Relentless Hope (Resilient Hearts) (14 page)

I play with my phone while I wait for Mia. I’m seeing
her
today for the first time since that eventful night at Kevin’s apartment a few months ago. It feels like a lifetime has passed since then.

She spent the early part of summer back at her parents’ home in Sacramento and has just returned to town. I’m excited to finally have a friend my age around. There is so much we need to catch up on.

She walks toward me in a bubble of laughter and energy. That’s one of the things I love about her. She is always lively and fun to hang out with. We say our hellos and I start telling her about everything that’s happened in the past few months including David’s request from me to move back to the house and my decision to not go.

“So is this Aiden as hot as you make him sound like?”

“He’s the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen,” I reply honestly.

“Then what are you doing here?”

“What do you mean?”

“You have the opportunity to live in a multimillion dollar mansion by the ocean with a hot hunk who you obviously have a crush on and who’s totally into you, and you decide to say no?”

“It’s not that simple, Mia. Plus, I wouldn’t say he’s into me.”

“Oh, believe me from everything you’ve told me, it’s pretty clear he’s very much into you.”

Butterflies invade my stomach at her assessment. “You really think so?”

“Yup. You haven’t had a lot of experience with guys, so it may be hard for you to pick up on some signals. But trust me. If everything you’ve told me is correct, he’s interested in you.”

I think through this for a second, taming my excited heart and instead letting my head lead. “If that really is the case, then that’s just one more reason for me not to go. There are so many reasons why this won’t work out, Mia. I was married to his grandpa. His family hates me. Plus, Aiden’s a player. Even if he’s interested in me, it will probably be for a temporary fix. After what I went through with Imran, I really can’t afford to let my heart get stumped on again by another playboy.”

“You overanalyze things too much. Just go and have fun. Don’t expect to fall in love and marry this guy. That’s how your heart gets broken. Be realistic. Look at this as an opportunity to experience things in life. He’s hot and you two are into each other. Just have fun with it… Plus aren’t you a little curious to figure out exactly why David wanted you to stay around. From the sound of it, he didn’t do things without thinking them through. There must be a reason he asked you to do this.”

“I know. That’s the one thing I can’t get out of my head. I keep thinking there is something else there that I’m not seeing, and then there’s the guilt. I feel like I’ve let David down.”

“Don’t go because you feel guilty. You’ve lived enough of your life for other people. It’s time you do some living of your own. Go for you. If
you
want to go, if it makes
you
happy.”

Mia’s words keep turning over and over in my head. It’s been
two
days since we met, and the seed she planted in my mind has grown into a full grown sapling. I have tried to ignore it, tried to occupy my mind with anything else, but no matter what, it keeps coming back to her suggestion.

The idea terrifies and excites me in equal measures. Should I take such a big risk? Can my heart take it? And then it occurs to me. I don’t have to make a commitment. David asked me to stay for the whole period, but he didn’t say I couldn’t leave before the time is up. I can go for a short period of time just to try it out. Maybe figure out exactly why he wanted me there. Then if it becomes too much, if there are things I don’t like, I can leave.

I pick up the phone and dial Lou’s number.

“Would it be okay if I move into David’s house but don’t make any commitments, so if I decide to leave at any point I can?” I ask, when he picks up.

“I don’t see why not? I can check with Steve to make sure, but that should be fine.”

Less than two weeks after I carried my bags out of David’s
house for
what I thought was the last time, I find myself taking them back inside. Maria gives me a warm welcome, telling me how much she missed me and inviting me to the kitchen for a cup of tea and her freshly baked cupcakes.

“Thanks, Maria. That sounds really good. Let me just take my bags up to my room and I’ll be right down,” I say as start to climb up the stairs.

“No, wait. Nick will help you carry those up later. Just come to the kitchen for now.”

“It’s okay, Maria. They’re not that heavy. I’m almost up there already anyway.”

“But…wait,” is the last thing I hear from Maria before I reach the top of the stairs and turn to face the living room. The image in front of me stops me dead in my tracks.

Aiden is sitting shirtless on one of the couches that face me, holding a gorgeous brunet who has nothing but a pink bra and a thong on. The girl is straddling his hips, her arched back turned to me, while he is kissing the spot underneath her ear on her neck. Aiden’s eyes get real big, when they spot me. He stops for a split second, but then his lips turn into a sexy as hell easy grin, as he goes back to kissing the girl’s neck, his eyes never leaving mine.

I stand frozen on the spot, not knowing what to do and being mesmerized by the scene in front of me. I should feel uncomfortable, even embarrassed, but instead I feel heat pool down in my belly.

“Oh, baby... You’re driving me crazy,” I hear her say in between moans, and I know I can’t stand there anymore.

I rush down the stairs in a flurry, leaving my bags on the landing. When I get to the kitchen, struggling to catch my breath, Maria looks at me apologetically.

“Sorry, I tried to warn you.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault... How long has
that
being going on?” I ask, pointing to the second floor.

“Pretty much every day since he’s moved in. I don’t go upstairs anymore unless I know he’s not home. Maybe now that you’re here, he’ll tame it down a little.”

