Page 114 of The Lies I've Told
With a kiss on my cheek, she went off to find me ice chips while I broke the news to my brother.
The news that things were far worse than I’d let on, and I doubted any device or harebrained idea of his was going to stop what we both knew was coming.
No matter how hard I tried to fight it.
That left me to decide, was I going to go at it alone, like I’d originally planned, or take everyone I loved into the darkness with me, ruining all our lives, one terrible accident at a time?
If ever there was a time when I needed to learn the art of patience, it was over the next few weeks after Aiden’s accident.
In the days that followed, there was extensive surgery to repair the damage he’d done to his hand, and then the news that it would take months for him to regain full mobility. Thankfully, he didn’t have to stay in the hospital long, he only needed to return every so often for physical therapy once the initial healing began.
So, our separation wasn’t long.
I tried to see that as a good thing.
I made every effort I could to make sure he was comfortable when he returned to the inn, but after several quiet days, I could see a distance growing between us.
At first, I blamed the meds. Even I knew pain medications could alter a person’s state of mind, and add that to the devastating news he’d received in the hospital, it was no wonder he might be a little depressed.
But even I knew I was lying to myself.
More than once, I heard heated arguments coming from the suite when Jake came to visit, and then there were the hushed phone calls with his brother.
Something wasn’t right.
One afternoon, I found Aiden out of bed, staring at the papers I’d signed with Rita. I’d pulled them out after she called, wondering if we still had a deal. It had been some time since we spoke.
And, at this point, I wasn’t sure.
“What is this?” he asked, holding his injured hand to his bare chest.
I tried not to stare, tried not to feel guilty.
But the ache still burned in my chest at the memory of that night.
Does he blame me?I wondered, for taking away his livelihood, his career?
His life.
“Nothing,” I answered. “Just a silly idea I had. I think it’s almost time for your meds. Why don’t you head into the kitchen, and I’ll make you some lunch?”
He shook his head, his brows furrowed as he stared down at the contract. “I don’t want to take them anymore. They make me fuzzy.”
“But you’ll be in pain, Aiden—”
“I’ll manage. It’s been long enough since the accident.” He paused, still staring at the contract. “You bought a storefront? In town?”
“No,” I said. “Well, not officially. No money has been exchanged.”
“And you have it? The money?” he asked, suddenly very chatty. This was honestly the longest conversation we’d had since that hammer collided with his hand.
“Yes. It’s going to take every cent I have, but yes. I’ve been saving for a long time. I didn’t know what for, but I think it might be a good investment. For the future.”
His eyes hadn’t left the small stack of papers, like the gears in his head were on overtime. “You know how risky it is, to start a business like this? Especially here?”
I felt the air in my lungs dissipate. Of all the reactions I’d expected him to have, this was not one of them.
Shock mixed with a bit of surprise and excitement? Sure. But this?
