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At first, I panicked. I was kissing Aiden McGregor – the man who wrecked my life and sent me into a never ending, emotional turmoil. But then, Aiden McGregor was kissing me – and it was everything I have ever wanted.

It still wasn't clear if it was the right thing to do, but regardless, I found myself smiling against his lips, as his hands slithered down my arms and stopped at the base of my back, where he tugged me flush against his body. Not an inch of space was left between us and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

However, when the elevator chime signalled that we had reached our floor, we both jolted apart, cheeks flushed and chests rising. It was like we had just been caught doing something wrong. But the look in his eyes, and how he reached his hand out for me to take, nothing had ever felt so right.

Biting back a smile, I laced my fingers with his and let him lead me into his apartment. We walked over to his living room and sat on the two seater, facing each other.

"So," He said, scratching the back of his neck.

"So..." I mimicked, amused by his embarrassment. His cheeks were still flushed, and he looked so ridiculously cute sitting there, trying to break the awkwardness. "Talk to me, Aiden."

"God help me Avery, that's what I'm trying to do," He mumbled, causing me to laugh. "Okay, lets get this conversation out of the way so I can get back to kissing you," My laughter stopped, and I took a very shaky breath. Those words shook my soul, sending shivers down my spine.

I nodded, a lot more enthusiastically than I intended, and brought my legs up onto the sofa to get comfier.

"How did you and Mason meet?" He blurted, pulling my feet onto his lap. I raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged, "What? It's been eating me alive, how you ended up with him."

I laughed at this; "What do you mean by him? And haven't I already told you this?"

He scowled at me and shrugged, "Just answer the question. In detail."

"Well, when I first moved to L.A. one of the models I was working with was hosting a party and that's when we met at first. But we didn't really get to talk that much so it was more of a quick introduction and then we didnt see each other after. But then about a year later we met again and actually got a chance to talk and we exchanged numbers so we could keep in touch. We became pretty close, but our only form of communication was through texts because of our busy schedules and he wasnt even in L.A half the time, so our relationship was pretty platonic. I mean, every time he was in town, we'd link up and go grab some coffee or something. We had a few mutual friends, so we'd see each other at parties and stuff and then one thing led to another and the coffee link ups started to feel more like dates, and I guess once the paparazzi and the news tabloids got it in their heads that we were dating, we went along with it. It was kind of like an unspoken agreement if you ask me. Neither of us denied it and so it came to be." I explained, looking at Aiden's reaction. At first you could see how he was refraining from showing that he was jealous, but then his expression switched up and now he was staring at me in shock.

"Wait. So, you didn't even decide for yourself that you wanted to become a couple? You just left it in the hands of the paparazzi?" He looked baffled, and I cant really blame him. Now that I'm explaining it to him, it does sound pretty outrageous. Nothing that the old me would ever do.

"I mean, I guess we were both kind of using each other," I shrugged, only now realising it, "Me to get over you and him to hide the fact that he was gay, I guess at that time he wasn't ready to admit it to himself or anyone and he saw this as an opportunity to cover it up,"

"Hm, yeah I guess so. I mean I don't think I'm really in the position to judge since thats more or less what happened between Brooke and I. She labelled us a couple before discussing it with me and I just didn't deny it." Aiden said, leaning back into the couch and stretching his long legs out.

I nodded in agreement, "Wow we were really desperate to get in a relationship it seems," I joked causing him to chuckle. "But enough about Mason and Brooke, I haven't spoken to you in Five years, what else has happened over the years?"

"Well, Dad retired about Three years ago, stepping down from his role as CEO. Noah and I both became the new CEOs, but we were having too many petty conflicts in the office, so we decided to expand the firm. That's when I decided to move out here to Manhattan and Noah stayed back home in Gardenia. Now we've become more like business partners than just working together to do the same thing; he handles things there and I handle things here. I prefer it like this because now it feels like were both CEOs of our own companies than fighting for one title," Aiden explained, "It was really stressful at first, because it felt like we were starting off from scratch. But it was really exciting because it felt like I was working for my role, rather than just being handed it to me, you know?"

I smiled at him, "Well I'm really proud of that, from what it looks like it was a real success, huh? What with you being New York's Youngest Millionaire slash Eligible Bachelor as of late," I teased, quoting the headlines that have been filling the tabloids recently.

He groaned; "You saw those? They really don't waste their time, huh? The moment they found out that Brooke and I had broken up, I had paparazzi following me around and journalists throwing questions left, right and centre."

"Yeah I know how it feels," I said, before laughing, "Who would have thought there would be a day where we're complaining about nosy journalists and intrusive paparazzi?"

