He’s different. I can feel it. Something’s happened, and it’s changed the way he looks at me.
“Everything okay?” I try to temper my voice, not wanting to give away any emotion. Lord knows he doesn’t show any. Ever.
“Yes.” His focus remains straight ahead. I’m not even graced with his cold cashmere eyes. Has he figured out who I am?
We’re on our way to the woman’s shelter. Ironic, I know. If I can’t escape my reality, then I’ll do everything in my power to help others escape theirs. Volunteering once a week helps soothe the chasm in my heart and helps me keep going. Keep pushing this image of the perfect southern belle, the perfect wife, and the epitome of strength and elegance when I feel anything but.
I throw my head back against the headrest of the SUV we’re in. My hand falls out of my lap and accidentally brushes Aiden’s arm, instantly sending tingles coursing through my body. Turning my head, I see he’s staring right at me, those intense eyes narrowing before he removes his hand and refocuses his attention to the front of the vehicle.
Ugh. This is going to be a long day. I close my eyes again, refusing to let myself relive the angst of my childhood.
“Why?” His deep voice has my eyes shooting open. Surprised at the sudden question, but I’m not sure what he’s asking.
Turning my body toward him, my brows furrow, “Why what?”
“Why are you choosing to volunteer at a women’s shelter? There are plenty of charities or non-profits which could use exposure from the senator’s wife. Why this shelter?
His question makes my stomach churn, sending bile crawling up my throat. Trying to school my face, I give him a generic answer, not at all having any semblance of truth. “It was one of the first organizations on the list provided to me by Michaela.”
I turn my head, refusing to let him see my eyes. There’s no doubt he’d be able to sniff out my lies, and I’m no fool. If he catches on to the fact that things aren’t what they seem between Preston and me…
Even though I’m no longer looking at him, I can feel his burning stare. After what feels like an eternity, he finally releases a low huff—showing more emotion than I’ve seen from him these past couple of days.
“We’re here.” He exits the vehicle first, offering his hand as I scoot to the edge of the seat.
Placing my hand in his, that pesky jolt resurfaces and I can’t help but look up into his eyes. They’re staring right at me, narrowed with something swimming behind the irises. What I would give to dive in and swim through his thoughts. Does he see me? The real me?
A throat clearing to the right has our staring match breaking, and I see Titus looking at Aiden with a raised brow.
Right. That’s my cue to get moving. Both men flank me as I enter the facility. The smell of sterile cleaning solutions invades my nose, but despite the coldness of the environment, there’s a warmth to the place.
Hope. It’s here in spades. You can feel it in the air and see it on the faces of the women who inhabit these four walls. They know that, despite the darkness of their past, from this point forward things will be different. It will be a struggle, sure, but none of it will compare to the hell they’ve just survived.
The women here are warriors. Every single one of them.
A burning sensation hits me straight in the gut. Jealousy. My hand instinctively covers my stomach as I suck in a deep breath, needing to reign in my emotions.
As if on instinct, Aiden’s hand lands on the small of my back, a questioning look in his eyes. Despite the expression, no words flow from his lips—I for one am grateful for that. There’s no way I could respond to any of them with truth.
I give him a nod as I straighten myself out, letting him know that I’m fine. His hand drops from my body and I instantly feel the loss of his warmth. Needing to shake this sensation, I quickly locate Meredith, the facility’s director.
“Morning, beautiful.” A genuine smile spread across her lips. She’s the closest thing to a real friend I have, and I cherish our time together dearly. “I see you have new security.” Her gaze travels up and down the length of Aiden’s body, who’s standing stoically behind me.
And even though she’s my friend, at this very moment I want to gauge out her eyes. Closing my eyes, I shake my head. These are no thoughts a married woman should have. He is not mine. Never has been and never will be.
“Yes.” No further explanation follows. Despite our closeness, I would never divulge the secrets of my marriage. She’s a trained professional, and there’s no doubt in my mind that she’d be able to spot the issues a mile away.
“Alright then. Shall we head to the computer room? The girls are all waiting.” She motions toward the hallway to the right.
I’ve been teaching computer lessons, giving the women the basic knowledge to hold down an entry level administrative position. It’s part of the program here, not only offering shelter, but empowering women to be able to provide for themselves and their families.
Smiling as I follow Meredith I can’t help but giggle to myself. I have a feeling that today’s lesson will be difficult for the ladies. Not because what I’ll be covering is complex. Nope. It’s the eye candy I’ve brought with me that will be their demise.
But hey, I can’t blame them. After all, he was the subject of my fantasies all throughout my adolescence.
And now, the real struggle is keeping him out of the ones in my present.
Exiting the Escalade, we make our way toward the house when I see my sister’s sleek black Mercedes in the roundabout. My steps falter and I know I’m about to land face first into the asphalt when a set of strong hands land on either side of my hips, fingers digging into my flesh in an almost bruising grasp.
My breath halts and the air around me freezes. Slowly, Aiden rights me, our eyes finding each other once again and a million words are spoken with that one glance.
“Better watch your step, or my perfect little princess will lose her image of perfection.” The corner of his lips lift into an almost unperceivable smirk. But I know him, and I see it as clear as day.
My cheeks flush at the term of endearment—if you can call it that—it’s one he’s called me since my childhood. So he does remember.
A sense of relief and sorrow come over me as I know he’s about to revisit a ghost from his past. The way things ended between him and my sister were not pretty. They dated pretty hot and heavy and when my father caught wind of how serious things were getting, he made Clara cut things off, stating that even though Aiden came from old money, he’d never be good enough for his daughter. He was an immigrant’s son, and that just wouldn’t do for the Montgomery name.
I roll my eyes at the memory. If I’d been the one dating Aiden, I would’ve told my father right where he could have shoved it.
The closer we get to the front door, the sooner this shit show will unfold. There’s no way he’d know that the car in the driveway belongs to Clarabelle, so I feel inclined to warn him.
“Aiden, Clara—”
“Is inside.” A small smile graces his lips as my mouth parts open.
“How did you know?”
“What kind of protective detail would I be if I didn’t know everyone and everything potentially affecting your safety?” His face is back to being the impassive, impenetrable fortress, and I can’t help but feel the loss once more.
“Right.” My lips roll in as I take a deep breath. Preparing myself for what, I’m not sure. All I know is that this is going to be interesting.
And by interesting, I mean painful. Very painful.
