I'd completely forgotten about my worries over Chip or anyone seeing me with another man. Was I opening a door I wasn't ready to walk through? All I knew was that talking with Aedyn, the simple act of having coffee with an old friend, made me feel a million times better than Chip had made me feel in a long time. Aedyn listened to me, he really listened and affirmed me. He reminded me of the goals and ambitions I used to have, which I'd forgotten. In school, I was actually good in subjects like science and math. I used to be in clubs and aspired to something greater than what life had dropped in my path.

Then, as easily as it came, the sweet memory-filled bubble I'd been sitting in for this last while, burst. All my fears and the anxieties about reality came rushing in, surrounding me. I felt suffocated. "What time is it?" In a panic, I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was late and Chip would wonder where I was. "I have to go now, Aedyn." I yanked on the strap of my purse and started scooting out of the long booth seat.

"Oh, of course. I shouldn't have taken up your time. I'm sure you must have somewhere to be."

Aedyn rose to say good-bye. He reached out and when his hand touched me, I felt the warmth of it around my wrist. It was electric. A bolt of energy shot up my arm and ran all the way to my toes, hi-jacking my heart along the way.

"Wait..." He almost sounded desperate. He snatched his hand back, closed his eyes and then opened them. I thought he was going to say something else and held my breath. I wanted him to say we should get together again, or at least exchange phone numbers. Some word of hope that we'd see each other again. All I knew was that something happened inside of me. Feeling his touch, looking in his beautiful blue eyes, I felt a connection had been made, a clear reflection of the hope that was pushing against my doubts.

"Um... it's been good seeing you again, Lauren. Really great." His eyes softened and a smile curled at the corners of his lips. My better judgment told me it was probably for the best that this was goodbye.

I looked up and caught his piercing blue eyes, not sure if I should believe what I saw in them, or if it was all based on my own flights of fancy.

"It was good to see you too, Aedyn... don't be a stranger." I tried to pull myself together, slung my purse over my shoulder and rushed out the diner door.

Chapter Twelve.

Aedyn I checked my cell phone for any messages for the millionth time. It was late. Dark outside. My limo driver wasn't due to pick me up and take me to the airport just yet. I'd hired a private jet, but it was over in the capital city at least half an hour away.

I slid back into the booth after saying good-bye to Lauren, disgusted with myself. What the hell was I thinking? I shouldn't have done that. I wanted to cut my hand off with a knife for reaching out to touch her when she said she had to go. I turned my head and stared out the window and into the dark summer night, drumming frustrated fingers on the table.

I should be sitting in my BMW, getting another blowjob from Raquel in Chicago right now, not here in this po-dunk town. I'd tried to make it through another visit without any disasters and now this. I was weak. I reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. I almost begged her to stay. No one should act that stupid in front of the one who ripped his heart to shreds. All these years, I regretted letting her get away, not pursuing what I really wanted. I had just rolled over and ran away, not man enough to fight for her.

And now, I'd allowed myself to lose control. Emotions resurfaced, the hurt and the love. It was all mixed up, flip flopping inside me, like someone was playing an evil trick, flipping a switch to one side and then the other, from feelings of hurt to feelings of hope. Back and forth, back and forth. My emotions wouldn't settle because... damn, the moment I touched her hand, my resolve was uprooted. One touch and a flash of fire shot through me. Just like that and by the way... how the fuck had that happened? I thought I'd put her out of my mind. It'd been years, then one chance meeting and I regressed back to acting like a star struck teenager. Fuck me. I'd better get a grip on myself. It wasn't beneficial for me to let down the walls. I'd done that once before and it brought nothing but heartache. Lauren was trouble back then and she's probably still a tease now. People didn't change. Maybe superficially, like getting rid of their glasses, but not their character. Why would I think it'd be any different now?

