Life in the Underworld

42

The moment I've been waiting for, for countless months, was here. In my arms, I held the little toddler my heart ached at the thought at. The day he was taken, was the day my world crashed and burned around me. I spent his entire life being the mother he never had, helping my brother raise the child I thought of as my own.

No one said a word in the car journey home, but we all had small smiles on our faces.  Lorenzo was sleeping as he curled into my chest, Aidan and Carter on either side of me. Ace was driving, Jamie next to him. Before we left, Aidan called in his clean up crew to get rid of anything and everything in the warehouse. And Spencer was taken to one of Aidan's to suffer.

"Kalina, we're here." Carter whispered, careful not to wake Lorenzo.

Looking up, I saw we were parked outside the Montessori mansion, where the lights were illuminating the outside from the foyer and living room.

Climbing out of the car, I followed the guys into the house, where everyone began to ask questions.

"Shut up." I snapped, feeling Lorenzo stir in my arms.

But it was too late. Yawning, Lorenzo turned to see all of my brother, father, Jamie, Ace, Carter and Aidan all looking towards the two of us.

His grip on my shirt tightened, but he still gave them a sloppy grin.  "'Ello."

Chucking, I turned to Christopher, who nodded for me to go upstairs. Gladly doing so, I carried Lorenzo up to my bedroom. Laying him down on the mattress, I climbed in beside him and held him close.

Hours passed as I peacefully hugged the toddler. It's been months since I hugged him, and I wasn't planning on letting him go anytime soon. The agony I felt without him in my life was crippling.

Especially since it was my psychotic boyfriend who kidnapped him.

A knock sounded at the bedroom door, and Aidan popped his head inside.

"He's still asleep?" Aidan quietly asked, standing at the side of the bed.

"Yeah." I mumbled, a soft smile resting on my face.

Reaching out, Aidan offered me his hand. Hesitantly I took it, allowing him to guide me out to the balcony. The sky was an orangey yellow, the sun beginning to rise after the long eventful night, a soft breeze blowing in the wind.

"It was stupid of you to go there by yourself." Aidan scolded, his emerald eyes staring down at me, his face stern, jaw clenched.

"We all do stupid things for that mean the world to us."

Staring back up at him, I watched as his muscles moved as he folded his arms, his tight v neck shirt not doing him enough justice. He looked angered but understanding at the same time, as if he understood why I did it but was pissed off that I went alone.

"Why did you follow me? That was stupid of you." Cocking my brow, I waited for an answer.

It was obvious he already had an answer, but he still seemed hesitant to say it. Sighing, Aidan uncrossed his arms and ran a hand through his hair.

"I do stupid things for those who mean the world to me."

Before I could react, Aidan held my face in the palm of his hands, his lips pressed softly against my own. Reacting the only way I wanted to, I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck as his moved to my waist. It was like all the tension of the previous months had disappeared, and it was just us.

Eventually we had to pull away for air, resting our foreheads against each other, I stared up at his closed eyes.

"Wow." Aidan breathed, causing me to chuckle.

Gently taking his hand, I guided Aidan back inside the bedroom, the two of us sitting on the sofa in the corner by the window. We sat at opposite ends, an awkward silence filling the room.

"This shouldn't have happened." Aidan said suddenly.

My heart ached in my chest, rejection stinging as my gaze met his. However, I saw that his expression was angry, a tick in his jaw, fists clenched.

"What?"

"This was wrong." Aidan said, his face changing to a stoic expression. "I don't like you like that."

"It was all bullshit?"

Aidan simply nodded in response, his eyes not meeting mine.

I didn't say a word, just simply got up and opened the bedroom door. "You needn't be here anymore then."

"Kalina- that's not what I-"

"Goodnight." I interrupted.

Nodding acceptingly, Aidan got up and made his way out the room, his tall figure almost reaching the top of the door frame, his muscular build filling the gap.

He stopped momentarily, and a bit of hope sparked in my chest... till he carried on walking.

Sighing, I closed the door, putting my back against it as I closed my eyes. All this tension between Aidan and I, it's been going on for months now.

Seems only I was willing to go further with it.

"Mama?"

Opening my eyes, I saw Lorenzo sat up on the bed, rubbing his tired eyes.

Smiling, I walked to him and sat down, letting him cuddle up into my side.

"Yeah Enzo?" I replied with a smile.

"Did you and your friend fight?" Lorenzo asked, indicating to Aidan who had just left the room.

"I was fighting too hard apparently, and he wasn't fighting at all."

The moment I had been waiting for, for months, had arrived. Then man I had developed a liking to, and possibly even feelings for, kissed me. It was nothing like I expected: amazing, beautiful, safe.

I have no idea why he changed his mind so quickly, why he didn't want what I thought he did. I guess that's what happens when you finally trust someone, who now I realised, I barely know.