Aaliyah usually hated how night came so early in winter, but tonight, she didn't particularly mind it. Now that she was home and out of the cold, the darkness pressing against the windows only made her feel even cozier, especially since she was here with Jason.
Earlier that day, she had met him on her lunch break from the diner to pick out their tree. They hadn't had to search the tree farm for long, having found a medium size pine that was the perfect height to fit in their house, after only ten minutes of looking. Jason had paid the cashier and hoisted it over his shoulder as if it had weighed nothing. With a kiss to Aaliyah's lips, he had headed towards home as she made her way back to the diner.
When she had finally arrived back to their house sometime later, he had already rearranged their furniture and set up the tree in the corner. He had even gone out and bought some lights for it, a gesture that delighted Aaliyah and warmed her heart, for he knew she wasn't really one for Christmas festivities.
She watched him now, struggling adorably to untangle a length of said lights from the cardboard spool it had been packaged on. A mug of hot cocoa warmed her hands, a treat she seldom indulged in except on cold nights like this. She couldn't help but smile at her lover.
Jason huffed softly in irritation. He couldn't figure out how the lights had started out wrapped up so neatly and had somehow ended up in this tangled mess that brute strength alone wouldn't solve. Mustering his patience, he worked the green, plastic-coated wires out of the chaos until he at last had them laid out in a straight line. When he plugged them in to test them, he was relieved to see that all the lights were in working order. Thank goodness for small favors.
"You know, you're adorable when you try to be a handyman," she said, her tone playful.
Jason turned to look at her over his shoulder as he pulled the lights from the socket, his lips curled into a sly grin.
"Well, you know I'm good with my hands."
Aaliyah giggled and set her mug down on the coffee table behind her before making her way over to him as he rose from the floor to his full height. She reached up to caress his cheek gently. Wordlessly, she leaned in for a kiss, and Jason smiled at the discovery that she tasted like chocolate. Even though the touching of their lips was gentle and tender, something burned just under the surface that threatened to distract them from decorating the tree and he pulled away before things got too heated.
Nuzzling her neck, he whispered, "Do you want to help me put up the lights before I decide to help you out of your clothes?"
Aaliyah giggled again, loving the way his body felt against hers. In all truth, the second option sounded more appealing, but since it had been her idea to get a tree in the first place, she grabbed one end of the multicolored lights while Jason grabbed the other and proceeded to wrap it around the evergreen, tucking the lights between branches of fragrant needles.
After that, it didn't take long to hang the ornaments Jason had bought, all fragile looking glass baubles that shimmered in the light. Aaliyah found she was actually enjoying herself as she decorated the lower half of the tree where she could easily reach. Jason was chatting happily about past Christmases with his family as he searched for the perfect place for the ornament in his hand and she listened wordlessly, enjoying his voice and his company, his youthful enthusiasm and the excitement in his eyes.
Aaliyah hung the last ornament and stood back to admire her handywork. Jason plugged in the lights once more before switching off the lamp that was the only other light source in the room. Instantly, the room was illuminated with color, the lights shining through the transparent glass and tinting them various shades, making them glitter like jewels.
"It's so beautiful," Aaliyah breathed out, clearly enchanted by the spectacle.
Jason only smiled and wrapped his arm around her. He covered her belly possessively, caressing her baby bump as he nuzzled her neck. "You're beautiful."
Aaliyah laughed. "Oh, stop,"
"Marry me," he said, and laughed softly when she elbowed him lightly in his side.
"Don't tease."
Gently he turned her around to face him and cupped his hand under her chin, tipping her head back slightly to gaze down into her overly bright eyes. "I'm serious."
"Jason." She hesitated. "You know I can't."
A slight frown furrowed his brow. "You can't or you won't?"
"Don't do that," she said quietly. "You know that I would marry you in a heartbeat if I could."
"Then what's the problem?" He asked her.
"I'm the problem." Her voice rose from frustration. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and willed herself to calm down. "I love you, Jason. I do. More than anything else in the world. But baby, I don't exist. I'm a ghost."
He shook his head. "I don't care. Ghost or not, all I want is you."
"And you have me," she said. "I'm yours, Jason. I will always be yours."
"Then marry me."
Aaliyah threw her head back and groaned. "You are so stubborn."
He chuckled, alleviating the light tension. "Only when I really want something."
Then Aaliyah started laughing, her frustration melting away. She let a hand come up to brush blond bangs out of his eyes, fixing him with a serious gaze.
"Do you really want to marry me?" she asked.
"More than anything else," he replied honestly. "And I'm not just asking you because you're pregnant with our child, okay? I'm asking you because I love you."
"But what about my real name?" Aaliyah asked, her heart dropping. "On paper, I'm already, well..."
"I don't care about that," Jason said. "We'll figure it out. I'm asking to marry Aaliyah not Angeline. We'll have a ceremony. We'll figure it out.
Aaliyah remained silent, contemplating his request.
"Wait here," he told her.
Jason left Aaliyah standing in the living area and disappeared down the hall. He returned carrying a small velvet box.
Aaliyah stared at the box for a moment, then turned to look at him. "Jason..."
"I wanted to wait until Christmas to give this to you, but I just can't wait anymore." He opened the box, and Aaliyah lost her breath at the sight. It was adorned with an oval-cut diamond set in a double halo, with the band itself covered in dozens of tiny diamonds.
