TouchStone for ever (The Story of Us Trilogy) (35 page)

He’s becoming
irritated. “Beth, your fate was inextricably linked with Ayden Stone and Elise
Richards and, by association, Dan Rizler. If I hadn’t intervened he would have
gotten to you earlier. I wasn’t prepared to let that happen.”

“So when should we
have met?” I snap at him.

“I don’t recall.” He
turns to leave.

I grab his arm.
“That’s a lie. You recall everything.”

“Why do you want to
know? What does it matter?” he asks angrily.

I can’t conceal my
disappointment. “It matters to me!”

“Why?”

I call out, “Because
I spent all those years alone, waiting, when we could have been together!”

He turns to face me,
removes my hand from his arm and places two strong hands on my shoulders in an
attempt to calm me. “Look, your honesty and your goodness makes you vulnerable,
Beth. Those kind of qualities endeared people to you but you were bound to
suffer as a consequence. You’ve spent your whole life putting other before
yourself; your mother, your father, your friends and your husband. You’ve
forgone so much for them and for love. When will you learn to hold back, to see
this cruel world through my eyes, and to find strength from weakness?

I shake my head.
“Never! I may be a sorry excuse for a human being but I won’t change and become
contemptuous like you. If I see goodness, it’s because it’s there. I don’t
imagine it. I won’t change. Not even for you.” I shake free of his arms and walk
away. He doesn’t attempt to call  me back.

I fall down onto the
enormous bed, bury my head in my hands and cry for all the nights spent in the
arms of a stranger, and for the safe return of the only man I have ever loved.
I’m brought back to reality by the sound of footsteps.

Ayden appears in the
doorway. “Jake is parking. Go and tidy yourself while I greet him.”  He kisses
my moist cheek and leaves in a hurry. “We’ll need to present a united front to
deal with this.”

He’s right.
Thankfully our luggage has been left here and I have access to an array of
cosmetics. I cleanse my face and splash it with cold water. A cold compress
removes the redness from my eyes and a decent foundation covers a multitude of
blemishes. My tan gives my face a healthy glow and I can disguise the rest. In
ten minutes I am transformed. I slip on a pair of jeans and a red sweater,
throw a scarf around my neck and head for the lift.

When I step into the
lounge mistrust is thick in the air. The two of them are sitting across from
each other, barely speaking and engaging in what resembles a staring contest.

I breeze into the
room. “So, what did I miss?” Jake rises and comes across the room to greet me.
“Hello, beautiful. Nice to see you got yourself an even tan.” He kisses my cheek.

I giggle at his
suggestion. “Yes we both had fun in the sun. Can I get you a drink? “

“No, thanks. We are
sampling something from the wine cellar, apparently.” Jake gives me a wink and
nods in Ayden’s direction. 

“I might join you.” I
reach for the bottle of Chateau Le Pin Pomerol 1999. “Looks expensive.”

“It is,” Ayden calls
out. “Bring the bottle over, Beth, and join us.”

I do just that and
sit next to him. He takes my hand, warms my knuckles with a kiss and returns
them to me. I’m sitting prim and proper, waiting for the bomb to go off. Taking
the initiative, I light the fuse.

“So how did your date
go with Charlie?” I ask, cheerfully. “I haven’t heard from her yet.”

Jake grins and raises
his glass. “No news is good news, right?”

I raise my glass. “That’s
what they say.” Ayden is bringing nothing to the conversation other than a
winning smile. I suspect he’s reading Jake’s thoughts in preparation for his
onslaught.

“Charlie was showing
me some pictures you sent her, holiday snaps, that kind of thing. You both
looked great, but …”

Here it comes …

“…what I don’t get is
how you covered so many miles in such a short time. You wanna explain that to
me?”

“Sure.” Ayden puts
down his glass. “I had them photo-shopped.”

Jake throws back his
wine. “Fuck me! Why would you do that? It was your honeymoon.”

Ayden draws him in.
“Public relations. Once word gets out we secretly went to the mountains and
Sydney Opera House, businesses will be clamouring to get a piece of us.”

Piece of us?

I turn to face him,
surprised by his line of defence.

“Josh is putting a
piece together for us. It’ll go out to four magazines next week. Some photos
have already been leaked.” Ayden stops speaking and reaches for the bottle of
wine. “This is worth every penny,” he declares, topping up our glasses.

Jake isn’t convinced.
“And when did you decide to go all Posh and Becks? I thought you wanted to
remain in the background, Ayd? That’s the way you’ve always played it; quiet
but fucking deadly.”

