Chapter 22

Iwoke up on Christmas morning to an empty apartment. I hated it. I was used to having Fiona in my bed. We usually made love, showered, then cooked breakfast together. Well, I cooked and she kept me company. It was a routine we'd fallen into, and with our busy days, sometimes it was the only quality time we spent together all day.

Now the day stretched out before me with nothing to do. I never thought of Christmas as a lonely day, but it was. Marley and Heath were enjoying their first holiday as husband and wife. My parents were hopefully gone, and my grandmother was dead. I had no one.

I'd pushed away the one person who seemingly loved me. I could have spent the day with Fiona. This was all my fault.

I'd blamed her for my parents showing up at Marley's wedding when it rested solely on them. Fiona had no idea that a few innocent pictures on social media would bring my mother to my door, and I was positive she didn't want that for me.

I remembered the look of concern on her face last night after we'd gotten my parents to leave. She was hurting for me. When had anyone else ever felt pain on my behalf?

I was the one who took care of Marley when my parents didn't. I shielded her from the worst of it. I'd never let anyone else in. Not like I had with Fiona.

She wanted to be there for me, but I shoved her aside and blamed her for my parents' actions. It was inexcusable.

I shot off a text to Fiona first thing in the morning, wishing her a Merry Christmas, but I hadn't heard back. I deserved that from her.

I went for a run, showered, and cooked breakfast alone. At eleven, Heath texted to ask if I was ready to talk, and I quickly responded that I was.

We planned to meet at his cabin. I didn't even care that it was the day after his wedding and he should be with his wife. I was a selfish bastard, and I'd take all the help I could get.

When I pulled up, Heath stood on the porch with a mug, he handed it to me as I approached. "Are you ready to fix this?"

I trudged up the steps, my boots feeling heavy. "I don't know what to do."

"First, you need to apologize for blaming her for what went down last night."

"Fiona's not responsible for my parents' actions. They did shit like that long before she was in the picture. But what if she won't see me or talk to me?" I sat in one of the rocking chairs.

Heath turned and leaned against the railing. "That's a real possibility you need to be prepared for."

I dropped my head into my hands. "How can I make it up to her? How can I show her what she means to me?"

"You're working on a grand opening for the movie theater?"

I lifted my gaze. "That's in a few days."

"Maybe you could do something with that," Heath suggested.

"I don't want to let this go that long."

Heath's brow furrowed. "You might not have a choice. She's probably spending the day with her family. What are you going to do? Show up at her family's dinner and make a public apology?"

"Isn't that what Cole did on Thanksgiving?" I asked, the tension between my shoulder blades intensifying.

Heath nodded. "You can't do the same thing."

I let my head fall back. "I don't know what to do. How can I show her that I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her?"

"You're on the right track with that question. Whatever it is, it has to be big."

The door opened, and Marley stood there. "Why are you talking outside? It's cold."

Heath gestured toward me. "We're talking about guy stuff."

Marley sighed. "You're going to need all the help you can get, and I'm not standing out here. Come inside."

I followed her inside where she handed me a fresh mug of coffee. Then we sat in the family room where the tree was lit. There were no wrapped presents under the tree.

"I wonder what you bought your new wife for Christmas," I said to Heath.

"Heath's taking me to Hawaii. After the grand opening, we'll go to California to spend some time at my house, and then on to Hawaii."

"That was your Christmas present?" I was impressed.

"Wedding and Christmas present wrapped in one," Heath said as he rested his arm over the back of the couch where Marley sat. "What do you get for the woman who has everything?"

Marley's hand rested on Heath's thigh. "Time together. That's the most precious gift."

Both looked relaxed and happy. As if waking up together was the only thing they needed in life. I wanted that for myself.

Heath kissed her softly, then turned his attention to me. "But we were talking about your situation with Fiona and how you were going to fix it."

"I think it should be the day we open the movie theater. We're already planning a party, and it's her project. She has to be there."

Marley raised a brow. "You hope she's there. What if she goes back home early?"

I hadn't considered that. "It's a possibility."

"You need a reason for her to come back."

"I think we need to make her presence at the grand opening seem mandatory. Like we need her there for some reason. Should we ask her to give opening remarks? Or something else?"

"I think you're on the right track. But I think you should give the speech and use that opportunity to talk to her."

Marley nodded. "You can say it's to thank her. We'll emphasize that this was her project, and it wouldn't have been possible without her."

I nodded. "She's the reason why we're renovating the entire basement."

Marley leaned forward. "I can ask her to stay and help with the basement restoration, but the rest of it is up to you."

"Should we play a special movie? One that speaks to your relationship?" Heath asked.

"She'd probably suggest a holiday movie." We fell silent for a few seconds, thinking about what the best step would be. Finally, I said, "We could have her plan the party even if it's from afar. It was her idea to do Hollywood glam."

Marley smiled. "You play dirty. I like it."

"I know what I want, and I need to use everything in my arsenal to get it."

Heath gave me a pointed look. "If you hadn't fucked this up to begin with—"

I leaned back on the chair. "You screwed up with Marley too. Don't act like you're perfect."

