Second to Cry (31 page)

Flipping on the radio, the usual melodic malaise of a country song filled the car, the soft twang now irritating Aiden’s ears. He groaned and flipped the switch for something more suited to his new-found state of mind. He settled on some 80s rock and smiled with satisfaction.

Aiden was still wearing a smile as he pulled up onto the drive of his Avalon home, though his body prickled with an uneasy sense of anticipation. He paused for a moment, bracing himself, knowing that once he passed through the front door he would be having one of the most uncomfortable conversations of his entire adult life.

His plan was to be quick and swift; deliver the news to Isla, trying to be as amicable as possible. Being a lawyer, he knew first-hand just how messy divorce proceedings could get and he wanted to spare both Isla and himself any unnecessary stress. The biggest issue would be Meegan’s custody.

The thought of not seeing his daughter every day broke his heart. He hadn’t considered how it would feel to only be a weekend father, to not be there on her first day of school. His mind suddenly flashed a montage of all the key moments in Meegan’s life he could potentially be denying himself.

Meegan meant everything to Aiden. That would never change. But he consoled himself with the fact that he’d be a better father to her if he was happy. He’d stayed with Isla for so long only because of his little girl. It was wrong to continue along that path for any longer. Meegan would only ultimately resent him for using her as an excuse to stick around ,which was exactly how Isla felt towards her own father. So surely his wife, more than anyone else, would understand and support his decision? Aiden hoped so.

*

The house was unusually cold and Aiden shivered as he stepped inside. Outside it was cloudy but the air was still, as if waiting for something. He placed his briefcase down by the front door and looked around for Isla and Meegan. They were nowhere to be seen.

The kitchen was empty, as was the lounge, with Meegan not sat within her playpen as Aiden had anticipated. However, the patio doors were open out into the garden which accounted for the chill. Aiden slid them shut; hoping the sound of the glass slamming would alert Isla to his presence. But still the house remained silent.

Aiden headed upstairs, the floorboards moaning beneath his weight. He titled his head in to Meegan’s bedroom first, it was empty. A quick glance in to the bathroom confirmed no one was in there. Aiden started to grow concerned about where his family was.

Opening the master bedroom door he felt relieved when he spotted Isla sat patiently on the end of the bed. Then his relief turned to panic as he tried to gather his thoughts, his palms growing slick in anticipation for the life-changing conversation they were about to have.

‘Hey,’ Aiden said uneasily at the door.

Isla glanced up with sad, tired eyes. Her skin appeared pale and washed-out, reddened around her eyes as she had been crying. She sniffed sadly and pushed back a rogue strand of her hair that had fallen away from the bun which sat at the nape of her neck. She was wearing sweat pants and a T-shirt. It was usually attire she wore only to the gym.

‘Where’s Meegan?’ Aiden asked, concerned.

‘Edmond took her out with his grandkids to some party,’ Isla rolled her eyes in boredom. ‘He asked if we wanted to go. I lied and said you weren’t feeling well and were upstairs in bed. I didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth.’ She choked slightly on her words, pushing the palm of her hands in to her eyes, not wanting to cry anyone, her eyes already terribly sore from all the tears they had shed earlier.

‘Oh.’ Aiden shifted awkwardly by the door. He didn’t know what to say. He hated being the bad guy, it was a role which didn’t suit him at all.

‘How was Chicago?’ Isla asked, her voice hollow and devoid of either sorrow or spite.

‘Wet.’ Aiden admitted, daring to enter the bedroom a little more. Isla remained on the edge of the bed and smirked slightly at this.

‘That was perhaps the only thing I hated about the city, all the damn rain.’

‘Only because it ruined your hair,’ Aiden smiled, instantly regretting what he’d said. It seemed unfair to offer Isla a false sense of security in shared memories. He needed to tell her the truth, he owed both of them that. Any further procrastination would only add to the power of the final blow.

‘Look, Isla, we need to talk.’ His voice was firm and crisp. It was finite and Isla immediately sensed his intentions.

‘Before you say anything, Aid—’ She sprang up from the bed and ran over to him, placing her hands over his which hung by his sides. She felt frozen to the touch, she’d clearly been sat on the bed motionless for quite some time.

‘I need to tell you something.’ She gazed up at him, looking directly into his eyes.

