Save the Date (Modern Arrangements, #1)

"I didn't...I swear...Oh my god. I heard Lilli, it was her. She was here. Was she here?" Loreley was yelling after me as I rushed from the room.

Calling Lilli numerous times without an answer, I called family to try to get to her. I needed to talk to her. I needed to make her understand that I didn't do anything. Loreley had done something to me.

I didn't have time to explain to anyone, I had to get on the plane. The trip was so long and I paced the plane a million times trying to remember last night. What the fuck happened? How did I end up with Loreley?

I remembered sitting at the dinner table eating and talking with Mr. Dourien and his son. Once they had said goodnight, I headed to my room. I remember entering the room and pouring a drink, but then I don't...fuck! What the hell was in that glass?

I made a few calls. I needed someone to get to that room and take samples of everything they could find. I wanted security footage as well.

I was at the bottom of the steps before they had touched the tarmac. Jumping into the car, I made call after call trying to get someone to answer.

"Fuck!" I screamed out to the empty car. "Drive faster!" I yelled to the driver.

I burst through the doors of the house to find my family huddled and crying in the living room.

"Where is she?" I panted and ran up the stairs.

"Aidan, she's gone." Liam came following after me.

"No, she can't be! Lilli!" I shouted and felt the tears start to stream over my cheeks. "No, no, no. She can't be gone!"

Liam took me in his arms and held me.

"Shhh...she left almost an hour ago." Liam told me. "Aidan, what happened? It doesn't make sense."

"Damn right it doesn't!" Uncle Henry barged into the room.

"Dad!" James tried to subdue him.

Henry approached me and pulled me up from the floor by my collar.

"What did you do? You've ruined everything!"

"Dad!" James grabbed his hand and pried it from my shirt.

"I didn't do anything." I exclaimed. "I went to my room, had a drink, blacked out, and awoke to Lilli sobbing at the sight of Loreley and me together. I didn't take her to my room! I didn't do anything!” I cried out.

"Something is very odd—"

Liam was cut off by James pulling his father out of the room and Aunt Anne yelling at them both.

"Aidan, sweetheart..."

"Viola...oh God, where is she? I need to go after her."

"She didn't tell us where she was going." She held my face. "She just packed her and the twins..."

"The kids, she took the twins away from me." Collapsing to my knees, I held my head in my hands. Grief and loss consumed me. "I have to find her."

"You need to find out what happened at that hotel, Aidan." Liam looked down at me. "She isn't going to accept that you don't know."

I sniffled and nodded.

"I've already made some calls and asked them to go over the hotel room to see if they can find anything." I leaned back against the bed, pulling my knees up to rest my elbows on while holding my head.

"Come, stand up." Liam took my arm and pulled me up to stand.

My legs gave out and I sat onto the bed. As I sat down, a small shine caught my attention. I reached over and grasped the cold metal. I opened my fist in front of me and fingered the two small rings that used to grace my Lilli's finger. The rings I was determined to get back on her hand, whatever the cost.

"She went home." I whispered.

"What?" Viola said as she sat down next to me and put her arm around me.

"She went home...to Donald." I was up and grabbing clothes, quickly shoving them into a bag.

"Aidan, stop." Liam stood and held me still.

"I need to go to her!"

"You need to figure some things out first. I think we should have you drug tested. Now, before it gets any later. It may already be too late, I'm afraid. But, I'm not a doctor."

I nodded and sighed. Liam pulled out his phone and called Dr. Johnson to the house. He arrived quickly.

"Do you have anything to do with this?" I glared at him as he entered my room.

"No, Aidan, I haven't had anything to do with any of this. Right now, I wish that I could say yes. At least then I would be able to tell you everything and resolve this huge mess." He had his head down. "I still cannot find my daughter. I fear that she has the answers you seek." He sighed.

I rolled up my sleeve and stuck out my arm.

Pulling out a needle, he drew blood. He clipped some hair as well, and took a swab of the inside of my mouth.

"I'll go to the hospital now and stand there as we run the lab work. I should be able to have it back to you by tomorrow morning or early afternoon."

"Thank you." I mumbled.

I took a shower and threw myself down into one of the large chairs in the sitting area of the bedroom, bourbon in my hand. Staring at my phone, I dialed her number over and over again, just to hear her voice on her voicemail message.





Chapter Eight

Winter Harbor and Back Again

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