Trust Me? The Trust Me? Trilogy (19 page)

He looks sullen. “But you always let me smack your ass. I don’t understand. Wasn’t that your way of showing me that you felt the same?”

I look at him, reluctant to hurt him. “Tim, no. That wasn’t me flirting with you. I was playing along because it entertained the guys in the kitchen, not because I secretly had feelings for you, which I don’t. I’m really sorry, Tim.”

We sit there in awkward silence. I want him to leave, but he stays next to me. I feel really bad for him. He basically confessed his love for me, and I shot him down. He must be feeling horrible.

“Tim.”

“Yes, Jeni?” he says, looking at me.

“I don’t think we should mention this conversation to anyone,” I say, trying to spare his feelings about being rejected.

“Are you sure you don’t feel the same way?” he asks as his
hand brushes the side of my cheek. I pull away, dropping my wine glass. It breaks as it hits the ground.

“I’m sure.”

Tim eyes me curiously as I start to clean up the mess. Aiden walks over to us, and I smile, hoping that he didn’t hear any of the
conversation. I sit back in my chair and exhale, looking up into the sky. He looks lovingly at me.

“Enjoying the sun, baby?” he asks as he sits down next to me, eyeing Tim.

“Mmm,” I murmur.

“I don’t want to tell you what to do, but maybe you should move into the shade. You’re starting to turn red,” he says, gently stroking my bright-pink arm.

“Oh,
crap
,” I say as Aiden takes my hand and walks me
to the other side of the table where it’s shadowed by the porch. To be honest, I’m glad Aiden came over when he did. The awkwardness between Tim and me was becoming unbearable. I look back at Tim, who gets up and walks back over to the
grill. Things at work are going to be very uncomfortable now.

“Why aren’t you at the grill with the guys?”

“I saw you were here with Tim, and things seemed a little strained between you two.”

I laugh as Aiden looks at me curiously.

“You have no idea,” I say to him. He looks over to Tim, who is standing with his arms crossed, watching us intently.

“What was he saying?” Aiden asks curiously.

“Oh, it doesn’t even matter. It was a conversation I’d rather have not had,” I say with a sigh.

“Baby, was he hitting on you?” Aiden asks, seeming slightly annoyed. I swallow as I look at Tim, who is still eyeing Aiden and me.

“Aiden, it’s fine. I set him straight,” I say, trying to calm him.

“So, he was hitting on you?”

I sigh as I take Aiden’s hand in mine. “Babe, please leave
it. He knows how I feel, and he’s harmless. No need to worry,” I say, trying to ease the tension.

“If he touches you or makes one advance toward you, I swear I will—”

“Aiden! That’s enough. Let’s just enjoy the party,” I say
sternly. “I love you, you know that?” I lean in and kiss him gently on the lips. He relaxes at my touch. Tim huffs, walking past us into the house.

* * *

The rest of the party goes without a hitch. The food is
good, the music is great, and the atmosphere is fun, an all-round enjoyable party, except for the Tim incident. The guests slowly start to leave as the day turns into evening, and only a few of us are left. Aiden and Chris are inside
playing Bob and John at the pool table while the sisters, Mel, Sarah, and I sit out back, nibbling on cheese and crackers and sipping our wine.

“Great party, Mrs. Starke,” Sarah says to Mel.

“Thank you, Sarah, and please call me Mel.”

The girls chatter among themselves until Skye speaks up. “Jeni, has Aiden got any younger brothers?”

“Yes, he has one, but I don’t think he’s available.”

“Oh, he has a girlfriend?”

“Not quite. He’s gay.”

They pout their bottom lips out as Mel, Sarah, and I laugh.

“Sorry, girls,” I say then take another sip of my wine. We
all listen to the sounds the guys are making in the entertainment room.

“Aw, you bastard, I can’t believe you got that in,” John says to Chris, making us laugh hard. I think the wine is getting to us as we giggle like schoolgirls.

“More wine, girls?” Mel asks, getting up and stumbling across to the outside fridge. We laugh at her as Sarah, who is laughing uncontrollably, snorts. She puts her hands up to her mouth as we all pause and then crack up into hysterics. The men come out and sit down with us at the
table. Mel comes back with another bottle of wine. Lucky it’s a screw cap, so it’s easy to open. She proceeds to pour the girls another half glass of wine. The guys look at us and see we’re all inebriated.

“Miss Taylor, are you drunk?” Aiden asks as he sits down next to me.