Marley stood with a huff, clearly annoyed with us. "Are you ready for lunch? We have a few more days to plan this out."

I hated that I couldn't fix this now. I wanted Fiona in my bed tonight, but that wasn't going to be possible. I had to plan the right move, or it would blow up in my face. I'd hurt her before. She wouldn't forgive me easily.

* * *

Ididn't want to let things go until the night of the party, so I texted Fiona Christmas evening telling her how sorry I was and that I wanted to talk. She'd said it wasn't a good idea. That she was called back to work and needed to fly to California the next day to deal with a fire in one of the hotels.

I hated that she wasn't here, that she'd already made the decision to go back to work. I felt her slipping through my fingers. Every time I mentioned my concerns to Marley, she told me we were playing the long game.

It was her theory that Fiona would go back to work, hate it, and be ready for a change when she flew back for the party. Marley had taken care of ensuring Fiona would be in town for that.

If Fiona knew what I had planned, she'd stay in California, and that was the last thing I wanted. I needed to see her face-to-face when I talked to her.

I thought about what I needed to do and say to show her that I wanted to be with her forever, and there was only one solution I could come up with. I hoped it was the right one.

The formal invitations were sent. Marley took care of creating the beautiful invitations and getting them hand delivered to our guests. It was one of the times where I didn't protest her using her own money to get things done.

We hired servers to offer champagne and appetizers in the lobby of the basement. It was Marley's idea to create images of each room of the basement that we planned to renovate, and to display them on tripods.

It would serve as a teaser for what was to come. She hoped it would get the public excited about the renovations. I hoped it would entice Fiona to stay and finish what we'd started.

Any time I thought about moving forward without her, there was this crushing weight on my chest. I had difficulty drawing a deep breath. My life played out in my mind as one long, desolate nothingness.

It was hard to watch Marley and Heath together, knowing I might never have that. How many people do you have a connection with? For me, it had only been Fiona, and I wasn't prepared to search for anyone else. I just wanted her.

The day of the party, I paced the theater, making sure that everything worked. I tested the lights, the popcorn maker, and the projector.

Charlotte found me in the bowling alley. "What are you doing?"

"I want to make sure this works right in case someone wants to bowl."

"Marley said this room wasn't ready yet. We're only allowing guests into the theater." There was a part that the mechanic was trying to find for the lane on the end, but the others worked.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" There were a few high tables already set up in the lobby for those who wanted to sip champagne and mingle before the movie started. "Maybe I can run a vacuum through the lobby one more time."

Charlotte held up her hands. "Aiden, everything is perfect. Why don't you take a break, maybe a nap, shower, eat something, and come down when it's time."

"I don't know—"

"I'll take care of things here, and if there's an issue, Marley can help. But you need to relax."

"I don't think I can." I hated being in my apartment alone. Everything reminded me of Fiona.

Charlotte bit back a smile. "Everything's going to work out with Fiona."

I stiffened. "What do you know about that?"

Charlotte's expression shifted to one of sympathy. "I know you two were spending a lot of time together, and she's gone."

"Marley assured me she'd be back for the party."

"Are you planning something?"

"I'm going to introduce her this evening. It's my chance to win her over. I just don't know what to say."

Charlotte smiled. "Oh, you don't have to plan it down to the words. When it's time, let your feelings guide you."

Could I relax and do what felt natural? I wasn't sure I wouldn't screw up again.

"If you go into it with a pure heart, you'll be fine. Don't you love her?"

I nodded. "I don't know if she loves me."

"I'm sure of it. I saw enough of you two interacting to know that much." She put her hand on my shoulder and turned me until I was facing the exit. "Go on. The inn won't collapse while you take a quick shower."

I went to my room without arguing any further because Charlotte was right; I was a nervous wreck. But her words helped me to calm down and to trust that it would be okay. The worst-case scenario was that Fiona didn't love me. Everything else was fixable. If she wanted to continue in her current job, I was prepared to move with her. I didn't want to, but I'd do whatever was necessary to keep her in my life.

I wasn't a nineteen-year-old kid needing to prove myself to the world. I only needed to prove my love to Fiona. That was infinitely easier, or at least I hoped it would be.

I took a shower and risked laying down, positive I wouldn't be able to relax enough to sleep. Hours later, I jerked awake and looked at the clock. I had exactly ten minutes to get dressed and get to the lobby where I needed to greet guests.

Not seeing any messages on my phone, I dressed in a tux Marley had delivered. I was fairly positive she bought it, but I wasn't questioning her tactics. Not when I needed her help.

I took one last steadying breath before I left the apartment and headed downstairs. I could hear a crowd forming in the lobby. I found Marley, who said, "Were you able to take a nap?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "I was."

"Good. You needed it."

I searched the crowd for Fiona.

Marley rested her hand on my arm. "She's not here yet. Her flight was delayed."

"What if she doesn't make it?" It physically hurt to ask.

Marley held her hand up. "We'll figure it out."

I wanted to get it over with now. I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin despite the shower and the nap.

I moved to the door so I could greet the guests we'd invited.

