Kenna
My heartbeat's raising with every step I take as I keep on replaying the scene in my head, smiling to myself like a fool. It happened quickly and I can't help but confess that Aidan has own my heart in just as I've owned his.
I enter the hotel to see Dimitri standing in the middle of the grand lobby as he talks to someone unfamiliar yet I pay no further attention to the man in front of him; only to him as I quickly run towards him, causing him to turn as soon as he heard my voice calling out his name continuously.
''Dimitri!'' I exclaim one more time before wrapping my arms around him, leaving him with a surprise as he wraps his arms around my waist. ''You were right all along!'' I grin, widely.
Both of his light eyes look at me in confusion, ''I'm with a client, Kenna.'' He replies.
I turn to look at the man next to us as he has been staring at me all along, leaving me to gaze down at his clothes and up again at his features. Both of his light brown eyes would give off an exotic vibe yet there's something sweet about his smile.
My hands are immediately dropped to my sides as I begin to clear my throat, ''I'm sorry.''
The unknown man—Dimitri's client, looks at me in surprise before smiling wider. ''You don't have to be, Mrs. Ashton. It's actually a pleasure to meet you even though under informal circumstances,'' The way his voice smoothly escape his lips with his English accent, it has managed me to remain speechless.
My blue eyes won't look away from the mysterious yet very attractive man in front of me; no doubt he's more than just six foot tall, probably six foot two or three and his body fits perfectly onto his expensive Armani suit, leaving me staring at him in awe . . . assuring myself that he has this affect on anyone.
''You . . . know me?'' I raise an eyebrow.
Dimitri cuts in, ''I would like to apologise, Daniel. My friend here is a bit excited about a few things that might've happened and she couldn't contain the excitement. I hope you understand,'' He says in a more professional tone as the beautiful yet sexy stranger named Daniel continues to look at me, somehow eyeing my every features.
''No need to apologise. It's actually an honour to meet such a beautiful lady,'' Daniel says which causes me to blush, somehow not expecting him to be a gentleman.
''I wouldn't call her a lady,'' Dimitri mutters, causing me to turn and glare at him.
Daniel, on the other hand, grabs onto my left hand with his before placing a peck at the back of it, ''I'm Daniel Jonathan Murray but you can call me Daniel,'' He looks up into my eyes with adoration as I let out a breath of relief as soon as he lifts his lips away.
''Kenna Anne Roosevelt—uh, Ashton.'' I stutter before clearing my throat, trying to hide away my embarrassment.
Daniel smiles, ''You're a doctor, Mrs. Ashton?'' As he gazes down at my white coat.
''Kenna's fine . . . and yes, I'm a neurologist.'' My reply seems to have surprised him as he nods, his lips curving up into a wider smile while I take my time to eye how his perfectly straight teeth highlights the rest of his nicely sharp features.
''A fine career for a very fine lady. Your husband must be a very lucky man,'' He smiles, again; leaving me to look up at Dimitri, not knowing whether I can stand being close to this attractive acquaintance in front of me.
''If you don't mind, Daniel . . . I would like to speak with my friend, here for a little while,'' I respond by pointing at Dimitri who seems to be smiling ever since I came in, putting on a perfect act in front of Daniel even though we both know that he's going to smack the hell out of me or even try to throw me onto the ground.
''Of course. Take your time,'' Daniel replies.
Just like that, I begin to pull onto Dimitri's hand as we both walk quickly towards the other side of the lobby near the staffs' pantry, ''Whoa, slow down, cupcake. Are we doing cardio?'' He asks.
I push him onto the seat before joining him, ''We kissed yesterday.'' I exclaim, excitedly as I remember back of what happened yesterday; it was everything I had hoped to happen if he ever confessed or anyone ever said he loves me.
He raises an eyebrow, ''But, you guys kiss all the time?''
''Well . . . we kissed and he told me he loves me!'' I grab onto both of his shoulders, my eyes piercing directly into his, showing him how excited I am about this whole thing.