I raked my hand through my hair, angry about my past and pissed at myself. I hated it. I spent years living in Chicago trying to erase it. Was it all for nothing? Small town people with small town minds. How had they helped me? A nice community to grow up in? Maybe, until high school, and those proverbial fuck-filled high school days. That may have been someone else's fond memories, but for me it had been a bunch of bullshit. At least it'd been for geeky guys like me.

Except for Aunt Melissa, I didn't give a rat's ass about these people and this place. If they could see me now in Chicago, with my successful job, my downtown apartment, the women I attracted, hell.... I didn't need them, not even Lauren.

She'd hurt me more than anyone else. She stomped on my heart like a bunch of grapes until it bled out every ounce of life I had in me. At a time in my life when I was incredibly vulnerable, she waltzed in like it was nothing and turned a young high school guy's heart into mush.

Damn, she was beautiful then and... fuck me, she was even more beautiful now. I remembered how she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she walked by me in the halls. Like a moron, I'd just stand there with my books in my arms and my back glued to my locker door, staring through my thick glasses. Then, when it came time for the annual science fair, Lauren asked me to be her partner on a project and I thought it meant something.

She would come over to my house or I'd go to hers and we'd spent long hours working on it-probably more than a project of that caliber required-and I would sit close to her, close enough to smell her hair or brush against the smooth skin of her bare arm. She was a teenage boy's dream. In those days, even an accidental touch like that would send tingles racing through my body and my inexperienced, teenage dick would get all twitchy. It was crazy-uncontrollable at that age. Something as simple as a bra advertisement in a magazine was all it took and I'd have to run to my bedroom to hide. And relieve myself. Girls, and especially Lauren, didn't know the power they had over me. She so casually ignored my approaches when I was aching for her on the inside. I thought those days were over, but here I was, dealing with a hard-on from the mere brushing of her soft skin on mine.

I heaved out a deep breath, trying to gain control of my raging thoughts. Ten years of memories spilled through my head.

Damn my father and damn this trip. Seeing the town, going back to Dad's house, running into old friends, it was just a matter of time and eventually old emotions would get dredged up and crush me all over again. I thought I was better than this. Apparently, I wasn't.

The only thing to do now was to get out of here, go back to Chicago and start the process of blocking it out all over again. Because in the end, all you can do with that kind of pain is decide what you can do to make it right. Justice or revenge. What was the difference? It was like chocolate or peanut butter. People talk about closure, but I didn't buy it. When someone blasts a hole in your heart, like Lauren did to me, it tends to stay open or, at the very least leave a huge scar. So I built walls to protect myself.

A plan was beginning to form in my mind. I needed closure. I had to get her out of my mind for good. Maybe I was right before-all I needed was one good fuck. Bend her over a chair and fuck the shit out of her. Maybe then I could forget her and move on. I was sure my wallet was thick enough for her now. Put an end to all the "What if's," and then go back to fucking everything with two legs and a pussy in Chicago.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket. Suddenly, I felt the need to get out of this diner. Old memories smelled up the very air in the place and I couldn't get out of there fast enough. There was a bar just two doors down. If I was going to wait for my driver any longer, insulted by my own memories, then I was going to need a drink.

I threw some bills on top of the check and strode to the door. I wanted to scream out into the night, "Fuck you Lauren Mitchell, and all the losers in this town. This place didn't make me who I am. I made myself, in Chicago. Fuck you all."

I shoved my shoulder into it and barreled out the door. No sooner had my feet hit the pavement than I plowed straight into a young guy, clipping his shoulder and nearly knocking him off his feet.

"What the fuck, man?" he barked out. He had just come out of the very bar I was headed toward. His eyes were swollen slits and his face was flush. He was wasted. We both did a kind of dance, and spun around each other. I beamed a harsh warning look at him and pushed him down the sidewalk. I wasn't in the mood to take out my anger on some idiot drunk. He did the smart thing and kept on walking, not that he was really thinking logically right now, but at least he had the sense not to mess with me. He staggered off and went around the corner to where I knew there was a back parking lot for the main street businesses. It was right next to a little park on the corner where he'd probably go to sleep it off.

