~Aubree~

“What the actual hell do you mean you bugged the house?” Leslie asked when we pulled onto the freeway.

“I'm investigating.”

“Who?”

“Beck and his sister.”

They're definitely hiding something.

“Why?”

I rolled my head to the side to look at him.

“They're being suspicious.”

He furrowed his brows.

“Suspicious? How?”

“They're sneaking and whispering around. When they see me coming, they either change the topic of whatever it was they were whispering about or start making ridiculous excuses to rid themselves of me” I explained. “Katie-Ann bluntly says to my face that she doesn't wanna talk to me so.”

“I thought you liked blunt people.”

“I don't like the human being so I don't like anything she does.”

Leslie laughed.

“All siblings whisper and sneak around, Aubree. You know that. And changing the topic? You and your sister are pros in doing that.”

I chuckled.

“We don't change the topic, Les. We change the language.”

“To that made-up language,” he scoffed.

“Mandarin Chinese is not a made-up language” I chuckled.

“Whatever. I didn't even know you knew how to fix tiny pinhole microphones and cameras.”

“I don't. I called in a favor.”

He slowed the car down to a stop and looked at me for further explanation.

“Remember when our brother used to work for the CIA?”

“Yes. And I don't know why you'd want to stop working for the CIA” he sighed.

“It's not all cool weapons, fast cars, and sunglasses, okay? Hollywood is so deceptive” I shook my head. “He still does Sunday brunch with some of his closest friends from there whenever they're not kicking people's doors open. I called one of his friends... remember his best man at his wedding? Yeah him.”

“How does he even owe you a favor?” Leslie laughed.

“Remember twelve years ago... when everyone I knew was so desperately trying to find me a man?”

“Medical school. How could I forget?” he chuckled. “And we were doing that because you still had the hots for your sister's husband... not that everyone else knew.”

“Have, Leslie” I corrected. “I slept with him. If I didn't give in to the hots, we wouldn't be here right now.”

“True.”

“Breanna signed me up on a dating site and I got paired with...”

"The CIA guy?!” Leslie interrupted. “You let a CIA guy go, Aubree? I can not believe you.”

“I didn't get paired with the CIA guy. I got paired with Riccardo.”

“I thought you said you met at a wedding.”

“We did.”

“Well, if you did then how...”

“Do you wanna hear the story or not?” I scolded.

The light turned green and he moved the car, but not before muttering, “meanie” to me.

I chuckled and playfully nudged his shoulder and he smiled.

“I got paired with Ricc. I didn't wanna go but Breanna wouldn't hear of it. So I did what any medical student would do.”

“Say you had an exam?”

I scoffed.

“You know Breanna helped me study for every single exam I ever took. She made us lasagna every night before an exam.”

“Oh right, I forgot” he chuckled. “So what'd you do?”

“Faked chicken pox and talked her into letting my brother's best man go in my place.”

“Wait, you faked the chicken pox?!” he exclaimed. “How was I not a part of this ruse?”

“I needed my sister to believe it so I didn't tell you so you could sell the act; which you ended up doing perfectly”

“Do you have any idea how freaked out I was?”

“Yes. You cried” I laughed.

“Shut up” he chuckled. “But why would you send a man in your place?”

“I thought it would be funny.”

“Did your brother's best man know he was meeting a man?”

“I didn't tell him. But I told Breanna I'd told him.”

“Does the lying ever end?” he shook his head.

I scoffed.

“What did he do when he found out?”

“He didn't. Because Riccardo thought it'd be funny to send his third cousin in his place too.”

“Third cousin?”

“And get this, she was a woman.”

“Well, well, well”Leslie chuckled. “Game does recognize game.”

I shook my head.

“They both hit it off and ten years later, they're still married. Matchmaking skills.”

“You both just got lucky it didn't blow up in your faces.”

“I don't know about Riccardo, but it blew up in my face when my brother and sister found out.”

“And you met Riccardo at their wedding?”

“Yep. Two years later when we graduated med school” I smiled. “And we all ended up doing our residency in one town.”

“Now that's matchmaking” he chuckled.

“Three years later we were married, a year later, Oliver was on the way, four years later, I'd ruined my marriage.”

“Hey stop it.”

I shook my head.

