The Expiration Date

Chapter 16

“Phew, I think we are in the clear.” As soon as my mom closes the door behind her, I wriggle myself out of Aidan’s embrace. I’m starting to feel too comfortable in his little nook. No thank you. I know that he was trying to convince my mom that our relationship is real, but what’s really freaking me out is the fact that I was becoming just as convinced, even though I know what the truth is. Never in a million years would Aidan Stone actually date me or think those things about me.

Never.

Aidan clears his throat. “Yeah, I think we are.” The energy shifts in the room, and I don”t know why. There is tension rather than relief. And it is coming from Aidan’s side of the room.

“Sorry about my mom. She can be a little intense, but that’s because it’s just been me and her for a while now. She worries about me. I think a little too much.”

“She’s a mom. That’s their specialty.” Aidan pulls his suitcase on top of the bed, unzips it and takes out some fresh clothes. The tension is starting to ease a little. I’m hoping it will dissipate completely before the welcome dinner in an hour. I look out the window–caterers have already shown up and are setting up their stations with silver buffet trays on the lawn. This is going to be an interesting night.

I take three deep breaths and look into the mirror. “You can do this.” I decided to wear one of the dresses Rachel helped me pick out for this weekend. She took me shopping after she went through my closet and declared that I only own cardigans, which apparently is a problem. She had me try on this strapless light green dress with magnolia flowers that holds onto whatever curves I do have as if its life depends on it. I never wear dresses like this…ever.

To compensate for my lack of confidence, I chose shoes that are my favorite to wear with any dress: ballet flats. Not very glamorous, but I don’t care; they are comfy and easy to walk in. Rachel isn’t here to veto and I honestly don’t want to plummet to my embarrassment in front of all my close family and friends, and oh yeah my stupid ex-fiancé, who will indubitably bring his new girlfriend with him to witness my downfall… literally and figuratively. Although I don’t know if I could fall any further than the last time I saw Robert. I shake my head to clear that appalling memory from my brain.

I keep my makeup simple, natural, just like I always do it. I do put on a little lip liner and lip stain to step things up a little. But I want to look like myself. There’s no point in trying extra hard; it’s not like I’m trying to find a man. I already have one–well, kind of. And he doesn’t care how I look one bit. Although I am pretty sure everyone else will notice how haggard I look compared to the Henry Cavill god of a man next to me.

A faint knock on the door helps ground me back to reality. “Hales, you ready?”

I take one last deep breath and unlock the bathroom door. Upon opening, I am grateful I took that breath a moment ago, since I am currently rendered breathless. Yes, Aidan looked amazing in a suit and tie, and honestly whatever else he wears. But tonight hits different. He is laid back and looks like he’s belonged in the Hamptons all his life. An image flashes in my mind of what he might have looked like growing up here on the East Coast. It’s a different type of beachy vibe than L.A. He’s wearing perfectly pressed khakis and a light-blue button-down, with his sleeves rolled up to the middle of his forearms. Little tornadoes form in my stomach, demolishing anything sensical in their wake. The hue of his shirt also makes his eyes seem extra blue. And this is who I need to pretend to date for the next few days? How is anyone going to believe us? I wouldn’t believe us.

Act normal, Haley. Act like it doesn’t affect your body in ways you haven’t felt in a long time. For goodness sakes, you’ve been around this man for the past three years. His presence shouldn’t make you melt into an absolute puddle.

Then why oh why is that happening at this very moment?

I clear my throat and walk over to the bed to grab my phone. “You look…decent.”

Behind me, I hear Aidan huff out a small laugh and walk over to me. He stops right behind me, so close that goosebumps sprout up my arms. A visceral reaction. Yet he never laid his hands on me. What the hell is going on with my body?

“Well you look decent too, Hales.” The way he said “decent” should be illegal.

I turn around to face him.

His electric eyes pierce mine and he continues, “Every man, married or otherwise, is going to be kicking themselves in the ass for not locking it down with you once they see you walk out on that lawn.” His eyes ferally survey my entire body, head all the way down to my toes, ending their journey back at my eyes. “Good thing you’re taken.”

Why does he keep talking to me like this? If it’s to make me even more nervous than I already am, he’s doing an excellent job.

I move around him and open the bedroom door. “Yeah, good thing. C’mon, I don’t want to be late.”

