Satellite Souls

Mrs. Greyson

Fiona’s POV

“Ah this man” I thought to myself, staring at Aiden while slowly caressing his face with the tip of my fingertips. He sleeps like a baby. So quiet and peaceful. I didn’t want to leave this, I don’t want to leave him.

It was the next morning and the buzz of the previous night’s drinking was finally wearing off. I made myself comfortable under the sheets by wrapping my legs around him and resting my head on his chest.

I knew what I had to do. I needed to talk to Charlie and cancel the wedding. How could I have let it go on for this long without realizing that Aiden was the one for me all along?

Why was I so worried about the timeline? Why did I want to save the relationship with Charlie when my heart wasn’t fully in it from the very beginning?

I knew I was self-sabotaging myself but no more. I want to be happy now. I deserved that. I convinced myself.

The buzz of the phone halted my thoughts. I reached for it under the pillow covers and pulled the phone out. It was Aiden’s phone and the name ‘Rebecca’ gleamed on the screen. I glanced at his phone travelling down memory lane, reminiscing about the familiarity of her name.

Rebecca? The Rebecca? I almost yelled out loud as it jolted my memory.

I let it go to voicemail. A message immediately popped up not a second later.

“Call me Aiden, I’m worried, I miss you.”

I couldn’t believe amidst everything that had been going on, I had forgotten about Rebecca. Aiden hadn’t even brought her up. I remembered about the dream where Aiden talked about Rebecca. She was his business partner and his girlfriend. He even planned on proposing to her. He was so in love with her. I don’t remember what had transpired between them.

I gazed at Aiden, who was still sound asleep, and thought how I would handle the situation. I got out of bed, freshened up, and went to get myself a cup of coffee. Many things raced through my mind; we were both making massive sacrifices to be together, yet I couldn't get Rebecca out of my mind. When I took my phone out of my pocket, I realized I had brought Aiden's phone into the living room with me.

Another message popped up.

“I don’t understand, you propose to me and then go missing for three weeks. Just talk to me Aiden”

My eyes widened in shock as I stared at the message. He proposed? How could he just propose to her and then come find me? He’s engaged . . . my heart sank at the thought. I started to wonder whether this was how he'd been feeling all along, knowing that I was engaged to Charlie.

“Hey good morning, you’re up early” Aiden’s voice startled me. I kept the phone on the table and turned around to face him.

“We need to talk” I blurted out the words but I didn’t want this conversation to start. I didn’t want to burst the happy bubble we had been living in. We are both so detached from reality that we don’t even realize that we’re hurting people in our lives.

“Oh okay, what’s wrong?” He pulled up a chair in front of me and sat down. I stared at his face for what seemed like a whole minute. I love him, I love him so much. I realized feeling my heart pounding faster.

“When were you going to tell me about Rebecca?” I asked quietly, pushing his phone towards him with my fingertips.

His face's colour faded instantly. He looked at the phone for a moment before returning his gaze to me. “I . . . wanted to. I just . . I’m sorry I didn’t want to complicate an already complicated situation”, He replied, looking down.

“You asked her to marry you and then you bailed on her?” I raised my voice. Maybe I was not in a position to judge his actions, given all the decisions I’ve been making lately. But I needed to know why he didn’t mention her. Why he didn’t bother telling me, he was engaged.

“I didn’t” He replied.

“You didn’t bail on her?” I asked.

“I didn’t propose. She just found the ring and . . . assumed. I was going to propose, yes. But I kept dreaming about you and it was driving me crazy. I just felt it in my gut that you were out there somewhere and to give it a shot and I was right” He gently grasped my hand in his and pleaded with his eyes. I knew he was telling the truth, but the thought of losing him made me nervous.

“If you hadn’t found me, you would have gone back and married her . . .” As the words left my lips, I began to wonder what I had been asking of him all along when I told him to respect the timeline and go back. He would have married her. I couldn’t bear the thought.

“Probably. I don’t know Fiona. You would have gone through with the wedding with Charlie. That’s why I stayed back, in case you changed your mind and boy, am I glad you did”

“Suppose I married Charlie, would you have gone and married her?" I asked desperately.

“It’s not like that. You know it isn’t. I followed my gut and it led me to you. I’m in love with you. I have been for a very long time. Which is why I couldn’t propose to Rebecca in the first place. And you, you’re not in love with Charlie. I know it.” He tucked my hair behind my ear as I drank the last contents of the mug that had been sitting on the table.

“Right. . . but I don’t appreciate you keeping this from me. There’s this whole other life you have back in Australia. And Rebecca. I don’t remember much about her from what you’ve told me in the dreams. But I do know you were in love with her.” He stood up from the chair and embraced me in his arms. I buried my face in his chest, holding him close not wanting to let go.

“I’m sorry I kept it from you. I just didn’t want to give you more reasons to back away from fate. I’m not in love with her, not anymore Fiona. I knew the risks when I travelled here to find you. I knew the risks when I met you and I knew the risks when we made love. I’m willing to risk it all for this, for us” He placed a small kiss on my forehead.

“So . . . what are we going to do?” I managed to ask, realizing that we both have partners we’d have to break the news to. It was unfair of me to get upset about Rebecca. Aiden had been patient with me the entire time, regardless of the fact that I had rejected him despite my feelings for him. It was now my turn to be patient as he dealt with his life back home.

“I don’t know, run away and elope?” Aiden gave a side smile, holding my hands.

“We’re not just messing with our lives here, Aiden. Charlie and his family, Rebecca, and our timeline. We’re risking a lot here” I reminded him.

“I know and I’m telling you right here and right now that I’m willing to do this with you in a heartbeat if you’re ready to do this with me” Aiden twirled me around and leaned in for a kiss. I knew I’ve been in love with this man for over five years now. It has always been him. I didn't want our bubble to burst, but I also understood that what was coming next would require some time apart from him.

“I think you should go back” I said softly. He gave me a startled look.

“What? I don’t understand”

“You should go back, give an explanation to Rebecca, face to face. We owe it to those we are betraying at this point, don’t you think? I gave in to you accepting the fact that I was being selfish but I have to think about Charlie and how I am going to break the news to him as well. You should go back, come clean and I’ll do the same with Charlie. I’ll take a ticket as soon as it gets sorted out and we’ll meet in Aussie” I explained and he slowly nods in agreement. He lifts my chin and kissed me passionately as I melt into his body.

“I . . can’t believe it. We’re really doing this?” Aiden smiles slyly lifting me up in the air.

“Yes we are . . . I don’t know what lies ahead for us, but I know that I want my future with you” I replied feeling the butterflies in my stomach. For the first time in my life, I feel like I can finally be happy.

“Oh I know what lies ahead, Mrs. Greyson. I’ve already bought the penthouse at Pavilion. I figured, even if you had said no, I’d live there until we met again” His words took me my surprise and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

“Mrs. Greyson? Sounds kinda nice” I grinned.

“Are you kidding? It sounds amazing and we’re going to be happy, Fiona. I can promise you that. I love you so much, so much”

“I love you too” I replied holding him so close. “We should get a boat and just sail away”

He immediately chuckles at my remark.

“We should”

I held him so tight I could hear his heart beating which soothed my soul. I always thought my life would only have miseries, as that’s all I knew. But little did I know this man would come along and change everything?

But just like the present, I was naïve to think happiness was in my grasp.

Little did I know that our lives would take a drastic turn after this conversation. Little did I know, it was going to be our last conversation.