''I already knew—I mean, whoa, how did that happen? He was in love with you this whole time?'' He asks, eyeing me as I lean onto the seat, recalling back of whatever happened last night and try to put into words so it's easier for him to understand. Just like this:
His brown eyes remain staring into my blue ones while I am left frozen and speechless at the same time yet for some unknown reasons, I feel undeniably complete. Complete to an extend of happiness where I feel like candies are falling from the sky and rainbows are appearing.
''I'm not saying this as your friend, Kenna. I'm saying this as your husband and I'm saying that I'm in love with you. From the moment I saw you walked down the aisle and from the moment we kissed, I knew I wasn't dreaming. I love you, Kenna Anne.'' He continues to speak, his voice coming out softly and soothingly.
He glances down at my lips for a couple of seconds, ''If you feel the same way towards me. Maybe, a little bit . . . I want you to tell me that this is not a one-sided thing. Tell me that it's not just me feeling these emotions when I'm with you. I want to know if you feel them, too.'' He adds.
I wrap my hands around his neck as my lips begin to curve up into a smile, ''It took you a kiss for you to admit those feelings?'' I ask, teasingly.
He chuckles, ''Maybe . . . and even more kisses in the future.'' He leans in to kiss me near he lips as I smile, liking how his warmth is being mixed with mine in our embrace and how his lips are softly placed against my skin; it's reassuring.
I look into his eyes, ''Today is your lucky day because the woman that you're in love with is in love with you, too.'' As soon as those words escaped my lips, he starts to smile wider before turning to a grin, leaving me to blush at the fact knowing that he's mesmerising my every feature.
Just like that, he starts to pull me in for a hug, causing my feet to being lifted up from the ground as I let out chuckles, leaving him to twirl me around the room as if today is in fact, the best day of his life.
As he looks up at me, he starts to slowly place me back onto the ground with his smile never leaving his face as mine does the same. We're both drawn to each other's beauty and somehow, we're both drowning in this sea of love; where neither of us wants to be saved.
''That was what happened,'' I turn to look at Dimitri again, seeing him staring at me with a frown.
He leans forward, ''So . . . it's confirmed, then? What if you might hate the way he sleeps, the way he eats, the way he kisses or even the way he's looking at you?'' He asks, eyes squinting.
I laugh slowly, ''I've been with him long enough to know how he sleeps and eats and looks at me. So far, I like the way he kisses me. I don't think that's going to be an issue,'' I reply with a smile.
''Good. Then, I'm very happy for you; knowing that two of my best friends are in love with each other has made me feel like I'm not friends with fools or idiots anymore which is great. Anyways, has he mentioned to you about the contract? Are you guys going to just burn it away?'' He asks, making me think about the contract that we have made. ''I mean, don't get me wrong, sweetcheeks but the contract was the reason why you two got married in the first place.'' He adds.
''We haven't talked about it,'' I mutter.
He breathes out, ''Sooner or later, try to bring that topic up. Dispose it as soon as possible so that if something bad happens, he can't use the contract against you,''
''Are you implying that something bad will happen?''
''I said 'if', Kenna. If something bad happens,'' He shrugs before shoving one hand into his slacks' pocket, ''Look, I wish you guys an everlasting love and marriage and all but I'm just saying be careful at what you go through, try to expect the worst. Love with all of your heart but don't completely put your guard down,'' He adds with a pat on my shoulder, leaving me to think that his past scar has not healed to an extent where he might be able to let it all go, he forgave her but he will never forget.
''Thanks, Dimitri.'' I smile, appreciating his advice.
He smiles back, ''You're welcome. Always here to look out for a friend—now, I'll have to go back to my client, luckily he seems to 'fancy' you, he might even agree to my terms and conditions.'' He says as we both head back towards the lobby with staffs smiling and slightly bowing at us when they see Dimitri, who kindly returns the smile.
''He's really handsome,'' I grin.
A laugh escapes from his lips as he leans his head back, ''Fortunately, he's single. Unfortunately, you're married but stay away from him if you can, he's a bit of a heartbreaker; he gets what he wants and he throws it away whenever he wants. Never heard of him being in any serious relationship but maybe he hasn't found the right one,''
I stop for a moment, ''You know what, Dimitri?''
He turns to look at me, his eyebrows furrowed as he tries to think of something I might say. ''What?''
