High Stakes (A Deal With The Devil)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Aiden

“Honestly, it’s amazing, Raff. The views, the country girls.”

JP is going on about his recent visit to Scotland. It was so amazing they extended their stay and had five days instead of the two they were originally going for.

“Any chance you could get on with restocking the coolers instead of gossiping like a girl?” I snap. “Who the hell are you, talking about views? You sound like a pussy.” I scowl .

“Why are you at the bar anyway?” he mutters, grabbing a box of Bud off the bar and opening the fridge.

“I can work where I want,” I snap, scanning my eyes over the accounts book for the bakery. I don’t tell him it’s because I’m itching to know all about Bella and what she’s doing these days.

“Ignore him,” says Raff, “he’s been moody over anything Bella related.”

I scoff, “Whatever,” I mutter. “I’m not moody over these accounts, the place is running a tidy profit.” I smirk, “In fact, I’m regretting not taking it all.”

“She’s worked hard for that place, man,” JP mutters.

“Where is she now, JP? Not working her backside off in the shop. She’s ran off and left someone else in charge.”

I gather my paperwork and head for the office, JP is ruining my vibe, and I’ve come up with an idea . . . one that means I have an excuse to speak to Bella.

I sit at my desk and dial her number. After four rings the line connects. I hear a scuffling and a giggle, her giggle . My heart beats a little faster. Eventually she speaks. “Don’t hang up, one second.” She’s laughing. I wait patiently listening to any sounds that give me a clue to her new life. “Hello,” she finally says, sounding out of breath.

“Hey Bella, it’s Aiden.” It satisfies me to hear her sharp intake of breath. I still affect her .

“Oh, Hi.”

“I’ve just been looking over the books for the shop, it’s doing really well.”

“Erm, yeah it is, Guy’s doing a fantastic job at running it.”

“So, I was thinking. You were right before; I should take it all on.” There’s a pause and I wait to see how she’ll react. I miss our heated fights.

“Aiden, you can’t do that. I need that income. I didn’t fight you before because I felt guilty, but I will fight you on this,” she says clearly and calmly.

I can imagine that she’s pacing, panicking and trying to find all the reasons to convince me not to do this. “It was my money that paid for it,” I remind her with a smirk on my face.

“You gave the money to me. I’ve come to rely on that extra income, Aiden. You can’t just take my business,” she snaps.

“The business you paid for with my money. I could tell a judge I loaned you that in good faith. There’s a clear paper trail from my account to yours. A small claims court would cost you a fortune in fees, which you’d have to pay should I win.”

She falls silent for a few seconds. “Aiden, please don’t do this to me. You have the clubs and a bar and half of my shop. I have nothing if you take the rest. You don’t need to do this. At least offer me a fair price.”

I scoff. “I already paid. It’s just business, Bella. Nothing personal. Besides, Laurie had the baby. I’m waiting on the results, but if he’s mine, I’ll need the extra money to pay towards my sons’ upkeep.” I don’t know why I say it. It must hurt her since she lost our baby, but it flows out of my mouth before I can talk sense into my brain.

“Congratulations,” she mutters, “Considering you didn’t want a kid you’re pretty keen on stepping up.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want a kid, Isabella, I said I didn’t want one with you.”

“Jesus Aiden, do you sit and practice nasty lines to throw at me? Were you bored so you thought to yourself, I’ll give my ex a call seeing as I hate her so damn much, and I’ll throw some shit at her to ruin her fucking day. Well, mission accomplished, you’ve ruined my day so well done you. You aren’t having the business, I need it. So, take me to every court in the world, the answer won’t change. I moved away, I gave you half, I left my friends and still you want to destroy me.”

“Bella, calm down, think about your blood pressure.” I hear a male’s voice and my skin prickles. Is she ill? She covers the mouthpiece, so I can’t hear what’s being said, and then she comes back on the line, “Aiden, I have to go. ”

“Have you moved on, Bella?” I find myself asking. I close my eyes, waiting for the answer.

“I’m happy here, Aiden, and I won’t be coming back, so you can relax. Good luck with Laurie and the baby, I hope it’s the outcome you want. See you in court.” She disconnects the call.