We walk onto the beautifully landscaped and decorated backyard. If I thought I had butterflies before, these new ones in my stomach are raging and not going away. I want to throw up. I seriously haven’t seen the majority of these people since one of our friends from college got married. When I was still engaged.

A waiter comes around with tall flutes of champagne. I grab one and immediately down the entire glass. The bubbles harshly crawl down my throat. This is why I absolutely loathe champagne. A fact that I need to ignore tonight, especially if I want to survive the whispers, stares, and inevitable encounter with my ex and the woman who stole him from me. I grab another flute, and so does Aidan.

“Thanks, man,” he says to the waiter, who finally recognizes Aidan in all of his glory. The waiter backs away, mesmerized, almost running into another waiter in the process.

I lean over to Aidan. “Geez, if that’s how a male waiter reacts to you, I can’t imagine what all the women are going to do.” I take just a sip of the champagne this time. Chugging champagne was a dumb idea. Almost as dumb as fake-dating my boss.

“I think he was reacting that way because of you and that dress, Swann.” Aidan takes a sip and winks at me.

I snorted. “Yeah right. You’re sweet for saying so.” Do I actually look that good for Aidan to keep mentioning it? I’m going to text Rachel in a little bit to thank her for pushing me to get a dress I wouldn’t normally pick out. It’s amazing how a piece of clothing can elicit reactions from people. I just wasn’t expecting this dress to elicit any reaction from Aidan. He is a great actor because his compliments seem legitimately genuine.

We walk around and are greeted by a plethora of people from my past. All gawking at Aidan, while also saying how good it is to see me. One of my old classmates, Krystal, who has always been a little clueless and impervious to reading social situations, even has the gall to ask, “How are you doing? Have you seen Robert yet? I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling, being here after everything that happened.”

My mouth turns dry even though I’ve been drinking water after my second glass of champagne. I will get more later at dinner. I needed to take the edge off, but I don’t want to be drunk for this event. This is about Anna, not about me. And that’s what people don’t understand when they ask me these types of questions. I mean, I don’t mind talking about it behind closed doors with Anna, my mom or even Aidan, but I don’t want what happened between me and Robert to be a topic of conversation at my best friend’s wedding.

I purse my lips and I feel a little tug on my right hip from Aidan. He must’ve felt my body tense up at the mention of my own personal Voldemort.

Aidan pipes up, “You know what, I’m sorry–what was your name again, Krissa?”

“Krystal…with a K,” she corrects Aidan, while also batting her fake eyelashes in his direction and standing up straighter to make her cleavage become even more prominent in her deep V-neck dress.

“Krystal, that’s right. Would you mind terribly if I steal my girlfriend away for a little bit. There are a few more people that she wants to introduce me to– right, babe?”

I nod. “Yes…babe.” Bleh that sounded weird for me to say to Aidan Stone. But here I am saying babe. “I’ll talk to you later, Krystal.”

Aidan grabs my hand tightly and leads me to the other end of the lawn, away from the inquirer. I knew people were going to ask, but I still wasn’t ready for it.

“Thanks, Aidan.”

“Well I could sense that you were uncomfortable with the topic, and I don’t like seeing you uncomfortable.”

I smile, even though on the inside I am screaming. Why did the universe send me the sweetest man on the planet as a boss? The more I get to know Aidan and spend time with him, the more I am finding that he is my comfort. And that terrifies me.

“Um, are you going to be okay on your own? I need to run to the ladies’ room. All that champagne and water running through me.” Oh my god, Haley!! Did you really have to disclose that information? You could’ve just left it at “ladies’ room.” But nooooo, you have to be Awkward Haley.

“I’ll be fine,” Aidan assures me. “Don’t worry about me.”

“But what if…”

Before I can finish my thought, he does something completely unexpected: he grabs the side of my cheek with one of his large hands and kisses my forehead. Then looks at me with those ridiculously precarious pools that are his eyes and says, “I’ll be fine, Hales. I’m a big boy and I can handle myself.” He grins. “Now go pee.”

All I can muster up is, “Ha ha” and then I saunter over to the main house. For some reason, that casual cheek kiss seemed infinitely more intimate than the one I plastered on him at the premiere. We haven’t kissed since then, but this kiss. This kiss was different. How can such a burly man be so delicate at the same time?

When I walk back out on the back porch, my eyes search for Aidan. I spot him by the pop-up bar, surrounded by almost every woman in attendance. I shake my head but also smile, because– at least for this weekend– he’s mine.

