Chapter 20 Distance and desire

Chapter 20 Distance and desire

Aiden's POV

Lily held my hand as we sat on the couch and I tried to take in what she’d just told me. The Rothschild Gallery. Six months. New York. Two weeks.

Every fiber of my being wanted me to beg her not to go. An offer to buy her a studio here. To figure out a way to make her career happen without her leaving.

Then I looked at Lily's face. In the conflict etched across it. She wanted this desperately. But she was also watching with this hope and fear, waiting to see what my reaction would be.
And I knew that if I asked her to stay, she would. She may pick me over her career. And she would come to resent me for it, eventually.

I couldn't be that man.

“You have to take it,” I responded.

She blinked. "What?"

"The residency. You have to take it."

"But it's six months. Away from you."

"I know." I squeezed her hand. "But this is your career. Your dream. It won’t be because of me that you lose that.”

“I knew you were going to ask me to stay.”

"Part of me wants to. The selfish part." I cupped her face. “But the piece that loves you knows you have to go. You must seize this moment.”

Tears filled her eyes. "What about us?"

"We'll figure it out. New York is two hours away. I can be in two cities at once. We'll make it work."

"Long distance is hard."

"So we'll work hard." I kissed her softly. "I'm not losing you. Not to distance, not to anyway. We are fighting for what we have.”

She kissed me back, deeper. We pulled apart and she was crying and grinning.

"Okay. I'll do it."

"Good. You're going to be amazing."

In the weeks that followed, I did my best to be supportive. Helped Lily pack. Arranged shipping. Ensured she needed for nothing. But inside, I was struggling.

The idea of her being hours away, creating a life without me there, haunted me. I tried to hide it. Attempted supportive boyfriend.

But Lily noticed. She always noticed.

“You’re distancing yourself,” she said one evening over dinner.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You've been distant all week. What's going on?"

I set down my fork. “I’m doing this to give you space to get ready.”

"That's not what this is. You're shutting down. Building walls." She took my hand. "Talk to me. What are you really feeling?"

I peered at her, and the truth came tumbling out.

"I'm terrified," I admitted. “So horrified you’ll go to New York and find out you don’t need me. That the mileage will kill what we have.”
"Aiden—"

"I just found you. We just survived Victoria. Finally, we have an opportunity to construct something tangible. And now you're leaving." I pulled my hand back. “I ought to be so happy for you. I am. But I’m terrified out of my mind.”

She got on her feet and moved into my lap. "I'm scared too. But me moving to New York does not mean I’m leaving you. It’s that I’m pursuing my career so I can be your equal.”

"You already are."

"Not yet. But I will." She kissed me softly. "We'll make this work."

"I believe in us. I just can’t get good at being apart from you.”

“We’ll then ensure we’re not away from each other that much. Weekends. Video calls. We'll stay connected."

I held her close. "One month. We have a month before you go.

"Then let's make it count."

The next day I scheduled it. Called my pilot. Then called Lily.

"Pack a bag. We're going somewhere."

"Where?"

"My island. Just you and me. Nothing but us for three days.”

“Aiden, I don’t have time for this —”

"It can wait. Please?"

She was quiet. Then, "Okay. When?"

"Two hours."

My island was in the waters off Florida, a private escape I hardly ever visited. Small, pristine, completely isolated. Perfect.

We landed in the afternoon. The house was modern and airy, all glass and light wood, with views of the ocean from every room.

"This is beautiful," Lily breathed.

"It's ours. Our whole world, for three days.” I pulled her close. "No work. No phones except for emergencies. Just us."

We spent our first evening on the beach, watching the sunset. The sky went orange and pink, colors that bounced off the water. Lily leaned against me.

“Thank you for this,” she said quietly.

As the sun set, I pulled her to me. Her skin was gilded by the waning light.
I kissed her, slow and deep. She responded immediately. The kiss turned heated, desperate. We both knew that we were running out of time.