I stare at my mobile with my heart twisting painfully. I’d never really thought about Bella never coming back.

My mobile vibrates across the polished desk, making a loud humming sound. It’s the doctor. I snatch the phone up and connect the call. “Aiden, I have your results in. Congratulations, you’ve had a lucky escape, he isn’t yours.”

Relief floods my body and a weight lifts from my shoulders. I release a long breath, Thanks, Doc. Can you email me the results so I can forward them to Laurie.”

I pull the results up and call Laurie. “Hey gorgeous,” she purrs, and I roll my eyes, motherhood hasn’t changed her.

“Laurie, he’s not mine.”

She lets out a frustrated cry and I move the receiver from my ear on a wince. It’s clearly not the news she was hoping for. “He has to be, he looks just like you. ”

“I’ve sent the results to your email, Laurie. He isn’t mine. I suggest you concentrate on being a good mum and sorting your marriage out.”

She begins to sob, “Can I still see you?”

“No Laurie, I’ve moved on. We need to accept that we were over years ago. It was sex and nothing more.” She hangs up on me. That’s two women I’ve upset in one day, I’m on a roll.

I send a text to Bella.

Me: Good news, the baby isn’t mine. Keep your share of the business. It was good to hear your voice, Bella. I’ve missed you yelling at me. Aiden x

I wait for her reply, it comes a few minutes later.

Bella: I’m sad you are so full of hate. You could be happy, but you choose not to be. Take care.

Bella’s right. It’s time to let go of the hate and move forward. Her and Laurie are out of my life. Maybe I need to find someone that will make me happy.

Later, When I tell Raff my plans to start dating, they laugh so much, they hold on to each other. I roll my eyes. “Fuck off. I can do this; it can’t be that hard. ”

“You realise you have to stay faithful, you can’t be having orgies or other dates,” says Raff.

“And the dating app he signed up to was used purely for hook ups,” JP reminds him.

“If she’s the right one I won’t want to cheat, will I?”

JP nods. “That’s true, I don’t want to cheat on Aria.” Raff throws a dish towel at him.

“That’s because you’re scared of the nutter,” I laugh, and Raff high fives me.

Bella

It’s official, I hate pregnancy. I’m seven months gone, and already I’m finding it hard. I can’t sleep, and I constantly feel like my insides are being shoved out of my vagina. I’m grumpy and fed up, and the only bonus to it all, is that the winter weather is so cold I’m not overheating.

The middle of the night is when the baby dino always likes to play, and so I find myself taking a short walk through the empty village to try and wear myself out. It’s two in the morning and the only sounds I can hear in the street are animals that surround us in the fields.

After ten minutes I decide to turn back. The dino is much calmer.

I get to my gate when I hear my name. I notice Grant sticking his head out of his bedroom window and smile. I head over to his gate. “What are you doing, you crazy woman?”

“I can’t sleep again; I thought a walk would help.”

“Must be something in the air, me either. Come in, I’ll make us some cocoa.”

I wait at the door, and he eventually opens it, pulling me inside. “Mrs. Bennett will be gossiping if she sees you sneaking into the doctors house in the wee hours,” he grins mischievously.

“They’ll think you got me in this state,” I tease pointing to my swollen stomach.

He unbuttons my coat, hanging it next to the door. “That beats the rumours that I’m gay.”

“Yeah, I heard that one, it makes no difference to me though.”

Grant looks at me blankly. “Bella, you know I’m not gay right?” he asks, and I shrug, “I’m not gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but it’s not for me. A man can’t possibly just be single these days,” he says with a huff.

“Well in a small village like this people will wonder. A good-looking doctor with no interest in the local women, it raises questions,” I say. I sit at his breakfast bar whilst he pours milk into a saucepan.

“I was married. She died,” he says quietly .

“Oh, crap Grant, I am so sorry. It’s none of my business.”

He turns the gas on the stove up and places the pan down. “We married at eighteen. She was my childhood sweetheart. She died five years ago after a short illness. I came here to be alone. I don’t want to find love because she was it for me, so I found this small village that needed a GP.” He pours the milk over the cocoa and gives it a stir. “What about you?” he asks sitting down.