Kind of.

“Hi, Haley.”

Goosebumps immediately cover my body, but not because of Aidan’s presence. This voice has a completely different effect than Aidan’s voice does. It is a voice I was hoping to never hear say my name again.

Robert inches closer to me, stopping when we’re standing a foot away from each other. Damn, he looks amazing. I was hoping that he inherited male pattern baldness and it would’ve manifested in the past three years. I was hoping that he stopped going to the gym and developed a beer belly. But alas, none of that happened, much to my dismay. He looks as handsome as ever. Damn him. His sandy blonde hair is pomaded into a perfect bouffant and his hazel eyes stare down intimately at me as if he didn’t completely shatter my entire being. He is a little taller than me; definitely not as tall as Aidan, whose stature I’m still getting used to. Robert now seems rather small, which is a new development because at one point he was my entire world. A man I stupidly put on a pedestal. A man I thought I was going to share my life with. A man who made me feel giddy and excited about life and about the future.

Why the hell did he say he loved me, and then completely rip the rug out from under me? After all, he was the one who proposed. Was that his master scheme–to get a girl to fall in love with him and then completely humiliate her to the point where she would move away from everything and everyone she knew just so she wouldn’t have to endure the whispers and the stares that are ironically ensuing at this very moment?

“Hi,” I barely croak out.

“Here,” Robert calls over a waiter balancing yet another full tray of champagne, and grabs two flutes. He hands one to me, which I secretly am grateful for. I definitely need alcohol to get through whatever conversation is about to occur.

“Thanks.”

“So, I haven’t seen you in a while. What has it been– two, three years?” He takes a swig of his champagne, slightly smirking in the process. This jerk. He knows exactly how long it has been. I could break it down to the exact day. Exact hour. Exact fricken minute.

“Yup.” I am starting to get hot on the inside. My ears are probably red right now and I am glad I wore my hair down to hide them. I want to cry but I can’t in front of all these people. This is exactly what I didn’t want. Becoming a damn spectacle when this event is about Anna. I hate being in the spotlight and being the center of attention, and I can feel the eyes of every person at this welcome dinner on Robert and me, waiting for a big fight. That’s the thing about growing up in a small town. Everyone knows everyone’s business and thinks it is their right to do so. I look back out to the crowd but can’t find Aidan anywhere. I’m starting to panic.

“You look good, Hales.”

“Don’t call me Hales.” Finally, the dam of one-word responses broke.

He looks confused. “Okay…but I’ve always called you Hales.”

“Well you revoked the right to call me Hales three years ago. That name is reserved for close friends and family. You don’t fit into those categories.” I drink more of my champagne, wishing I could teleport back upstairs and lock myself in the bathroom and just cry. I want to be anywhere but here.

Suddenly I feel large, muscular arms wrap around my torso and waist. I relax into the best nook I could imagine. There is a part of me that doesn’t want to ever leave this nook. I am safe and my panic immediately dissipates. I can breathe.

“There you are, Hales. Where did you run off to, babe?” Aidan’s voice is music to my ears. Then I feel a quick brush of his lips on my cheek. If I thought that wrapping his arms around me and calling me “babe” was marking his territory, giving me an almost habitual kiss on the cheek is a clear sign to any onlookers that I am his. I mean he just engulfed my entire being and I don’t mind one bit. Especially since Robert looks like steam is about to escape his ears like a character on the Looney Toons. He is trying to stand up straighter, almost going on his tiptoes to attempt to match Aidan’s stature.

He is intimidated. Big time.

That’s the thing about dating someone for a long period of time–you know what their body language is saying.

I expect Aidan to be staring down Robert, but when I look up at his face, he is just smiling down at me. His eyes search mine, trying to decipher if I am okay. A wave of shivers courses through my body for what seems like the millionth time since I started “dating” Aidan.

He is very good at creating chemistry. It’s starting to get harder and harder to tell that he is acting.

At this point, not only is Robert staring at the Greek God of a man standing behind me, holding onto me like I am his, but I quickly scan the rest of the guests in attendance and they are all staring at us to see what will happen next. Is Hollywood’s Golden Boy about to clobber his girlfriend’s ex? Was the ex going to cause a scene and attempt to fight someone who trained like a fricken Navy Seal every time he was preparing for a role? I am a spectator too, wondering what either man’s next move is going to be. Here I am–caught in the middle of the most bizarre situation I could have ever imagined.