“I was married for only five years, Leslie. Breanna? She was very close to being married for seventeen long and hard years. And because of my hots for her husband, I ruined everything for her. She lost her child. It took seven whole years for her to get pregnant with Roman. And she lost her second pregnancy.”

“Aubree that's not your fault.”

Yeah it is.

“Maybe if I hadn't slept with her husband and driven her to move back to Virginia, she wouldn't have gotten another job and some psycho driver wouldn't have run her over. If I didn't take her car also she wouldn't have had to walk and she would be with her child now.”

“But you made sure to track down the driver and have him put in jail. And you never even drove her car. You were just selling your act.”

I shook my head.

“Maybe it was unnecessary to try and convince everyone that I was unregretful.”

I stared at my palms.

“I don't feel good about it anymore, Leslie.”

“You've never felt good about it. You're just that good at pretending you're okay.”

“I don't think I can anymore, Les. I need to see my sister. And my parents. I need my family to forgive me. I need my son with me again. I can not go on like this anymore. I feel like a terrible person.”

“You're not a terrible person, Aubree. And before you say you're selfish, I'm telling you, you're the most selfless person I know. You gave up your happiness for your sister's. You could have said something to her but you saw how she was happy she was and so you let go. That's just how selfless you are. So don't beat yourself up anymore okay?”

I looked out the window and Leslie sighed.

“Have you seen Riccardo?”

I sniffed and scoffed a little.

“So he can point a gun at me again? No thank you.”

“He what?!” Leslie exclaimed.

“The wedding...” I turned to face him, “... he showed up with a gun.”

“Oh my God. Did he hurt anyone?”

“His pride.”

“You called the police?”

“My wonderful sister talked him out of it” I smiled. “And that's another reason why I need to see her. So she can ask Ricc to bring my son to me. Even if it's just for Thanksgiving and through to the holidays.”

He rubbed his forehead and pushed his glasses to the top of his head.

“I would drive you to the airport but I don't think anyone's going to let a seven-month pregnant lady on a plane” he looked at me. “And I'm not driving you six hours to Richmond.”

“Who said anything about driving or commercial flights?” I smiled.

He quickly pulled up on the side of the road.

“Oh no, no, no, no, no” he shook his head.

“Oh c'mon, Leslie. Just one flight. You've done it a thousand times.”

“Not with a pregnant lady who also happens to be my best friend.”

I gave him a look.

“I will be fine. You can't keep using your pilot license for flights to Vegas and Bali.”

His eyes widened.

“Vegas! Let's go to Vegas.”

“I am not having my child in Vegas.”

“I'll fly you back before you go into labor.”

“No. Unless you're buddies with a sky med.”

He narrowed his eyes at me.

“Please, Leslie? I need you to fly me home.”

He groaned.

“Please don't make me do this” he whined.

“You're a plastic surgeon. If anything goes wrong, you could always fix my face or whatever. Breanna would be thrilled we wouldn't be sharing the same face anymore.”

“And if I'm the one needing the surgery?”

“I'm a general surgeon. I got you” I said proudly.

Just hope it doesn't come to that.

He sighed and pushed the top switch of the convertible to take the hood off again.

“Okay then” he finally agreed. “Buckle up, pregnant lady.”

I sighed happily. He was taking me home.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

~Aiden~

“What do you mean you're not in Budapest anymore?” she asked. “You closed the deal right? So why aren't you on your way home already?”

“Need I remind you, Iris, that the conference is still not over?” I asked, trying not to speak loudly.

“Well, then why aren't you in Berlin either?”

“I have business elsewhere” I whispered.

“Why are you whispering?!” she groaned.

I glanced beside me. Breanna had fallen asleep not too long ago and I didn't want to wake her from her peaceful state. I smiled, her chest slowly rising and falling.

“Aiden!”

God!

“I have business elsewhere. End of discussion. I'll be back home on Sunday. Until then, don't call me. I'll call you. Take care. Goodbye.”

I didn't wait for her to reply. I just hung up and turned off my phone. Exhaling deeply, I turned to Breanna who was still asleep. I smiled and resumed driving again.

The streets near the cabin were dark and empty. The area had an overall calm and peaceful feel, and that was one reason I'd bought the cabin in the first place. Breanna woke up the minute I turned the car onto the gravel driveway.

“Where are we?” she asked in a husky morning voice that went straight through me and made me hard in a second.

“At the cabin” I replied, clearing my throat.

