"That bad?"

  The squeal that somehow tore out of her dry throat sent lightning behind her eyes, making her wince.

  "I didn't think you would be up for another hour at least," Gus chuckled and she heard him step closer to the bed.

  "What time is it?" she muttered into her hands.

  "It's 8 o'clock, I've got to get to the station and get my report done for the shit that went down yesterday. You can stay as long as you like."

  Aiden shook her head slowly and finally opened her eyes. He was dressed casually in well fitted jeans and a black T-shirt. His hair was still damp from a recent shower and she cursed herself for getting excited about being so close to him while he was naked and wet. She only wished she would have been awake at the time.

  "You should rest today, Aid. Last night was stressful for you."

  "Last night… I, uh…"

  He watched her carefully as she struggled to find the words to take back everything she had said without sounding like a complete bitch. Nothing was coming to her and she started to panic.

  "Do you remember anything after the gallery?"

  Hallelujah! She had an out. No one would expect her to remember everything after all the champagne she ingested.

  "No," she croaked out, the lie a bitter taste on her tongue. "I can't remember much after that fourth glass of champagne you handed me so eagerly." She bit her lip, forcing herself to keep her eyes on his, but certain her expression gave away the blatant lie.

  He chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her hip. "I was just trying to help you relax."

  "Well, it worked."

  "Obviously. So, you don't remember coming here?"

  She shook her head, hating herself already.

  "I see," he sighed, looking mildly dejected. "Well, in case you are wondering, we just talked and you fell asleep on the couch. I brought you in here thinking you would be more comfortable."

  She looked down at her body, just now noticing that she was still in her dress and sighing in relief. "Thank you."

  He watched her for a long moment, his jaw ticking and his piercing eyes searching hers. Then he leaned over and grabbed the glass of water and pills off of the nightstand. "Take these. It will help and make sure you eat something light. I have some bread for toast if that works."

  "I'll just head back to my apartment."

  He nodded. "I should be back in a few hours. You get yourself straightened out and then we are going to the park this afternoon with Aidy."

  "But I'm not watching Aidy today."

  "I know. We are. I called Lily and gave her the afternoon off to get some things done. By the way, I told her you weren't mad at her for last night, so don't go blowing it and arguing with her, okay?"

  "But-"

  "Aiden. Let it go, babe." His expression wasn't pleading, it was demanding, and it made her stomach flutter.

  Not good.

  She huffed and finally snatched the glass out of his outstretched hand, splashing water onto her fingers. He handed over the pills with a smirk and she threw them in her mouth before chugging the entire glass.

  "Fine, I'll let it go."

  He winked at her then sauntered out of the room, leaving her in his bed with a scowl on her face. That is, until she glanced down and saw his perfectly shaped ass in those perfectly worn jeans. Why God was punishing every woman on this earth by making only one of him, she had no clue.

  She gingerly stood and steadied herself when her head spun. Normally, she wasn't such a lightweight, but drinking that much champagne on an empty stomach last night had been a huge mistake.

  When she caught her reflection in the mirror above Gus' dresser, her stomach dropped right to the floor. Her hair looked like… God, there were no words for how it looked. Birds could have made it a home, rats probably drooled over the idea of settling in, and there looked to be no immediate hope for it. The only thing that would fix it was a nice hot shower - which would probably fix the rest of her, too. The makeup she hadn't washed off made her skin feel stiff and sticky and her mascara had made a pleasant home on the skin beneath her eyes. The worst of it was that she could smell the stink on her breath without even inhaling.

  Gus must have been in his bathroom washing out his eyes after a sight like this. It no longer mattered what the hell she had said to him the night before. It was all completely moot now.

  She didn't know how long she sat there staring at herself, but the sound of someone clearing their throat finally forced her to tear her eyes away. Gus was leaning against the doorframe, watching her with a wicked grin on his handsome face. He hadn't shaved that morning and the light scruff covering his jaw was probably the sexiest thing she had ever seen.

  "It doesn't matter how long you look in that mirror, Aid. You'll still be beautiful when you turn away."

  Warmth flooded her cheeks and the constant flutter in her stomach whenever he was near, exploded. The things this man could do to her with just a few words, words she knew were a flat out lie, but sweet nonetheless.

  "This?" she cried, gesturing to her whole head. "This isn't beautiful, it's just scary."

  He threw his head back and laughed, the sound warming the deepest, coldest parts of her. That laugh was hypnotizing. Always had been, even when they were only speaking on the phone. If Gus had laughed like that at any point before they officially met, she would have had no doubt Dreamy and him were one and the same.

  "You couldn't be scary if you tried," he stated with another wink. "I'll see you when I get home. An extra key is on the counter so you can lock up."

  "I'll just leave now," she hurriedly stated.

  His mouth turned down before he shrugged indifferently and turned away from her. No way was she going to go another minute without fixing the mess she had made of herself. Her guilt for not telling him the truth was starting to drown out the pleasant hum they shared and she needed some distance before she spilled the beans and told him that if she hadn't been so exhausted, she would have ravished him right there on the couch last night.

  She followed him to the front door, snatching up her heels and purse that were still laying on the ground in the living room. When they left the apartment, she all but ran to her own door.