When most of the guests had arrived, Heath said, "I'm going to the projector room. I'll handle that tonight."

"I'll meet you up there."

Heath winked at me. "Hopefully, you'll be busy."

Then he nodded toward the open door where Fiona was just lifting her skirt and stepping onto the porch. I moved toward her without thinking, offering my hand. "You look stunning."

Her hair was swept to one side where it fell over her shoulder in one long ringlet. The emerald dress wrapped around her curves, then flared at her feet. It shimmered underneath the holiday lights and the moon.

Then she lifted her gaze to me as she placed her hand in mine. "Aiden."

"Fiona, I wanted to say how sorry I am—" I began as Marley pulled her into a hug, then said to me, "Aiden, please get ready to make the announcements. I'll show Fiona to her seat."

I nodded and let go of Fiona's hand. I'd gone off script. My heart was thumping hard, and my hands shook as I shoved them into my pockets. I kept my head down, running through the words I would say to her. I paused at the back of the room, taking in the number of people who'd come out tonight. It was a full house. I wasn't sure I was ready for this.

I patted the box in my pocket for the hundredth time, ensuring myself that it was there and to keep my mind on the end game. I wanted Fiona in my life. The thought of her wearing my ring at the end of the night lit up everything inside of me.

I moved to the backstage area to wait for my cue to thank everyone for coming. When Heath dimmed the lights, Charlotte handed me the microphone. "Just talk from your heart."

I wanted to ask her what she knew about love, but there wasn't time. I took a deep breath, then crossed the stage. I didn't look up until I was in the center. Then I turned to face the audience. They slowly stopped talking and turned their attention to me.

"I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. When my sister, Marley, inherited the inn, she wasn't sure what she was going to do with it. Initially, she wanted to renovate it and sell it. But then she fell in love with this place, the history, our family's legacy, and the contractor."

The crowd laughed, and I relaxed more.

I searched out Fiona who was seated in the front row center.

"I thought I was happy running the inn. Then my high school sweetheart came home for the holidays and rented a room here."

The crowd quieted, as if sensing there would be a big revelation coming soon.

"When I showed her the movie theater, the bowling alley, the game room, and the bar, she convinced me that we had to renovate. That the inn must be restored to how it would have been when my grandmother ran it. Fiona Calloway worked with me to make this a reality." I gestured around at the grand theater, and a few people whistled.

"I wasn't expecting to fall in love with her again, and that's not even what happened." I glanced down at Fiona, her eyes shining. "I realized I never stopped loving you, Fiona. It just increased in intensity. What we have now is so much deeper than when we were kids. And I know I made you promises I didn't keep. But I hope you'll give me another chance to love you. Because this feeling isn't going away, and I want to spend my life with you. Whether that's here at the inn or wherever your job takes you."

We'd talked about the logistics, where Fiona would be seated, whether I should go to her, or whether I should invite her to the stage.

In the moment, it felt right to hop off the stage and make my way to her. The front row was empty except for Fiona. I dropped to one knee. "Fiona Calloway, will you forgive me for the stupid things I said the other day. I didn't mean them. I pushed you away because I love you, and I wanted to protect you. I always have."

Fiona's eyes shone with tears, and she nodded. "I forgive you."

"I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I never want to be without you. I'll follow you wherever you are. You just have to tell me that you feel the same way."

I waited for her response.

Fiona cupped my jaw. "I love you too. I always have."

I forgot about the proposal and the ring and pulled her down so I could kiss her. The room erupted in clapping and cheers.

But I wasn't done yet.

I pulled back slightly so I could extract the box from my pocket. I opened it. "Fiona, will you marry me? Will you love me for the rest of your days, filling my life with happiness and joy."

She nodded. "Yes, I will."

This time I stood and tugged her into my body, knowing that I couldn't pull her into my lap with the tight dress she was wearing. She kissed me, and I felt the tears sliding down her cheeks.

I heard the crowd, but it felt like we were alone in the room. She held her hand out, and I slid the ring onto it. It sparkled in the lights of the theater, and the credits for the movie began to play. It was a song and when a few in the crowd cheered for us to dance, I pulled her into my arms.

When the movie started, I led her upstairs to our balcony and handed her a glass of champagne. "I'm willing to move wherever you are. I just want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"After being back at work and working under the guy with less experience and insight than me, I think I'm going to quit. I want to renovate the basement with you, if you'll still have me."

"Of course." I tugged her hand until she was sitting on my lap, facing the movie screen.

Her lips pursed. "I'm not sure what I'll do after the basement is renovated."

I wrapped my arms around her, content to hold her. "I'm sure we'll need a lot of consulting help. But we'll figure it out together. If you're not happy here, we'll find out what would make you happy."

Her hand curled in the hair at the back of my neck. "I have a feeling that's wherever you are."

"I know I've made promises in the past—promises I didn't keep. But I won't break this one. I promise to be by your side forever."

Fiona smiled softly. "I know. I trust you."

"I can't wait to start our forever." Then I kissed her, forgetting about the movie playing on the screen and the audience below. It was just me and Fiona. Forever.