8. Aidan

CHAPTER 8

AIDAN

Monday morning drags its goddamn feet like it’s stuck in quicksand, and I’m not having any of it. I’m hunkered down in my office, but my focus is nowhere to be found. My mind is circling around one thing like a hawk eyeing its prey: Elysa.

After spending the weekend pampering her, I’m on cloud nine, and it’s driving me crazy to be away from her. I didn’t think I was looking for love; I didn’t even think I was capable of it. But fuck if the universe didn’t slap me in the face and drop the matchmaker of my dreams right into my lap, turning every blunt edge of my grumpy existence into pure fucking bliss.

Every time I close my eyes, I see her—the way she laughs, the fiery spark she carries around, and the intoxicating heat of our bodies pressed close together. I should be getting shit done at work, but all I want is to bask in the warmth of her.

“Get it together, man,” I groan, clenching my fists around my desk. “Focus.” I glance at the half-finished project report in front of me, willing it to magically bring my attention back to the numbers. When my phone buzzes, I’m hoping it’s her, but I glance down at the screen to find a fucking work update.

Fucking great.

I’m in the middle of muttering curses to myself when Asa saunters into my office like he owns the place, his usual shit-eating grin replaced by concern.

“You’re a fucking dumbass.” He drops down in the plush chair across from me like he’s here for a casual chat instead of the impending crisis I can feel brewing under the surface. “If you’re in love with Elysa, why the fuck would you out her?”

I never told him I’m in love with Elysa, but I guess I left enough bread crumbs behind for him to figure it out on his own. Wait a minute. The full impact of his words hit me like a bucket of ice water to the face.

Confusion and panic slam through me like a runaway train. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“The entire town is buzzing about the outing of the infamous matchmaker.” He sits forward and places his elbows on his knees.

A flaming arrow pierces my chest as I insist, “I didn’t out her!” But Elysa probably thinks I did since that was my intention before I got to know her. Shit. Motherfucker.

Could things get any worse? I rush out of the office, ignoring whatever the fuck Asa is calling behind me. I need to get to my girl and fix this before she writes me off. There’s no way I’m going to let my perfect baby girl slip through my fingers.

I grip the steering wheel like it’s my last line of defense against the chaos swirling in my head. Driving to the Silver Spoon Falls Newspaper office, I’m white-knuckling it all the way, my heart pounding out a relentless rhythm I can’t ignore. Motherfucker. How did things get so tangled up?

Surely, Elysa knows I love her too goddamn much to ever hurt her that way. “How could she know that, dumbass? You never pulled your head out of your ass and told her.” I mentally berate myself as I turn the corner on two wheels.

I’m torn between the desire to punch something and just wanting to hold Elysa and never let go. I want to shield her from the whirlwind we’ve kicked up and take every bit of blame. But more than anything, I want to tell her I love her with every rough, grumpy, pain-in-the-ass part of me.

There’s a diamond ring weighing heavy in my jacket pocket. It symbolizes a commitment I never imagined making until she charged into my life like a tornado of sass and sweetness. I picked it up this morning before this shitstorm blew in. I was planning on creating some perfect, unforgettable moment to ask her to be mine forever. Everything I'm not used to, but fuck it, with her, it just feels right, like it was supposed to be there all along.

But now, the urgency is clamped around my throat like a vise. What if I don’t get the chance? What if she’s already slipping through my fingers like sand, driven away by someone else’s betrayal? I’m terrified of losing her, a foreign and all-consuming panic cutting through my soul. I tell myself, over and over, I won’t let her go. I can’t. Whatever it takes, I’ll make her see how much she means to me. This grumpy, foul-mouthed asshole isn’t giving up without a fight.

The road blurs by as I try to focus, strategize, and prepare for whatever confrontation I’m barreling toward. She’s more than just a matchmaker in this nosy town; she’s become my match, my equal, the force storming through the confines of my routine and filling it with something raw and real.

I pull up to the newspaper office, engine still humming in protest as I shut it off, the silence in the aftermath almost deafening. I take a moment, running a hand through my hair, a futile attempt to calm the turmoil inside me. Reaching into my pocket, I wrap my fingers around the small velvet box, the weight of it grounding me even as everything else spins out of control.

I step out of the car and stride into the building, every step fueled by determination tempered with desperation. It’s a convoluted mess inside my head, this blend of hope and fear. The receptionist looks up as I enter, eyes widening. Christ, I must look as frayed as I feel.

“I need to see Elysa,” I say, my voice leaving little room for negotiation. “Now.”

To her credit, the receptionist just nods, wide-eyed, and points me down the hall. I follow, each footfall a drumbeat echoing my resolute intent.

I burst through the door to Elysa’s office like a goddamn hurricane, breathless and probably looking every bit the part of a man clutching onto the edge of his sanity. Her head snaps up from her desk, surprise flashing across her face, those stunning cornflower blue eyes meeting mine with a mix of curiosity and concern.

“Aidan?” she gasps, clearly taken aback by my sudden, unceremonious entrance. “What the heck? Why do you look like you just ran a marathon?”

I barely have time to catch my breath, words tumbling out in a mad rush, propelled by the surge of fear and love coursing through my veins. “It wasn’t me!” I choke out, still standing just inside the doorway, hand involuntarily clutching the doorframe like it’s going to anchor me. “I have no idea who outed you, but I swear, it wasn’t me. I didn’t out you, Elysa.”

