Page 43 of If You Could Only Imagine
He rolled us over until I was straddling him and looking down at him. His green gaze was so full of tenderness, my eyes watered again. “I’m not going to lie and tell you my father isn’t exactly what he is reputed to be,” he said, simply. “He’s a horrible person, and he made our lives…doesn’t matter. He’s a horrible person, and nothing anyone says or does will change that. Mason’s in charge now and that’s all you need to know in regards to my father.” I wasn’t sure what to say to that, but his next words conveyed just how estranged these men were from the man who raised them. “If he ever comes near you again, Denise, and I’m not around, you go to Mason. Understand?”
The conviction in Aiden’s tone made me hope I never run into the man ever in my life. I nodded, then asked, “And your mother?”
“Our relationship is a work in progress,” he confessed. “However, she’s nothing like Harold, and she actually stopped by today to let me know she’d like to meet you whenever you’re comfortable enough to do that.”
“Do…does Shane get along with your parents?” I was curious. Everyone loved Shane, so I wondered if his parents loved her, too.”
Aiden’s hands started running up and down my flanks and I marveled at how natural it felt to be laying on top of this man, completely naked, and totally at ease. “My mother, Natalie, adores Shane, but she’s…not exactly comfortable around her because of Mason’s psychosis where Shane is concerned. My mom worries she might offend Shane in some small manner and Mason will burn the city down as a result. Harold stays away from her, but when he can’t avoid her, he’s on his best behavior.”
I took a minute to process all his words, then finally said, “I’d really like to meet your mother.”
Aiden leaned up and kissed my chin. “I was hoping you’d want to.”
Chapter 24
Aiden~
“Jesus Christ, woman,” I growled. “How many times do I have to tell you? I had nothing to do with that.”
Denise had her hands planted on her hips. “Then who would? And don’t tell me it was Shane, because she’s too sweet to be that calculating.”
I threw my hands up in the air. It was that or strangle the stubborn woman.
Last night, Denise and I had stayed up way into the later hours of the night talking in between bouts of screwing. She told me all about her family and how growing up bi-racial had been an unfortunate eye-opener. She told me how her parents struggled with racism and how they did their best to balance a good life for her versus growing up in a bad neighborhood. I learned so much about what made her tick and I realized her initial concerns for dating me had been valid.
In turn, I had told her about growing up with Harold and Natalie and how Dad was a dick and Mom had been neglectful, but not…well, she wasn’t Dad by a long shot.
I told her about Mason’s burden of responsibility when it came to me, Michael and Gabriel. I told her about Dad’s verbal abuse, physical abuse and dictatorship growing up. I did my best to explain why Mason was the way he was, why Gabriel was the way he was and why Michael was the most damaged out of us all.
When she had asked if I should be telling her all our dark family secrets, I assured her that my brothers and I didn’t keep secrets, and soon enough, she would learn that first hand.
Then she cried herself laughing when I told her I walked in on Shane blowing Mason and how Shane just laughed at me.
Now, she was in my office waving around an invitation of some sort. Denise had stomped in here, no hello, good morning, hey babe, or anything and just got to instantly accusing me of nefarious party plotting. “Well, have you asked Shane?” Fucking, women, I swear. “Maybe she’s giving herself a little congratulatory party and…well, I don’t know what. But did you ask her?”
“No,” she retorted. “Why would she throw herself a congratulatory party, Aiden?”
“Hell, if I know,” I barked back. “But it wasn’t me.”
Denise walked over to my desk and pointed to the phone. “Call her then,” she demanded. “Call her and ask her about this party myparentsgot invited to.”
I ran my hands through my hair and almost ripped out every strand. We were exactly where we were meant to be, and she wanted to argue over a party. A party I had nothing to do with. “What’s the big deal, anyway?” I asked. “It’s not like I wasn’t going to meet your parents at some point, anyway. You do want them at our wedding, don’t you?”
She gasped in true theatrical fashion. “Call. Shane,” she repeated, her eyes narrowing on me.
I reached for the phone and punched in Shane’s extension, placing her on speaker. She answered on the second ring. “What’s up?Oooohhhh,I’m on speakerphone,” she said, excitedly. “This must be good.”
I rolled my eyes. I loved my sister, but she was such a weirdo sometimes. “Sis, did you send Denise’s parents an invitation to a sort of launching party of your company?” Might as well get right on it.
There was a couple of heartbeats of silence before she said, “Nope.” And she popped the ‘p’ super hard. “Hold on a second,” she said, before sounds of buttons being pushed invaded my office.
The sound of a ringing phone filled the silence and Mason’s voice made an appearance. “Hey, baby.” I glanced up and saw how Denise’s face softened at his greeting. Too bad not everyone knew the Mason Buchanan on the phone right now.
“Hey, Mason,” she responded, her voice filled with just as much love as my brother’s. “You’re on conference with Aiden and Denise an-”
“How did you know I was in here?” Denise blurted out. I smiled as I watched her plant that sexy ass of hers on my desk.
“Uh, why else would Aiden call me on speaker?” Shane reasoned.