''He's just like you!'' I exclaim with a grin, ''He's single but he's a heartbreaker. He gets what he wants and throws it away whenever he wants. He sounds just like you, except that you were once married and you're not a heartbreaker, just a Casanova.'' I shrug it off as he roll his eyes, following me straight towards Daniel who has started to stand up as soon as he sees us.
''Kenna, I assume everything went well.'' He says with a seductive smile playing at the tips of his lips which is surprisingly attractive enough for someone to fall head over heels or even swoon.
I smile back, ''It went just as how I wanted it. I'm sorry if I took more of your time,''
''If my time was spent for someone like you then I wouldn't mind spending more,'' He replies without bothering to look at Dimitri who seems to be participating in our conversation, somehow starting to get a little bit flirty, making me burst out into a laugh.
''Oh, look at the time! I have a surgery to monitor in an hour and I can't be late for this. Thanks a lot Dimitri, I will reconsider your advice.'' I peck onto his cheek before turning to look at Daniel, ''Thank you again, Daniel. It was a pleasure to meet you,''
He grabs onto my hand before kissing the back of it, ''The pleasure was all mine.''
Both of his eyes won't look away from mine as I slowly slip my hand away from his grasps, taking a few steps back and smile one last time before heading outside and straight towards my car.
Right back at the hospital, I am already making my way towards my floor before bumping into Lucas; who seems to be slightly more surprised than usual as he drops a couple of files onto the ground, leaving me to crouch in unison with him.
''I'm sorry,'' I say as I look up into his eyes.
He chuckles, ''If it's you . . . Kenna, no apologies needed. Where were you running off to?'' He asks as we both begin to stand up, my hands shoving inside my coat's pockets.
''I have to monitor a surgery in less than an hour,'' I reply.
''Good luck. Not that you need it,'' He says with a grin plastered on his face; leaving me to nod my head, eyes wandering around the lobby before meeting a familiar figure from behind.
''Thanks, Lucas. I'll see you around, okay?'' I pat onto his arm before quickly making my way towards the figure, seeing it is definitely Mia once I'm closer—causing me to glance down at my wrist watch, realising that I have about forty-five minutes before the surgery starts.
Mia turns to look at me in surprise, ''Kenna! I didn't expect to see you here which is dumb because you work here,'' She says as we both hug.
''What are you doing here?'' I ask.
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, ''I had an appointment to confirm the pregnancy. I thought it was best to head straight to the hospital,'' She says before adding, ''I told Tony,''
''What did he say? If it's anything good then I wish you all the best but if he's an irresponsible lad, I'm going to smack him.'' I joke and we both laugh, cheering ourselves up.
''Well . . . he said he was ready to be dad. He knows that it's too early for us but he'd risk anything for me—as long as I'm by his side,'' She continues to smile as he talks about Tony, leaving me to wonder just how much of a good guy he is, even though I know that he has always cared for Mia but if he's able to make this decision, then, he's definitely a keeper.
''That's wonderful! I'm happy for you,'' I grin.
''Thanks, Kenna. I just want to make sure that everything goes well and that me being pregnant is actually a good thing for me and Tony,'' She replies.
Just as I'm about to say something, another familiar figure approaches us, causing us both to turn around at the sound of his stern voice. ''You're what?!'' He asks, anger radiating as he starts to clench onto his jaw; holding it back.
''Aidan . . . '' Mia mutters, completely speechless.
Both of Aidan's brown eyes are wandering widely onto anywhere but us as he continues to control his breathings, leaving me to gaze at Mia who seems to be entirely out of words. I grab onto his hand, trying to calm his down but he pulls his hand away before walking out of the hospital, Mia trailing behind him in a hurry.
''For god's sake!'' I exclaim, surprising a couple of patients in which I apologise, quickly before running out of the hospital—seeing Mia and Aidan having a heated conversation.
''What the hell were you thinking, Mia?!'' Aidan asks, his voice raising as Mia continues to look down onto the ground—like a child being scold, but she starts to look up into his eyes, trying to grab onto his hands but he manages to pull them away, not letting her being anywhere near him.
''Can you at least let me explain?'' She asks.