Before I could get to the door of the bar, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I stood on the street under a lamppost reading the text that said my driver was delayed. Anger boiled in my stomach. What else could possibly get in the way of me getting out of this town tonight? This was fucking ridiculous. I clenched my teeth and pounded out a long and ranting response to the guy, reaming him for being a completely inept asshole at doing something as simple as driving a car to pick me up. Right before I hit the send button, I took a deep breath. Fuck it. He didn't deserve that kind of response. I hit the backspace button and erased all of my vile words, writing a more rational reply.

Calmer now, I was about to hit the send button when my attention was ripped from the screen of my phone. The high-pitched screeching of tires tore through my eardrums, followed by a dull thud and a cry. I looked up to see a small beater car stopped in the middle of the intersection and the crumpled body of a woman lying lifeless in the crosswalk. I clicked out of text messages, punched in 911 and took off running.

It was only a short distance from where I stood and just at the corner of the little park. My mind was racing with questions. It couldn't be. Please, don't let it be. My feet were moving like the wind and as I approached, I recognized the guy I clipped on the shoulder just a few minutes ago. He kicked open the car door and left it standing wide. With his hands on his head, he paced back and forth wailing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't see her. Oh my God, what have I done?"

Fuck him. I was on a straight line to the woman on the ground. The closer I got, the more my stomach clenched. I didn't want to look, but I had to. As I got even closer, I recognized the clothes first, then the beautiful face that my heart could never forget.

It was Lauren.

Chapter Thirteen.

Lauren Was I dreaming? My eyes fluttered open. I turned my head to the side, ready to get out of bed, but my body felt like it weighed a million pounds. I gave in and stayed still, waiting for the brain fog to lift, closing my eyes to the bright lights surrounding me.

I tried again, blinking rapidly to clear my eyes, my vision finally focusing on the IV tube attached to my hand like an ugly snake hanging from the bag of saline solution. Why was everything in hospitals the lifeless color of death? And why was I in a hospital?

As my memory slowly faded in, I saw two men standing outside the glass window of my room, engrossed in conversation. One was Aedyn. What was he doing here? It appeared he was giving a statement to the police since the officer was scribbling something on a small notepad.

I tried to rise and call out to him, but as soon as I moved, pain exploded in my head. I lay back down, as gently as I could manage, wincing as the rest of my body protested.

Before I had time to even think about why Aedyn was here, Brandon burst into my room. He was my doctor, but also Chip's brother and my friend; I hadn't seen him since our lunch not long ago. His face was blank, but I sensed an urgency in his voice as he barked out commands to the nurse who had followed in behind him.

"Brandon? Why...?"

"Do you know where you are, Lauren," he interrupted me, forcing a smile as he examined my face.

I looked around, wondering why he was asking such an obvious questions. I tried to nod, but stopped myself, instead rasping out, "Hospital."

"Yes, that's right. You're in the hospital and I'm going to take care of you. Do you remember what happened?"

I closed my eyes, trying to get my memory to cooperate. I'd had coffee with Aedyn and then was heading home. I remembered walking up the sidewalk, stepping into the street and then... the bright lights. The squeal of tires. Pain. Then nothing.

"Car... hit... me," I managed, flicking out my tongue to wet my dry lips.

"Yes. Very good," Brandon assured me. "You were crossing the street and were hit by a car. I came as soon as I was called. What's the next thing you remember?"

I closed my eyes again. Nothing.

"Waking up... here. Thank you... for coming. Sorry. Didn't mean... to bother you." My words wouldn't come out right, the pain exploding each time a syllable left my mouth.

"Don't be silly, Lauren. I'd come anytime for you. You've suffered a concussion, but by some miracle, nothing's broken." He placed his fingers gently on my head and began palpating. "Does this hurt?"

When his fingers hit the sore spot, I winced and he pulled his hands back. In a soothing voice said, "Calm down, just relax..."

