screaming, Oh God, over and over again?” I see red. How could he say such personal things like that? My cheeks are on fire.

“I’m sure Aiden did the same thing for you though, I should have known you were just an easy lay.” His words are like bullets.

“If you weren’t so insecure about yourself, Grant, none of this would have happened. If you were actually the confident man you pretend to be, you wouldn’t have had to put a fucking hit out on your brother. You aren’t even half the man I thought you were.” I am in front of Aiden now. There is no way he was keeping me behind him. He’s saved me more times than I can count. I said that I would be there for him, and this is me owning that promise.

“Wow, Hannah, when did you grow balls?” Grant asks as he takes a step closer. Aiden, Shane, and John all take a step forward.

“Grant, I think it’s time for you to leave,” John says. Grant’s body actually looks like it was shoved from John’s words.

“You’re choosing their side? I thought you knew the only winning side was mine, Johnny boy.” Grant smiles devilishly at him.

“There are no sides when it comes to family, Grant, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this. We are your blood. We are brothers…” John’s voice breaks as he pleads with his brother. Grant is seriously damaged. I don’t know how I didn’t see this side of him.

“Family means nothing to me. You all mean nothing to me!” Grant yells in a rage.

“Then walk away,” Aiden demands.

“There is just one last thing.” We all watch as Grant walks closer. With his hands in his pockets the brothers don’t view him as a threat, but the hair on the back of my neck is standing up, sending me into a panic.

When he gets close to Aiden he smiles cryptically.

“This is for ruining my plan.” His hands come out of his pockets and everyone reacts. I react on instinct. I step in front of Aiden as Grant charges forward with a knife in his hand. Aiden reacts just as fast wrapping his arms around me and trying to turn, but the knife makes contact. It slices right through my skin, hitting my ribs. I hear Aiden gasp and I know Grant stabbed him to. His arms leave me as I double over in pain. John comes to my side, and I can hear him tell me it will all be all right. The pain is all consuming and I know Aiden is feeling pain, too. I know it because I can feel it. I can feel his pain, and I don’t think it’s the pain of the wound, it’ the pain of his own brother turning on him. It’s pain of his mother killing herself. It is the pain that he has lived with his whole life. I am feeling all of it. I look up to see Aiden holding the knife against Grant’s neck.

“Do it,” Grant screams. “Do it, you fucking pussy, you know you want to!”

“You’re right, I want to, in the worst way,” Aiden says through gritted teeth.

“What are you waiting for?” Grant cries out.

“You’re not worth it, I’m ashamed to even call you my brother,” Aiden says as he lets go of Grant as the cops arrive.

“You called the fucking cops?” Grant says, looking around. He wants to run; I can see it all over his face.

“It’s done, Grant, we aren’t doing this anymore,” Shane announces.

“You called the fucking cops on me?” Grant yells.

“You gave me no other choice. We are pressing charges Grant, and we are turning over all the proof we have on your hit on Aiden. We are done with the cover ups and lies. It’s over.”

Grant looks over at me and we make eye contact.

“Hannah, baby, I didn’t mean it,” He begins to stride towards me, but Aiden steps in his way.

“You take another step towards her and I will kill you.” Aiden’s words aren’t a threat. They come out as a fact.

I watch as Grant is cuffed and taken away. The paramedics are all over me and Aiden. I know the laceration is deep. Aiden’s is much worse, but he sits and looks like it is nothing more than a paper cut.

“Are you all right?” he asks as I’m guided over to an ambulance.

“I’m fine, how are you?” I look over at him and his pale face looks sad.

“You should have stayed behind me,” he says looking down at the ground.

“I reacted, I wasn’t thinking,” I admit.

“You tried to save me?” Aiden asks looking over at me. I smile at him.

“I guess I did.”

“Oh Hannah, what am I going to do with you?” he laughs as he kisses my lips.