Aiden swallowed uncomfortably, unable to predict what she needed to say.

‘What is it?’ he asked, wishing he’d find the strength to just blurt out that it was over, that he wanted a divorce and had returned only to collect his things.

‘I’m pregnant!’ Isla blurted out, then smiled nervously before pulling herself into him for a one-sided embrace.

Aiden couldn’t move. He felt Isla press herself against and felt sickened by the gesture. His mouth became dry, robbing him of his voice. He tried to think, tried to focus his thoughts but every previous notion had been sent in to oblivion by the revelation that his wife was expecting their second baby. What sort of man would it make him to leave her whilst she was pregnant with his child? It would make him the worst kind. He couldn’t be that man, despite what his heart wanted. There was a burning sensation in his chest as his dream of a life with Brandy suddenly went up in flames and Aiden winced, holding back tears.

‘I only found out when I went to the doctor’s today,’ Isla continued, her voice pleading with him to show some joy.

‘Isn’t that great? A little brother or sister for Meegan?’ She looked at Aiden expectantly and he could only nod, smiling was beyond him. He felt as though he were in freefall and was powerless to do anything until he landed.

‘We are a family, Aid,’ Isla whispered, wrapping her arms protectively around him.

‘Yeah,’ Aiden managed to speak, unable to recognize his own voice. ‘We’re a family.’

Isla pulled back from him and smiled contentedly, one hand now resting on her stomach, which was as empty as her words.

Gripped by
Second to Cry
? Turn over for a sneak peek at
First to Fall
, the addictive first book in the Aiden Connelly series – and discover where Aiden’s journey began…

Chapter One: Welcome to Avalon

The dusty road lay empty before him in the fading light. Aiden Connelly rubbed his eyes wearily wondering just how much of his journey was left. Behind him, his little angel, Meegan, slept soundly, oblivious to the dramatic change her life was currently undergoing. His wife stirred in her sleep and Aiden could not help but smile at her tangle of mahogany curls splayed widely around her head. She was usually so immaculate, yet in the throes of sleep she had wrestled around on the uncomfortable seat of the rented car and now resembled a wild woman. This was how Aiden liked his wife, Isla, best. Relaxed, carefree. For so long they had both been so consumed by everything. Even the birth of Meegan had felt like yet another chore, something else to be responsible for, rather than the joy that it should have brought them.

That was why they were here, now. Travelling down an old highway that seemed to be leading them into the middle of nowhere. In reality it was taking them away from it all: the stress, the chaos, the ridiculous pace of the city to a new, quieter life. It was what they needed. Aiden could feel himself becoming a stranger to his family; the hours he needed to spend at the office were increasing daily and he had begun to question his motives in life and the choices he had made. Initially he got into law for the money, but as he progressed through the course he developed a passion for it. Two years working for one of the most prestigious law firms in Chicago was slowly sucking any positive feeling he had had towards his job out of him. He dealt with high-profile cases, they lived in a beautiful penthouse, but Aiden was in serious danger of having no soul.

‘The rat race isn’t for everyone,’ his late father had advised him. ‘Happiness is true wealth.’ It was rather cliché but Aiden could not help but be inspired by the old man’s words. He had grown up in the country, on a farm, and had only happy memories of his childhood. He wanted the same for Meegan. Finding another job was easy considering his previous experience; convincing Isla was the hard part. She loved living in the city, she was always shopping and lunching with friends. As Aiden had pointed out to her, her first love, art, had taken a back seat over the past few years. She had not painted a thing since three summers ago. Admittedly, she had been preoccupied with the arrival of Meegan, but still… Aiden helped her realise that a clean break was what they all needed, surrounded by nature she would undoubtedly be inspired and start painting again in no time.

Dusk was fast turning into night as the headlights of the rented car gleamed upon the approaching roadside.

Avalon – 20 miles

‘Not far now,’ Aiden said aloud.

‘Huh?’ Isla stirred, awoken by his voice.

‘Not far now, honey. We will soon be in Avalon.’

‘Oh good,’ she yawned. ‘I’m really tired.’

‘Tired? You’ve been asleep for half of the journey!’

‘You try sleeping on these chairs; it’s like lying on a rock!’ She snapped her visor down and studied her reflection. ‘Ugh, just look at my hair. Thank God it will be dark when we arrive.’ She turned to check their daughter. ‘Has Meegan been asleep this whole time?’