Ayden reaches for my
hand and slips it between his until it’s concealed by masculine fingers. Only
his wedding ring remains visible in the neat bundle. “Since I had this
beautiful wife to show off.”

Jake throws me a
wink. “I won’t argue with that. And what about you, Beth? Are you happy to be
the Belle of the ball?”

I construct my lie.
“Why not? I got to wear that red dress you bought me, didn’t I?”

He laughs out loud.
“Now that’s a picture I would pay to see.” He turns to Ayden. “Although I’d
have to fold the page back on your side, Ayd. Wouldn’t want you ruining a good
picture now would we?”

Ayden isn’t amused.
Why would he be? He doesn’t feel the brotherly bond they have established over
20 years.

I take a long sip.
“Would you prefer if I left the room so you two could talk about me privately?”

Sensing my
embarrassment or prompted by jealousy, Ayden redirects the conversation. “No,
we’ve finished, darling. You won’t be the topic of any further conversations
with Jake today.”

With the wine taking
effect, Jake sniggers. “What’s with the darling? Who the fuck says that these
days?”

Ayden takes offense.
“
I
do apparently.”

“You’ve been watching
too many black and whites. Either that or you’re getting old, Ayd.”

Ayden stands, picks
up the empty bottle of wine and glares at it. “Unfortunately, you’re wrong on
both counts, Jake.”

Jake, leans back on
the sofa. “Aren’t we opening another bottle to celebrate?”

“To celebrate what,
exactly?” asks Ayden.

“You getting the girl
you always wanted.” He stands and raises his glass. ”Let’s drink to that. They
say a girl has to kiss a lot of frogs before she finds her prince, but our Beth
here is the exception. I raise my glass to you,
darling
.” He throws back
the remnants of his wine in two noisy gulps.

Before things get out
of hand I intervene by taking Jake’s arm and leading him over to the lift.
“You’re in no state to drive. Let me get Lester to drive you home.”

He’s laughing. “I’ve
had two glasses of wine, Beth. I’m fine. I think it’s Ayd who needs to loosen
up.” He spins around to face him. “You’ve got a Board meeting at 9 a.m.
tomorrow. The honeymoon’s over my friend. It’s business as usual from now on.”

Seeing the sense in
his words, Ayden nods his head and winks. “Don’t start without me,” he orders,
semi-seriously.

Jake smiles, relieved
to witness his return. “I wouldn’t think of it. It’s good to have you back.” He
raises my hand to his mouth and plants a noisy kiss on it. “No need to come
down. I can find my own way out.”

Feeling forsaken I
watch him descend, waving behind frosted glass. With his departure leaves any
sense of reality. I feel an ominous conversation brewing up here in adventure
land.

I
stood
facing the lift for longer than I should have. I must have looked like a
prisoner planning an escape. Now Ayden is opening another bottle of vintage
wine and pouring out two large glasses, but something tells me, the alcohol
will not be sufficient to deaden the pain of what he’s about to divulge.

Taking a glass from
his hand I sit next to him, responding to a silent invitation. Outside, the
midday sun is trying its hardest to shine but the winter storm clouds are
gathering and there’s the threat of more rain. They make for a sombre sight.

“Do the storm clouds
bother you?” Ayden asks, reading my thoughts.

I offer a flat smile.
“Not especially. I’d forgotten how dark it is here. We’ve been spoilt by all
that tropical sunshine.”

“Yes. It was
beautiful.”

He takes my glass
from me and places it next to his on the coffee table, leaving the wine to
reflect in the glass beneath. I feel a strong left arm about my shoulders
pulling me close and respond by kicking off my shoes and snuggling next to him.

“It’s time,” he says,
so softly it’s barely a whisper.

I place my hand over
his tie. “It was never going to be six months was it?”

He shakes his head
sluggishly. “No.”

“And have you made a
decision?” I ask as my heart begins to race.

“I have.” He folds
his right arm across my body, wrapping me so tightly in his embrace I can
hardly breathe. The heat of his heaving chest radiates from his core and causes
my cheek to glow. “I can’t let you go, Beth.”

Unsure of what that
means, I lean back, taking his sculptured face in my left hand. “I don’t
understand.”

“I owe you a great
debt of gratitude for what you have taught me in the time we have been
together.” He releases his grip and I watch him speak, using words that are
reflective and considered. “I came here a mere shell of a man, lost to the
world. I had been around death for so long, and it took you to show me the
beauty of life. You have taught me what it is to love and how an existence is
of no consequence without it. Every emotion you have introduced me to I have
named and can identify as one might stars in the sky. I have witnessed that
ripple we spoke of on an endless sea and watched as it has become a wave of consciousness,
ebbing and flowing like the tide. Such is the impression have you made on me,
but I cannot stay one more night.”