“I met Aiden through my dad. I fell in love, and he hurt me. He isn’t ready for babies or settling down and I didn’t want him to feel obliged, so I came here. He doesn’t know about the baby, and I don’t plan on telling him. Single parents raise babies all of the time.”

He nods. “That they do Bella, that they do. Don’t you ever get lonely though?”

I think over his question, before shaking my head. “No, never. This village is the best. I’ve got you and Blair. Brook. All of the locals really. And even if you were all busy, I know I could just go into the local pub and find someone to chat to.” I take a sip and close my eyes in delight as the smooth chocolate warms my insides. “Do you get lonely?”

He nods. “All of the time. I miss her so much. And I miss the little things we did together like lying in bed on a Sunday morning reading the newspapers. Enjoying a glass of wine in the garden together and debriefing about our day.”

I never really had that with Aiden. We argued and had sex, and I can only recall a few times when we lay in bed chatting. It makes me feel sad that we never really got that far. I won’t have any good tales to tell my child about his or her father. “Well, I can drink wine in the garden once this dinosaur is born,” I say with a smile, “And I’m always free to chat, Grant, don’t be alone. I know it’s not the same.”

Aiden

Dating has been interesting. And using the app was not the best idea. Firstly, I discovered there are a lot of liars out there catfishing people. Secondly, there are way too many unstable people in the world and that damn app gives them the perfect opportunity to meet unsuspecting people. So, when JP suggested I meet his old college friend, Jenifer, I was a little wary. But it turns out, she’s normal. And to my relief, she’s exactly my type looks wise too.

We’ve been on four dates, and I’ve managed to keep my hands to myself and be the perfect gentleman. A first for me if you don’t count Bella. We’ve even been to the cinema, something I haven’t done since school. And I’m enjoying it. I don’t know why I didn’t try it before. She also confided that she’s looking for a career change after working years in a sandwich deli, and rather than ignore it, I took action, offering her a non-existent position at the bakery.

So, on Monday morning, I drop by to find Aria whipping up something in a large bowl. She sighs when she spots me. “What?”

“What time does he turn up to open?” I ask.

“He’s coming in late today, why?”

It irritates me that he’s not open like Aria. “I’ve hired an apprentice. Get him to call me when he decides to show up.” I head for the door.

“What? You can’t just hire someone, that’s a joint decision for you and Bella to make,” she argues.

I round on her, irritated she’s questioning me. “Does Bella know he’s not opening up on time?” I snap.

“Does she know about your apprentice?”

“She doesn’t need to know because I own half of the shop, Aria,” I shout. “But I could always have a drive up to Scotland to ask her face to face if you like?” I know this will shut her up because for some reason, she doesn’t want me to know about Bella’s new life all of a sudden.

“Who is this person anyway, how do you know them and do they have experience at all?”

I check my watch, “She’s almost here, you can ask her yourself. ”

“A woman?” she says with a sigh.

Guy and Jenifer arrive together a few minutes later. “Guy, just in time. Meet your new apprentice, Jenifer.” I say with a grin.

He looks at Aria confused. Jenifer comes straight to me, and I wrap an arm around her shoulders and kiss her on the side of her head.

“Oh my god, is this your latest fuck?” Aria asks.

“You’re being rude,” I snap. “And for the record, this has nothing to do with you.”

“This isn’t going to happen,” she snaps. “No offence Jenifer,” she adds, “But I know him, and he’ll get bored. Where will that leave Guy?”

I tug Jen closer, trying to reassure her. “Ignore her, she’s bitter and twisted,” I tell her.

“Is Bella okay with this?” asks Guy.

“I’ll smooth things with Bella but as part owner, this is my decision. And it’s final.”

I spend the rest of the day in meetings, and so I don’t get the chance to call Bella. I don’t feel bad about it. It’s been months and I’ve herd nothing from her. She’s clearly happy in Scotland and we’ve all moved on. I just need to convince Aria to back off.

When I arrive at the shop to pick Jen up, there’s an atmosphere. Guy avoids my eye, as he packs cakes away into boxes. Aria is resting her hip against the counter with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. And Jen looks ready to burst into tears.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, as Jen slips her coat on and heads towards me.

“It’s not going to work out for me here, Aiden. But thanks for the chance,” she says quietly. Aria gives me a smug smile.

