If I didn’t know better, I would say he appears serene. Peaceful even.
Oh, who am I kidding? There’s no such thing as peaceful with Aiden. Not when I’m sure he heard all about the engagement.
For the past hour or so, I’ve been thinking about what to say, but I’m distracted by his scent and sheer presence.
I’m lost in how his dark jeans tighten around his muscular thighs and how his grey pullover brings out the metal colour of his eyes. His hair is dishevelled in a sexy bedroom kind of way, though some tiredness is wearing down his expression.
I heard the flight from China to England is more than twelve hours. He must be exhausted. Still, I relish in the fact that he came to me first.
He crossed the seas for me.
Despite the circumstances, the breaths I take are deeper, cleaner, and so damn liberated.
The itch to hug and kiss him writhes inside me like I’m possessed. I want to run my fingers through his hair, feel his slight stubble against my cheek, and let him own me.
All of me.
I had an epiphany during this separation and the subsequent marriage proposal with Ronan. I’ve always belonged to Aiden and he’s always belonged to me.
It started ten years ago and has been ongoing since.
I was just too stubborn — and scared — to admit it.
The fact that Aiden’s not saying anything about the engagement is putting me on edge.
Aiden’s silence is a lot worse than his words. His silence is the calm before the storm and the wind before the hurricane. It’s feeling your limbs shake right before an earthquake.
The road becomes deserted the longer we travel. I thought he’d take me to the Meet Up, but we left London altogether.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“A kidnapper doesn’t tell their victim where they’re going.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “You know I had nothing to do with the engagement.”
Silence.
“Dad only asked for my opinion.”
“What was your response?”
“I haven’t told him yet.”
“So you’re considering it.”
Shit. I didn’t want him to get to that conclusion. “Of course not.”
“You know what’s the difference between you and me, Elsa?” His voice is rough, commanding, and hard. “I’m all in, but you always have a foot out. Even when we’re together, that brain of yours is always thinking of an escape plan.”
His words hit me harder than they should.
That’s it.
All this time, I’ve always fought the idea of Aiden and me — even subconsciously.
“You didn’t give me strong reasons to trust you,” I whisper. “It’s not like I resisted you without a reason.”
“Are we playing that game? Because I had a stronger reason to hate you.” The calmness of his voice draws chills over my skin and down my spine. “You reminded me of the woman who destroyed my childhood, but I didn’t let my hate win. You let your distrust win every fucking time.”