“Where will you go?”
I ask softly.

He forces a smile.
“Anywhere. There is much to be done and still so many things to see. The universe
is vast and infinite.”

“I can imagine.”

He strokes my hair,
lovingly feeling the texture of every strand. “You’ve had merely a glimpse of
it. Wouldn’t you like to see more?”

I’m not sure where
this conversation is going but I detect an insidious inflection that’s causing
me to perspire. “One day perhaps. Right now I’m just happy to be home.” I look
into the eyes of the man I love for some kind of sign, but all I see is myself
reflected in shimmering cerulean orbs. “You’re not bringing him back are you?” I
ask, feeling an ache so deep in my heart I think it might break my body in two.  

He asks me squarely,
“Is that what you want?”

I wipe away a stray
tear. “I want … I want the man I married to live his life to the fullest, with
me. Yes.”

“And do you value
his
life more than your own?” he asks, tenderness fading from his eyes like
smoke caught in a draft.

 “I value our love
and everything I have done has been for that. Haven’t I done what you’ve asked
of me? You asked for the impossible and I gave you my love and my body and …”

“This is true,” he
says, mocking the memory of the man he’s impersonating. “But I want
more.”

“What more can I
give?” I ask, intimidated by the menacing nature of his demand. “When did you
decide this?”

“When I fell in love
with you, Beth.”
He caresses my cheek and finds my
lips with his.

I can’t respond. I’m
numb with fear. I seek out his eyes with mine. “But I thought you said you
couldn’t stay. That you had to leave.”

“I do.”

Disappointed and
saddened I turn away. “I see it now. You have wooed me with your omnipotence
and it has been wondrous, I confess. But there’s more to you than meets the
eye.” I see him for what he is. “You said you never lied but even
that
was a lie. You falling in love with me is a lie.”

He’s shaking his
head.

Still defiant, I
continue, “I’m a fool to ever have trusted you. Underneath that handsome
exterior is a soulless bastard.”

He floors me with a
fierce stare. “Careful, Beth.”

“I thought you were
an angel, a messenger from God, a guardian offering protection but you’re
nothing of the sort. You’re the Dark Prince. Everything you have done has been
out of selfishness with no regard for my feelings. All pretence.”

He pushes me away
from him. “That’s not true,” he calls out. “I have given you everything.”

“It wasn’t yours to
give!” I cry to the heavens above. “This house, the clothes you wear, the
business. They’re all Ayden’s. Even me.” Through streaming tears I laugh
scornfully. “You’ve stolen everything but now there’s nothing left to steal.
You can’t hurt me. You’ve already stolen what matters most to me: my husband
and my heart. You bastard! You made me fall for you!”

I stand and try to
leave but he holds up his hand and I can’t move.

“Wait! I can give you
more, Beth,” he implores. “More than material possessions; more than the moon
and the stars; I can offer you eternity. We’ll have new adventures and live
forever!” He stops shouting and modulates his voice until it becomes almost
muted. “You’re a born fighter, Beth. I have watched you battle your way through
grief and disappointment; loneliness and despair. You can do this.”

I bow my head seeking
atonement for my sins. “I don’t think you realise what you’re asking me to do.
What do you expect me to say?”

He stands inches
away, tipping up my chin with his forefinger. “That you choose me, my darling.”
He moves away to the side, leaving me motionless and shattered. Set against the
backdrop of a darkening sky he stands tall and proud, sipping wine while I
picture the pieces of my broken heart falling about me like rose petals.

I muster every ounce
of strength I have and channel it into my voice. “What do you want from me?”

Turing slowly until
his profile transposes into a handsome visage, he declares. “Your life, Beth.”

I stifle a horrified
gasp and tilt up my chin. “What’s my motivation?” I ask, holding onto my
husband’s memory like a lifeline.

“What motivation do
you need?” he asks fiendishly.

“You must promise me
you’ll bring Ayden back and that he’ll be healthy and allowed to live a long
life.”

“I can do that,” he
says without a moment’s hesitation. “Anything else?”

I stretch out my
hand. “You have to give me my mother’s ring back and allow me time to say
goodbye to those I love.”

“Of course.” He
reaches into his inside pocket and retrieves my ring. In four paces he is
beside me again. “Here, let me put it on for you.” He holds out my right hand
and slides the ring down onto my third finger like a mock engagement.

I sneer and turn away
but, feeling his body moving into mine, I turn to face him. “If I ask you
something, will you answer me truthfully?”

He eyes me curiously.
“I will.”

