Page 64 of The Expiration Date

Aidan blocks in my path.

“Aidan, move out of my way.”

“Not until you agree to listen to what I have to say.”

“I don’t really have any interest in what you have to say.” I can feel the smallest crinkle between my brow. I am half-angry and half-wanting to just bawl in front of the most beautiful man I’ve ever known. Hell, the world has ever known. But this is the kind of emotional limbo I’ve been trapped in for months now.

“Then I’m not moving,” Aidan says with a small, smug grin. Does he think that ridiculously attractive smirk is going to change my mind? Well, maybe. But that’s besides the point. I absolutely am not going to let it. Maybe in the past those tactics would have worked on me, but not today. Not after everything that’s happened. I am channeling an Amazonian woman now and will bulldoze my way out of this situation. I do wish I had a lasso I could throw around him to make sure I’m getting the truth. The truth is hard to come by these days, even with all the “transparency” of social media. If I learned anything from “dating” Aidan, it’s that what you see in the pictures certainly does not tell the whole truth.

Despite all of this, I know deep down that Aidan will let me go. He isn’t a psycho. But for the life of me, I can’t get my feet to lift off the ground and walk away from him. That magnetic force is back and stronger than ever.

I cross my arms to come off like I am annoyed, which don’t get me wrong–I am. Annoyed that he came back into my life, right when I finally felt like I was on solid ground. Why does this man have the innate ability to simultaneously make the world crumble at my feet and be my fricken world? “Fine. Proceed. You have thirty seconds before I walk right past you and go…”

“Home, put your pajamas on, eat Ben and Jerry’s and watch When Harry Met Sally for the thousandth time?”

Damn he’s good. My jaw drops and eyes narrow. “How do you know I don’t have a hot date waiting for me at another location? You don’t know me, Aidan Stone.”

He steps forward, dangerously close, and stops when we are mere inches from each other. The familiar scent of sandalwood and musk infiltrates my senses. My heart quickens at the sheer masculinity permeating from Aidan. I didn’t realize how much I missed him standing next to me. He isn’t even touching me and my body is on fire again. I look around and thankfully everyone’s eyes are on the TVs, watching the ball drop in Times Square, and not plastered to us.

He steps a little closer and my core heats up and does that stupid flippy thing again. “I beg to differ, Haley Swann. I feel like I know you like no one does. I know that you are a Swiftie, even though you pretend you’re not. I know that you love creamer more than you love coffee in your mug every morning. I know that you are the most talented writer I’ve ever met. I know that you get a cute little crinkle between your eyebrows when you are upset. I know that you bite your lower lip while you are contemplating something that’s important to you or when you are too afraid to say what you’re thinking.” He shouldn’t know that look yet. “I know that you hate being the center of attention, and you are willing to sacrifice your own peace for the peace of others. I know that you love your family unconditionally, even the ones who aren’t blood.” His eyes avert for a millisecond over to where Anna and Dan are standing. Then something clicks in my brain. Of fricken course. No wonder Anna was acting weird all night and saying things like the right guy. She was waiting for the guy in front of me. They planned this out.

I look back up at Aidan and start saying, “Unbeliev….”

Before I can finish the word, he then brushes his finger across my lips. “I still have twenty seconds, Swann.” And there is that smirk again–only this time, he leans down a little closer to my face, so our noses almost touch. My knees are starting to buckle. Even my own body is revolting against my will. Amazonian woman my ass.

“I know that you always put others first, even when you don’t have to. I know that you love to sing, even though you pretend like you have the worst voice in the world. That’s right, I heard you in the shower.”

My cheeks turn bright red at that observation.

“I know you bring out the best in people. You certainly have with me.”

I am about to protest, but his finger finds my lips again.

“And even though you think I am saying all this to win you back or you think I am lonely or it’s a cliche time to do this, and even though you pretend like you don’t want to hear it, the truth is that all the things I know about you…I also love about you, Hales.”

My heart pounds uncontrollably, so loud that I swear that the entire room can hear it over the countdown.

Ten seconds.

“You were my rainbow in the storm that was my life, Haley Swann. And I love you.”

Five seconds.

Aidan Stone just said he loves me. He never stopped loving me.

Three.

Me. Haley Swann.

Two.

The girl who wasn’t enough for anyone.

One.

The girl who only wrote about happily ever afters, and never got one of her own.

“Happy New Year!”

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