Isla

Chapter 16

Sierra dried Isla's tears.

"Maybe he just needs some space," Sierra whispered. "Until you came, he had no idea he even had a soulmate. His world has flipped too."

Isla hiccupped, wiping at her eyes.

"I know because he's my brother, you expect me to have all of the answers, but I don't."

"What do you think I should do?" Isla sniffled. Sierra handed her another tissue.

"Do you really want this to work?" Sierra asked.

Isla nodded.

"I think he feels like this is what you want. You need to tell him in person otherwise." Sierra smoothed the hair out of her face.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue," Isla said.

"Anytime," Sierra smiled. "That's what friends are for. I'm going to make sure Caleb got Callie to sleep, and I'll be back in a bit with ice cream."

Isla gave another nod.

"And don't be sad without me," she warned, leaving the room.

Even though what Aedric said hurt, it made her realize how badly she wanted to be with him. She was ready to push all of her fears and anxieties aside to date him. She just needed to figure out how to tell them that.

-----

Sierra had given her some good advice. Be confident. Get everything off of her chest right from the start.

It was easier said than done. Isla struggled to get out of her car, and she had no idea how she was going to get into Aedric's gym, let alone back in the office area.

She took a deep breath as she walked in. She had two coffees with her. One was plain black, just like Aedric liked it. She also got him a muffin.

"Hey, Isla!" a friendly face at the counter greeted. She recognized the guy working from when she was there a few times with Aedric. He unlocked the gate for her so she could step through.

"Hey," she said.

"I'm guessing you're looking for Aedric since those are not gym clothes," he smiled.

Isla glanced down at her work clothes, and back up at him with a hesitant smile.

"He's with a client right now. Do you want to wait for him in his office?"

"Sure," she said, following him back there. He held the door open for her, and she stepped into the space.

It felt like forever since she had been in his office. It smelled like him. It made her reflect back on the times she had been there. When she had the job interview, she had been so unsure and nervous when he had shown her around. Aedric was such a gentle giant.

She set his coffee down, and waited.

The anticipation was the worst part, and the clock ticked closer to when she had to be at work. Until finally, she couldn't wait anymore. 

She sighed. She felt the stupid tears again. She couldn't help but be frustrated. She had just assumed things would have a gone a certain way.

The front was deserted as she slipped out and back into her car. She dried her lone tears, and went to work.

It was miserable trying to shove the morning out of her mind. The day creeped, and Isla really wanted to go home and pretend nothing ever happened.

Angela had taken Callie out for the afternoon, and wasn't going to be back until well after Sierra got home. That left Isla with a little extra time to herself, and she fully planned on getting in her bed and staying there.

She didn't expect Aedric to be waiting by her car when she left the building. He looked like a model, perfectly styled with his sunglasses on.

She immediately went to him, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. The tears were immediate, but these were tears of relief. Being with Aedric was exactly where she belonged. She was safe with him.

"It's okay," his deep voice soothed, his hand running the length of her back. "I've got you."

"I'm so sorry," she cried, gripping his jacket with her fists.

"So am I," he said, crouching his height to press his lips to her forehead.

He pulled away, and she panicked, mumbling some kind of protest, and not easing her grip.

"We're getting some looks out here," he whispered. "Let me drive you home."

He took her keys from her, helping her into the passenger seat before getting in himself.

"You should've told me you were dropping by this morning," Aedric said, offering her his hand as he maneuvered the car out into evening traffic.

"I didn't know what to say," she mumbled, tangling her fingers with his. "I didn't want this to be over. I know we've only had one official date, but this is special. I want to keep getting to know you, and see where things go."

She sniffled a bit, leftover from her tears earlier.

Aedric smiled. "So do I. I love spending time with you. I'm glad we're on the same page."

Both of them immediately crashed on Isla's couch. It felt good to clear the air. It felt good to be with the person who allowed her to be comfortable and safe within herself.

Aedric stretched out, and she layed between his legs. Her head was on his chest, and he covered her with a blanket. She was asleep almost immediately, finally. It was her first real sleep in over a week.