''How? How can an explanation be worth any of this? Were you even thinking about what could've happened, Mia? You're not a child—you know better to use protection!'' He continues to let his anger out at her, not even noticing me staring at both of them, watching them argue.
Mia sighs, ''We did. We used protection,''
''Then? The condom broke?''
Mia glances at my direction for a couple of seconds before turning to look at her brother again, ''No . . . we wanted to try something new. We, well, I . . . convinced Tony,'' Her voice low and almost inaudible but loud enough for Aidan to hear as he scoffs, looking at the cars passing by as he pinches the bridge of his nose before running his fingers through his hair.
Just a little moment here, I can't help notice just how beautiful he looks when he's angry. Not in a beautiful kind of beautiful dewy look but hot and beautiful kind of look; the way he ran his fingers through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose or even clenched his jaw, it was a mouthwatering sight even though he's currently throwing his anger out at Mia in words I can't even comprehend—too busy watching his perfections.
''Now, it's certain, that his pull out game is weak.'' Aidan mumbles which causes Mia to furrow his brows, running her fingers through her hair, carelessly.
''You're mad at me,'' She states the obvious.
Aidan, turns to look at Mia, his brown eyes are staring at her confusingly. ''Of course I'm mad at you! Does it look like I'm smiling? Laughing? I'm being mad at you. Wait . . . no, being mad does not even suit what I feel right now. I feel like beating the crap out of your stupid boyfriend and come back at here to be mad at you some more,'' He replies after rolling his eyes.
''Guys . . . I don't think it's a good place to have an argument,'' I try to break it off but Aidan gazes at me, causing me to sigh in defeat.
''You knew all along and you didn't bother to tell me?'' He asks, raising an eyebrow as he points at Mia, who seems to be surprised.
''Hey! Don't blame it on her,'' Mia slaps his hand away. ''She kept my secret and I appreciated for what she had done—proves just how much she's an amazing sister-in-law. You can't put the blame on her because I told her to keep it a secret from anyone including you. I didn't want you to know because I'm scared of disappointing you,'' She says, attracting Aidan's attention.
''You've already disappointed me,'' He mutters.
''Exactly. I'm the worst sister anyone can have; I made stupid promises to never disappoint mother, father, you and even Alain but I fucked up, alright? I'm just a reckless and careless person who does whatever she wants without thinking of the damn consequences,'' She continues. ''And, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Aidan.''
Both of them stare at each other for quite some time before he starts to let out a deep sigh, ''You've disappointed me, Mia but you're not a disappointment. You're not the worst sister anyone can ever have but you're actually the best—you made mistakes but that doesn't mean you're the worst. I'm just upset because I worry a lot about your future, about your education, your upcoming career and even your life. I want what's best for you, Mia.'' He replies.
''I know . . . but I can't go back now.''
They stay quiet for a few seconds, ''Have you told Tony?'' He asks, slowly as the cold wind starts to blow onto their faces.
''I did. He wants us to keep the baby,'' She says. ''Even if he didn't want the baby, I would've kept the baby anyway. I'm not against abortion but the thought of killing an innocent baby, my baby, would bother me all night. It's an option but it's not an option for me,'' Her eyes are beginning to tear up in which she quickly wipes them away.
''I'm glad he said that,'' He breathes out.
''You're not going to convince mother to disown me?'' Mia asks, her bloodshot eyes are looking up at her brother who shakes his head before pulling her in for a hug, soothingly rubbing onto the back of her body; letting her lean closer towards his warmth, leaving me to smile at their family relationship.
''She's a crazy lunatic when it comes to babies, she's not going to disown you or make you choose other options. It's her grandchild you're carrying and she's going to help you take good care of that baby,'' He says with a smile before pecking onto his sister's forehead.
''Thanks, Aidan.'' She mutters.
The two of them continue to hug for a few more seconds before letting go, Mia's eyes are already filled with tears as she wipes them away—looking up at Aidan who seems to be cold from the wind and weather, causing his nose to get quite red, which is cute. Even though he's quite tan, he can never escape from having a red nose when it's snowing.
''Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off?'' He asks.
''Yeah. I drove here,'' She replies.
