Flirting With Destiny: Aedyn Book 1

Chapter 21

Aedyn 

"I thought you would have gotten rid of all this furniture by now," Aunt Melissa said as she stepped into the living room. She looked around my father's house and wrinkled her nose. "It smells musty in here." 

 It contained the same furniture, minus the one lamp I had given Aunt Melissa. It was gone, but the end table, couch and matching coffee table were still there, along with the box of photographs sitting where my aunt had left them. I ushered her in and motioned for her to have a seat, but she remained standing on the grey carpet. 

"I've changed my mind. I'm considering fixing up the place. Who knows, maybe I won't even sell it... just yet." Logic told me that keeping the house would probably be a mistake. 

 After our weekend together in Chicago, Lauren had put her engagement ring back on. I saw it on her finger on the plane ride back to Iowa and pretended not to notice. I knew what she was doing when she took it off at the club. She was either toying with the idea of what it would feel like to leave him, or she just wanted to relieve her own guilt. Whichever, Lauren had a mind of her own and no matter how much I cared for her, she had to make her own choices. 

 Although our night together had been special to me, and had been filled with crazy wild sex, I was afraid I'd been a fool for her all over again. At least I was happy to have the memory of holding her in my arms and having my dream come true, if even only for a while. 

 Aunt Melissa smirked. "What would be the point of that? You won't come back often enough to use the place." 

I raised an eyebrow in reply. "Oh ye of little faith. What's with all the disbelieving looks?" 

 She responded with a big smile. "It's a miracle you're even here again this soon. It's usually years between visits for you. What happened? Why the change of mind?" 

"I don't kiss and tell." I said with a sheepish grin. 

"Aedyn Dell Cumberland, you are a devil. You're up to something. Remember Mister, I know you better than you know yourself."

"I just want to be happy for once in my life. Am I wrong to want that?" 

 "I know, dear. I see the look on your face. The heart wants what the heart wants." 

It was unbelievable, the way my aunt could read between the lines. I swear she knew I was referring to Lauren. Hell, she was spot on. Or maybe my aunt knew about Lauren. Information traveled fast down the gossip channels in this small town. 

I couldn't stop thinking about Lauren. My plan had backfired on me. Big time. Instead of getting closure and shoving Lauren out of my mind, thoughts of her still reigned supreme. 

 "Give it time, dear." 

I smiled and shook my head, trying to shake away my doubts. "Well... at least I can dream." I moved an empty packing box from a chair for her to have a seat. "Can you stay awhile?" 

"No, dear. I just dropped by to see how tall the weeds had grown in the front yard. When I saw a car in the driveway, I figured it was you." She patted a plastic bag from the hardware store that she'd dropped on the coffee table when she came in. "I was going to plant these geraniums out front, but I'll let you do that now. I've got to be going." 

"Okay. I'll try to get them in the ground before I leave. I'm not sure how long I can stay, my work has been suffering with me gone. Besides, you know me, I don't have much of a green thumb." 

I gave her a hug and watched as my aunt's faded Oldsmobile backed out of the driveway. My thoughts turned back to the house as I shut the screen door. If I was going to fix up the house, I needed to get busy so I could get back to Chicago where the pile of work I'd ignored was growing to critical mass.