I laugh and hiccup at the same time. “No, you are,” I say back to him as some sort of retort.

He chuckles as Sarah snorts again, causing us to laugh
manically.

“You girls are all wasted, aren’t you?” Chris asks with a smile on his face.

“No, you are,” Mel says, repeating my joke.

“Dad, control your wife,” Chris jokes to John, shaking his
head.

“Ha! Like I could ever control her.” John chuckles.

“Damn straight,” Mel says, and she takes another sip of her wine, spilling some on her top. The girls laugh uncontrollably, causing another
hiccup and a snort. The guys laugh and shake their heads.

“You’re the One That I Want” from
Grease
clicks over on the jukebox. The sisters raise their hands into the air and squeal, and they
start to sing loudly in unison with the song. Everyone laughs at them as they sing out of tune. I sit back in my chair and try to calm down from the laughing fit as I continue to hiccup. Aiden looks at me and chuckles as I motion a kiss toward him. He leans in and softly kisses my lips.

“Oh, so cute,” Mel says, making us chuckle.

The girls continue their version of the song as I suddenly feel a slight inkling that I might be sick. Aiden takes my hand under the
table.

“Would you like some water?” Aiden whispers in my ear. I look at him and nod. Hiccup. He heads over to the fridge and retrieves a cold bottle of water, handing it to me as he sits back down.

“Are you okay?” he whispers to me. I smile at him and take a
sip of my water.

Sarah starts laughing at the girls singing and lets out another snort, making me laugh; I spit some of the water out.

“Sorry,” I say as everyone laughs at me.

Aiden takes my hand under the table again. “Drink the water, baby,” he says to me quietly.

I look at him. His eyes are filled with worry. I do as he says and drink my water. I feel myself becoming more ill from all the alcohol.
I lean into Aiden.

“Can we go?” I ask quietly.

“Of course, I’ll message Mike,” he says as my head begins to spin.

Wow, this came on quickly. I take in long, staggered
breaths. Sarah looks at me; she’s seen this face before. She whispers something to Chris; he looks at me and chuckles.

“Mom. Aiden, Jeni, Sarah, and I have another party we need to get to,” he says, looking at Aiden, who nods in agreement. “Happy birthday,
Skye, love you,” Chris says, taking Sarah’s hand in his and hugging Mel with his other arm.

“Nice to meet you guys,” Sarah says quickly.

“Bye,” I say as Aiden pulls me from my seat and puts his arm
around me, steadying me.

We walk to the front of the house and stand on the curb, waiting for Mike.

“Are you okay?” Sarah asks. I nod, making my head spin uncontrollably. I stumble slightly on my feet, and Aiden catches me and holds
me to him.

“Baby, you drank too much. Mixed with the sunburn, it’s a wonder you’re still conscious,” Aiden says to me, his voice seeming distant as my eyes flutter open and closed. Mike pulls up at the curb, and Chris opens the
rear passenger door for Aiden, who is holding me tightly. He somehow manages to put me into the back of the car. I fade in and out of consciousness.

“See you guys tomorrow. Maybe,” Aiden says.

“Is Jeni okay?” Mike asks, full of concern.

“I don’t know,” Aiden replies.

***

I vaguely remember the car journey with my head on Aiden’s lap as he gently plays with my hair. I feel Aiden carrying me to his bed. My
head flops around as I slowly come to. My head is spinning, and my stomach churning. Aiden lays me on the bed and sits next to me as my eyes flutter open fully.

“Baby, talk to me.”

“I love you,” I mumble, making him chuckle.

“And I love you.”

“I think...” I manage to say. He looks at me, waiting for me to finish my sentence.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” I say, holding back the bile in
my throat. He lifts me in his arms and takes me to the en-suite, gently placing me on the floor by the toilet. My arms grab the edges of the seat as I move my head over the bowl. He squats next to me, rubbing my back as I feel the nausea
getting worse. My mouth fills with saliva as my stomach starts to wretch. He holds my hair back as the alcohol escapes my body into the toilet bowl.

I feel Aiden dabbing my mouth with toilet paper, and I daze
out. I wake as he carries me back to the bed. I feel him undressing me, but I can’t move to help him as I fade in and out. I taste the water as I drink it, even though my eyes don’t open.

***

“Jeni. Jeni baby, wake up.”

I hear it as I slowly open my eyes to the morning sun. I feel surprisingly okay, with only a slight, bearable headache. Aiden softly runs his knuckles down my cheek as I open my eyes fully.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he says as I rub my eyes. “How
are you feeling?”