He laughed at this, "Oh my God, I never thought I would be considered a celebrity, sure my dad had been in the newspapers here and there, but never to this extent."

"It's probably because you're oh so young and good looking and have managed to capture the hearts of the entire female population," I mimicked the tabloids once again. Aiden smirked at me, with his one eyebrow raised.

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, Avery?" He asked, innocently.

This bitch. Who does he think he is.

"No. what do I need to be jealous of," I scoffed, crossing my arms and slumping back into the couch. "I'm just quoting what the people are saying,"

"Hmm, what the people are saying? So you dont think I'm young and good looking?" I stubbornly shook my head no, "I didn't...what was it again? Capture your heart?

I rolled my eyes, "No. That's too cringey for me, sorry. Besides, I tend not to follow the crowd; someone needs to deflate that big ego of yours."

It was his turn to roll his eyes; "Hey, I'm just quoting what you said."

"Oh for the love of God, those are not my words!" I snapped, glaring at him.

"Oh I see, you don't think I'm just good looking. So what am I then? Hot, sexy, charismatic, charming, handsome –" I threw a pillow at that big head of his to get him to shut up.

"Nah I think you're...alright." I looked him up and down and scrunched my nose in mock disgust, causing him to gasp dramatically.

"Just alright?"

"Just alright. I've seen better." I couldn't help myself, so I let out a little giggle. But before I could even react, he had thrown himself at me and began tickling me once again. "Aiden!" I shrieked, bursting out into a fit of laughter.

"Take it back, Avery." He murmured in my ear, causing me to involuntarily shiver. He smirked. "If I was just alright, I wouldn't be having this kind of an effect on you."

"What effect? You dont have an effect on me." I said, my cheeks heating up under his intense stare. It was a wrong move on my side, because a look of determination flashed across his face as he inched closer.

"Is that so? So your heart isn't beating faster when I come close to you? Your skin doesn't erupt in goosebumps when I touch it?" He trailed his long fingers along my collarbone and down my arm and the goosebumps followed in his path, "You dont shiver when I whisper in your ear? And when I kiss your neck..." he placed a small kiss on the crook of neck causing me to inhale sharply, "You don't inhale sharply?" I could hear the smile in his voice, and I turned to look at him. Our faces were so close, our noses practically touching. "It seems to me that I still have just as much as an effect on you as you do on me, Avery Maxwell,"

My whole body was on edge. And I both hated it and loved it at the same time.

I hated how, after all these years, he still has so much control over me. Like he just has to say or do anything, and I am at his feet in a heart beat.

But I loved it, because it's Aiden. If there is any one in this world that can make me feel this way, I would want it to be him.

He was waiting for me to make the next move. The ball was in my court. I knew if I didn't play my cards right now, then I would regret it for the rest of my life. Aiden had already told me that he wants to give us another shot, that day in Gardenia. But I was too scared, too scared of getting hurt.

But I am not going to lose this man to a stupid emotion such as fear. And so I lifted my chin and closed whatever gap there was between us, because Lord only knows that that small inch of space was the only thing stopping me from becoming his.

Aiden's breath hitched as soon as our lips touched, but any shock that he was feeling must have disappeared in a second because before I could react, he let out a soft growl, yanking me onto his lap so that now I was straddling him on the couch. The intensity of the kiss grew as the seconds passed, neither of us willing to break the spell we were in. Until finally, dizzy on lust, he picked me up and headed for his bedroom.

...

When I woke up in Aiden's arms the next morning, our naked bodies tangled in his sheets, I felt like the missing piece had just been added to my jigsaw puzzle of a heart. He looked so beautiful and serene as he slept there, his long lashes a curtain on his sharp cheekbones. I reached out to outline his eyebrows, an act that was so familiar that it felt like I had never stopped. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile as he snuggled deeper into my neck and I couldn't help but giggle when he placed a soft kiss on the spot above my collarbone. His smile widened and he finally opened his eyes, drinking me in. He had such a gentle look on his face, like he could not believe that it was really me next to him.

But he best believe it because I'm not moving anytime soon.

"Good morning Baby," He said, his voice deep and hoarse from just waking up. It sent shivers down my spine and I couldnt stop a big, fat, goofy grin from spreading across my face. I've missed hearing those words, that voice, first thing in the morning. It used to signal the start of my day, like an alarm clock. The first year after our break up, it was so hard. Like my day could just not start, almost like he had conditioned my brain to wake up at his words. And maybe it had. Because I couldn't function without them.

"Good morning to you too, Aid-" I started, but was interrupted by a loud knock on his bedroom door.