  "See you soon, Red."

  "Bye, Gus," she panted and slammed her door shut, forcing herself not to care if he was offended by her rude departure. He would just have to deal with it.

  "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. This is bad. This is really, really bad."

  The muffled ring of her phone sounded from her purse and seeing that it was her sister, she was finally able to release the breath she had been holding. Perfect timing.

  "Lily."

  "Aiden, how you doing?"

  "Lily."

  "Aiden?"

  "I'm fucked."

  Her sister's chuckle couldn't have been more annoying, "I take it you have the same plans as Gus this afternoon now?"

  "Is there anything I could possibly do to convince you to join my side on this?" she practically begged, almost dropping to her knees to do so even though her sister wasn't standing in front of her.

  "No."

  "I hate you."

  "No you don't."

  "No, I really think I do."

  "Aiden, you hate salmon, black licorice, and broccoli."

  "And you."

  "No," she sighed. "Not me. You just don't see the good this is going to give you, but you will. Eventually, you'll understand why your big sister went to such great lengths to get you to see yourself."

  "I see myself just fine, Lil."

  "Maybe you do, but you still don't see the you I see when you are with him."

  She closed her eyes and dropped her head forward, wishing she could see it. It would be so much easier if she did.

  All she could think about was what would happen later when she finally did and she let herself go. It wouldn't matter who she saw anymore because it would never be her. No matter what she did, she would end up the shell of a woman that made an impossible choice. Just like her sister had been five years ago when she was abandoned, pregnant and broken.

  There was no guarantee that he would make it home from his job every day and in the back of her mind, she finally realized it was the same with any other job. There were no guarantees in life.

  "I've got to go," she whispered, her voice barely strong enough to do it without a sob.

  "I'll see you later. I love you, Aid. I just want you to be happy."

  "Bye, Lily."

  She shut off her phone and dragged herself to the shower, ripping her dress off and throwing it to the floor along with her underwear. She needed to wash away every emotion she had let consume her since the minute she woke up. Mortification, fear, anger, doubt, helplessness. She needed them all gone so she could get a breath in.

  Just one breath and she could finish the day.

  She stepped under the hot spray and felt her lips tug up into a traitorous smile.

  A day with him.

  ***

  Who knew that just a few hours could feel like a lifetime?

  Aiden hadn't stopped fidgeting since she got out of the shower. Her apartment was spotless and without all of her paintings lying around, she realized she had a lot more space than she originally thought. She rearranged her furniture, dusted everything, and for God's sake she even wiped the baseboards - including the area behind her entertainment center.

  It was a testament to how desperate she was to keep her mind off of him.

  She even called her parents, just to get a better grip on things. Her mother hadn't been the help she needed, but their conversation was certainly eye opening.

  Rose Elizabeth Murphy, was not a woman you could talk your way around. She could hear Aiden's stress from the first word.

  "If you don't tell me what is eating at you, Aiden, I will come down there myself and torture it out of you."

  "It's nothing I can't figure out on my own, Mom. I've just got a lot going on and not enough options to get by."

  "Is this about that young man Lily has been telling me about?"

  She groaned and rolled her eyes, "Lily's got a big mouth. We are just friends."

  "Really?"

  Dammit if she could lie to her mother, the woman had powers beyond her imagination. "I don't know."

  "Sweetie, you can't live your life scared. First of all, you can't control every aspect of it so stop wasting precious time. Sometimes you just have to hold on and let it lead you. Second of all, you're smart enough to find a man that won't treat you the way Brandon treated Lily. Now, I'm not saying Lily wasn't smart," she added quickly, sensing Aiden's need to defend her sister. "She is smart. Smarter than you think. But love… unhealthy love built on nothing but doubt can blind a person. Brandon showed bad signs well before she married him, she just didn't want to think that the man she loved so deeply could betray her. She ignored her instincts, but look at the result. Aidy is the best thing to ever happen to Lily, to this family."

  "What do you mean he showed signs, Mom?" Aiden couldn't remember Lily ever having problems with Brandon before they were married. They were the happiest couple she had ever seen even if she didn't like Brandon from the beginning.

  "She caught him in compromising situations many times. He always had some kind of excuse or explanation and she was so doubtful of herself that she believed him."

  "Doubtful? Mom, Lily was the most confident person I ever knew before Brandon."

  Her mother took a deep breath and Aiden could imagine that the lines on her beautiful face deepened from the stress and worry she felt for her daughters. "He was manipulative and degrading a lot of the time and so damn subtle about it that none of us could see it. Not until she was already gone. After that, she was desperate for a way out and he gave her one. She's just grateful it happened so perfectly that she ended up with Aidy."

  "Why didn't she tell me this?"

  "Aiden, how long has it been since you've been in a relationship?"

  "Mom-"

  "No," she interceded sharply. "How long?"

  "I don't know," Aiden answered grudgingly.

  "She didn't tell you and still you've closed yourself off. You adore your sister, sweetie, you always have and you always looked up to her. What do you think would have happened if she told you everything? You would probably be locked away in a convent and I'd never have more grandchildren!"

