Selective/Memory: The "Depth of Emotion" Book 2 (The Depth of Emotion) (17 page)

“Her father lashed out at me when he was hurting, and yet I knew he still loved me—that didn’t make it right.”

“I treated her like shit, didn’t I?” he asked in a hushed tone.

“Yes, you did,” she answered, wrinkling up her nose.

She tipped her head inquisitively.

“You smell of alcohol and cigarettes. New habits?”

Shame washing over him as he nodded in response.

“I have dreams of her…and nightmares of the accident. It was worse without the alcohol, and the cigarettes gave me something to do…”

She understood so much more than he could realize.

“What about your leg?” she asked.

He laughed in sarcasm.

“What about it? I’ve got to learn to live with it…” he explained.

She smiled, her eyes crinkling in the corners.

“Yes…yes, you do.”

Taking a deep breath, she gave him a hug of support. Somehow, throughout this storm, solidarity was breaking through along with the sunshine.

“We’re going to get you a chance to apologize to my daughter,” Jeannie firmly said, “…AND we’re going to give her the chance to tell you to go to hell—but first, we’re going to find a good doctor to help you through this…”

Carter had already unleashed a shitload of information on Declan today, more than he had planned to, so he couldn’t understand why he’d be calling him on his cell.

“Yeah. What’s up? Where’d you go?” he said as he answered the call.

Declan, going toward his car, was not only wet and cold, but he curiously felt lighter.

“You wouldn’t believe it unless you’d been there, but I’ll tell you all about it when I get to the house,” he told Carter, talking as he walked. “I’m going to stop by and pick us up some food. We really need to have a
sit down
when I get home.”

Declan’s voice sounded different making the cop in Carter eager to interrogate.

“Okay…what happened?” he asked, a bit perplexed.

Declan slammed the car door and placed the key in the ignition.

“Nothing…yet. I have something to run by you,” he answered, as he began to scheme, “…and I think it might serve both of our purposes…”

Paige and Aimee waited patiently for Aria.

“We were the ones that got caught in the rain, remember? What’s taking you so long?”

Aria stuck her head out of the bathroom door. She was attempting to flat iron her long hair.

Aimee shook her head in disbelief.

“Why are you doing that?!” an exasperated Aimee asked. “Stop! Please! It’s raining outside! Your hair’s going to be all curly by the time we get to the car!”

Aria ducked back into the bathroom, ignoring her.

“I just felt like wearing it straight. Stop giving me a hard time! It’s not like the restaurant will be really busy tonight with the rain,” she reasoned.

Aimee rolled her eyes.

Paige walked around the bed toward the antique vanity. Once seated on the bench, she too began to fix her hair.

“Really?”
Aimee said in disbelief. “I’m hungry. Can we please get ready to go?!”

It was Paige’s turn to roll her eyes in amusement.

“Just think of us as your
helpmates
,” she quipped. “We’re helping you keep that
model
figure of yours.”

While Paige concentrated on touching up her hair and make-up, and Aria continued the quest to style her hair, Aimee decided that she’d go to find something to nibble on in the kitchen.

Making no secret of her intentions, she exited the bedroom so she didn’t have to continue bill boarding her frustration.

“I’m going to scout out your fridge, Aria,” she hollered down the hallway. “You two take as long as you want, but I’m going to find something to eat.”

Taking her lack of response as permission to proceed, Aimee opened the stainless steel doors to peek at what was inside. Settling on a yogurt, she grabbed a spoon, while she simultaneously tore open the top, and pushed the fridge door closed with her foot.

After a long lick, she lifted the lid of the trashcan to drop the top inside. While doing that, she noticed two crumpled pieces of paper that had missed the can. As curious as a cat, she bent to retrieve them, the corner of one catching her eye.

Dear Declan,

My world isn’t the same without you. I cry for you at…

“What the hell?
” she whispered out loud to herself, hoping no one had heard when she realized what she had found. She popped her fingers over her lips to silence herself.

Aimee quickly looked left, right, and all around to see if Aria was anywhere near her. Her curiosity piqued, she shoved the papers in her pocket, pulling her sweater over her jeans.

Wandering back to the bedroom with her food, she looked at her friend, confounded.

Was it possible that her suspicions were correct all along?
Was Aria still in love with Declan?

She was convinced that
he
was still in love with her.

What could this mean?

Suddenly, she no longer had an appetite. Her inquisitive nature had gone into overdrive, and she desired isolation. She wanted to see the rest of the message. Aria was her friend, but then, so was Declan.

“Aimee!”