“Don’t you like the baking side of things?” I push.

“It’s not that,” she mutters.

“Guy, what happened?” I demand.

“I guess it’s just awkward for the girls,” he says, shrugging.

“Did you have a problem with Jen working with you today?” I ask, and he shakes his head. I turn to Aria, “So you have the problem?”

“Yes Aiden, yes, I do have a problem. You screwed over my best friend and now you bring your fuck of the week to work in her shop,” she snaps.

I grab her by the top of her arm, and she starts yelling abuse at me. My large frame maneuver's hers without a problem, and I shove her through to her own shop. “If you carry on with these antics, I’ll brick this door up. This business is nothing to do with you. Stay the fuck out my shop.” I slam the door in her face.

I turn to Guy, “I’m the boss. Jen is staying. If there are any more problems, the door goes. Understand?”

Guy nods and gives Jen a smile, “See you tomorrow.”

Jen is quiet on the journey back to mine. I take her hand. “Sorry for losing it back there. Aria drives me insane sometimes,” I explain.

“Are you doing this to upset your ex?” she asks.

I take a minute to think about her question. “No,” I reply honestly. “I just wanted to help you out. If you don’t want to be there you don’t have to stay.”

“I do, it’s just Aria doesn’t like me.”

“Aria doesn’t like anyone.”

“She said you treated your ex really badly and that you’re going to hurt me.”

“Aria needs to keep her nose out. Bella lied to me, and I dumped her, end of. Aria’s only pissed because Bella moved away and she blames me for that, when in actual fact, it was her own decision.”

I stop the car outside the club. I can feel Jen watching me closely, I turn to her, and she sighs, “It’s just you haven’t made any move on me yet, I was wondering if it’s because you still love her?”

“I didn’t love her in the first place. It was just sex. I don’t want that with you, I want to get to know you properly. Do things right.” The lie burns my chest, but I don’t want Jen to worry about me and Bella when that’s not the issue.

Jen leans in for a kiss and I happily oblige. She wraps her hands around the back of my neck and deepens it, flitting her tongue against mine, teasing me. She climbs over to me, not breaking the kiss, and sits in my lap before I can pull away. “Fuck getting it right,” she whispers with a smile, rubbing against me.

My chest tightens and I feel enclosed, like it’s all too much. Her rubbing against me and kissing me like I’m her last meal, doesn’t feel right and this isn’t the first time it’s happened. My cock stays in its sleepy state and I pull back slightly, gently placing my hands on her shoulders and offering a weak smile. She sighs in defeat, already knowing this will end in rejection. “Slow down,” I say, keeping my tone light so I don’t offend her. I brush a thumb over her cheek and smile, “I need to do this right.” She rolls her eyes, falling back into her seat beside me.

I’m saved when my mobile begins to vibrate in my pocket. “Sorry,” I mutter, as I pull it out, “I need to take this.”

I don’t even check the caller display before I answer, happy for the excuse to escape this awkwardness. “How dare you make decisions like hiring a fucking apprentice without speaking to me,” Bella yells.

I pull it away from my ear, wincing. “Bella,” I say with a false enthusiasm. “I was going to call.”

“But as usual you decided to go into cunt mode and make all your own decisions without thinking about the business.”

“I think you’ll find I was thinking completely about the business. An extra pair of hands is going to help us make more orders. You left leaving us a person down.”

“Bullshit,” she cries, “I managed the shop completely alone and I was doing just fine. For once in your selfish life admit the truth. You do this shit to get a rise from me.”

“Believe it or not, Bella, this isn’t about you.”

“We don’t need an apprentice. Especially not one that you’ll dump in a week because you’ve found a prettier one.”

I look over at Jenifer, who’s staring straight ahead, clearly able to hear every word. “Jen is different,” I say, and Jenifer glances at me, “I’m doing it right with her.” She gives me a small smile.

“What?” Bella snaps, and I’m not sure if she didn’t hear me or she’s just shocked .

“Me and Jen are serious.”

There’s silence from Bella’s end, and then she scoffs. “Well, congratulations, Aiden. Congratu-fucking-lations!” she says sarcastically before disconnecting the call.