I take in a deep breath and sit up in the bed next to Aiden. “I’m okay,” I say as the memory comes flooding back of me heaving in the toilet while he held my hair. “Oh God, I’m so sorry.”

He chuckles as I put my head in my hands. “Don’t be, as long as you’re okay. I’m only too happy to hold your hair when you puke. I’d rather be with you when you’re sick. Then I know I can look after you,” he says as I
take a sip of my glass of water. I sniff and clear my throat.

“Was I a complete mess?” I ask sullenly.

“Maybe a hot mess.”

Drinking the last of my water, I put the glass back on the
bedside table as he watches me intently. I lean in for a morning kiss.

“Um, maybe brush your teeth first, baby,” he says.

“Oh, yeah, probably a good idea,” I say as I stumble out of
the bed. I walk to the bathroom wearing only my underwear and look at myself in the mirror. I have sunburn across my face and down the length of my arms, as well as on my chest. I exhale forcefully at the sight.
“Stunning,”
I say sarcastically as I pull out my toothbrush and brush my teeth.

Walking back into his bedroom I glance at Aiden as he lies on the bed with a tiny part of the black sheet covering his groin. The rest is out on show for me to see as he relaxes on the bed. I inhale sharply, running
to the bed. I crawl my way so I’m sitting on top of him. He looks up at me and smiles.

“You must be feeling better. Either that or you’re still drunk,” he says with a slight chuckle.

I move down to kiss him as his arms wrap around my back,
pulling me to him as we kiss sensually.

“Try not to do that again,” he says suddenly.

I look at him, confused. “You don’t want me to kiss you again?” I say, somewhat hurt.

He laughs. “No, baby, don’t worry me like that again. I wasn’t sure if I should take you to a hospital or let you sleep it off. You worried the hell out of me, Mike, Sarah, and Chris. Try not to do it again. Okay?” he asks softly as I look at him sheepishly.

“I’m sorry, babe; I think the sun might have made me dehydrated. I kept drinking wine, and that was obviously a bad idea.”

He kisses my nose. “Baby, I don’t mind if you drink, just be
careful.” He slaps my ass and moves me off him so he can sit up. “Babe, time to get dressed. We have a double date to get to.”

I look at him, confused. “Um, what?”

“Bowling, remember? I invited Chris and Sarah. C’mon, up you
get,” he says as he stands to get dressed.

I laugh, thinking he’s joking. “Wait, you took what I said about going bowling seriously?” I ask, feeling confused.

“No, but it did sound like fun, so I organized it.”

I shake my head as I stand up and sort through the clothes I packed to get dressed. We grab a quick breakfast, just some toast and coffee. I hardly eat mine, as my stomach is still a little squeamish. We head down to the
parking garage and walk to Aiden’s Aston Martin.

We drive to the Mornington Vale shopping complex and find a suitable parking spot near the entrance. Aiden takes my hand as we walk into the bowling alley at the complex. Sarah and Chris are sitting down waiting for
us. Chris spots us, and they make their way over.

“How are we feeling today, missy?”

I shake my head. “Like an idiot!”

Sarah and Chris both laugh as Aiden rubs my back.

“I think it’s ironic that you were the one telling me to be careful of the wine and then you ended up like that. Very entertaining, Jeni.” Sarah laughs.

“You sound like Aiden.”

“Well, you are very entertaining and not just to me it
seems,” Aiden says. I roll my eyes and head over to the cashier. Aiden pays for two games, and we retrieve our very stylish shoes then head down to our lane.

* * *

In the end, Aiden won, beating Chris by two pins, then me,
and Sarah last. We all head back to the parking lot to say our farewells and get into our respective cars. Aiden starts the car, and we head back to his apartment. He swipes his card and pushes the top button of the elevator. We
head out of the elevator and into the living room. Aiden kicks off his shoes, as do I, and he sits on the sofa. I lie down next to him, resting my head on his lap. He rests his arm over me, and he clicks the remote to turn on the TV.

“This is the first time we’ve watched TV together here,” I say to him.

“Yeah, strange, isn’t it?” he says as he turns on the evening news. A young reporter talks aimlessly about politics. I’m all but
tuned out when something she says catches my attention.