She sat up, her shirt shifting a little to show a part of her skin. I swallowed and parked the car, turning off the ignition.

“I'm sorry I fell asleep, Aiden. I didn't mean to.”

I smiled at her.

“Don't worry about it. I love watching you sleep.”

She fixed her shirt and unbuckled her seat belt to turn to me. She placed one soft kiss on my lips and looked into my eyes.

“How creepy and romantic” she whispered against my lips.

I chuckled as she pulled away.

“C'mon,” I said and climbed out of the car.

Breanna let out a gasp as she stepped out of the car.

“There's a lake?” she chuckled.

I smiled and joined her at the other side of the car.

“Oh my goodness, Aiden. This is beautiful” she whispered, moving closer to me.

My arms automatically wrapped around her and I smiled, my eyes on her, as I nodded in agreement.

“Beautiful is an understatement.”

She smiled and turned to look at me. Then she laughed and playfully shoved me.

“I meant the house.”

“Right, right” I scoffed playfully, making her laugh.

I let her go and moved to the trunk of the car to get our luggage out and inside the house.

“Home sweet home” I sing when we step into the house.

“For four more days,” she chuckles.

“And we're going to make every second count” I assured.

Breanna smiled.

“Okay, where do I put the bags?”

“I got it, don't worry,” I told her, picking up both our luggage.

“Aiden...”

“I got it, Brie, don't worry” I chuckled. “Now c'mon. Ladies first.”

I led her over so she could walk in front of me up the narrow staircase to the loft.

“Wait, how many rooms are up here?” she asked.

“One.”

Breanna stopped halfway up the stairs and turned to me.

“I'm not taking your bed, Aiden.”

I chuckled.

“Breanna, it's fine. I usually sleep on the pullout couch, anyways.”

She hesitated.

“It's fine, I promise.”

She sighed but resumed climbing the rest of the stairs. Her eyes widened when she entered the spacious sleeping loft.

“That is a big bed,” she said about the Californian king-sized bed and turned her wide eyes at me. “I'm not letting you sleep on the couch, no way.”

I chuckled and set the suitcases in the corner.

“I'll be fine on the couch, Brie.”

“Maybe. But what if a rat or a snake sneaks in here tonight? I'll be needing a strong and handsome man to scare them off and save me.”

I whirled around and she had a mischievous look on her face.

“Really now?”

“Mm-hm” she hummed, taking slow steps towards me.

She wrapped her arms around my neck when she got to me and I wrapped mine around her waist.

“I won't be sleeping on the couch then” I whispered. “Those rats and snakes better watch out.”

“Music to my ears” she grinned and leaned in to kiss me.

My senses short-circuited and I kissed her back. Then she pulled away and smiled lovingly at me.

“What?”

She shook her head and giggled.

“Why don't you change and I'll fix you something to eat, hm?”

“Shouldn't it be the other way around?” she chuckled.

“No. Let me.”

She gave me a quick kiss.

“Okay,” she whispered against my lips and let me go.

I kissed her cheek and walked back downstairs. I'm about to look through the cabinets when I remember I didn't call the housekeeper to restock for this month.

“I guess I'll have to do it on my own.”

I grabbed my phone and went through the cabinets, taking notes of everything missing that Breanna and I would need for our stay here.

“Can I help?” her voice echoed through the room.

I looked up and she was dressed in my t-shirt, which was way too big for her, and a pair of my old gray joggers. It shouldn't have made dirty, possessive thoughts run through my mind, but it did.

“Where'd you get those?” I smiled.

“The secret part of the closet you didn't tell me about” she approached me. “I didn't bring any... vacation-appropriate clothes so I borrowed these. I hope you don't mind.”

Hell no.

I liked her in my clothes. With her face bare of any makeup, and her blonde, soft hair pulled back into a ponytail, she was everything I'd ever wanted in a woman.

“I don't” I replied, my smile growing wider.

She was so very beautiful. And she was here, with me.

“Whatcha doin'?” she asked gesturing to my phone.

“Making a list. I don't think there's much food left in here for us for the rest of our stay here.”

She chuckled.

“What?” I smiled.

“I think you're the only man I know apart from my Dad who makes grocery lists.”

“I have been alone most of my life so.”

“Well now I'm here so let me help” she laughed.

“I got it” I chuckled.

“You have got to stop saying that” she groaned. “Let me help.”