Wow. I’m not sure I can deal with Aiden making out and having sex right outside my bedroom every day. I start to think that this was a mistake. Maybe I should just take my bags and leave now so I don’t even have to face him. But then I realize that if I do, he will know how much his actions affected me, and I really don’t want him to know.

I have no desire for him to know how that image is forever woven in my mind in mixed weaves of disgust, disappointment, and desire.

My pride takes over, making the decision for me. I will stay at least for a few days, so when I do leave he won’t know it was because my heart couldn’t handle all the emotions he invokes in my body.

I lock myself in my room for the rest of the day, not wanting
to face
Aiden, until I hear a knock on my door. When I open the door, I see him staring at me from behind his thick lashes, his expression unreadable.

“Do you mind if I come in?”

“Actually, I do. What do you want?” I ask, unable to withhold the disdain from my voice. My plan of pretending to stay aloof and unaffected goes out the window the minute I lay my eyes on him.

He is taken back by the venom in my voice, but holds his own. “I want to talk to you. We can move to the living room, if you’re too
scared
of having me in your room.”

I shrug my shoulders and lead the way to one of the couches in the living room, making sure I avoid the one I saw Aiden on.

When we sit across from each other and he lays his eyes on me, I notice a hint of a smile on his lips. “You decided to come,” he breathes.

I tell myself that I’m not going to let him affect me.

“So I did.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“Curiosity,” I respond in a clipped tone.

He takes a deep breath, averting his eyes from me. “Look, I’m sorry you walked in on that. I didn’t know you were coming. I wouldn’t have done that in the living room, if you’d let me know you are on your way... Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t have your number. I told Lou a couple of days ago, and called Maria yesterday. I figured they’d tell you… So let me get something straight. I would be the only reason you wouldn’t do that in the living room in broad daylight. What about Maria and Nick?”

“What about them? They know not to come up here when I have company. You forget that I live here now. This is my house for the time being. I can do whatever I want in my own house.”

“Except that it’s not
your
house and you’re here to prepare yourself for the upcoming challenges, not to have fun,” I respond, raising my voice.

He takes a few deep breathes to calm himself. “Look Aleah–you just moved here. I don’t want to get into an argument with you on your first day being back. I’m sorry you walked in on that, and I’ll try not to put you in that position again, but I won’t apologize for being me. The guy you saw over there,” he says, pointing to the other couch, “that’s me. You might as well get to know the real me sooner rather than later. That’s who I am, and I don’t think I was doing anything wrong.”

I realize that may be overreacting. I need to get a grip on my emotions.

I take a deep breath. “You’re right. You weren’t doing anything wrong… It’s just that…that was…a bit of a surprise for me. I didn’t know you have a girlfriend.”

“I don’t,” he responds quickly.

“You don’t? So the girl?”

“She’s
not
my girlfriend. She’s just someone I hook up with every once in a while.”

“Oh,” is the only thing that comes out of my mouth.

We sit silently both in deep thoughts until the silence starts to make me uncomfortable. I get up from the couch and slowly pivot my way down the hallway, until I hear my name and turn around.

“Aleah?”

“Yea?”

“I’m glad you decided to come.”

I whirl around quickly so he doesn’t see the huge smile those words bring to my lips.

I look at the clock on my night stand. I’m shocked when I see
the
time. It’s ten-fifteen in the morning. I can’t believe I slept in so late. I’m usually a morning person and can’t remember the last time I woke up this late. The insomnia-induced exhaustion of the last few days must have finally caught up with me. I stretch in bed, my body feeling well-rested and refreshed.

A few determined rays of the sun have made their way in through the closed curtains, creating a dreamy hue in the room. I open the curtains and let the sun fully in.

It looks like a perfect day outside. The sun is shining intensely on the sparking blue waters of the ocean, the tropical flowers flowing gently in the breeze.

I open the French doors leading to the balcony off of my bedroom and walk outside, leaning my body on the railing and taking in the stunning view. I take in a few deep breaths, enjoying the fresh morning smell of the ocean and basking in the sun until I hear a giggle coming from the balcony next to mine. I turn towards the sound, but don’t see anyone on the balcony. Before I have a chance to swirl my head back to the ocean though, the doors leading to the balcony open, and out walks a curvy blonde in nothing but a red bra and thong. She is quickly followed by Aiden who has his arms wrapped around her waist. He’s in his boxer shorts, providing me a full view of his incredible body. I look at his bulging muscles, taking his magnificent body in slowly, and my mouth goes dry at the sight. But then I remember belatedly that he has his arms around yet another woman.

I swing my eyes to his face and our eyes lock. I notice the intensity with which he is staring at me, and instantly become aware of my own barely there outfit. I’m wearing a pink pajama tank top and boy shorts set, with no bra on. Realizing this, I instinctively bring my hands up to fold over my chest.

It is at that moment that the blonde notices me, catching my locked gaze with Aiden. She whirls around quickly to face him.

“Who is
she
? You didn’t tell me there was a girl staying in the house. Is she your cousin or something?”