Chapter 14
14
JAXON
The other night, Aria needed someone to listen without judgment and be sympathetic to her circumstances. I was honored to be that someone. I’m also pissed that Silas removed her from the office before firing Maggie and Rex. Who initiated all of this bullshit to begin with? She wouldn’t go into detail, but she assured me they’ll get what’s coming to them. So, her spanking was put on hold. Not her words, mine.
I convinced her to embrace her newfound freedom since she can stay in her pajamas all day long while working from home. Not to mention that she’ll save on gas. It has its perks, but I know how she thrives on the hustle and bustle of the magazine, and she won’t get that from home. As long as she’s writing what she loves, she’ll be happy. From what I hear, her first week is going well.
Maybe I’m being a little selfish, but I’m hoping Silas would let her work from home a little longer so she could go on tour with us. There’s no better place to get some juicy stories than backstage at a heavy metal concert. Not sure if you could classify them as love and relationships, but they make for good reading material. I’ll need to run it by her next time we get together. It won’t be this weekend since Macy’s coming to town, so I’m on my own.
No worries since Mom’s stopping by in a few. Lucky me gets to tell her about the tour and how the wedding needs to be postponed. I’m sure that will go over big, but nothing I can do. It’s part of the job. Caleb’s famous last words.
While waiting for Mom, I decide to go through my drawers, closets, and bathrooms. Wiping out all traces of Stephanie. I’m hoping she grabbed everything. If not, it’s time to get rid of it. Pictures and all.
I start in my bedroom and I’m grateful when I don’t find a thing. Closets have been wiped clean. Moving on to the bathroom, I find a razor, old toothbrush, and half a bottle of body wash. All of it gets thrown in the trash. I rifle through all the drawers, but I’m saved by the bell. Feeling like I’ve been through the ringer, I open the door and am pulled into a great big hug.
“Hi, Mom. Glad you’re here.” I am, even though I know we’re going to butt heads. I’m surprised Mrs. Mitchell’s not here too.
“You okay?” She studies me like mothers do and decides not to push.
“I’m fine. You want something to drink? Coffee, tea? I have that water you like.”
“Nothing for me. Go ahead and grab something for yourself.” Nah, it’s too early to start drinking, so I pass.
“I’m good, too. Have a seat. Believe me, you’ll want to be sitting when I show you our grueling tour schedule.” I grab the paper off the fridge and hand it to her. No sense in beating around the bush.
“Oh, dear lord. This is unacceptable. Unless I’m reading it wrong, it appears you’ll be touring for over a year with no break.” Should I point out the few days we have off while traveling, or let her believe the wedding will need to wait?
What do you think?
“Mom, you know it’s always like this after releasing a new album. We need to promote the band, increase our exposure, and party with our amazing fans. It’s what I do for a living.”
“All valid reasons, son, but it’s not fair to Aria. Making her wait that long for her special day is going to be so devastating for her.”
“Being a career woman herself, she understands. We’ve already discussed it. She’s disappointed but she’s fine with the wait. Gives her more time to plan.” Oops. That might have backfired in my face.
“You just gave me a brilliant idea. Why not have a destination wedding!” She’s so excited that she squeals. Yes, you heard me correctly. Squeals.
“That’s way too extravagant. What about the bridal shower and the Bachelor and Bachelorette party? A destination wedding is too involved, and I won’t have time for all the incidentals. I’m not a machine; I’ll need time to relax, too.” I’m grasping at straws, but this can’t happen.
“Emma and I will take care of everything. All you need to do is make sure you and Aria show up.” Grabbing her phone, she takes a screenshot of my schedule. Why do I have a feeling that no matter how many excuses I come up with, she will find a way to get us hitched as soon as possible?
When she gets up to leave, I stop her. “Mom, I’m begging you. Do not plan a destination wedding. Aria and I don’t mind you helping out, but we don’t want you and her mom taking over. It’s our wedding and we don’t want any damn surprises!” Granted, that was harsh, but sometimes I need to put my foot down.
“Jaxon, you worry too much. I promise before we finalize all the details, all four of us will have a sit down to go over everything. Now, I need to run. I’m meeting with Emma in thirty so we can make all the necessary adjustments.”
When she kisses my cheek before leaving, I feel like it’s the kiss of death. Aria is going to kill me.
Grabbing my phone, I try calling Aria just to give her a heads up. “Pick up, come on baby, pick up.” When it goes straight to voicemail, I hang up.
Running my fingers through my hair, I decide it would be easier just to drive over there. I need to get to her first, because if her mom calls after their meeting, Aria will freak out. Thinking I gave my mom the thumbs up to plan this destination disaster.
As soon as I pull out of the driveway, I put two and two together. Macy was flying in today and if Aria didn’t answer her phone, nine out of ten she’s with her.