I sighed and shook my head.

“Fine. I haven't checked the pantry yet so...”

“On it” she chirped and walked towards it.

I chuckled.

“Would you like me to get you anything?” I asked.

“No, I'm good” she smiled over her shoulder.

I watched her open the almost empty pantry.

“Wow Aiden” she teased.

I laughed.

“That bad huh?”

“A box of cereal, a couple of boxes of pasta, a half-full bag of rice, a jar of pasta sauce, and a pack of... granola bars?”

She looked over her shoulder again at me. I shrugged.

“Iris. She's obsessed with them. So whenever I go grocery shopping, I buy them on impulse.”

Breanna chuckled.

“Roman too,” she said.

“Really?” I chuckled. “No wonder they get along so well.”

“Yeah. Till we found out he had a peanut allergy too so.”

“Oh.”

“When we stopped buying him granola bars, it was literally hell. He didn't quite understand that it made him sick. But now he knows so” she chewed on her lip thoughtfully.

“What else is he allergic to?” I asked.

She let go of her lip and looked at me.

“It might sound crazy but... soy.”

I chortled and she arched a brow.

“Sorry I didn't mean to... it's just that I never thought I'd meet anyone else who was allergic to soy.”

“Wait, you're allergic to soy?”

I shook my head, a lump forming in my throat.

“My dad... he was allergic to soy” I muttered.

Breanna pursed her lips together. A few moments of silence passed and I spoke up, forcing the lump away.

“So, I guess pasta it is?” I smiled.

Breanna nodded.

“Yeah,” she whispered and grabbed one box of penne and a jar of marinara sauce.

I filled a pot and put it on the stove as Breanna set the stuff on the counter.

“Aiden?” she began, slipping herself onto one of the counter stools, “Why did you use 'was' for your father?”

It didn't surprise me that she asked. I had never had anyone so concerned about me or my past this much... and I was beyond thrilled that this amazing woman wanted to know and I felt at peace telling her my truths.

“It's been twenty-one years since he disappeared, Breanna. I don't see any better way to refer to him.”

“Hm.”

Her eyes flickered to the ground for a second before they returned to me.

“Don't you think maybe, he's alive and so—”

“I should look for him?” I asked.

My interruption didn't deter her in the least. She continued her questioning.

“I don't mean to pry, Aiden. But I think since a body was never found, he's alive and so you... whenever you're ready, should talk to Iris and see if she agrees with you two looking for him.”

I smiled and shook my head.

“I don't think he wants to be found...” I felt her eyes on me, “... just like my surrogate.”

Breanna flinched, and when I met her eyes, the hurt look in them and the knowledge that I caused it had my stomach tightening,

“Aiden...” she blinked, “Don't say that. We'll find them.”

I gave her a half smile.

“Okay,” I just muttered while nodding before going over to the stove to add the pasta to the boiling water.

The silence came back till she spoke up again.

“Hey, you never told me how you started this whole company from scratch.”

I chuckled and turned away from the stove.

“Aren't you a curious one.”

She shrugged lightly.

“I am my son's mother.”

I laughed.

“Well before I came to work with the Barretts, I did odd jobs for all kinds of people... mostly businessmen. I guess I worked closely with a lot of them that I began to pick stuff up and I was very good with tech stuff so.”

“And the capital for the startup company?” she asked. “Picking stuff up couldn't have given you the money to start or else I would have been a billionaire from all the medical stuff I've picked up.”

I smiled at her.

“You're right, it didn't.”

“Then?”

I exhaled and got closer to her.

“Those people I worked for... not all of them were able to pay me back then. After Jewel died and her family threw Iris and me out, I met one of them and he offered us a place to sleep.”

“But he paid you right?”

“Yes,” I chuckled. “But in stock.”

Breanna's eyebrows pulled together.

“Stock?”

“Yes. And so did the rest of those who owed me.”

She leaned back and nodded appreciatively.

“That's a pretty good ending to the first part of your story.”

I chuckled.

“First part? What's the other part?”

“Finding the woman who ran away with your child,” she said. “Aiden...” she stood up and moved to me, “Ten years? This isn't fair to anyone” she whispered.

I smiled at her and opened my arms a little.

“C'mere".

She nuzzled into me and I sighed happily. Having her here with me was limited... but I was going to make sure every moment counted.

Thank you for reading! ✨