“I don’t know,” I laugh back. The paramedics help us into the back of the ambulance. I lie back staring at him and smile. I finally let go of the wrong Grace. This time, my life really is starting over, and I couldn’t be happier. The hope and love grow in my heart. Aiden reaches out and grabs onto my hand.

“Hannah…”

“Mmm?”

“You ready to finish out talk?” he questions.

My smile grows even wider. “It’s about damn time.”

THIS IS MY FAVORITE TIME
of the day. Right before the sun begins to peak through our windows waking us up. I could stare at her for hours while she sleeps, and I have to admit, I am a creeper and I stare at her a lot when she sleeps. Her back is to my front, and I can’t help but lift her tank so I can run my fingers down her side and run them along her thigh. She reacts like she always does when she sleeps. Her back arches and her ass grinds into me. Her arms move, but she doesn’t wake up. This last year, has been the best year of my life.

I’ve loved her for every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every fucking day, since my eyes landed on her. Call me whipped, or cheesy, but it’s true. I didn’t know love had a taste till the first time I kissed Hannah. It tasted like peaches and tea. I didn’t know love had a smell till I had Hannah pinned up against a wall and was enveloped in her scent of summer and citrus. I didn’t know love had a sound till I heard Hannah laugh. I didn’t know love… till Hannah.

Looking over at the clock, I wish I had more time to get lost in her, but her internal clock wakes her up every morning at the same time. I live for these quiet moments. We have been through so much. I don’t let myself think of the time when she was with Grant because that won’t get me anywhere. I focus on the here and the now.

“You wake me up with your stare every morning, creeper.” I laugh at her gravelly voice. She says this to me almost every morning. I roll over onto my back.

“Come back, I’m cold,” she says, rolling over and burrowing into my side. She swings a leg over my waist and gets comfortable. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. She moves in closer. I know that she feels safe with me. I can feel her love for me. I felt it all along. I was just waiting for her to realize it. Life takes you down some crazy ass roads before it leads you back home. Hannah is my home, and I know I am hers.

“What do you have planned for today?” I ask before I kiss her hair. Mmm, I love the smell of her hair. It instantly turns me on.

“We are going up to the house,” she reminds me. Today marks the one year anniversary of my mother’s death. Sadness washes through me. Hannah showed me the letter she left her. I can’t blame my mom for all of her faults, or at least I try not to. The best thing she ever did for us was removing my father from our lives. How she did it was the only way she saw fit. When you live a high profile life, announcing to the world your husband is a child molester could ruin you. So she did what she did best. She buried the secrets and lived with them. She played the widow card, and moved on. I just wish she would have been around more. Quality time is everything to a child. That is what I missed out on growing up.

“Shane and Annie are having a dinner at their house. I’m excited to see Victoria; we haven’t seen her in a few weeks. I bet she’s changed again,” She says through a yawn. My little brother and his wife had a girl and of course named her after my mother. We are trying to turn the Grace name into something to be proud of. It has always been considered a prestigious name, but not to us. We are changing all of that. My parents ruined a lot for us, but I think Shane and John, and I have turned a lot around. Grace Industries has changed; it now has three new presidents. Grant was still able to shock us when we started to learn the truth about his shady ways. It took us six months to go through every contract Grant had skillfully created. All dummy companies, linked with bank accounts to store money in, to keep it from his brothers. We worked for him, but we all had parts in creating the company with the success that it had, and still has today. We got the work and built from the ground up while Grant had been siphoning money into his fake projects. Taking the money out of our hands, right under our noses. He has no power anymore. We stripped him of all his duties and rights that pertained to the company.

“We should get moving then,” I say, but make no attempt to get up.

“Daddy, Hunter locked the bathroom door again,” Ella says as she runs into our room and into the bathroom. Daddy… I will never get tired of hearing that word. Hunter and Ella are officially my children. I have a wife, a son, and a daughter. Hannah and I talked about having more, but we decided if it happens, it happens. We have a pretty amazing family right here already.