“Did you cause
Elise’s death by crashing into the car after it had been brought under
control?”

He sniggers. “You are
as astute as you are beautiful, Beth.
That
was a minor detail our
Detective Inspector regretfully brought to your attention.”

I can’t conceal my
disgust. “But why?”

“It was only a matter
of time until I came for Elise. I arrived early and seized the opportunity to
rescue
your husband.” He takes hold of my hand. “I could never have gotten this close
to you any other way.” He runs his thumb over my wedding ring.

“But you said Ayden
was dead,” I state anxiously.

“No,” he asserts,
steadying his nerve. “I said your husband was
close
to death when I
arrived. That’s not quite the same thing.”

My heart leaps. 
Tears prick my eyes.  “So he’s not dead?”

“As I have said many
times, he is merely
sleeping.”

 That news causes a
colossal wave of joy to sweep through me. If I can do nothing else I can
guarantee Ayden will get to live the life he deserves. I reach down to my wine
and take two large slugs in the hope they will give me the courage I need to
see this adventure through to its bitter end.

“There’s something I
have to do.” I carry my wine over to the kitchen counter and place it there
next to my laptop patiently waiting to be woken from its sleep. I tap in my
password and close my eyes, unable to face Ayden at such a mournful time. I
click on my digital scrapbook and begin to type my farewell note.

Ayden,

I have added this special
song. I hope you like it. I know I’ve sent you many before but this means so
much to me. The words spell out how I feel … 

I attach
Hurt
by Christina Aguilera in the hope I might be forgiven for sending him away when
all he wanted to do was love me.

I’m not sure when
you’ll get to read through our honeymoon scrapbook but I mean every …

Just as I’m about to
press the next key I hear my phone ringing. I make a dash for my bag by the
sofa and reach for it before it stops. I smile seeing it’s Charlie. She must be
itching to tell me about her night with Jake. I press receive to take her call.

“Hi Char.”

“Hey, Beth. When did
you get back?” She sounds as if she’s eating something.

“This morning early,
but we slept on the plane. I suppose the jet lag will hit me in a couple of
hours. How are you?”

“Yeah. It’ll take you
a couple of days to get over it, hon. I’m good. I’ve just stepped out of my
office to stretch my legs and get some lunch. I was wondering if Ayden heard
from Jake.” She’s dying to tell me all about their night out.

I watch Ayden move
from the sofa towards the kitchen in search of more wine.

“Yes, Jake came round
earlier. He seemed in a very good mood. Did you have anything to do with that?”
I’m feigning cheerful laughter and covering my mouth to conceal my misery. I
want to say,
I have to leave and I love you, don’t grieve for me; please
tell Ayden I love him more than life itself and I’m sorry, but …
instead I
wipe the tears from my eyes and listen as she regales her night of passion. I
punctuate her ecstatic tale with. “wow” and “no way” and turn to see Ayden
standing by the counter scrolling through my most private of thoughts so
tenderly composed to my one and only love.

“Oh God!” I call out,
instinctively. “Look Char, can I call you back? I’ve left the bath running.
I’ll speak to you later.” I’m about to end the call and think better of it.
“Charlie, Charlie…”

“I’m still here, hon.
Shit! I just dropped mayo on my skirt.”

I stand and move
towards Ayden. “I just want to say thanks for everything, you know, for being
the best sister ever. That’s all. Love ya.”

“You too hon. Call me
back when the fire brigade leaves.” She’s laughing down the line.

With her laugher
still ringing in my ears I end the call. I speak softly.  “Ayden…”

He continues reading
and merely holds up his right hand to silence me.

I reach out for the
laptop but he moves it away, leaving me no alternative other than to plead with
him. I beseech him, “Please don’t read any more …”

He turns to face me.
I watch as his expression darkens; the accommodating smile of ten minutes ago
has been replaced by a hard, unyielding stare.  I swallow hard, stunned by his
transformation. I’ve seen this wrathful face before.

His temper flares and
catches alight like a forest fire; his body tenses, his eyes flash with so much
ferocity I take a step back.

Dear God no!

“You have been
keeping a diary, I see…”

He might have
delivered his question through a punch for the damage he’s inflicted on me. “I
had to. I didn’t want my husband to return to me having no recollection of our
marriage or our honeymoon.” Still reeling, I feel a single tear fall from my
right eye and trickle to my chin before I have time to catch it.

“You said if and when
he returns he may not remember me, the times we’ve had or, worse still, his
love for me. I couldn’t risk that. I had to let him know what our honeymoon
meant to me and what we’d experienced was real. Not a dream or a figment of his
imagination. Being no more than a ghost would have been too much to bear.”