Jumping at the sound of her name, she saw Aria smiling at her.

“Sorry! I was lost in thought!” she responded, jolting as she answered.

“I could see that! I asked you if you found what you wanted in the kitchen.”

Aria’s concern brought a smile to Aimee’s face as she thought of her discovery.

“
Why, yes
…,” Aimee replied, darting past her with a quirky look. “I found
exactly
what I needed…”

They demolished the Rasta Pasta, and the three women began the debate about dessert.

“Life’s too short; have dessert!” Aria stated in her strongest voice.

Paige had nothing to add really, but Aimee shook her head in the negative.

“I can’t. Nope. Really, I can’t. I shouldn’t have eaten the pasta,” she asserted.

That earned her a very harsh look from Aria.

“You didn’t eat that much, Aimee! You split the pasta with both of us! What are you trying to do? Starve yourself?!”

Aimee shushed her when she saw Sue and Patrick approaching them.

“Can we get you guys something?” Sue asked. “You know you want dessert,” she replied.

“No!” Aimee took a stand for all of them. “No dessert for us tonight,” she said, earning her a frown from Aria and Paige.

Patrick noticed the brewing tension between the girls.

They exchanged looks, and not good ones.

Aimee spoke up, wanting to do something nice.

“Can you guys make us a low-cal something decadent?” she sweetly asked.

Patrick grinned for the ladies.

“My specialty!” he announced, ready for the challenge.

When Sue and Patrick walked away from their table, both Aria and Paige waited on Aimee for an explanation. They were throwing daggers at her with their eyes.

“I’m sorry girls.” Aimee pouted. “I have a photo shoot coming up soon. All of the work will be in bathing suits and every little ounce shows on camera.”

Her explanation seemed to appease them both, though Paige had some questions and a look of sorrow crossed Aria’s face.

Aimee reminded her of Declan and how particular he was just before his photo shoots. It used to drive her crazy!

“It’s okay, Aimee,” Aria said, excusing her friend. I have some memories of a certain model and his eccentricities when he had to prepare for bathing suit work.”

Changing the focus away from Declan, she shifted the topic back to Aimee.

“Where are you going? I mean, where’s the job?”

“Hawaii!” Aimee answered, mimicking the hula dance with her hands.

Paige slinked back into her seat.

Aria had asked her question, but the answer depressed her.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so jealous,” Aria said. “I
hate
winter. I love the beach, but I hate it when it’s cold.”

An idea came into Aimee’s head and she hoped she could figure out the details later.

“Why don’t you both go with me?” she said, her excitement showed as her eyes lit up and her smile grew wide.

The girls looked at each other, thinking she was just being outrageous.

“What? We can’t go to work with you,” Paige protested. “They won’t let you do that!”

Aria knew better, so she stayed quiet. The idea appealed to her. She knew that Aimee could have anyone in her room that she wanted.

“Yes you can! I want you to!” Aimee said, perky in her enthusiasm. “We’d have so much fun! I only have photo shoots during the day, so we could have fun every night! While I work, you two could hang out on the beach or go shopping.”

Aria’s reasoning began to kick-in protesting, because all at once, she realized that she hadn’t had enough time to investigate who else would be there.

“I don’t know…” came her pensive voice of reason.

“Stop it, Aria!” Aimee said. “I know what you’re thinking and you have to stop it. I never know where he’s going to be and what assignments he has. I’m asking you to do this with me!”

Aimee’s joy had become lukewarm at the sight of Aria’s realization.

“I want you both to go with me—for me! As a matter of fact,” she added quickly, “I never know what to get you both for your birthday, so I am going to buy your airfare. No argument! You can’t say no!”

Both Aria and Paige were rendered speechless with that announcement. One thing about Aimee—her eagerness was infectious. It
was
cold at the beach in winter, and neither woman had been to Hawaii. They looked at each other, trying to gauge for a decision.

“What do you say, Aria?” Paige nudged playfully. “We deserve to have a little fun.”

Aria thought about everything that had happened and how somber her mood had been. Too much seriousness had entered her life in the past year. The thought of a few days having fun in the sun with the girls, along with a couple of Mai Tai’s, was proving appealing. She was quickly becoming convinced that it would be selfish to deny her friends an opportunity for fun.

Yeah! Who was she kidding! She wanted to go to Hawaii!!

With smile creeping wider across her face, she leaned in to enjoy her just delivered cocktail. She lifted her drink to Paige and to scheming little Aimee, and with a sheepish little grin, she gave a playful toast.

“I say…
Aloha!
”