He turned to the nurse who handed him a penlight, then he held open my eyelids one at a time, passing the light back and forth, checking the dilatation of my pupils. Still absorbed in the task at hand he asked, "How does your head feel?"

"Like... five hundred pound gorilla... jumping up... down." I was exhausted, those few words causing me to lose my breath. But I had to know more, had to find the strength to ask. "Why is Aedyn here? Police?"

Brandon handed the pen light back to the nurse and turned to look at the two men talking in the hall. "The driver had been drinking. That guy... Aedyn, saw it and called it in. It's a good think he was there." He glanced at the cop again and said, "Damn cops in town aren't doing their job. They should've taken that drunk off the streets long ago. Chip's on the City Council. I'm going to have to talk to him about the police department and the shitty job they're doing."

The nurse reached up and tweaked something attached to the IV tube. Seconds later, a wave of warmth washed over me and the room began to dim as pain began lifting away from me. "Oooh... thaaas nice."

Brandon mumbled something to the nurse and she walked to the door. In my cozy cocoon of pain medication, I only heard the word "test". Then he pulled out his cell phone and announced, "I'm calling Chip. I'll let him know what happened."

Anxiety ripped through my body, pushing past the calmness the medication induced. I wanted to claw at his arm and scream, "No." Instead, I just stared at him through the glassy lenses of my eyes, willing him to stop. What could I say? This was Chip's brother after all. How could I tell him his sibling was the last person I wanted to see?

Brandon paused, sensing my panic and his eyes dropped to the purple bruises on my upper arm. His eyes darted to my other arm, to the matching set of bruises, then locked on my glassy eyed gaze again.

I turned my head away, hoping Brandon would think I got the bruises in the accident. He knew what Chip was like, but I doubted he really knew the kind of beast his brother could be. I took a deep breath and turned my face back to Brandon, keeping my voice level when I said, "Please... don't call. Just..."

Brandon tilted his head and touched his fingers gently to the bruises on my upper arm. "Lauren, how did you get these?"

I lifted a shoulder, tears burning my eyes. "Car hit me, silly," I lied, hating myself for being unable to say the truth.

"I'm a doctor, Lauren. Cars don't leave thumb and finger marks."

I held my breath, not responding, shame washing over me again.

"Did Chip do this to you?"

I exhaled and dropped my chin to my chest. Long moments passed before I felt brave enough to nod.

Brandon took a deep breath, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling. "Damn, him," he muttered under his breath.

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks. I felt so ashamed. "You must think... I'm a real idiot."

The mattress moved as he sat on the edge of my bed. He bent his head down and tried to look in my eyes, but I didn't have the courage to look back.

"Lauren, look at me. You're not an idiot. This isn't your fault." He reached out a hand and lifted my chin, looking at me with understanding eyes. "You tried to tell me, didn't you? At lunch the other day. I'm sorry I didn't listen."

In response, all I could do was cry harder.

"Lauren, you're wonderful. Chip's the idiot, no, he's an asshole. I don't know what's gotten into him lately, but I'm going to find out."

He leaned back and wiped my tear with his thumb. I nodded, wiping the remainder of tears with the back of my hand.

"Look Lauren, I'm on your side, you know I care about you and I thought you'd be my sister-in-law one of these days, but you can't let Chip get away with this kind of behavior. You need to stand up to him." Brandon's voice was soft and caring as he spoke. "Or break up with him. You'll have to decide that for yourself. But I have to tell you, this kind of behavior almost always escalates."

Once, not long ago, he'd hinted that I should leave his brother, but he didn't know how difficult that would be. I'd spent four years in a relationship with Chip. Could I throw it all away? At least not without trying harder to make it better.

He stood and took out his phone again, ready to push the send button, then in a calm voice said, "Chip needs to know you're in the hospital. If you decide you want to tell him, let me know, okay."

My stomach clenched. My real concern was that Chip would come and see Aedyn and... oh, my stomach twisted with a million knots, my fears so strong even the pain medication didn't help.

