She’d given her all to Aaron and he’d turned away.
His rejection after that earth-shattering night had left a hard eggshell of disappointment and broken dreams around her heart.
Caroline’s cold, bony hand covered hers. “Just talk to me. Please. I think I might go crazy if you go all silent again.”
“Fine. We had sex.”
Caro’s gasp bounced off the walls in their tiny cell. “And?”
“And what?”
“Was he good?”
“Good?”
“You know, did you like it?”
“Are you kidding?” Celine countered.
Caroline’s squeezed her hand. “No way. I need details. Give me something good.”
“You have lost your mind.” He’d been earth shattering. Life altering. Wonderful. Delicious… and deadly to her heart.
“Not in the least. We both need a distraction and what else are we going to do? Tell me.”
“Fine. It was great. He was good. And then it was over.” Not on her part though. She’d stupidly thought that taking that next step meant as much to him as it did to her.
“You sound like your describing Thanksgiving dinner, not steamy sex with a hot soldier.” Caroline’s wistfulness made Celine’s lips tug up at the corners.
“Geez, that great. No, he was better than deep fried turkey.” Way better. “But…”
“But what? What’s the problem?”
“His commander walked in on us.” And ended everything for them. She was really starting to hate the military.
Celine gasped. “No, he didn’t.”
“Yep.”
“Were you – “
“Naked? Yep.”
“Oh my God.” Caroline giggled and then a cough took over, wracking her body.
“That’s what I said.” Celine wrapped an arm around her and held her. What else could she do with no water or no other means to care for her friend? When Caro’s coughs finally subsided, Celine scooted over a bit. “See this is why we can’t talk about it.”
“I’m not letting you off that easy. What happened next?” Caro’s gravelly voice evidenced her weakness.
Despite having replayed the scene over and over in her headandtelling herself she didn’t care – her heart clenched. “He looked at me like he didn’t know me and walked out.”
“What?!” Caro coughed again, this time the fit lasted longer than the last.
“Stop getting worked up, okay?” Celine forced her voice to relax despite her worry. “I can take care of myself, I’ve been doing it my whole life.” Besides, Aaron wasn’t the first man to use and lose her. At some point, she had to accept responsibility that she needed to quit with the whole white night dream and live in reality.
Celine closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, her mind taunting her with images of Aaron Speirs and the smell of his grandmother Noni's homemade fudge. Her mouth tingled, and if she hadn't been so dehydrated she would've drooled.
When he’d asked her to be Caroline’s stylist at her wedding and explained that he needed someone he could trust there, she’d read between the lines into spaces that in his mind hadn’t existed.