Again, unexpectedly, Aidan is the first one to break the impasse and reach a hand out towards Robert. “You must be Robert. I’m Aidan. Haley’s boyfriend.”

Robert’s cold, shocked eyes shoot to mine and I can’t help but smirk a little. This is the moment those words matter the most. I need him to believe that I have moved on from him.

Robert finally stretches out his own hand and shakes Aidan’s hand. His face winces as Aidan maintains a firm grip during the handshake. Despite Aidan’s cool demeanor, I can sense his absolute disdain for the man standing across from us.

Robert manages to slip his hand away from the iron grip of Aidan. “Yeah. Robert Jameson the third.” I roll my eyes. Robert only says his full name when he is trying to impress someone who doesn’t know him, or maybe in court. He is starting a contest he is never going to win. Aidan already has him beat by a landslide in so many ways that I’ve lost track. “I’ve seen a lot of your movies, man. Not really my cup of tea.” Yeah right, he loves action and superhero movies. “I’ve always been more of a book type of person. Um, Haley and I used to…”

“Be engaged. Yeah.” Aidan shakes his head slightly. “I’ve heard a lot about you man.” Aidan’s tone is far from friendly and it almost seems like he wants to rip Robert’s throat out. Aidan’s hand makes its way back home to mine and he squeezes in such a caring, almost protective way, I want to melt on that porch right then and there. What is this hold he has on me now? It scares me that I want to see what more will come of it.

Just when I thought I made it out of this situation unscathed, I hear stiletto heels make their way onto the wooden porch. There she is. The other villain in my story. Julia Woods. The accomplice in my undoing.

“Hey honey. There you are! I was just chatting it up with the girls.” She leans in to kiss Robert. Actually, no. Not kiss. A full on make-out session with my ex-fiancé ensues in front of me and my boss. This could not be more awkward. Flashbacks haunt my brain and I wince at the sight that is tattooed forever in my memory of these two making out. Except the last time I witnessed this, we were in a very different setting and they were wearing much less clothing.

Aidan clears his throat, seemingly bothered by the scene in front of him, but then he leans down and says the most earth-shattering thing in my ear: “We can definitely do better than that.”

That’s it. I am becoming undone in a completely different way. Shocked, I look up at him and he is smiling the biggest smile I’ve seen since we’ve been here. He knows he is making me flustered, and I am undoubtedly turning the deepest shade of pink. He isn’t playing fair. His irresistible charisma is overflowing and I am drowning in it. Now I know why so many people are breathless in his presence. My breath hitches and he continues, “How ‘bout it, Swann?”

Before I can answer, the clinking of glasses breaks the connection. My legs are jello and my body is on fire. Anna and Dan are calling everyone to come down to the lawn to eat. Thank god Julia didn’t comment on Aidan being my date. She was too busy sucking face with Robert to notice.

We take one step down and I hear, “Oh my god! No way. You’re Aidan Stone! Honey, did you see it’s Aidan Stone?!”

Dammit. So close. We turn around and give half-hearted smiles to Julia. Robert, clearly annoyed, responds, “Uh, yeah. We just met. Aidan, this is my fiancée, Julia.”

And just when I thought I glued the last piece of myself together, a crack rears its ugly head. Fiancée? Since when? And why didn’t Anna warn me? My knees start to buckle, but Aidan’s strong forearm holds me up. I start to see black spots in front of me and my breathing is becoming erratic. I don’t know why my body is reacting this way. It’s a tale as old as time and, in this particular tale, I am the fucking punchline. I am the fool who thought it would never work out between them. Hoping Robert would become just as heartbroken as I was. Maybe that was selfish, but I didn’t care.

The screeching octave of Julia’s voice isn’t helping my current state. “Aidan Stone! I cannot believe it! I am such a big fan. I love all of your movies. What in the world are you doing here? It’s so nice to meet you.”

Is she serious? Is she so wrapped up in her own little world that she doesn’t see me standing here? I guess she must really not be that observant. Since she had no regard for my presence in the past, why start now?

It is then that I see it on her outstretched left hand, waiting to shake Aidan’s hand.

A ring.

And not just any ring.

My ring.

The ring that I threw at Robert three years ago when I discovered them.

Yet again, Robert gave Julia something that was mine. I shouldn’t be surprised.

Then why does it hurt so damn much?

