Always next to you

Chapter Forty-One

NICOLE

During the last four years of my life, I ran away from my past. I was convinced there was a future waiting for me as long as I worked hard for it.

To achieve my goals, I studied, practised, failed and succeeded, but eventually I had to face my past again. Although I was rescued by Aiden, my reality wasn't clear yet.

Was I really safe?

My mother was forced to let me go now, but what if she came back in a few months or a few years? Regardless of where I was in my career, she would find a way to bring me back to her prison.

The only thing I was sure of was that I never wanted to feel like this again. I didn't want to think about anything. Not my parents, not the arranged marriage, and not my failed life.

Aiden got up to give me a few minutes to myself, but I stopped him by grabbing his arm. He turned around, searching my eyes to see what I wanted.

What did I want?

I couldn't bring myself to put it in words. The only thing I knew was I wanted to forget. I was willing to do anything to cleanse my mind for the last few weeks.

Take me back to the always internship meeting, my old bosses hating me, losing jobs after two months. Take me back to college but not to my ex boyfriend. The hallway was good enough.

Aiden seemed to know what I was thinking because he carried me up in his arms and I quickly wrapped my legs around him. His eyes were full of worry and concern.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Aiden asked.

He stared at me like I was something precious and I wished I could feel that way about myself. I saw myself as a thing to be pushed around.

I couldn't even decide what to do tomorrow by myself and my parents were back to being my legal guardian. However, the way he looked at me erased that side of me.

This was why I fell in love with him. The more I thought about it the more I realised I never told him, not once, that I loved him.

What would have happened if I told him? Would he stay with me or would he use me like everyone else? I pushed the thought aside and pressed my lips to Aiden's.

He opened his mouth, accepting me like a starved animal. Aiden kissed me and sucked on my bottom lip, making me lean closer. It was his arms that held me, but it wasn't enough for me.

I want to roll in his sheets, skin to skin, doing crazy things until we both pass out. My hands moved fast as we kissed. I went to his collar, and I removed his tie, then got started at the buttons.

It was nearly uncomfortable, so he sat on the bed, letting me straddle him. We both wore the same dress as our first date. Mine had a slit that made it easy to move around.

As I kissed him and pulled his shirt off, I had flashbacks of the session we had in his car. This time, I would need more than that.

Aiden pulled away from me and pulled out my dress from over my head in one swoop. He took time to glaze over my body like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

I felt shy and wanted him to kiss me instead. He arranged the braids that came to the front of my face to the back of my ear.

"Do you have a hair tie?" He asked.

I shook my head in response, and he smiled. I wondered why he was smiling, hoping he remembered that my scalp was still sensitive from the new braids.

Before I could realise it, Aiden picked up his tie and used it to tie my hair behind me. Something about his little affection made my inside leap for joy.