He nods, ''Be careful.''
Mia turns towards me before muttering 'thank you' in which I respond with a smile as she walks away, heading towards her car which is parked quite near the entrance.
My eyes wander around to the people here before glancing down at my wrist watch again, seeing that I have less than fifteen minutes to perform the surgery. I look back at Aidan who seems to be in his own thoughts as he starts to make his way towards me, ''I'm sorry I almost yelled at you,'' He says, softly.
''What? I can't hear you,'' I pretend as I squint my eyes before leaning in towards him.
He smiles, ''I said I'm sorry.''
''What?'' I asks, frowning.
To my surprise, he starts lean in towards me before meeting his lips with mine—causing me to respond back to the slow kiss, letting my lips curve up into a smile as soon as he trails kisses up to my cheeks.
He gazes straight into my eyes, ''I'm sorry I almost yelled at you. I didn't mean to . . . I was upset at Mia and it just came out that way,'' He says as he caresses the side of my face with his thumb.
''It's fine. Don't worry,'' I reply.
''Are you free? I want to take you out for lunch,'' He continues to speak as he starts to grab onto my hand, entwining his fingers with mine; letting me warm myself up just by the touch of his fingers.
''You know that I never pass up an opportunity to have lunch but I have a surgery to monitor. She needs me. Her family needs me,'' I reply and he nods, completely understanding.
''I'll see you at home, then?'' He asks.
Then, he leans in to kiss me again, letting me enjoy how his soft lips are starting to make me feel like I'm on cloud nine. The way he tilts his head to the side and begin to kiss me with full of emotions, it feels like he knows what he's doing. Even if he's kissing me carelessly, it feels like he won't make a mistake to mess it all up.
''What was that for?'' I ask, when he breaks the kiss to smile down at me.
He winks, ''A good luck kiss.''
--
''Congratulations, once again.'' One of the doctors say with a smile plastered on their faces as soon as I step out of the room; knowing that the surgery was a success, Aidan's good luck kiss was a charm and he knew I could get really fidgety when I'm nervous, his kiss helped a lot.
''You both did very well, Dr. Willows and Dr. Anne.'' My assistant doctor adds to my fellow neurosurgeon and I respond with a chuckle, thanking them with another smile.
I take all of the necessary things off, leaving me in my light blue scrubs before making my way towards the hallway, meeting with the patient's family who has stood up with worried expressions plastered on their faces.
As soon as they see the smile on my face, they begin to thank me as their eyes are wet with tears before praising the Lord, leaving me to watch their every movement; liking how their belief is such a beautiful thing to watch, somehow they know that they depended everything on something.
Truth be told, this is my favourite moment of all, when their faces just light up when a surgeon walks out of the room with a smile, assuring that the surgery went well. As if everything changes, their lips curve up into a wider smile and they begin to ease themselves down.
Another precious moment is when a newly-known father walks out of the room, telling the gender of the baby with tears in his eyes as the whole family begins to cheer for their new family member. I've once watched the scent multiple times, during my night shift, just to see how life is full of meanings.
We're all capable of making something as beautiful as that and the look on their faces are what matters most, they were all happy, thrilled.
I excuse myself as I make my way down the hallway, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear before meeting a middle-aged man begins to hug his grandchild, leaving me to think that there's a lot more to see if I just look at the positive side.
''I heard you did well with the monitoring,'' I turn to see Lucas smiling down at me as he's also standing in his light blue scrubs, leaving me to think that he just got out of a surgery, too.
''I deserve a promotion, now.'' I joke and he starts to laugh, ''You were performing a surgery?'' I ask, seeing him wiping away a couple beads of sweat on his forehead as he nods.
He clears his throat, ''Twins. They were beautiful,''
''Well, congratulations to the both of us.'' I pretend to be holding a glass of wine as I lift my hand up, receiving myself a chuckle from him before he starts to join me; our hands meeting up.
My eyes wander around to meet a familiar figure which surprises me, ''You're still here?'' I ask, causing Lucas to turn and follow my gaze; as Aidan starts to make his way towards me, pecking onto the side of my face before placing his hand at the back of my waist.
''I was at the office,'' He replies.
