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My eyes open and I gaze at Aaliya below me. She looks beautiful like this—eyes shut, her breathing fractured and her skin flushed and glowing. I’m so lucky to have this beautiful, wonderful girl in my life. She understood without words what I needed from her and she gave it to me selflessly like she always does.
After my mother left, I was feeling lost and wounded. I wandered around the house until I found myself here by the pool. Before I knew it, I was drinking my troubles away and trying to make sense of the new flood of memories I had earlier. Knowing Aaliya, I was certain she’d find me. And she did.
One look at her, dressed in that pretty red sweater dress, and I wanted to devour her. I wanted to make her mine and prove to myself that I was worth loving; that even though my mother had deliberately changed the course of my life and despite the fact that my parents had both hated me for their own selfish reasons, I had this wonderful woman who loved me with all her heart.
Aaliya has always managed to calm the tempest in my mind and once again she’s done exactly that—by simply being her.
And so, I kiss her lips again. Her eyelids flutter open and she bestows me with a brilliant smile that lights up her face.
“Hello again, Aaliya,” I whisper, feeling much calmer now.
She giggles. “Hello, again. This was unexpected.”
And then her eyes widen in fear. “Oh shit! The cameras, the security. I didn’t even think about them.”
She scrambles to push me off her, but I hold her in place.
“Hey, calm down, okay? Mike’s removed all the cameras from inside the house. I wanted more privacy for us and since it’s just us in the house now, there wasn’t any need for any indoor footage.”
“Really?”
I trace my lips across the curve of her shoulder and she shudders.
“You think I’d let anyone catch us like this on camera?” I say in between nibbling her shoulder.
“Oh. Thank God!” she breathes out.
Aaliya meets my eyes and cups my cheek. “Damien, you need to talk about it? Your mother has said something to hurt you again, hasn’t she?”
Speaking of my mother dampens my now happy mood and I rise to get dressed. Aaliya does the same too.
Once I’m ready, I begin to tell her everything that transpired with my mother.
“Oh my God!” she gasps. Aaliya jerks upright from the lounger where she had been seated all along. “I can’t believe she did that. Your own mother? How could she?”
Her lips curl. “I swear if she comes close to you again, Damien, I will hurt her. She’s a horrible, mean woman.”
“I know, Aaliya. And that’s why I informed her that I want nothing to do with her ever again.”
“Good!” She exhales before rising on her toes and kissing my cheek. “She doesn’t deserve you and we are better off without her negativity and hatred marring our lives.”
She hugs me close and I rest my chin on top of her head, wrapping her in my arms. I breathe in her scent that I love so much and feel at ease.
“You know, I’ve never told you this earlier, Aaliya, but you taught me to love. You know how my family was...is. I grew up never understanding the concept of love...in fact, I thought no one could ever love me. I believed I was unlovable until you walked into the elevator that day we met for the very first time all those years ago. You changed my life forever.”
“Hey,” she raises her head to look at me, “You are worthy in every way. I loved you when I didn’t know who you really were and I love you now after knowing who you are. So, never ever think any less of yourself, Damien.”
I give her a grateful smile. I can never express to her how she’s changed my life, but I promise myself to show it to her in every way possible, every single day of my life.
She checks her watch and steps away from me. She pats her hair, ensuring everything is in order, before holding her hand out. “Come on, let’s go. It’s Rian’s dinner time.”
We walk hand-in-hand back into the main part of the house and just as we near the family room, we hear voices from inside.
“Jonathan, what are you doing here?” Aaliya exclaims as we enter the family room. She’s clearly surprised to see Jonathan playing with Rian on the floor with Jasmine watching the two of them from behind the desk where she is working on her laptop.
“Yeah, what are you doing here?” I repeat.
“Hey, you two. Do I need a reason to come visit?” Jonathan responds, pushing to his feet.
“No, of course not,” Aaliya tells him.
“Yes, you do,” I say at the same time.
Aaliya punches my arm. “Stop it. He can come when he wants.”
“Baby, you do know he’s not here for us,” I inform her. I turn my head to address Jasmine. “Can you get lover boy here out of his misery and forgive him for whatever he’s done?”
Twin patches of red appear on Jasmine’s cheeks and she averts her gaze from me.
“Bastard,” Jonathan mutters. “Mind your own business, will you?”
“Language,” Aaliya yells, her eyes on Rian who thankfully is busy playing with his cars.
Jonathan glares at me. Reaching him, I drape an arm across his shoulder. “Payback buddy, for all the grief you’ve given me all my life.”
He shrugs my arm off him.
“Aaliya,” he calls out, “tell His Grace, that I’m joining you all for dinner.”
He turns to me. “Oh, and I’m calling Gabe as well.”
“Papa!” Rian rushes to me, holding his car out in his hand.
I carry him in my arms and kiss his cheek. “Come on, Aaliya. Let’s leave these two alone. They obviously need time to chat.”
“And patch up, maybe,” Aaliya adds with a wink at her cousin.
Jasmine makes a face at her and Aaliya chuckles. I wrap an arm around her shoulder and lead her out of the family room.
“Dinner will be served in an hour,” Aaliya throws over her shoulder. “We are going to feed Rian and settle him in bed before we join you guys.”
I pause and turn. Jonathan frowns when I watch him for a moment.
“I need to talk to you and Gabe after dinner. So ask him to come, please,” I request in a steady tone.
I have to tell all of them about the memory flashes I had while I was talking to my mother earlier. Finally, a few of the questions plaguing me have been answered. Only now, I hope they don’t destroy whatever peace I’ve established with my closest friends.