I am blinking back stupid, useless tears when Aidan squeezes my hand, again reading my energy and responding to it in the perfect way. He shakes Julia’s hand. “Julia, it’s nice to meet you. I am here because my beautiful girlfriend is the Maid of Honor in this wedding.”

Julia’s expression turns from excitement to absolute confusion, rendering her speechless. I don’t blame her. I would be confused if I saw a couple like me and Aidan. It is truly unbelievable and yet, everyone is believing it.

“Now if you will excuse us,” Aidan says, then turns to me: “I think the bride wanted to talk to you before dinner started, right babe?”

A lie, but I go along with it. Whatever gets me out of my head and back down to earth, I will gladly take it. “Um, yeah, you’re right.” I courageously look at the couple that ruined my happiness and say, “See you around.”

Julia doesn’t respond, clearly still dumbfounded by the situation. Maybe now she’ll know what it feels like to question everything you thought was true. As we make our way over to where Anna and Dan are sitting, Aidan”s fingers make their way into my hair and he kisses the top of my head. So endearing. So, dare I say it again, habitual. I am almost ready to call UConn’s theater department and applaud them for training Aidan so well. “You did good, Hales. That must’ve been hard.”

“Yeah, it was.”

Robert and Julia follow close behind, and we all reach the happy couple. Anna’s eyes shift between the two couples. Her eyes land on mine and she silently apologizes through her expression. She probably didn’t want me to feel bad, and maybe she was scared that if she told me, I wouldn’t have come out at all. I know deep down she was protecting me and my heart, but it still stings to be a part of this reality.

The silence lasts a little too long for my best friend’s liking. “I see you guys have met, Aidan,” Anna pipes up. She hates silence. I thrive in it. We are the epitome of yin and yang.

“Yes we have,” Robert chimes in, with a hint of unwarranted contention. “I’m just really curious as to how you two met.” He points toward Aidan and me. I totally freeze. Even though we reviewed the story what seemed like a thousand times, in this moment I can’t get the words out of my mouth. The one time that I need my word vomit to make its ugly appearance, it isn’t happening. My mouth is dry and my mind starts to feel hazy.

“Do you want me to tell them, babe?” Aidan, once again, swoops in and saves my day.

All I can do is nod. I don’t trust myself right now. Not with all these new revelations and old memories colliding in my brain.

“Haley and I met on set about three years ago. She was carrying one of those flimsy trays full of coffee and we ran into each other.” Okay, everything is ringing true so far. That is actually exactly how we met. “Coffee spilled everywhere. All over her. All over me. All over the carpet.” Yup, still true. “We were both rushing to get to a table read for my next film and collided. My world hasn’t been the same since. The moment I looked at her, I knew she was someone special.” Okay, he did a pretty good job. Definitely embellished a little at the end, but still everything he said was legitimate. We agreed to just omit the massive elephant in the room–that we aren’t really together. “So special, in fact, that I can still remember everything about her on that day.” What?

“Care to enlighten us?” Robert inserts. Of course, he would be the one to ask leading questions. He is a lawyer, after all.

Aidan stands a little straighter, tightens his hold on me, and answers, “I remember seeing this woman, trying to swiftly clean up the coffee from my white shirt, repeatedly apologizing, who just looked…” Ugly? A hot mess? Completely below his league? Aidan smiles at me.“Effortlessly gorgeous.” What? Talk about worlds not being the same. Mine just completely tilted on its axis. “She was wearing a light gray cardigan, a loose white scoop neck t-shirt, straight jeans and ballet flats. Her hair was up, twisted with a pen, holding up her bun. Tendrils were falling down, framing her face so perfectly.” Okay, he is veering far away from the plan. He isn’t bullshitting them, though. This is also the truth. I was wearing that exact outfit. With my hair exactly how he described. He really does remember how I looked the day we met. “Eventually, I couldn’t keep my true feelings for Hales to myself. A few months ago, I finally asked her out and here we are. Best decision I’ve ever made.”

Without hesitation, I respond, “I can’t believe you remember that.”

“I remember more than you think.”

There we are, lost in our own little world. We lock eyes for what seems like forever. He is searching mine, trying to decipher if it was okay that he said those things. On the one hand, it is okay. He didn’t tell them any lies about the facts of our first meeting. On the other, my gut is yelling at me, almost like a warning signal–things are about to get even more complicated.