ARIA
I wanted to pick Macy up at the airport, but she insisted on renting a car. I’ve convinced myself it’s better this way. Gives me more time to find the right words to explain why we did what we did. She’s going to be furious with both of us but mainly me. She warned me to stay away from him and I didn’t listen. Now I’m living a lie with no end in sight.
I’m taking out the cheesecake I made when the doorbell rings. Even knowing how mad she’s going to be, I’m excited she’s here.
“Hey bestie, I’m so happy you’re here.” I mean every word when she hugs me so tight, tears threaten to fall. Sometimes I wish she was my big sister instead of Stephanie.
“Ditto, sweetie. Now I’m in desperate need of the bathroom so get out of my way.” We both laugh as she goes running down the hall. My cheeks hurt from smiling and she just walked in. I know that will soon change.
I head into the kitchen and fill the kettle with water, knowing she’ll want a hot cup of tea while we chat. Unless she wants something stronger. I stocked up on wine. Not only because she was visiting this weekend but because I need it to fall asleep.
“It smells delish in here. Have you been baking?” Her eyes light up the minute she notices the cheesecake cooling on the counter. “Girl, my ass just gained ten pounds by smelling it, let alone eating the damn thing.”
“Stop. You’re losing too much weight as is. I’m making tea so we can have some when it cools.” I busy myself getting out the tea bags while she settles in at the island. Watching me run around the kitchen like I’m possessed. More like avoiding the topic at hand.
“Aria, the tea can wait. Please sit down so we can talk.” Damn, she can’t wait to get down to business.
“Macy, I…”
“I’m not here to judge. I love you dearly and I want what’s best for you. If Jax is the man for you, then I want to hear it from you. Not the tabloids or your sister’s social media. Just start from the beginning.”
After I explain how it all started, I pause to make us some tea. I know she’s listening but also reading between the lines. Once the tea is ready and I take a few sips, I continue. “I’m his fake fiancée and I know it’s childish to hold onto someone based on a lie, but for now it’s real to me.”
“It is real, babe. Whether you want to admit it or not, you’ve been in love with Jax for a very long time.” I’m shocked that she would say such a thing when she continues. “The night you ran into him at the bar, when I asked you to leave it alone, you ignored me and went to talk to him. That’s when you validated all of my suspicions.”
“I was showing him a little compassion for God’s sake. How do you equate that with love?”
“You’re not that good of an actress, Aria. You both love each other. It’s the reason it’s working. You’re believable. No one knows it’s fake because it’s not. It’s very much real. Maybe you guys are technically playing a part, but your love for one another doesn’t know you’re faking it. Jax is your twin flame.”
What? She’s lost her mind. I studied all that in Psychology. She’s dead wrong.
“That’s absurd. Where did you ever come up with a crazy idea like that? It’s ridiculous. Of course, I love him. We’ve known each other for years, but I’m not in love with him.”
“Did you sleep with him? Get down and dirty between the sheets because people who fake it don’t have sex, Aria.”
She’s right. If it was a fake relationship, we never would have taken it to the next level. Jax would never hurt me like that.
The ache inside of my chest splits me wide open.
“I knew it. Babe, it’s time to embrace the fact that you’re crazy about this man. Whether you’re ready to admit it, this is very much real. And if I had to take a wild guess, it’s real for him too.”
“Even if what you say is true, I’m not marrying him, Macy. The proposal was fake. The engagement ring is on loan. And in a few months, we’ll have a very public break-up and the rest will be history. And I’ll be devastated if that’s the end of an amazing friendship. Just because I was being bullied by a bunch of jealous coworkers.” I’m on the verge of tears already and she just got here.
“Aria, look at me.” When she grabs my hand, tears start to fall. “You love each other so the answer is simple. You marry the man and then the fake relationship becomes real. No one will be the wiser.”
She makes it sound so easy, but Jax only started this so Maggie and Rex would get off my back. Which technically they did, but I’m the one being punished since I’m working from home.
I’m so torn because I’m happy my best friend’s here, but I also want to call Jax. I need to hear his voice. The reassurance that everything will work out and it won’t ruin our friendship. Which is my biggest fear.
I can’t lose him.
“Let’s take a break, babe. Go get cleaned up. I’ll make us another tea and cut the cheesecake. It’s been calling my name since I walked in the door.”
When I stand, she gives me a great big bear hug, and whispers, “This is a twin flame quote by Nikki Rowe. “He touched my soul long before I knew what his hands felt like.” She kisses my cheek and grabs the kettle, leaving me with my thoughts.
Could Jax and I be two halves of the same soul? In truth, there’s no scientific evidence that twin flames really exist. Then again, without evidence how can we really be sure?