Page 61 of The Vow We Made
13
New Start
AIDEN
I’m on my way to Steph’s after being summoned to her home. Her voice was upbeat and she insisted I see her today, so here I am.
She greets me with a smile and two kisses. Good start.
“All alone?” I gaze past her and down the hall, expecting to see my brother or one of her girlfriends.
“Will’s working.”
“Jesus, what crawled up his arse?” I joke, following her through to the kitchen where she immediately puts the kettle on. “Tea?” she calls over her shoulder.
“If you’re having one.” I pull out a chair at the kitchen table and before my arse hits the seat, Steph informs me, “She’s coming home. I’ve spoken to her parents and it’s all arranged.”
I nod, “That’s great, I bet she can’t wait.” But the thought of not being at her homecoming stings.
“This is why I thought we should talk,” she adds, ignoring my comment. “If you want to stop seeing her, then you should—”
“No! That’s the last thing I want.”
“Then what is it? One minute you can’t do enough for her and the next you go cold. She’s utterly confused. Why haven’t you been to see her?”
“I needed some time. You said it yourself, I had a lot to think about.”
“I didn’t mean for you to stay away completely and now you might have done more harm than good.” She works her way around the room, collecting the milk from the fridge and filling her grand teapot with water from the kettle. Her palms rest on the table and her body weight leans forward. “I don’t like seeing her unhappy, Aiden, and right now she’s wondering what the hell went wrong. She has a fledgling company she can’t run properly and a man she wants to be with who, from her point of view, is avoiding her. You know she thinks you’re seeing someone else?”
“Shit.”
“Exactly.”
“I thought keeping my distance was best until I’d figured out what to do.” I rub my brow and return to Steph’s disgruntled expression.
“I think I’m partly to blame too. When I said take a little time out, I didn’t mean literally,” she smirks. “I’m afraid she’s convinced you’re not interested so you have to turn this around and I’d be more than willing to help you.”
“But what about this predicament I’m in. I don’t know how to tell her—”
She interrupts, “Not telling her is one thing. Keeping your distance is another. Don’t make things worse.”
This whole situation has been tearing me apart and I’ve hated staying away from Victoria this past week. I’m relieved when Steph reassures me.
“I happen to think you two make the most amazing couple, which is why I’m sticking my neck out.” I open my mouth to speak but she launches into, what I’m sure, is the rest of her prepared speech.
“I’m not sure confessing anything is the right way to go so I’d suggest you take my advice. Leave it alone, take things slowly and woo the shit out of her.”
I scrub my jaw repeatedly and sigh. “I’m not sure I can. It’s been a lead weight on my shoulders. I can’t go on lying.”
“I applaud your gallantry and I’m not asking you to lie. I’m saying that perhaps she doesn’t need to know right now or maybe at all. You’re facing a difficult enough time together as it is. She needs moral support through her recovery, not more upset. If you decide to tell her, then fine, but I’d ask you to wait a while. If you can get your relationship to a strong place, where you know you can trust the other implicitly, it will make this hurdle easier for both of you.”
“You have it all worked out,” I manage to say as she draws a breath.
“I want what’s best for her Aiden, and in my opinion that’syou.”
“I appreciate that Steph, thank you.” It’s ridiculous, but knowing Steph has my back, means a lot. Maybe I can do it her way by temporarily pushing the guilt aside. It has to be worth a shot at least.
Steph inhales. “There is just one other thing.”
