Even when Rosalie wasn't near me, she was distracting me from my work.
I shook my head and told myself that I would get through an entire document without a thought of her.
Carmelina walked into the living room, where I was seated. "I did not make you breakfast today, but you have had breakfast you told me," she told me, disapprovingly.
I raised an eyebrow at her, amused.
"So, I made you a healthy lunch," she said, setting down a tray on the table in front of me, "Young men must eat healthy."
"Thank you, Carmelina," I said to her, pushing my file aside and pulling the tray closer to me, "You're too good to me."
She nodded to me and walked away.
Knowing that Carmelina wouldn't rest until I had eaten properly under her supervision, I finished the lunch she had made for me before returning to my work.
I only realized that evening had come when she walked into the living room to say goodbye.
"Do you need anything else, sir, or I will be leaving?" she said.
I looked up, seeing only then the darkness of the twilight that had set it. I rubbed my eyes.
"Yes, Carmelina, you may go," I told her, "Thank you."
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, waving to me and left.
I waited until I heard the door close and I got up, stretching out all the tension and contraction I had accrued during the day. I decided to pour myself a drink.
I had just taken a sip when I heard the doorbell ring.
I smiled. I knew Rosalie would have come after finishing her work.
I set my glass down and went to the door, with a smile on my face, thankful for the company that I get after a day of work.
I opened the door for her and looked at her.
My eyes widened.
"Caroline?"
Caroline Baxter stood there, wearing a low-cut red dress, carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag and a matching pull-along bag, giving me brightest smile I had ever seen her sport.
"Aiden, darling," she said, breezily, sauntering into the house, pulling her bag behind her, "It's so nice to see you."
I closed the door behind her. "Caroline, what?"
"Oh, Aiden," she said, rushing over to me and putting a finger over my lips, "Darling, please. Don't say anything. Don't say anything about our fight. It was just so horrible, wasn't it?"
"What?" I asked, blinking.
"It's been almost three weeks since we've seen each other, darling," she told me, making her eyes look innocent, "Don't let's talk about that. Come on, let's sit down and have a nice drink and a chat, shall we?"
She smiled easily at me like she had been doing it her whole life and walked further into the house, in the direction of the living room. She parked her bag on a side and put her handbag on the table.
When I entered the room, she was pouring herself a drink. She waltzed over to the couch and sat down, patting the seat next to her.
I picked up my glass, suspiciously and went to sit down beside her.
"How have you been, my darling?" she asked, sighing, "It's been so long since I saw you."
"Caroline, there's a reason for that," I told her, plainly, "I believe we broke –"
"Shhh, Aiden," she said to me, touching my arm, "Don't bring up that horrible incident. I don't think either of us want to relive that day, do you?"
"I'm confused," I told her.
She put her glass down and took my hand in hers. "Aiden, I know we had a fight," she said, "But that's all it was; a fight. How can we throw away all of this over a fight?"
"All of what?" I asked.
"Us, Aiden," she explained, looking concerned, "We said many words that we shouldn't have said, Aiden. And you don't know how sorry I am about what happened that day. I should have never said those things to you, Aiden. I'm so sorry. Will you ever forgive me?"
"Caroline, what the hell are you talking about?" I practically shouted at her, pulling my hand from her grasp and standing up.
She flinched, but still smiled. Caroline stood and began to walk over to me.
"Aiden, my darling –"
"I am not your darling," I stared her down, "Tell me why the hell you're in my house."
She blinked. "Why, we're engaged."
"We broke that engagement off weeks ago! Do you remember that?!" I demanded.
"Oh, sweetheart, that was a silly fight."
I could feel my eyes bulge in my skull. I was at a loss for words. What was this woman trying to do?
"That was not a fight, Caroline. Well, it was; following which we broke up. You and I aren't together anymore."
Caroline made her eyes look innocent. "But, Aiden. I wear your ring," she pouted, shaking her left hand at me and then, resting it on my chest.
I picked her hand up off my chest, holding it tightly. "Caroline, I want you to hear me when I tell you that I don't give a damn about that ring. You can keep it, if you like; you can break it apart and make jewelry, if you like; you can throw it in the ocean, if you like; for all I care, you can eat the damn thing and I will not care! We are not together."
Caroline looked sad, which confused me even more. "Why would you say that?"
I put my glass on the counter and paced up and down, my hands raking through my hair in frustration. "I can't. I just can't," I repeated to myself.
Finally, I stopped. "Caroline, get this through to that thick skull of yours: We. Are. Not. Together. You and I aren't engaged. You know it. You and I wouldn't last a day into marriage."
"Aiden, we can try," she said.
I laughed, probably out of frustration. It was completely unfathomable to me how Caroline kept persisting that we were together and engaged.
I looked at her.
She looked back at me almost like she was in love with me. I wanted to laugh, but I was too enraged to do anything, but think of how to explain to her that I don't even want to breathe the same air as her, anymore.
I took in her form as I looked at her and noticed the stark contrast that she had with Rosalie. Where Rosalie was sweet, Caroline was manipulative; where Rosalie had curves and dips, Caroline had harsh angles; where Rosalie looked demure, Caroline tried to look seductive. I almost made me want to throw up all over the Persian carpet that I had paid so much for.
She walked over to the counter, probably to pour herself a drink.
I couldn't care less about the drinks. She could take my entire stock of liquor, if she wanted, but I needed her away from me.
I watched her pick something shiny up from the counter.
"What's this?" she asked.
I looked at what she was holding in her hand.
It was Rosalie's necklace.
Controlling my expression, I answered Caroline. "It's a necklace."
Caroline gave me a look. "I know that, Aiden. I'm not stupid." All the sweetness in her voice from earlier had dissipated. "I'm asking you whose is it?"
"That's none of your business, Caroline," I told her, flatly.
"It is my business, Aiden. Are you cheating on me?"
My mouth dropped open and my eyes widened. "Cheating on you? We're not together, Caroline. I never cheated on you. You've been gone for weeks."
"But we are engaged."
"How do you not understand the concept of a breakup, Caroline? Just because you have a ring, doesn't mean that you're engaged!"
"Aiden, whose necklace is this?" she asked, again.
"That is none of your business," I repeated.
Caroline tossed Rosalie's necklace over her shoulder, where it fell to the floor. I stared at the glittering piece of jewelry thinking of Rosalie and how much I wished she was the woman standing in my house instead of this monstrosity. "Is this how you're going to treat me, Aiden?"
Squeezing my eyes shut, I exhaled deeply.
I took a few steps towards her.
"Caroline, I need you listen to me very carefully when I tell you this: we are not together anymore. I don't owe you anything. Don't think I don't know about that little stunt you and your mother tried to pull on my father."
Caroline's defenses lowered slightly; she hadn't expected me to know.
"I will tell you this and you can go and tell it to your mother: I will not be bullied by a blackmailer and her daughter. Understood?"
Caroline straightened.
She looked at me, scanning my face.
Slowly, she crossed the room and gathered her bags and turned to leave.
I almost heaved a sigh of relief, but she spoke.
"Don't think this is the last you've seen of me, Aiden. I will be back."
*
Well, dang!
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