redeeming alyson | ongoing

a warm welcome

I woke up to Kayden pulling over on the circular driveway. I must have been more tired than I thought.

"Did you pull a night shift or what?" Kayden asks jokingly with a small laugh as he unlocks my seatbelt clip. I catch a whiff of his Dior Sauvage perfume. I was too tired to move away, and for a brief second our eyes locked together.

I looked away fast, but I still felt the warmth of his chocolate brown eyes on my face. He stared at me for another second before he dropped his arm like nothing happened.

I didn't answer. I was too tired to explain, and he knew better than to prod me about things I didn't want to talk about. That's why our friendship lasted this long. He never asked about the things he knew would make me feel uncomfortable.

I finished late at my bartending job, at around 5 AM because the crowd was crazy, as it usually was during payday. I got maybe thirty minutes of sleep before I had to get ready for my flight. I always flew in the early morning because the flights were cheaper.

Kayden didn't know that.

He didn't know that I have multiple jobs. It would upset him to know I wasn't doing well financially. All he knew was the same facts that my family knew - that I work at the art gallery. He thinks it's a major art gallery, but it's really mid-range where the clients can be a hit or miss.

"Why? Do I look bad?" I raised a playful brow. "I thought I looked impeccable as always."

He laughed. "Of course not. You know you always look perfect, cherie. You just seem a little tired. Your eyes don't have that spark in them, but it must be because of the morning flight."

"Spark? Have you been staring at me all this time?"

His ears turned red. I swallow my laughter. Kayden was rarely shy, but when he was, it would always be so obvious. He glanced at me for a second before he cleared his throat and got out of the car. 

He opened the passenger for me, before grabbing my luggage on the trunk. He led me towards the bronze wrought iron doors where the house staff was waiting. After exchanging greetings with the staff who knew him  well and adored him, he handed his keys to our valet. 

Our head housekeeper, Charina, a stout woman in her late twenties, smiled and bowed when she saw me. "Miss Alyson. Your parents are still at the country club with your siblings. They should be here in three hours."

I gave her a nod. "Thanks, Chari. And my brother?"

She shook her head apologetically. "You know, Mr. Rush. I haven't seen him since your mommy's birthday. Ever since he moved out for college, he doesn't really come visit unless your mommy forces him to."

Rush never came to family luncheons, but I did. He didn't care what our step-siblings and the alta sociedad thought--but I did. 

"I see. I'll go freshen up upstairs and nap."

She nodded and smiled. "Shall I run you a bath? I've prepared your favorite rose petals and bath bombs from La Menagerie."

Kayden placed an arm around my shoulders, and chuckled. "Princess Alyson always gets the best treatment."

I pushed him away. "Of course."

My room smelled wonderful. God, I missed this scent. The sheets on the four-poster bed were freshly laundered, and the lemongrass oil wafting on the diffuser gave it a luxurious feel. I closed my eyes, savoring this moment. I'll only be here for a week before coming back to the city.

"This is what I like about you, Al," he said, sitting on my bay window seat. It was my favorite place to read in my room. "You act like your high-rise apartment in the mainland isn't more astounding than this."