"Mr. McGregor? Are you okay? It's almost Ten Oclock and you haven't left to go to the office yet. Are you not going in today?" Hearing Alice's voice behind the door made me jolt away from him. My eyes widened as I looked at him in panic.

We hadn't yet discussed whether we'd make our relationship public, and Alice finding out could possibly risk that. The last thing I need is people back home ringing us up, demanding answers. I hadn't even spoked to Richard or Adriana since the wedding fiasco, a part of me was too scared to yet. And I knew once they find out, they'll try to fix amends. And as much as I want everything to go back to the way it was, I couldn't bring myself to face them yet.

And don't even get me started on Mhamó and my family. They'll plan our wedding before Aiden and I even think about it. I dont want to rush into this relationship with Aiden, to do things because that's what people expect. I want it to be just us, where we can build each others trust together, learn to love the new us – not the old us.

I wouldn't want us to get married just because it's familiar, and it's what should've happened. I want it to be because I love who he is now, and not just who he was before - back when he was my Aiden and I was his Avery. It has been Five years and we've both grown and changed over the years, so I want this new Aiden, whoever he is, to love me now the same way he did before. Because what happens if he realises he doesnt like this new person I've become?

Aiden raised an eyebrow at me before clearing his throat. "Yes Alice, I'm alright. I took the day off today and decided to sleep in a bit."

"Okay Sir, would you like me to prepare you some breakfast?" Grace asked, her voice changing from worry to what felt like...amusement?

"Yes please, Alice. That would be lovely, thank you."

"Of course," She said, ending the conversation. I let out a soft sigh of relief. She hadn't suspected a thing- "Avery, darling, would you like me to cut up some fruits for you too?"

Damn it.

I shot Aiden a panicked look and he just smirked back at me, somehow amused by the situation of Alice catching us. I coughed awkwardly, "Uhm, yes please Alice. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Avery." I could hear the laughter in her voice as her footsteps retreated from the door. Aiden took one look at me before cracking up.

"It's not funny, Aiden."

"Well, the look on your face is." He chuckled, tugging me back to him, "What's got you so worked up?"

"I dont know. I just, we haven't discussed if we want people to know about us or not."

"Avery, as long as I'm yours and you're mine, I couldn't care less who knows about us." He said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I just, I want to get to know the new Aiden, to fall in love with the new Aiden. Not just the one I used to know before. And if our families back home find out about us, they'll rush us into things and I just, I don't know Aiden. I don't want to make any mistakes this time, I dont want to end up losing you again."

"Baby you're not going to lose me now. There is literally nothing that can separate us now that I've got you back. But I understand what you mean. Mhamó and Myla, well everyone really, they'll all have these expectations of us. And there's still tension between my family and you. I want them to earn your trust back because they love you, and not just because I do. Likewise, I could never ask you to forgive them and move on when you're not ready to."

My breath hitched as I realised, he indirectly said he loves me. Call me a love-obsessed teenager, but I was squealing inside.

Realising that I haven't spoken yet, I nodded. "Thank you, Aiden. For understanding. It's not that I dont want anyone to know. I just don't want the people back home knowing. At least not yet."

He nods in agreement before giving me a quick peck on the forehead, "Alright, let's not keep Grace waiting then." He said, getting up and pulling his boxers on.

I groaned into the pillow, not wanting to leave this warm bed that smelled deliciously like him.

"Come on, we could even take a shower together, you know, save water and that." He smirked, leaning against the doorway of his bathroom. I looked up at him, standing there like a Greek-God. His arms were crossed over his chest, making his biceps look thrice their size, and his mouth-watering abs...I snapped out of it. This cocky bastard.

"Don't think you can seduce me to get out of bed, Aiden McGregor. I have some self-control," Although, deep down I knew that it was taking me all the strength in the world not to run up to him and take him up on that offer.

"Hey, it was more of a selfish offer really. But by the time we finish, my breakfast might become cold, so we'd better not." He winked, implying the length of our "shower".

I scowled at the teasing look on his face, before rolling out of bed myself and walking up to him. His eyes darkened and his teasing smirk slowly dropped as I inched closer to him. I smiled cheekily, knowing full well that it was cause I hadn't bothered to cover up. "That's too bad," I whispered, tracing the outline of his neck down to his chest, tilting my head up so my face was less than an inch from his, "I was just about to take you up on your offer,". And with that said, I grabbed the towel that was hanging on the hook behind him before legging it back to my room, laughing as I heard him let out a loud, frustrated groan.

"You're gonna pay for that, Avery Maxwell," He called, before I heard his bathroom door click shut. I giggled as I entered my own bathroom, knowing that he would, in fact, make me pay for teasing him like that.

And I couldn't wait.

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