"I know, Brandon, but..." I pleaded, my voice growing stronger in my despair. "I don't feel strong enough to face him right now. He'll blame me," I laughed, then winced as the pain blossomed. "You don't know your brother anymore. He's always so... so stressed and angry."

"Lauren, relax. It'll be okay. You stay here and rest, don't worry about anything. We can call him later if you're feeling better." He returned his phone to his pocket, and I breathed out a gasp of relief. "Listen Lauren, I told you this before. Things happen for a reason. Sometimes life comes and taps you on the shoulder, or in your case, knocks you on the head, and you have to take a serious look at what's happening and ask yourself... is this what you really want?"

"You're a strong woman, even if you don't know it. Don't let anyone or anything keep you from getting what you want." Brandon turned and shot a glance at the window. Aedyn was still out there, waiting. "Life is too short to waste on regrets."

Brandon didn't understand. He was a man. Standing up to Chip was like trying to remove a mountain of dirt with a teaspoon. Chip had worn me down over the years and feelings of worthlessness had crept up on me, burying my self-respect, until I became merely a ghost of my former self.

Brandon laid a hand on my arm. "You rest now. You're a lucky girl. Your injuries are mild. Thank god someone was there to call the ambulance. I'll come back to check on you in a minute." He took a step toward the door, pausing as if to think for a second and then offered, "Aedyn rode with you in the ambulance. He didn't leave your side."

I looked at Brandon with amazement. He did? I watched as Brandon turned and headed toward the door.

Chapter Fourteen.

Lauren "Thank you, Aedyn. It's a good thing you were nearby. That crazy drunk came out of nowhere." After Brandon had left, Aedyn entered the room and was now standing next to my hospital bed.

"It was no problem. You're my friend, Lauren. I had to make sure you were okay."

"I thought you were leaving town? Wasn't someone coming to pick you up?"

"That can wait. When I saw it was you out there, lying in the intersection, I had to stay and make sure you were okay." He smiled a warm, charming smile that brought a slight blush to my cheeks.

I was flattered that Aedyn had changed his plans for me. His admiration cheered me, and having him in my room, right next to my bed, staring at me with those eyes and that smile, made me ever happier that I'd convinced Brandon not to call his brother.

God, I didn't have the strength to face Chip right now. All I wanted to do was roll over, bury my face in the pillow and sleep. My life was a mess and in the midst of the storm, here was Aedyn. I focused on his beautiful eyes beaming down on me with concern. They were like a soothing balm to my soul and all troubles turned to wisps of air.

"What about your work? Did you miss your flight? Oh, I feel awful. I've caused you so much trouble."

"Don't worry about it. You're what's important, Lauren. I made a call and got one of my junior guys to handle work. At least that's what I think I pay them for." His eyes studied me intently. "Coming back to Granger for my father's funeral and seeing my aunt again, well it's made me realize I spend entirely too much time at work. I need to learn to delegate more and take time for other things, like family... friends."

Talking with Aedyn felt good. It helped me relax and forget the pain in my head. Unfortunately, my respite didn't last long. It'd hardly seemed like Aedyn had been there a minute when the man I feared came bursting into the room. In a small town like this, I shouldn't have been surprised. I should've known someone would've let Chip know I was here.

The minute Chip stepped up next to my bed, my composure was ripped apart and a wave of apprehension swept through me. Chip's expression was blank at first, but the minute he saw a man standing next to my bed, someone who wasn't a doctor or nurse, his face contorted with ugly jealousy. In an instant, panic rioted within me, spiking my adrenaline to the max. This was the reality of being oppressed. The never-ending roller-coaster ride of fear, anxiety, then calm, then gut wrenching fear again. Its acrid edges cut through everything.

"Chip!" My eyes darted to Chip's face to gauge his mood. Based on my past experience, I shouldn't have bothered. I already knew what it would be. Aedyn must have sensed the alarm in my voice and took a step back from my bedside.