Jason knelt, and, reaching out, he took one of her hands in his. "I wanna marry you because you're the first person I want to look at when I wake up in the morning, and the only one I want to kiss goodnight. Because the first time that I saw these hands, I couldn't imagine not being able to hold them."
Her heart swelled, and tears brimmed her eyes, blurring her vision.
"I promise you, no one will work hard to make you happy or cherish you more than me. So will you marry me?"
Aaliyah thought back to all the moments they'd shared together, the worst and the best times. And she concluded that, as unreasonable as it was, he wanted her. She was a nobody and he wanted to marry her.
"Okay," she said quietly.
He cocked an eyebrow. "Okay?"
She smiled. "Yes."
"Are you sure?" Jason held a breath.
She laughed softly. "Yes, I'm sure. I—I want to marry you. I love you, Jason. How could I say anything but yes?"
His face split with a smile as he exhaled. He slipped the sparkling band over her knuckle and into place, pressing a kiss where it sat. He stood, bringing her with him and into his arms. They were wrapped together so tightly, she could scarcely take a breath.
"I love you, Lia. You'll never understand how much, but I'm going to try like hell to show you."
She held him back and the reality of their promise settled over her, warming her from limb to limb. Their love filled her until she thought her heart might explode with it.
"I love you too."
He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, ignoring the buzzing phone sitting on top of the coffee table.
***
Samantha let out a tired sigh. Everyone had left for the night and she was stuck closing up the diner.
She was behind the counter replacing all the bottles and glasses when she heard the bell above the door jingle, signaling an entrance into the diner.
"I'm sorry," she said, barely glancing over her shoulder, "but we're closed. We'll open back up at—" She turned and stopped when she saw a handsome man in his mid-thirties standing at the front entrance of the diner. He was tall with spiky dark brown hair and the most piercing green eyes she had ever seen, and his facial stubble did not disguise the uncompromising set of his square jaw.
"I know it's late," he told her. "I've been driving for almost a day straight. I could really go for a cup of coffee and something to eat. Please?"
Samantha sighed. "The cooks have all left for the night," she said. "As far as something to eat, all I can give you is a slice of leftover pie from today. I'll even put on a fresh pot of coffee if you want."
The stranger walked forward as she talked and stopped as he reached the counter. "I would greatly appreciate it..." He looked at the name tag on her shirt. "Samantha."
Samantha nodded with a tired smile and placed a new pot of coffee on before opening the pie container and placing a slice on the plate.
She placed the cup of coffee and slice of pie in front of him.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome. So what's got you driving almost twenty-four hours?"
"Business, actually." He took a bite of the pie and closed his eyes, savoring the flavor. "It's been too long," he said and took a sip of his coffee before setting it on the saucer.
"Big fan of coconut cream pie, I take it?"
"One of my favorites," he told her. "My wife used to make damn good pies. This tastes just like the one she used to make for me."
"Used to?" Samantha asked sorrowfully. "Did she pass away?"
He shook his head with a chuckle. "No, nothing like that."
"Oh."
"That's actually why I'm here," he said and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. Once it was in his hand, he opened it, pulled out a small picture, and offered it to Samantha. "Have you ever seen her around?"
Samantha's heart began to pound. She slowly reached for the photo and took a look. Holy shit. He's here. He found her.
"Nope," she said, trying to look offhand about it. "I've never seen her around here before. Why do you ask?" Samantha returned the picture, trying to hide her shaking hand.
"Well," he said, taking the picture from her. "She's turned up missing. Are you sure you've never seen her before?"
She looked at the picture again. She tried to look as innocent as she could. "Nope, can't say that I have. But, if I see her around, I'll give you a call; how's that sound?"
"Sounds good," the man answered. He fished through his wallet once more and pulled out a small business card and a few bills. "My number, just in case." He separated the business card from the cash and handed it to her. She hesitated, but didn't want to be rude and took it. She looked at the card, on it was inscribed:
NATHAN SNYDER, DETECTIVE, with his number written underneath.
She swallowed and looked up.
"Well, sorry to have bothered you, Samantha," he continued. "You should close up soon. Not safe for a young woman such as yourself to be out so late at night."
"Thanks," Samantha said. "I'll keep an eye out."
Samantha watched Nathan make his way out the diner and into his car before driving off. She let out a shaky breath and locked the front door.
Hurriedly, she made her way to the back entrance, then rummaged through her purse for her cellphone. With shaky fingers, she dialed Jason's number.
It rang several times before going to voice mail.
"Jason, pick up the damn phone," she whispered sharply, as she left the diner, locking the back door behind her, "Aaliyah's in danger. There was this guy who showed up at the diner just now. He-he's here," she stammered, shivering from cold and fear as she turned to make her way to her car in the parking lot. "Nathan found her. I don't know how, but he did. I'm heading to your place now. Please call me back—"
Suddenly a pair of headlights flashed on in the parking lot, and she gasped.
The moment she noticed Nathan behind the wheel of the car, Samantha took off running as fast as she could to her car. Nathan revved the engine of his car and took off after her.
"Oh, God!'' she screamed. "Help me!"
She could hear the motor roar up behind her as Nathan closed the gap.
"Please!" she screamed as she ran, not sure if she was begging Nathan for mercy or pleading to a higher power for help. Suddenly, with a thud at the jolt of the impact, the bumper of Nathan's collided with Samantha's body. At the impact, she was lifted off the ground. She hit the windshield, leaving a crack in her wake, then rolled off the hood of the car. Samantha lay in a bloody mess on the road in the middle of the parking lot as the black sedan drove off.