Page 213 of A New Dawn

Never see him smile again, hear him call me angel in his sexy Italian lilt, or having his eyes solely focused on mine.

His eyes… they held so much love for me.

Aiden carefully sits down with me still cradled in his arms. The sobs have stopped, the tears dried up. I’m utterly numb.

Aiden strokes my back slowly, rhythmically, up and down. Wrapped in his love, I don’t move. All energy has left my body, my limbs heavy and unresponsive.

“Tiero is gone… gone for good. It seems surreal,” I whisper. “The three of us only held hands a few hours ago. How is this possible?” Even though none of this is unexpected, I’m in shock.

We’re quiet for a moment.

“Do you regret leaving him?” Aiden asks out of the blue.

I lift my head off his chest, studying him. He looks so vulnerable. I take his face into my hands immediately, making him lift his eyes to mine. They’re tired and uncertain.

How can I be so wrapped up in myself to forget about how all of this is affecting him? He’s been nothing but a mountain of strength for me, never jealous and only supportive of my time with Tiero.

But perhaps watching me say goodbye to Tiero and seeing me so distraught over his death has rattled him more than I thought. My fingers stroke his cheeks, reveling in the warmth of his skin.

“No. Aiden. I don’t regret running from him. If I hadn’t, I would never have met you. How could I regret that? You’re my world.” But then I also admit, “I regret having hurt Tiero, though… nobody deserves a broken heart.”

I’m about to kiss him to show him just how much he means to me, how much I love him when there’s a knock on the door and Becky enters. “The anesthetist will be ready for you in half an hour.”

I close my eyes, scrunching up my face. This time it’s Aiden who takes my face into his hands. He presses his lips to mine, whispering, “All will be fine. Please don’t be afraid. You’ve got the best surgeon in the country, and you’re receiving a strong heart.”

I let out a long breath. “I know.” It doesn’t lessen the fear howling at the gate. “Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?”

“Try and stop me,” he says, kissing my forehead. “And I’ll be there when you wake up. Do you want to see anyone beforehand? Rhia wants to talk to you. All her family and Lex are in the waiting room too. Gary and the crew have landed but aren’t here yet.”

I shake my head vehemently. “I don’t want to see anyone. I’m too upset. I don’t want them to remember me like this.”

“Remember you? You’re going to make it through this surgery. You will live, you hear me?” he says, more sternly this time. “Are you sure you don’t want Rhia to come in? She’ll be disappointed not to give you a hug,” Aiden tries again gently.

The thought of saying goodbye to Rhia is too much to bear. “Ade, I can’t. Please tell her I’m sorry, but I can’t say another goodbye today, especially not to her.”

My stomach is churning; I’m going to be sick. I don’t know how I will get through my farewell with Aiden, add Rhia to the mix and I won’t survive.

“It’s not fucking goodbye,” he growls.

“It is a goodbye. Even if I wake up, I will never be the same again. Someone else’s heart will have replaced mine. And I know Tiero loved me and sacrificed everything for me, but still, I’m not gonna be entirely me anymore.”

“It’s an organ, El. It doesn’t define who you are.”

I wish I could believe him. I’m not sure why I’m so rattled by doubts now. Is it nerves? Fear of the unknown?

“Please just hold me,” I tell him, and Aiden’s arms wrap around me once more. I snuggle back against him, aware of time slipping away. These might be the last minutes I get to spend with him.

“Promise me you’ll come back to me,” Aiden whispers into my hair.

How can I promise him that? It’s not in my hands; I utterly depend on others for this. So I don’t answer and admit instead, “I’m so scared, Ade.”

“Listen, Sunshine. When you wake up… and note I said when, not if… we will have a brand-new beginning. Yes, you will have a different heart, but it won’t change your essence. Will there be a lengthy recovery process? Yes. Will it be easy? Probably not. But we are facing everything together.

“And when you are well, we’re going to get married on Tiero’s island and thank our lucky stars that he loved you so much to give up his life. And we will honor his sacrifice by living the happiest life we can. One that’s filled with laughter and joy and lots of sex.” He winks, making me chuckle. “We’ll have a family…” I raise my head to object. It’s not a given I’ll be able to have kids after this, but Aiden places a finger on my lips before I can speak.

“We’ll have a family,” he repeats. “Even if our family is just the two of us, a bunch of rowdy friends and a hoard of lapdogs.” That makes me smile. “I love you. Nothing willeverchange that. Got it?”

I push away from his chest and stare up into his chocolate-brown eyes. They’re intent and brimming with love. “Got it,” I reply. “I love you. So much.” My voice is choking up, and I wrap my arms around him at the same time as his engulf me. I hold on tight, never wanting to let go.

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