Kristal Anderson
This was it.
This was my personal paradise, the purest form of bliss.
This was the peak of my existence; right here in his arm. And I never wanted to leave, I never wanted it to end.
We were both riding on a high, we had lost track of time had it been an hour since we got here? Two? Five? It didn't matter, I could have stayed there for a millennium and it still wouldn't be enough.
"Darlin, can I ask you something?"
We were still in the same positions as before, with my back against his chest staring out into the ocean, a view that never got old. The only difference now was that we were passing around a cigarette that he lit just a few minutes prior.
I nodded my fingers coming up to touch the shell of the pendant, I noticed that I'd been doing that a lot since the moment he put it on me. I could tell that it would become a habit and I didn't mind it one bit, it made me feel safe, calmer.
"Did you ever speak to your father again, after that night?" He asked hesitantly, trying to choose his words carefully.
I took another puff of the cigarette in between my fingers before passing it over to him, I spoke after blowing out that smoke that disappeared swiftly in the air around us. "No," I let out a soft sigh melting deeper into his warm chest, "at first I wanted to see him, badly, I begged and begged but Aunt Jenna wouldn't let me, she explained to me over and over again that he was a bad man and that what he did was wrong and how she didn't want me around him. I struggled to understand that at firs because in my head I still pictured him as my dad, the loving man who would put me to bed whenever he got home early from work but eventually I did and now I don't think I would be able to stomach being in the same room as him,"
The cigarette hung loose between his fingers as he listened to every word I said, "Did you ever find out why he did it?"
"Aunt Jenna told me that it was just a fight that escalated, according to her their fights began after I was born they just got more and more frequent as the years went on,"
"She could've left out that last part,"
I whipped my head back to look up at him, "Why? It's the truth and Aunt Jenna is blunt like that,"
"Because it's unnecessary and I know for a fact that hearing that made you start thinking that you were to blame for your mother's death,"
"Because I am Aiden," I let out a humorless chuckle, "I ruined not one but two marriages; my parents marriage and shortly after it I ruined Aunt Jenna's because her husband wasn't ready for the responsibility of taking care of a little girl who was broken beyond repair,"
"Kris, you were a child going through a tragic time, your Aunt was supposed to be there for you and comfort you in every way, I don't understand how she thought that saying all those things would make you feel any better,"
I blinked a few times, my brain taking in his words but instantly rejecting it, "Would you have preferred if she lied? Told me the sugarcoated version of things so that I could have grown up believing a lie?" I was getting defensive, agitated and maybe a little mean but I refused to accept any negativity in regards to Aunt Jenna, "Aiden she was just being honest,"
"That doesn't feel like honesty to me, that just feels cruel,"
I let out an internal gasp at his words, they cut deep. An insult thrown at Aunt Jenna was an insult thrown at me. I held his gaze for a moment, I think he saw the hurt in my eyes because his gaze softened instantly.
"I think we should head back to the hotel," My tone was low, colder than before. Before he had the chance to respond, I got up but that's about as far as I got because he was quick to out the cigarette out using the sand and then he was right in front of me in the blink of an eye.
Cupping my face with his warm and gentle hands he spoke, "That came out wrong, I offended you, I apologize. I understand that she's very important to you, I should've chosen my words more carefully,"
My gaze softened too staring up into his beautiful brown eyes it was hard to remember what I was even upset about, he was mesmerizing. I melted into his touch like an absolute fool, "I understand that some of aunt Jenna's methods may
seem. . . questionable but I don't mind because I know at the end of the day that all she's doing is protecting me,"
He nodded a small smile lifting his features, "Do you forgive me?"
I stared up at him through my lashes and allowed my lips to curl into a smirk, "Only if you give me a kiss," That was enough to get that big beautiful grin to light his face again.
⢠° ⢠° ⢠° ⢠° ⢠° ⢠° ⢠°
"Men are so stupid," Thea muttered through a groan, "I don't even know why I bother anymore," She placed her brush back into her makeup bag after finishing off my eye makeup; a glittery silver eyeshadow that matched my short sparkly silver dress with a low back that would exposed everything if I moved in the wrong way.
Not long after our little disagreement, we decided to head back to the hotel to get ready. Now I was in Thea's room getting ready, Aiden and Cole were in their respective rooms getting ready too.
"Is that him?" I motioned to her phone that vibrated across her nightstand every passing second.
She sighs nodding, "I'm not gonna answer him," She said zipping up her makeup bag, "in fact I think I might just block him, he made me look like a fool in front of you guys," Her anger was warranted, Brandon waited until the very last second to tell her that he wasn't coming. She had called and texted him all morning asking him where he was and if everything was already and she got no response, until about an hour ago when he said that he wasn't coming. "Gosh, I just don't understand why he would do that I mean he could've just told me from the start that he wasn't coming instead of getting my hopes up you know,"
"I know," I said with a nod, "that was very inconsiderate on his part," I got up from my spot on the chair.