“The major financial incorporation is currently outsourcing the appropriate personnel in an endeavor to find the person or persons responsible for the embezzlement. At this time it does seem to point in the
direction of an employee of the company, and everyone is being investigated, says employee Matthew Jones. It’s a waiting game while those in charge find the culprit behind this elaborate scheme. This is Rhonda Chimes reporting for Fox
News.”

I sit up swiftly and look at Aiden. His face is taut with stress.

“Matthew Jones? Isn’t that the guy who works with you? Was that about your work?”

“Yes, that was my work. I didn’t know it was going to be on
the news though.”

I look at him and take his hand in mine. “Does your father know?”

He frowns at me. “I suspect so. He would’ve chosen Matthew to make the comment.” His brows furrow as he exhales.

“Why didn’t he choose you?”

“He usually picks Matthew over me for most things.”

“Are you okay?” I ask, feeling concerned.

“Yeah, baby, I’m fine.”

I don’t believe him. The ping of doubt crosses my mind again. Stupid subconscious. I move closer to him and hold him in my arms as his cell phone rings. He looks at me apologetically and pulls it out of his pocket.

“Sorry, baby, I have to take this,” he says, standing and walking into the kitchen. I grab the TV remote and turn the volume down slightly.

“I know; I saw it. I don’t know why you would want to announce it publicly like that. I guess you could see it that way, but won’t it
make them try to cover their tracks more? I understand. I’ll see you in the morning.” He hangs up as I sit and pretend to watch the rest of the news.

“All okay?” I ask, seeing if he will disclose anything to
me.

“Yeah, all’s good.” He sits next to me and kisses my head. I bite my bottom lip and sigh in despondency. He tilts my face up toward his.

“Its okay, baby, don’t stress,” he says, kissing me softly
then making himself comfortable back on the sofa to watch some more TV.

* * *

Aiden checks his watch. “Better get you home I suppose,” he says sullenly, unwrapping his arms from around me. I yawn and stretch then I
gather my things and place them in my bag. Aiden takes them from me. Thunder claps in the skies above us as I push the button for the elevator. It chimes as the doors open. We walk in, and the doors close then we proceed to the parking
garage. He places the bags in his trunk and drives me home. The rain is falling on the windshield as we pull up at the house.

“Stay in the car till I knock on your window,” he says. I agree as he exits the car in the pouring rain. I hear the trunk shut and then a
tap on my window. Moving quickly, I jog to the front door, which is sheltered by the porch. A bolt of lightning strikes in the distance as a loud clap of thunder bursts around us. I find my keys, and we enter the house and shut the
door. We both walk down the hallway into the living room where Chris and Sarah are cuddled up on the sofa.

“Hey, guys,” Aiden says, walking to my room to place my bags down.

“Hey, man,” Chris replies. Sarah sleeps soundly in Chris’
arms. I walk into my room to see Aiden sitting on my bed with his head in his hands.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” I hurry over to him as he takes in a deep breath.

“It’s okay. Nothing for you to worry about.”

I look at him sternly. “Aiden, if you want me to trust you, you have to talk to me and tell me what’s wrong.”

He looks up at me with saddened eyes. “I can’t believe
someone is doing this to my family. I know Father can be unbearable, but to steal money from him and our investors, it’s just... wrong.”

Ah, finally he’s opening up to me. “Don’t worry, babe. The detectives will figure out who it is. It’s their job; it’s what they do,” I
say, trying to reassure him, but I’m not entirely sure that it’s working.

“Can I stay here tonight?” he asks quietly.

“Yes, of course, you can. You don’t even need to ask.”

It feels as though a part of him has broken, and he needs to be with me for reassurance and comfort.

“Come with me,” I say, talking his hand and leading him into the bathroom. “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes.”

He stands there, watching me as I undress him and then myself. I turn the taps on to the shower and adjust the temperature, gesturing for him to get in. He looks sad, and it’s heartbreaking to witness. I step in. There’s not a lot of room like there is at his apartment, but we make do.

He holds me tight as the water washes over us. He’s staring at me, almost in a dazed state, and I begin to wonder if there is something he’s not telling me. Something worse. Do they know who it is? I keep my
questions to myself, as I don’t want to stress him out any more than he already is. Suddenly he turns and pins me against the wall, his hand in my wet hair, the other at my hip, his eyes intense as they stare into mine. I make the move
and lean in to kiss him, and he’s lost in me, kissing feverishly as the water engulfs us.

* * *

I pull up in front of work, feeling anxious about seeing Tim today, noting that the green delivery van is already here. I shake my head.

