Wanting You

Chapter 18 Hidden Things

"Oh my, God," said Anna, "kids can be cruel."

"Yes, they constantly pitted him against his half-brother, and called his mother some awful things."

"Calling his mother god forsaken names would be hard on anyone."

"I've never met his mother. Rumors say that she used to come around when he was young and then she abandoned him."

"What kind of man is his father?"

"He's a very cold man. He never stopped Aiden's siblings from attacking him. He treated Aiden like an outcast. The woman he is common law married to, named Myrna, treated him worse.

The cookies that Anna was baking had the entire house smelling like chocolate chips. They always had fresh cookies on the table for each guest arrival. The cabin that Anna and Jas had cleaned would be rented out in just a few hours. Anna slid two hot chocolate chip cookies across the island to Jas. She munched on them leisurely.

"When he moved in with the Sparkman's and saw all the wealth that they had, he became very bitter. He would tell me about the fights he'd have with his half-brothers. He clashed with his mom and step-dad all the time."

"Poor dear."

"Aiden doesn't have closure from his past. That scares me. When he's around or thinks too long about his parents he's a different person. I forget about that person when I asked him to marry me."

"Don't give up on him." Anna took a bite of her cookie. "He told me that the biggest mistake of his life was letting you go and that..."

There was a knock on the door. Anna went to open it. She smiled when Aiden walked in. "I didn't think you'd find us here."

"It was the cookies," he laughed, "Smelled them all the way to my house." He walked over to the island and picked up a cookie. "No seriously, Ted told me you two would probably be together." He turned to Jas and smiled. She blushed. He loved the idea of driving her to distraction by a single glance. "I've come to retrieve something precious."

"That's so sweet," Anna said.

Aiden extended his arm. Jas quickly grabbed her coat placing it on. Then she linked arms with Aiden. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I've been trying to get back to you all day," he whispered. "I've got a surprise for you."

"What?"

"You'll see."

***

"Deanna, it's been three weeks. You've got to come home."

"Troy I promise, just give me until next Wednesday. The receptionist said that the best day to catch up with him is Wednesday afternoon."

Troy's agitation was voiced in his sigh. "I've been so patient with you, Deanna. Surely, you know that as much as I love you I have limits."

Deanna knew that Troy had every right to act this way. She had way overstepped her bounds and sneaking off to New York. "I'm sorry, Troy. But I'm so close."

"Where are you now?"

"I'm having dinner at Delmonico's."

"Have you even thought about what you're going to do if you see him?"

"I can't even think that far."

***

"This is beautiful, Aiden. Lights everywhere."

The Icon A 5 soared above New York City. The glistening lights stretched for miles. Aiden glanced at Jas awed by her child like reaction. He slipped his fingers through hers. "I thought you'd like it." He banked the plane towards New Jersey. In a short space of time he descended into Sandy Hook Beach. They took the ferry to New York, exiting at the Wall Street stop.