“Perfect timing.” She smiled up at him to see that he was staring at her intently.
“Is it?” he asked, and she had a feeling he was not referring to the fireworks. Nonetheless she stepped up to the banister to watch the show, unwilling to lose this moment with him.
He stood close behind her; she could feel his proximity. She leaned her back against his chest as she watched the fireworks on the horizon. Tentatively he brought his hands to her waist. She could feel his breath on her nape so she cocked her head slightly to the side to expose the length of her neck to him. He skimmed the tip of his nose along the curve of her neck. His hands gripped her hips firmly. She held onto the banister as she pressed back against him.
The fireworks in the distance began to increase in tempo and frequency as the grand finale signaled the end of the show. Maggie’s heart raced with anticipation as she thought about what would come next. She could feel Aaron’s breath coming faster, his heart pounding in rhythm with hers. As the last firework erupted on the skyline he gripped her arms and spun her around to face him, claiming her mouth in one fierce move. She surrendered to him completely, molding her body to his as she went limp in his arms. He held her to him as his tongue explored her mouth, the fireworks continued to erupt inside her.
Abruptly he broke the kiss, simultaneously holding her up yet pushing her away.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” he said with his head bowed away from her, his hands still gripped her arms to hold her up.
“Yes you should have,” she disagreed, finding her voice.
“There are things you need to know about me,” he said, looking back to her and meeting her eyes.
“Then tell me,” she said as the strength came back into her legs and she tried to take a step closer. He released his hold on her arms and stepped away. She wasn’t deterred. She walked back into the bedroom, knowing he would follow. She took a seat on the settee by the French doors and waited for him to join her. He sat beside her on the small couch, but didn’t meet her eyes.
“I don’t know where to start,” he said with his head bowed. The room was still dark, but they were close enough that she could see his face. She reached over and placed her hand on his leg.
“Start at the beginning,” she suggested softly.
“I was twelve when my father died,” Aaron began, his voice monotone. “My sister Katelyn was eight. People always said how much I looked like him. I guess that’s why my mother couldn’t stand to look at me anymore after he was gone. She began drinking all the time to deal with the depression. I’m not sure if she had a problem before that, if she did I never knew about it. But after Dad was gone she was lost in a bottle.
“I stayed away as much as I could. I thought it was better for everyone if I just wasn’t around. My mother sure didn’t seem to mind. But I never even considered what I’d left Katelyn to deal with.” His voice cracked and Maggie wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to relive these painful memories. Not for her. But she realized that maybe he needed to do it for himself. She sat quietly by his side as he sorted through his emotions.
“She remarried when I was fourteen, and for just a minute I’d hoped Bill would be good for her.” He laughed without humor. “He wasn’t.”
His eyes clouded over with painful memories. Maggie could see it on his face and wanted to stop him, wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to go on.
“I never should have left Katelyn alone in that house,” he continued angrily.
“You were just a boy yourself.” Maggie spoke softly trying to console him. He shook his head vehemently.
“I was the only one left to protect her and I just left her there!” he argued as he jumped up from the couch and began pacing in front of her. His sadness had turned to rage, she could feel it radiating off of him.
“She was only ten years old,” he said as he held his head in his hands. His anger slowly shifted to back sorrow. He walked over to the window and stared into the dark night.
“I hadn’t been home for about a week. It was the longest I’d stayed away.” His voice was quiet as he continued. “Katelyn came to me the first night I’d returned home and asked if she could sleep in my room. I could tell something was wrong. She wouldn’t tell me what it was but I saw that she was scared.