The Wedding Surprise

Aiden closed his eyes again for a few moments. Stunned by how much of himself he was giving to her in such a short space of time. He knew that reality shows often brought out an unusual level of intensity in people’s relationships. But he really hadn’t been prepared for it happening to him. It surprised him. But what surprised him more was that it didn’t feel as if he’d just had teeth pulled. It felt somehow right. As if by being honest he had lifted some kind of barricade that he hadn’t even known he’d been carrying around.

It was just weird that it was with someone like Caitlin.

Her voice was low, so quiet that he might not have heard it if he hadn’t been a mere door’s width away from her. ‘Then that’s how you need to be with me.’

‘And how you were with Liam is how you need to be with me.’

‘So that we can fool everyone into believing we’re in love?’

‘Yes.’

Her voice sounded different to his ears—uncertain, a little nervous. She was going out on a limb. Veering from her habit of a lifetime that had things all laid out and every eventuality prepared for. It was a big step for her, and Aiden knew that as soon as the words left her lips.

‘Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll look at each other and see the great things we saw in the people we cared about. And we’ll make believe as it comes along.’

Aiden felt a wave of something resembling fear cross his chest. ‘Yes.’

CHAPTER SIX

WITH Mick and Joe assigned to Aiden the next day Caitlin found herself in the company of John and Louise—aka Lou.

Caitlin was more silent in their company. But not because they weren’t nice people. It had more to do with a distinct lack of a decent night’s sleep.

After their ‘truce’ Caitlin and Aiden had spent the rest of the afternoon and the evening looking at photos and videos of her family while she explained who they all were. She’d talked about growing up with her sister and two brothers, about childhood holidays and what they were all doing with their lives now, as grown-ups. And all the while she’d been aware of the fact that he didn’t have memories like hers.