"You know I'm really starting to think that there are no good man left, I mean it's either that or I'm just completely unlovable,"
I took a few steps in her direction, "Hey what did we say about being self deprecating?" I was right in front of her I brought my hands down and took hers in mine, "Love happens when you least expect it and you're literally a freaking smoke show so anyone would be lucky to have you, I mean just look at you," I brought one of our intertwined hands up and she gladly took that as a sign to give me a spin, giving me a 360 of her outfit; a backless sparkly silver top that required alot of trust in the double sided tabe she used to secure it to her body as it was practically just hanging by her neck, black high waisted shorts, cowgirl boots and a matching hat. "See, total smoke show,"
That earned a giggle from her, "You're the best hype lady I could have asked for," I couldn't help but smile, "and you're right, tonight is our night," She looped her arm around my shoulder, pulling me in close, "we're gonna sing our fucking hearts out, we're gonna dance until our feet bleed, because we fucking deserve it,"
When we made it down to the lobby, Aiden and Cole were already there dressed the way Thea wanted them to like cowboys to watch our outfits. When I tell you she planned everything, I truly meant it. Before we left the room I completed my outfit by putting on my cowgirl boots and hat.
They moment we came into view they both got up from their spots on the couch. Butterflies erupted in my stomach due to Aiden's intense gaze, his eyes ran down my body and it felt like he was devouring me with his eyes. I feel hot all over.
When his eyes moved back up to meet mine, the lust that they radiated off of them was indescribable, intoxicating, I felt like I was going to combust from the intensity of it.
I had to look away, my gaze moved to Cole only to realize that he had his gaze locked on someone else; Theadora. His jaw ticked at the sight of her.
"I thought you said you weren't gonna wear it," She crossed her arms over her chest staring right back at him. When Thea sent photos of the outfits she wanted the three guys to wear, Cole was completely opposed to it.
Aiden took a step in my direction so that he was close enough to wrap an arm around my waist and pull me to his side, planting a soft kiss on my temple. I smiled like an absolute fool, my cheeks surely a deeper shade of pink.
"He convinced me," Cole nudged his head in Aiden's direction, "I still think it's stupid and I look stupid,"
"Oh I don't think it's the outfit, Sugar," She mocked, Aiden erupted in a pit of laughter, Thea joined him.
Cole sent a glare his way, "Who's side are you on, fucker?"
He raised his hands in surrender, "Hey I'm neutral, I'm just here for the chaos,"
"Come on or we're gonna miss the first show," Thea announced before walking towards the double doors of the hotel entrance, Cole followed behind.
Aiden held me back a little, "You look beautiful Darlin," He tightened his grip on my waist.
I turned my head in his direction and averted my gaze upward to meet his, "So do you Darlin,"
"There's only one issue," I stared at him expectedly, urging him to continue, "now I'm gonna spend the whole night thinking of ways to take that off you," He whispered to me, his face just inches away from mine.
Why did he have to say that? And in that sexy deep voice of his.
The entire night I was more giddy than usual, my body became so much more attuned to his touch, so much more responsive to his every touch his glances and stares.
The crowd roared with so much energy, Thea and I were screaming along to every song from our favorite bands and singers. It was electrifying, liberating in the best way possible. Everything felt so alive and so did I. It felt like a breath of fresh air that my soul desperately needed.
Aiden had pulled me to him, hugging me from behind as we watched Mac Demarco perform 'My kind of woman'. We swayed from side to side singing along to the lyrics.
It took me a little while to realize that he was singing the lyrics much lower than everyone else, like he didn't want anyone else to hear but me. Like he was singing it to me.
My heart stopped for a second and I turned my head slightly to stare up at him, my suspicions confirmed when he looked me dead in the eye and sang the chorus.
"You're my, my, my, my kind of woman, My oh my, what a girl," I turned my body completely to face him, unable to fully believe my eyes. I reached up to cup his beautiful face, "you're my, my, my, my kind of woman," He practically whispered to me, only me.
My hand moved from his cheek to the back of his neck before pulling him down to me, capturing his lips in mine.
And I'm down on my hands and knees
Beggin' you please, baby
Show me your world
Kissing him while one of my favorite songs played live in the background had to have been the most surreal experience of my life. I felt so alive, so very full of life that I felt invincible, like I could conquer it all.
And that brought me to a realization; I hadn't been living. It was like my heart had stopped along with my mother's and since then I'd been living my life in paralysing fear. And I was so beyond tired of it.
I was twenty-four years old and I had nothing to show for it, I was sheltered, protected from all the dangers in the world but also from all of the experiences that life had to offer.
And I needed out.
I had to start living again.
Thanks for coming along on another chapter my loves <3
Really hope you're enjoying the story so far because there's still so much to come, so many secrets to be revealed, BETRAYALS!!
I hope you're as excited as I am :)
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