  Aiden rolled her eyes. Rose Murphy wanted to be surrounded by children to spoil rotten, always had and always will. It was her final argument for everything, just to seal the deal.

  "Now, you give this boy a chance, take a risk, and stop being so damn stubborn. You live your life for your family, and that's a good thing, but you need to make a family of your own if you ever want to be truly happy. Lily's relationship with Brandon crashed and burned, but ask her yourself, she wouldn't have done it any other way and not just because she has Aidy. She knew passion and laughter and love, even if it was for a short time. Brandon may be a lowlife cheating bastard, but he loved her when it mattered."

  Aiden had never heard her mother swear as much as she had in the last few minutes and hearing it now made her grin.

  "All we want is for you to be happy, sweetie. Your father and I are worried about you. You're an extremely talented, beautiful, and spirited 27 year old woman who deserves so much. Take it, Aiden."

  Aiden knew she was right. Knew it in her bones, but her fear of the unknown was stronger. Still, she gave her mother what she wanted. "Okay."

  "Okay."

  "How is Daddy?" she asked without pause. The subject needed to be changed and fast.

  "Oh, he's just fine, sweetie. His surgery went great and his hip feels much better. They've got him on blood thinners and all that crap, but he's good. Healthy, thank the Lord."

  "Tell him I said hi and that I love him."

  "Of course. Now, you have a good afternoon. Give that Aidy a big kiss from Grandma and Grandpa."

  "I will. Love you guys."

  "We love you, too."

  It wasn't until Lily walked in with her niece that Aiden had finally stopped moving. Her sister had kept something huge from her. She thought they didn't have any secrets between them, but she was wrong. Yet, she understood.

  Instead of the enthusiastic greeting she always gave her niece and sister, she hurried toward Lily and wrapped her arms around her.

  "I'm guessing you spoke with Mom today," Lily chuckled, the sound not at all genuine. "I gave her the okay the other day since I was too big of a coward to tell you myself."

  "I'm sorry, Lily."

  "Don't be. I'm not and I don't regret for a minute not telling you. Knowing the truth-"

  "Stop. It makes no difference now. Just know that I'm here for you if you ever need to talk about it. I never was a big fan of Brandon, but I can hold off on the shit talk if you need me to."

  At that, Lily burst out laughing and pulled Aiden into another hug, tears falling from her eyes before she could get herself under control. "I don't believe that for a second, Aid."

  They both held each other while they laughed hysterically. That few minutes with nothing between them, no secrets, no lies, no regrets… it was the reason she had dedicated her life to her family, the reason she loved her sister so much.

  "Aunty Aiden? Where's Gus Gus?"

  Oh, shit. She looked at the clock on her wall and realized that he would be home any minute and coming for her and Aidy. She hadn't even done her hair yet and she felt suddenly frantic.

  "Baby, will you go to the bedroom and find me Aiden's pearl earrings?"

  "Yeah!" Aidy replied excitedly and darted down the hall.

  "Lily, I don't have pearl earrings."

  "I know, but it will keep her occupied for a few minutes so you can listen to me and so we can do something with that hair."

  Aiden tried to protest, but Lily dragged her toward the bathroom and shut the door, giving her a look that told her she would regret it if she did.

  "Gus cares about you, more than you think. He wants more than just friends and has from the very beginning, even when you two thought you hated each other. I know you know that." She squeezed Aiden's hand and took a deep breath before she turned her to face the mirror and started in on her hair. "Now, pull your head out of your ass and be the woman you were those days before that ridiculous blind date. Ready to fall in love with the man of your dreams."

  "Lily!"

  "No, Aiden," her sister snapped. She looked at her in the mirror, noticing the unshed tears filling Lily's eyes and a boulder sized lump started to form in her throat. "You let go of this stupid idea you've been clinging to that you can plan out your life. You can't. No more than I could have planned for Aidy to have your red hair or prevented Brandon from cheating on me with that bimbo slut. You take a chance on that man because I promise you, it's worth it."

  Hearing it from her mother was one thing, but hearing Lily's tearful plea to just take a chance - consequences be damned - cut her to the quick.

  Lily didn't look at her as she twisted Aiden's hair into a perfect, messy braid that gave her such a casual elegance. She didn't look at her when they walked into Aiden's bedroom to look for something for her to wear and found Aidy worrying over not being able to find those imaginary pearl earrings. But when the knock came at the door, telling her that it was time to face the music, Lily crossed her arms over her chest and participated in the shortest staring contest the two sisters had ever held. Aidy ran at light speed to open the door and her giggle filled the silence when Gus picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

  He was beautiful, smart, sexy, funny, and so unaware of the amount of power he had over her. Yet, Aiden knew that even if he was aware, he would still worship her. It was in his blood. It was in hers.

  With Aidy crying out with laughter and still hanging over his shoulder, he winked at Aiden saying, "You ladies ready?"

  She nodded before she gave Lily a watery smile and pulled her into a tight hug, finally whispering, "I'll try, I promise."

  Chapter 8

  Gus

  "I really hope this shit gives us something to work with, because I've about had it," Linc grumbled from the driver's seat of the car.

 

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