''Aidan, this is Lucas. Lucas, this is Aidan.'' I introduce them both to each other as they begin to shake hands, my eyebrows furrow at the sight of Aidan's firm handshake which is quite normal when he's meeting clients and colleagues but I decide to let it slide.
Lucas smiles, ''The husband, right?''
''The friend?'' They hold their gazes for a few seconds longer before they begin to let go of each other's hands, causing Aidan to stand tall without even bothered to look away while I feel like I'm standing in between of a glaring contest.
''Also an obstetrician,'' Lucas adds.
''I've heard. You're quite known for your work,'' Aidan replies.
Lucas, on the other hand, starts to chuckle. ''Not quite as known as you. You're the successful man here that was the talk of the hospital for awhile when you two got hitched,'' He says. ''I'm sure I'm just an obstetrician who makes hundreds of thousands per year while you make millions,''
''Billions,'' He corrects which causes Lucas to stare at him in surprise.
''Remind me again not to mess with you,'' Lucas begins to joke as they both laugh, even though I know by the look on Aidan's face, he seems to be putting on a perfect act. ''Well . . . I better get going. It was a pleasure meeting you,'' He adds before smiling at me and heading towards the other side of the hallway.
I furrow my brows as I look up at Aidan, ''Seriously?''
He turns towards me, ''What?''
''You seriously make billions per year?''
The smirk on his face grows wider, ''I donate a hundred million dollars to this exact hospital, annually. I can't just be making millions because that would actually make me go broke,'' He replies.
''I don't know if I should be impressed or confused at how many zeros you have in your bank account,'' I chuckle as we both begin to walk down the hallway, a couple of nurses glancing at our direction as soon as they realise who I'm walking with; one of the well-known billionaires in the city or more likely, the world.
''Actually . . . Kenna, are you free tonight?'' He asks as we both stop near the elevator, causing me to look up into his brown eyes as I see him starting to clench his jaw; something he would do if he gets pretty nervous.
I smile, ''Is Aidan Gabriel Ashton asking me out on a date?'' My lips curving up into a wider smile as he starts to chuckle, revealing his perfectly straight teeth as he tries to hide away the redness creeping up on his cheeks.
''Is Kenna Anne Ashton going to say yes?'' He raises an eyebrow, making me swoon at my last name; knowing how we're just smiling at each other as we stand here while I think of how we're legally and somewhat married. How can I be this lucky to get a man like him?
''What if I say no?'' I tease.
He leans closer, ''I'll have to go down on one knee.''
My heart flutters at the sound of his voice as I grab onto his hand, gripping it and nodding, without even needing to utter words. ''Well . . . where exactly are you taking me out for dinner? Am I allowed to wear my scrubs?'' I joke at the end.
''There's something in your closet. Head home and Gerald will pick you up around eight,'' He replies.
''You could've just called me to say this,'' I respond as he starts to let go of my hand, slowly taking a few steps back as he grins.
''Can you blame me? I wanted to see your face,'' He says as he starts to make his way out of the hospital, his head turning to glance at my direction for a couple of times before completely disappearing out of sight—leaving me to jump in joy in the middle of the hallway as patients and doctors pass, looking at me, weirdly.
''Sorry,'' I mutter with a smile plastered on my face, liking the new us.
As soon as I'm home, I immediately make my way towards my room before pushing the door open and quickly running inside my walk-in closet, seeing a big box in the middle of the room. My eyes widen at the sight before opening the box, revealing a gold mixed with silver dress that seems to compliment my skin tone as I run my fingers across the material, liking it.
I look at the note on the dress before reading it:
You'll look beautiful like you've always been.
- Aidan (hubby)
My laughter erupts the room at the word 'hubby' before smiling to myself at the beautiful dress and how it would define my body shape perfectly. Within seconds, I'm already running towards the bathroom to cleanse my skin and apply an appropriate amount of makeup to make sure I look as appealing as I can be.
When I'm done, I stare at myself in the mirror; seeing how the dress suits me very well, Aidan did a great job at choosing this dress on whether he had a few help from other people or not but I can't help but fall in love with myself, hoping he might fall in love with me more than he has.