Her expression shifts, the initial shock mellowing as she registers my urgency. “Aidan, I?—”

But I can’t stop. The words have been boiling inside me since the moment Asa dropped the bombshell, and now that they’re spilling out, there’s no dam to hold them back. “The last thing I’d do is put you through this shit. I’m going to find who’s behind it, I promise.” Breathless, panting like some lovesick idiot, I scramble to explain, “I love you, Elysa. And I’ll be damned if I let this crap come between us.”

My voice finally dies out, exhaustion and desperation woven through every confession, every raw admission I’ve laid bare. But it’s not anger I see reflected in her gorgeous eyes. She stands, moving around her desk with a determined grace belying the twist of emotions churning between us.

“Aidan, stop.” Her words are soft yet firm, placing a hand on my arm with a gentle touch that silences the storm inside me. “There’s something you need to know.”

My pulse drums in my ears, a mixture of dread, longing, and something else I can’t define. “What?” My voice has edged into gruffness, stripped raw with the effort of navigating these new goddamn emotions.

“I was the one who outed myself,” she admits. The confession drops between us like a weighty anchor refusing to be ignored. “I’m tired of hiding who I am. I’m freaking proud of my matchmaking skills and the matches I’ve made.”

Her words knock the wind out of me more effectively than a sucker punch ever could. “Oh,” I stammer, struggling to comprehend this turn of events.

“And,” she adds, stepping closer, her voice infused with the confident spark I’ve come to love, “Because I want everyone to know all about my most successful match yet: the one between you and me.”

I’m struck dumb, standing in front of her like an idiot, mouth slightly agape as my brain scrambles to recalibrate, grappling with a myriad of emotions as she closes the space between us. For once in my goddamn life, words are failing me.

Her words flip my world on its axis, spinning everything I’d built up to say into a jumble of emotions. But one thing’s clearer than ever to me. Elysa knows her mind and her heart, and she’s looking at me with the kind of certainty I’d only dreamed could be directed my way.

She reaches up, her hand touching my cheek, grounding me in a way I desperately need. “I love you, Aidan,” she says simply, the words laced with conviction and warmth that wrap around me like a balm. “I’m not afraid. Not of this or the town gossip. I’m done hiding.”

It’s like a goddamn fire ignites in me. Everything clicks into place deep in my soul. The mounting panic and the fear of losing her completely evaporate. “Fucking hell.” My voice catches, sounding more vulnerable than I ever imagined. “I’m so goddamn proud of you. I can’t believe you would fall in love with a grumpy asshole like me.”

“Head over heels, Daddy.” She smiles up at me. The expression on her gorgeous face unravels every knot in my chest, leaving me defenseless and splayed wide open before her. “And I’m planning to fight this fight with you.”

Something hard and determined snaps into place, fueled by her words and the promise they hold. I find myself pulling her to me, my hands cradling her face, rough and unsteady as I lean down to capture her lips in a kiss that's an echo of everything fierce and unapologetic that I’m feeling.

When we finally come up for air, I realize there’s one thing left to do. I step back and drop to one knee. Right here, right now, because waiting any longer feels foolish when my entire world is standing in front of me, looking at me like I’m her gravity.

Elysa’s eyes widen, surprise flickering across her face. There’s a vulnerability in her expression mirroring my own, but beneath it all is trust.

I flick open the box, the diamond catching the light and sending shards of brilliance across the room. “Elysa,” I start, my voice rough, barely holding back the swell of emotions threatening to overflow. “I’m a hard ass, and I know I’m not easy to love…”

“Aidan—” she starts softly, eyes already misting, but I press on, needing to say these words.

“But you’ve dragged me into the light, tamed this grumpy bastard in ways I never thought possible.” I shake my head, almost in disbelief at how right this all feels. “I can’t fucking picture my life without you, and I don’t want to face another day without knowing you’ll be by my side forever.”

“Oh my.” Her breath hitches, eyes shocking in their clarity and warmth as she takes in my trembling, semi-scrambled proposal.

I take another breath, steadying myself. “Will you marry me, Elysa? Will you be my baby girl forever, and protect the residents of Silver Spoon Falls from my grumpiness?”

A beat passes. Then another. For a moment, I swear the world has stopped, dead in its orbit, as I kneel before the most incredible woman I’ve ever known.

Then suddenly, she’s crashing into me, arms looping around my shoulders, pulling me in with a force that almost topples me over. Her laughter breaks through the building emotion, a happy squealing sound. My heart swells in my chest as she buries her face in my neck.

“Yes!” she all but cries, her voice cracking with the force of her emotions. “I can’t wait to be your wife and your baby girl, but to hell with the town residents. They’ll have to deal with the two of us.”

I pull back just enough to look at her face, wanting to memorize this moment. She’s my match in every way, and I couldn’t love her more.

With a slightly shaking hand, I slide the ring onto her finger, and the fit is perfect, like it was meant to be there all along, resting against her skin, a testament to all that lies ahead.

“I can’t wait to walk this crazy path with you, even when it gets tough,” she tells me, her voice resolute but soft, like a whisper intended just for me.

“I know you’re strong enough to call me out on my bullshit,” I reply, a teasing smirk playing on my lips, though my tone is entirely sincere. “I’m not perfect, but damned if I’m not going to try for you.”

“You are perfect.” She wraps her soft arms around my waist, and everything in my world is instantly perfect. “For me.”