Chapter Sixteen

Imake it halfway across the parking lot before bending over to take a breath. Considering how much exercise I get, I don’t really need the break for my breath but more for my sanity. I need the emotional space, a moment to pull myself together. Aiden approaches, slow and steady like he’s not so sure I won’t bolt again. I can’t be sure either. I raise my hands, stopping him in his tracks.

“I’m sorry. It isn’t you. I need a minute to clear my head, and it was too stuffy in the car,” I say, hoping he understands.

“Birdie, I would never try to force you to marry me. I see the fear in your eyes and you need to know that’s not what’s happening here. If you say no, I’ll respect it and love you all the same. I’ll wait until I’m old and limping before you say yes, if that’s what you want.”

For the third day in a row, the clouds open and it begins to rain. At this rate, we’ll need an ark to survive the season. The rain plasters my hair to my face and dribbles over my cheeks. How can he think I’m standing here comparing him to Stephen? That’s not it. But a girl doesn’t want to be proposed to as a solution to a problem.

“That isn’t it, Aiden. I love you. I never stopped loving you. I ran to Denver because I need you. I’m tired of being scared and looking over my shoulder. Of course, I want to marry you but not because you feel obligated to.”

Hurt flickers over his features, drawing me in. “Obligated?” Aiden steps forward and offers me his hand. “It would be an honor.”

I can’t tell what is rain and what are tears streaming over his cheeks, but the crack in his voice is enough to push me over the edge. I close the distance between us and let him take me in his arms. His lips are cold and wet but they move over mine as if he and I were born for each other, perfectly matched for all eternity. I can’t hold back the whimper that escapes when he pulls me into his warmth. I slide my hands through his sopping wet air, grasping for dear life. It can be like this forever, and all I have to do is say yes.

Aiden’s hands move from around my shoulders to my waist, ever so slightly putting space between us. When he lifts his head, water drips from his hair and onto my face but there’s a burning question in those warm, comforting eyes. Stephen will keep coming after me. My father will try to make my life as awful as possible. But Aiden knows all of that and still wants me. I blink the water from my eyes, my lower lip trembling from the chill. Still, I manage to nod.

“Yes?” he asks, eyebrows arched in anticipation.

“Yes. It was always yes.” My heart soars at the sight of his smile. Sweet relief floods my system knowing, at least for now, I can be happy.

“You’re sure? There isn’t anything in the world I want more, but I don’t want you to say yes because you feel pressured or—”

I push up on my toes and kiss him, silencing those doubts. We’ve had a rough enough road, and even though I know there will be more difficult conversations in our future, Aiden is right. Stephen can’t force me to marry him, especially if I’m already married. It’ll go a long way toward proving that I was under duress when signing the contract. I’d wanted to marry Aiden back then, got bamboozled by my father, and now here I am linking my life to his forever.

When I lower myself, his smile is wide and his cheeks are full. He looks as if he already won the Patton Cup, a billion dollar jackpot, or a prize he’d wanted his whole life. In a way, I guess he has. Why, oh why, didn’t I run to Aiden Doyle before now? Why didn’t I trust there must have been a reason he left me? Why didn’t I tell my father to kick rocks long ago, run to Denver, and never look back?

“What are you thinking about, love?” he asks, his beautiful eyes locked on mine.

“How fast we can plan,” I admit with a single shoulder shrug.

Rain pummels us, but neither of us seems to care until thunder cracks in the distance. I startle and find myself in Aiden’s arms again, only now he’s picked me up and he’s running back to his car. He manages to get the passenger door open and positions me in my place before running around to the driver’s side. Once inside, he leans over and kisses me again, his hands so deep in my tangled, wet hair, I feel the warmth of his fingertips as they move over my scalp. There’s a lot in this kiss, things we still haven’t said but need to. More than anything, it’s honest. It’s real. The time that has passed between our last meeting at the altar and this one don’t matter. This is where we were always meant to end up.

I belong to Aiden Doyle forever and always. And the part that makes me smile into the kiss is knowing that he belongs to me, wholly and completely, without question, for the rest of our lives.

He slowly pulls his lips from mine and groans his utter displeasure. Sighing, he crams his key in the ignition and glances back at me. “I’d kiss you until dark, but something tells me April will have us planning for the rest of the day once we tell her the news.”

Aiden wasn’t wrong. When April finally arrived and we informed her, she flew into planning mode. By lunch, we had a small venue—Brokedown Tavern, thanks to Rose—someone to cater a simple meal, and an invite list that was primarily the entire Dragons team and their significant others.

“You still have the dress, so all we need now is to get Aiden fitted for a tux unless you’re okay with a suit?” April looks at me, but I couldn’t care less. We could get married in our pajamas and I would be over the moon.

“A suit is fine. Let’s keep this as simple as possible,” I say, running my hand through my hair. Aiden is exhausted but tries to keep up. When his head bobs, I chuckle and poke his side. His eyes whip open wide and a blush blooms on his cheeks.

“Sorry, Birdie,” he says, rubbing his hands over his face.

“Why don’t you go to your apartment, pick out a suit, and get things in order? I’ll see you bright and early?”

He jerks his head. “Nah, I ain’t goin’ anywhere until you’re mine forever, darling.”

April slips from the room to give us a little privacy. I wait while she disappears down the hall, glancing over her shoulder once to offer me a fully satisfied grin. She’d been right all along about us.

I lean against Aiden and toy with the strings of his Dragons hoodie.

“You know I’m yours. You don’t have to sit here bored out of your mind while we get things ready for tomorrow.”

He swallows hard and runs his hand up and down my arm, keeping me close to his chest. “I lost you once. I’m too afraid to believe this is true. You’re here, an’ you’re not goin’ anywhere. Besides, if that ex of yours shows up, it’ll be me who teaches him a lesson he won’t forget.”

Peering up at him, I shake my head. “I’m not. Go rest, and call me after you’ve asked Evander to be your best man. It’s going to take some explaining, right? I’ll be fine. We won’t answer the door for anyone.”

He inhales long and slow, then releases his breath equally as measured. He seems calm and collected on the outside, but judging by how fast his heart races, he’s scared. “Might not take as much explaining as you’d think, but you’re probably right.”

After convincing him to head out, I wander down the hall and find April busy looking for bridesmaid dresses online so she can order for store pick up.

“He head out?” she asks, glancing up. I sit on the bed beside her and point to one that will look smashing on her.

“Yeah. He’s nervous.”

Her dark eyes connect with mine and I realize how scared she is too. Everything is coming to a head, and how I come out of this impacts her too. We’ve been on the same team for a long time, and I’ll never leave her behind.

“Should he be scared?” she asks.

I don’t hesitate. “No. I’m going to marry Aiden in the morning.”

“No second thoughts or worries?”

I shake my head and realize what I’m about to say is completely true. “No. Not even one. I know he’s not leaving this time, and I’m ready for what comes next.”