Page 82 of Aiden & Lily

There was no excuse good enough for that.

Aiden turned toward the window. Beyond the glass, the mountains rose against the bright summer sky, solid and unchanging. He wished courage worked that way. Instead, every time he thought he had mustered up enough courage to tell her, fear found another place to settle.

Hopefully, he was right about how strong they were together. Lily was thoughtful and she loved him. But none of that guaranteed she would forgive him.

He looked back at his reflection, his attention landing on the tie he still hadn’t managed to knot properly. With a frustrated breath, he yanked it loose and started again.

He hated feeling so out of control. That was one of the reasons he had avoided commitment for so long. Caring about someone meant giving them the power to hurt him, and Aiden had never been brave enough to accept that.

His hands stilled.

For one brief moment, the old instinct to escape whispered that maybe he could say less than the whole truth. Reese had never formally introduced Lily to him. Aiden could claim he hadn’t realized who she was until later. Parts of that would even be true.

His throat tightened.

But it would still be another half-truth. And if he asked Lily to marry him before she knew everything, he would be taking away her chance to choose him with clear eyes. Aiden pulled the tie free again and tossed it onto the bed.

“No,” he muttered to his reflection.

He had already hidden too much. He wasn’t going to build a marriage on one more lie. For all he knew, he was overthinking everything. Maybe Lily would be hurt but willing to hear him out. Maybe Reese would be angry but eventually understand. Or maybe Aiden would lose them both.

That was the part he couldn’t force himself to face.

He left his room and found Parker waiting in his usual dark Henley and jeans. Compared to his brother, Aiden was overdressed in slacks and a button-down shirt, though he had abandoned the tie. Parker took one look at him and smirked, but didn’t comment.

They headed for the Taylor property, where the party had been set up outside. Vehicles lined the drive, and voices carried across the yard. Long tables stood beneath strings of lights, while bright wildflowers filled jars along the tablecloths. The foothills framed the celebration in the distance, hazy beneath the afternoon sun.

Aiden searched the gathering for Reese and felt a guilty rush of relief when he didn’t see him.

People were still arriving. Parker wandered off to talk with Mathew and Penny, leaving Aiden to search for the birthday girl. He spotted Lily heading toward the back door of the house and followed.

She wore a light blue sundress and her auburn hair fell down her back in loose waves. She’d paired the dress with some cowgirl boots and she wore a matching hat. He grinned as he continued after her.

She was beautiful. The ring in his pocket felt heavier and he shoved his hand there to draw courage from the feel of it.

The closer he got to her, the more convinced he became that today was a good day to lay his cards on the table. They’d been dating for months now. Normally, that wouldn’t be enough timefor him to make a decision, but even he had to admit that he knew in his bones that Lily was meant to be his.

Being with her made sense.

He wanted nothing more than to call her his wife.

Lily disappeared into the house, and Aiden took the steps two at a time. The door swung shut before he reached it, but he pulled it open and slipped inside.

The kitchen wasn’t empty, to his disappointment.

Rose and Jasmine stood near the sink, filling a large drink dispenser with water. Jasmine noticed him first, and a smile spread across her face. That must have alerted Lily because she turned.

Her eyes met Aiden’s, and her whole expression changed. It wasn’t merely happiness. It was the open, unguarded smile she seemed to save just for him. Warmth spread through his chest, followed almost immediately by guilt.

She crossed the room and threw her arms around him. “You’re here.”

Aiden rested his hands at her waist and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Of course I’m here. I told you I would be.”

She beamed up at him. “Just having you here will make this the best birthday ever.” Her voice softened as she rose onto her toes, her lips nearly brushing his. “You’re my favorite person.”

Then she kissed him.

Aiden drew her close and returned the kiss, careful even as everything in him wanted to hold on tighter. Lily had chosen him when he had spent most of his life believing no one would.