“When does he get the time?” I ask no one in particular. I walk into the reception as Mel is signing for the flowers.

“Another lot for you.”

I shake my head and smile as she walks off. I read the card.

Meet me at The Intercontinental Bar, seven p.m.

Love you.

Aiden xoxo

I raise my eyebrows in shock. “Short and sweet, fair enough.” I walk around my desk, and I pull out my cell phone and send a text.

Where do you find the time to buy these flowers for me every Monday? Thank you, they’re beautiful. Love you, see you tonight at seven p.m.
xoxo

I hit
Send.

***

I take a taxi to The Intercontinental Bar. I’m wearing a
little black dress, as I wasn’t sure of the attire at such a posh place. I find my way to the bar and see Aiden sitting alone, his hand in his hair, wearing a gray suit. His tie is still on, but fitted very loosely.

“Another one please,” Aiden says and taps his empty glass. I
walk up to him. “Hey, it’s my baby,” he slurs loudly.

“Are you okay?” I ask as I lean in to kiss him.

“I’m just fine,” he says and laughs at himself.

“Are you drunk?”

“I may be intoxicated.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Since two-ish-ishy.”

I laugh. “C’mon, let’s get you home.”

He smells of whisky and pretzels, a sour combination. I walk arm in arm with my man as he stumbles out of the bar, where Mike is waiting as always with his vehicle.

“Here let me help you,” Mike says, holding Aiden upright
while I open the back door.

“Thanks, Mike.”

“Anytime, Miss Taylor. Is he okay?” Mike asks.

“I don’t think so, Mike.” I start to feel concerned.

We drive back to Aiden’s apartment as Aiden falls in and out
of consciousness, mumbling about his arrogant ass of a father. I gather they had some sort of argument. We pull up to the parking garage as Mike comes around to help me with Aiden. He opens the door and pulls Aiden out, holding
him up while I shut the door. We make it to the elevator and up into the living room.

“Where shall I put him, Miss Taylor?”

“Probably on his bed,” I say as I walk with him into Aiden’s
room. He lays Aiden down softly.

“Do you know what this is about, Mike?” I ask him, wanting an answer. He looks at me and exhales.

“I do. Aiden and Mr. O’Connell had a huge argument about the embezzlement. Apparently the detectives are narrowing down the leads, and it’s
probably someone higher up in the business. They’re looking at Mr. O’Connell, Aiden, Matthew, and their PAs as the main suspects now.”

I sigh as my subconscious strikes me a blow again. Is he
drunk because he’s worried about his family business or is he worried they will find out that it’s him? Is it him? No, it can’t be. He wouldn’t do that to his family. Would he?

Mike can sense my rising concerns.

“Miss Taylor, I hope you don’t mind me saying, but he really needs you. Things are going to get a lot harder for Aiden in the next few weeks and months. He’ll need your full support.”

I look at Mike. “I understand,” I say quietly as Aiden rolls
over on the bed. “Thanks, Mike.”

“Can I help you with anything else, Miss Taylor?” Mike asks as I start to untie Aiden’s shoelaces.

“No, thank you, Mike, and thanks for your help.”

He smiles and leaves.

“Oh, Aiden,” I say as I take off his shoes. I proceed to undress him. He’s too heavy for me to move him under the covers, so I search for a spare blanket to place over him. I make my way to the kitchen and fill a
glass of water and raid the cupboards for the painkillers. Once I find them, I take the water and tablets to Aiden’s room and place them on his side table. I take out my cell phone and put it on the bed. Once undressed, I slide in next
to Aiden and pull the blanket up and stare at the ceiling for hours until I slowly fall asleep.

* * *

“Oh,
crap,
” I say, as my alarm sounds, waking Aiden from his drunken stupor.

“Oh, my head,” Aiden says, clutching at his forehead. I turn off the alarm and look at him. His hair is disheveled as he sits up in the bed. “How did I get here?” he asks quietly.

“I met you at the hotel last night, as arranged, but you
were wasted by the time I got there. Mike drove us back here, and we put you to bed.”

He looks under the blanket to see himself completely naked. “Um, Mike helped get me to bed?” he questions, looking somewhat embarrassed. I
laugh at his assumption.

“No, babe. He put you on the bed and left. I undressed you.”

He sighs, sounding relieved. “Oh, thank God,” he says, rubbing his face with his hands. I look at the time, ten past seven. I bite my
bottom lip. I’m going to be late for work.