Page 37 of Significant
Monica…the woman who was calling Aaron a few nights ago. I stand speechless, viewing both of them. Monica is gorgeous. She’s the definition of every man’s dream. We are probably around the same age. She has shiny dark-brown wavy hair, a top model smile. She’s dressed in a tight red dress that accentuates her generous breasts. Monica has curves in the right places, deep smoky eyes, she’s definitely a predator. And me, I’m wearing my sweaty leggings and my sports bra that’s great for comfort—not so great for valorizing my body. I can’t help but feel jealous and uncomfortable. This is the type of woman he goes for.
“Monica is like family. I was with her last night,” Aaron adds before looking straight into my gaze. “Talking. As friends. She knows about our agreement.” My jaw drops. In a couple of seconds, hundreds of questions pop through my mind. Who is she? Why did he tell her? How close are they? But more importantly… did he ever sleep with her?
“And God knows he doesn’t do friendships with women.” She chuckles. I smile shyly, trying to hide my discomfort.
“I really need to head to the qualification race. We’ll talk later, Elle?” Aaron asks while his fingers reach for my hand, his touch reviving in me what happened last night between us. Every time his ocean eyes meet mine or he touches me, I’m powerless. Magnetized. There is only one answer, to take a leap of faith—trust him.
“Elle and I can watch the race together. If that’s okay with you?”
“Sure.” This is my opportunity to get to know her.
“Great. I’ll see you later,ma belle.” He gives me his usual smirk, that immediately reassures me. In my experience, if a man has something to hide, he would never let his two secrets together. It’s a risk. And Aaron might be a player, but he is a smart one.
He faces Monica and arches his eyebrow, a playful tone in his voice, “And Monica. Be nice. Don’t tell embarrassing stories.” He puts his sunglasses on and leaves the two of us alone.
“Well, I better change.”
She laughs. “I’ll come with you.”
She keeps scrutinizing me on our way to the elevator. We exchange a few brief smiles but remain silent until we enter. “I’m sorry to show up out of the blue. But you don’t have to worry about me. We are like family. He sees me as a sister.”
By the tone of her voice, I feel that she’s genuine. I’m relieved. But also scared… the thought of Aaron sleeping with someone else almost broke me, and I know it’s a question of time before this happens. I’m not special. There is no us, or if there is it’s the darkest parts of ourselves connecting. It will lead to our destruction, and I need to protect myself from crashing at full speed.
“If I’m being honest, I thought you and him were involved romantically before,” I reply.
She snorts. “Never happened and never will. And it’s been ten years we’ve known each other.” She turns to face me. “Don’t get me wrong, Aaron is a great guy and all, but he is not the one who has my heart.”
“That’s refreshing to hear.” It’s nice to talk with someone close to Aaron. Especially a woman who hasn’t her claws in him. “For how long have you been with the one who has your heart?”
Her expression changes. Her eyes darken. She starts to play nervously with her fingers, turning her ring. An engagement ring. I immediately regret asking her this question.
“Hmm. I believe Aaron told you about Henry? His brother.”
“He mentioned him, but he’s very private.” I fear what she’s gonna tell me next, my heart already aching for her.
“You know, he never mentions him to anyone, so that’s a lot coming from him. He must trust you, Elle.” And yet, I know nothing about the enigmatic Wolf.
“Henry was your husband?” I understand at this moment the reason she is close to Aaron. They are linked by tragedy. He doesn’t let anyone in, but she’s the one who belonged to his brother. She’s the other part of Henry. Monica isn’t a threat; she is like Aaron. She has lost a part of herself. She’s broken.
“We were engaged. We hadn’t gotten the time to… get married. He was the love of my life.” She manages a bright smile, but I notice the tears forming in her eyes. Aaron hides his brother’s loss by the desire of the flesh. Monica probably hides her loss by smiling, dressing seductively and showing a perfect image of herself—just like I did for so many years. Hiding how imperfect you are by pretending to be perfect.
“Monica, I can’t possibly know what you’ve gone through, I’m sorry. Nobody deserves that.” I don’t want to ask what happened to him, I believe it’s a story for Aaron to tell me willingly.
“I’m still broken, but Aaron was here for me…” She sighs. “That’s why I’m here. On the seventh, it was the day Henry died. So, I called Aaron to see if we could meet up during the Grand Prix, I didn’t feel like being alone.” That’s why Aaron’s reaction changed suddenly after the phone call, that same night he was haunted at the gym. The seventh, just like Wolf’s car number. Everything made sense, except one.Why did Wolf never come to his brother’s funeral?
“Oh, if you need time with Aaron, I can give you space.”
“Aaron needs you, Elle.” I open my mouth in surprise.Needs me.How could he? I want to tell her that he needed me, but not anymore. After all, I’m probably the one who needs him. She notices my expression and adds, “He cares more than he’ll let you know. He just needs time.”
“I know, he is a good man.” I try to hide my blush.
“I really hope you won’t give up on him. He might pretend that he is strong, but at heart, he is just like a child afraid to be abandoned again.”Abandoned?I wonder what part of his past he is still holding on to.
“We aren’t together, Monica,” I deny.
“Oh, Elle, you still don’t understand, do you?”
She raises her eyebrow, and the elevator door opens.