‘Sure has.’

The couple smiled at one another. It felt good. Aiden dared himself to hope that this was all going to be the start of something wonderful.

Less than an hour later the Connelly family pulled into the driveway of their new home. After driving down what Aiden had assumed was the high street, he had quickly located his new neighbourhood. Avalon was a small, sparse town; he had only spotted one convenience store, along with two churches, a hair salon, a doctor’s surgery and a florist. From various flyers dotted around he had quickly assessed that there was a high school nearby with an impending football match that was obviously of great importance to the community. Given that they didn’t seem to have much else going on this did not surprise him. He had yet to locate his new offices, Cope and May Solicitors at Law, but he had a few days yet before he had to start work so that could wait. Given the size of Avalon he doubted that they would be far away.

‘Well…it’s quaint.’ Isla stood surveying the wooden one-storey property before her. It had certainly seen better days. Like an ageing movie star, if you looked hard enough you could still see the glimmer of something special, that many years ago it had been something magnificent, but now the years had performed their devastating trick and what was once glorious was now faded and lacklustre. Isla imagined that the house had once been a beautiful blue, as bright and wonderful as a summer’s day, but that blue had dulled to a sad shade of grey. The white of the windows had yellowed and the front lawn exposed more dirt than grass. It really was a far cry from the modern, immaculate penthouse she had left behind. It was all she could do not to burst into tears. She hoped that tomorrow things might seem brighter but she knew that in the harsh light of day even more flaws would be exposed to her. This was Aiden’s dream, not hers. But she loved him, and she loved Meegan. In her heart she knew that this had to work, it was their last chance.

‘It certainly has character.’ Aiden wrapped a strong arm around his wife’s delicate shoulders. Instinctively she leant into him.

‘You can paint the house, decorate it inside. Do whatever you like. Just think how great it will feel to be doing something creative again.’

‘And the garden?’

‘Well, now I’m working less I’ll do the garden up a real treat. Get a jungle gym for Meegan, maybe a small pond for you. You’ve always been saying how you would love to have some fish, that you find water soothing.’

Isla smiled, and it was genuine. She could feel the clean air of Avalon filling up her lungs and it felt good. Above her the night sky sparkled and she was amazed at how many stars she could see.

‘I think we can make this work,’ she told her husband hopefully.

‘I know we can, hun. You, me and Meegan, it will be wonderful.’

‘Dada,’ Meegan called from the car, the cool breeze from the open doors awakening her from her slumber.

‘Hey princess,’ Aiden cooed as he lifted her from her car seat. ‘Do you like your new home?’ He turned the tiny toddler to face the house and she rubbed her hazel eyes.

‘Night, night,’ she murmured grumpily, indicating that she wanted to sleep.

‘I second that,’ Isla yawned.

‘Hopefully the movers put everything in the right place.’

Aiden lay in bed counting the cracks on the ceiling. Isla was already fast asleep. The gentle hum of crickets gave a comforting soundtrack to his muddle of thoughts. The house needed a lot of work, the realtor had been very clear about that and he wasn’t lying. The profit they had made on the penthouse would more than cover any costs for maintenance work. Before she had slipped into that oh-so-wonderful world of dreams, Isla had asked him why he had chosen to move to Avalon of all the towns in America. She had drifted to sleep before he could respond, and lying awake next to her, a good hour later, he was still struggling to find an answer.

After three days of intense unpacking, Aiden pulled up outside Cope and May Solicitors at Law. It hadn’t taken him long to locate the modest office since Avalon was so small and it was the only local law firm. Two days previous he had enquired about his future workplace whilst buying groceries and the clerk had been more than helpful, informing him how the business was once run by Edmond Cope and Howard May, but since Howard’s death three years ago Edmond had been going it alone. Apparently he managed fine at first but even a town as small as Avalon has its fair share of legal affairs that needed tending to so, apparently reluctantly, he had advertised for a new partner. This revelation made Aiden a little anxious; Mr. Cope probably had his own way of doing things and would no doubt take all the better cases for himself. Assuming there were any cases at all. Even though he had been there for just a few days, Aiden was already noticing that the pace of life in Avalon was remarkably slow, it was the kind of place where you didn’t bother locking your doors and would happily let your kids play out on the front lawn.