"I need you," I murmured. "Right here. Right now."

"Yes."

We yanked at each other's clothes, neither of us wanting to let go. Finally naked, skin against skin. I set her down in the sand, with the ocean wind brushing against us and cooling us off.

"You're so beautiful," I said.

"Stop talking and touch me."

I smiled and followed it. My hands travelled over her body, and I fell in love with every curve all over again. She was already wet when I slipped my fingers between her thighs.

"Aiden, please."

I moved into a position above her and entered slowly. We both groaned. Inside her, I was home.

I began to thrust, sluggish and deep. He was pounding me and we were rocking on the sand. Lily snaked her legs around my hips.
"Harder," she gasped.

I did, and picked up the pace. Our bodies’ noises were combined with the thrashing waves. It was primal and perfect.

It cut away like claws, and Lily's nails dug into my spine. "I'm close."

"Come for me."

She broke in two, crying out my name. The feeling sent me over the edge. I went after her and managed to bury my face into her neck.

We lay there breathing hard. Then I flipped us so she was on top.

"Again," I said.

"Already?"

"We have three days. I'll be buried inside you for a lot of it.”

She laughed and began to shift. Lazy little circles of her hips that had me groaning.

We had sex on the beach long into the night. Then lurched into the house and further along in a bedroom. The shower. The couch. Every surface became fair game.
Between rounds, we talked. About our childhoods. Our dreams. What we wanted from life.

I want to create something that doesn’t go away,” I told her one night, tangled up in bed. "Not just my company. But this. Us. Something real."

"Me too," Lily said. “I want to live a life where I can have both art and love.”

"You will. I'll make sure of it."

The following two days were a blur of closeness. We hardly filled our time anywhere except the bedroom, to eat and swim. It was the most perfectly flawless time I’d ever spent with anyone.
One evening, our last in the village, we sat on the beach and watched another sunset. I had something I wanted to give her.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small box. Lily's eyes widened.

"Aiden—"

"It's not what you think. Just look."

She opened it and discovered a key inside. Confusion crossed her face.

“It’s a key to an apartment in New York,” I replied. "I bought you a place. Your own space. Complete independence. But also my way of letting you know that I’m committed to making this work.”

Tears filled her eyes. "You bought me an apartment?"

"In the Village. Two bedrooms so you can have a studio. Top floor. Great light."

"This is too much—"

"No, it's not. You need your own space. But I also want you to know that I have a stake in your future. In our future."

She pounced on me, sucking my face. "I love you. God, I love you so much."

"I love you too."

We had sex on the beach one last time, under the stars, each trying to memorize every sensation. Tomorrow we’d return to reality. But tonight, we had this.
My phone buzzed in the house. I ignored it.

It buzzed again. And again.
“You might want to look into that,” Lily said, sounding less than thrilled.

“Move,” I groaned, and went inside to pull on shorts. I picked up my phone, 15 missed calls from Thomas. Three from board members. Dozens of urgent texts.
I called Thomas back.

"What the hell happened to you?" he demanded.

"My island. What's going on?"

I felt punched. "A hostile takeover? How?"

“They’ve been buying shares for months. They currently command nearly 30 percent. And to some they are paying premium prices. If we don’t move quickly, you could lose the company.”
I glanced over at Lily, who was watching with worry.

“I can be there in four hours.

I hung up and said something. We tossed things in bags and went to the jet. On the entire flight back, I was on the phone planning what to do.

There was a car waiting when we landed. I kissed Lily quickly.

"I'll call you later. I need to head straight to the office.

"Aiden—"

"I'm sorry. I know this is spoiled time for us, our last together. But I don't have a choice."

"I know. Go."

I saw her leave in her own car and felt guilt gnaw at me.’ But the fate of my whole company was on the line.

The next two weeks were hell. Endless meetings. Conference calls. I barely slept. Barely ate.

And Lily’s date of departure was approaching.