Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
MELODY
Ten Months Later
“Welcome to the stage, Royal Whiskey!” The announcer said as the crowd cheered.
I was backstage at Aiden’s latest concert, my body swaying to the music as I watched him onstage. Every couple of minutes, he’d turn his head, flashing me his beaming dimpled grin. For ten months, we have been going strong, and when he asked me to go on tour with him, I couldn’t say no. Though I only agreed to go on half the tour, I still wanted to have my job to fall back on.
His band, Royal Whiskey, were amazing humans, the kindest people I knew. And they were climbing the charts with their singles.
“This is crazy!” Alyssa said excitedly, as she joined me tonight. She was here to see Royal as he played guitar. “He is amazing.”
I smiled. “He is.” Aiden’s voice was hypnotic, and we couldn’t help but sing along to the songs as he sang.
The concert lasted two and a half hours, and he always hurried backstage to me, planting a kiss on my lips.
“You were amazing,” I told him as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“Thanks for coming to the shows,” he said as we entered the back room.
“Of course. I said I’d tour as much as I could with you.”
Alyssa disappeared, and I assumed she was with Royal. They were still in the beginning stages of getting to know each other, and I was happy for them both.
Aiden grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead, then gathered his things, and we headed back to the tour bus. It wasn’t easy being in the limelight and having paparazzi taking photos right in front of your face.
We were headed back to Lockridge, and as of six months ago, Aiden was a resident. He bought a house closer to me, and the locals were used to seeing him and the band. We got one weekend to spend before he was heading back on the road.
***
It was Halloween weekend, and Alyssa was throwing a Halloween party. And even though couple costumes were corny, it didn’t stop Aiden and I from dressing up, me as a sexy deer and Aiden as a hunter.
“You made it!” Alyssa said when we opened the door. “You guys look great.” She reached to hug both of us.
“Love your costume,” I told her about her vampire costume. I looked across the room and saw Royal had matched her as well, and I smiled.
We mingled and got drinks.
“How’s your weekend so far?” Alyssa asked while Aiden went to talk to Royal.
“Good. Really good, actually. I think tomorrow we are just going to lay in bed and watch movies all day. We need the rest.”
“I hear you on that.” She bumped my shoulder.
“You and Royal official yet?”
“Not yet. I think he might ask me to be his girlfriend soon unless I have to wait until they are done touring,” she grumbled.
“I know he likes you a lot. He just might be scared to ask.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m fine going slow, though.”
I smiled, looking across the room and catching Aiden’s gaze. “I’m going to go get my man. Thanks for having us,” I told her.
Holding a beer in hand, and our eyes still locked we walked toward each other.
“Hey!” Aiden tucked a hair behind my ear. “Having fun?”
“I am. You?”
“Yeah. But I’d rather have some more alone time with you.”
“Then we should go.”
He smiled, then reached for my hand. He brought my fingers up and kissed them while still looking at me.
Since Alyssa lived one mile from me, Aiden and I walked here, so we had to walk back home. The brisk air washed over us, and the moon hung high above, cascading the perfect glow of the night. It was mostly quiet since the treat-or-treaters were home, asleep by now.
We made it to my house, and Aiden stopped on the porch, bringing me in close to him so he could kiss me. The man stole my breath every time we kissed.
My heart skipped as his lips crashed onto mine again, and he pressed my back into my front door. I don’t know how long we stayed there kissing, but it felt like a long time. I wanted to savor every moment with this man because I refused to take any of this for granted.
“Your nose is getting cold. Let’s head inside.”
I giggled, then turned to unlock my door. Aiden started the fireplace even though it wouldn’t fall below freezing at night. But we liked the coziness of it.
“Get us drinks, and I’ll be right back,” he said with a big grin.
I looked at him suspiciously but walked to the fridge, grabbing two drinks for us. He was back in a flash, taking one of the drinks from me.
We took a drink, and Aiden stared at me, it was like he could see into my soul. He took my drink from me and sat mine and his down. Then standing in front of me, he took both my hands, and we stopped in front of the fireplace.
“Melody. I know we have known each other just about a year, but I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without you.”
I watched as he pulled a ring box out of his pocket as he got down on one knee. “Melody, will you marry me?”
I covered my face with my hands in shock as the tears flowed. “Yes! Yes, I will marry you!”
Aiden stood, slid the square diamond ring on my finger, and kissed my lips. Aiden lifted me in the air and swung me around.
I bent my head down so I could meet his lips. “I love you, Aiden Mills.”
His nose nuzzled mine. “I love you, Sweet Melody!” He showed off his dimpled, mischievous grin when he said, “I think we need to celebrate in the bedroom.”
“Take me to bed, fiancé.”
He smiled wide. “I like the sound of that, fiancé.”
“Just think, this all started with a little fender bender.” I giggled.
“That’s because you don’t know how to drive,” he said.
I looked perplexed. “Umm, I think you have that the other way around.”
We laughed.
THE END