The Triplets Pt 08

Thanks so much to Tigersman for editing. I hope you guys forgive me for the major cliffhanger for part 7. Enjoy this next part and I really love any comments you guys have. Thanks to all who favorite and rate this story!

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(Meredith)

The dressmaker, Sylvia, and her assistant tugged on the laces of the corset in swift jerks. Meredith was careful not to exhale all the way least they make it impossible for her to breathe at all. She tried pushing the image of Aiden walking with that woman out of her mind. She was past the point of regrets. She had known beforehand about Aiden and his taste for women, though she had hoped. . .what? That he would change? That he was someone she could trust?

She snorted in disgust at her own naivety, but a bitter lump tightened her throat. She was grateful for the fact that her eyes remained blessedly dry. Meredith could only hope she could keep hold of her composure when she faced Eta Celia. She didn't have the heart to upset the woman. Celia was a tireless ball of enthusiastic energy and had swiftly become more than her mother-in-law.

With the corset secured, layers upon layers of gauzy material was tugged over her head down to her hips. The first layer hung down to her ankles with the others getting progressively shorter. After the eighth layer, the two women pulled the main dress over her. The neckline just barely covered the top of her corset and left her shoulders bare. Once her skirts were arranged to Sylvia's satisfaction, she and her assistant attached the heavy train and laid it to drape just over her hips and fanned out behind her.

Meredith was relieved that at least this dress weighted less than the one she had worn to Es Dane's party. With her dress finally in place, Sylvia's assistant led her to a high bench to arrange her hair. Meredith sat facing the floor length mirror and looked over the dress.

The majority of the dress was gold and ivory, colors a clear reminder who and what she was marrying. There was however, tiny, gem-green embroidered leaves scattered on the top most layer of her exposed skirt. A rush of gratitude filled her at the gesture. The fact that Eta Celia had been considerate enough to represent even her lower blood heritage made her chest ache.

Despite feeling as if she were drowning in the amount of fabric on her, the dress appeared very light and ethereal. Sylvia's assistant braided half of her hair in a neat crown around her head and let the other half fall down her back.

"We haven't decided which would be the best way to style your hair, but I'm sure Eta Celia's opinion will help greatly."

Meredith nodded at the woman who helped her to stand back up before fussing once more with the arrangement of her skirts.

"Eta Celia is waiting in the sitting area with her son. Lady Sylvia had gone to fetch her," the woman said.

She nodded her head, grateful that she wouldn't have to face Aiden just yet. Eta Celia swept into the room with her usual exuberant presence and nearly shook in her excitement. Meredith couldn't help but smile as Celia teared up and fussed over her.

"I'm so happy that you will be joining our family, Meredith. I couldn't ask for a better daughter."

Meredith felt her eyes prickle with tears. While her guardian had raised her for the majority of her life, she hadn't been very mothering. Celia's affection felt like a warm rain quenching some dry part of her heart.

"Oh, no. I've gone and made you cry."

Eta Celia enfolded her in a tight hug, patting her hand on Meredith's back. Swallowing back the tears, Meredith hugged the woman back. She heard Celia sniffle loudly before she drew away and patted at Meredith's wet cheeks with a handkerchief before wiping her own face.

"Well, shall we show my son just how fortunate he is?" Celia said, her voice still a bit shaky.

Meredith bit her lips nervously. Despite still being angry and not a little bitter, she still wanted Aiden's approval. Celia either ignored her nervousness or hadn't seen it. She dragged her out of the dressing room and towards the waiting area. Then she saw Aiden, his eyes immediately locking onto her. She felt an immeasurable amount of satisfaction at his amazed and captivated expression.

He stared at her until his mother let out a throaty chuckled and patted his head. Meredith let Sylvia lead her to a small pedestal surrounded by mirrors. Since she had already seen herself, Meredith kept her eyes on Aiden. He had risen from his seat and was slowly coming towards her.

She couldn't see where Celia or the dressmaker had gone. Aiden stood behind her, his eyes looking at her through the mirror's reflection. Standing on the platform brought her almost even to Aiden's height. Still silent, he lifted one of his hands and brought it close to her bare shoulder, but didn't touch. She felt chills sweep up her spine, despite him not having touched her.

Abruptly, he snatched his hand away just as she saw his mother in the reflection coming closer. Celia gave her a small bouquet to hold and instructed her to turn away from the mirrors before she dragged Aiden back to an armchair.

It was odd to see him get pulled along so easily by a woman half his height and weight as if he were nothing more than an unruly child. She suppressed a smile, reminding herself that she was still angry. Sylvia and her assistant hovered near Eta Celia as she made comments about how to adjust the dress or what accessories might go well with the color scheme. Meredith fidgeted and was glad she wasn't wearing the uncomfortable shoes that were suppose to go with this dress.

"Meredith, you can change out of the dress if you want. I'll just have a few more words with Sylvia."

Relieved, Meredith stepped down from the pedestal and promptly tripped over the train of her dress. She didn't know how Aiden moved so quickly, but he had managed to catch her just before she smacked into the floor. He lifted her easily back to her feet, a faint grin ghosting his lips. There was no hiding the blush of mortification that flooded her face.

She fled to the dressing room. Sylvia's assistant helped her remove the separate layers of the dress. Once she was down to her corset, Meredith told let her leave. The assistant took the separate pieces of the dress and left the room.

With practiced movements, Meredith reached behind her and untied the corset. She had just gotten it loose enough to slip down her body when the door opened once more. Aiden closed the door quietly behind him, but didn't come any further into the room. Instead he leaned back against the door. Meredith pressed the corset to cover her breasts.

"What are you doing!" she hissed at him.

His lips quirked up and his eyes roved over her scantily clad body.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"And you couldn't wait until I was dressed?" she asked dryly.

He shrugged, but she could see his eyes flame to gold.

"Aiden, you have to leave before Sylvia or your mother come in here."

"Even if they do, we are betrothed. It is not that bad."

Meredith sighed in frustration.

"Aiden, please."

He frowned and hesitated.

"That woman you saw me with," he said. "She's the niece to a friend. His name is Benny. We met while sailing to the southern continent. She was helping me pick out a wedding gift for you."

Meredith sucked in a surprised breath. Disbelief warred with hope. She turned her back on him, trying to give herself time to think.

"I am not lying to you," he said tersely.

She didn't say anything, but he must have been able to tell that her silence didn't mean acceptance.

"Meredith, I asked you to trust me."

She nodded, acknowledging that statement.

"And you still can't bring yourself to do so," he said in an angry whisper.

Meredith bit her lips. While it was true that she hadn't seen him do anything that would have broken his promise, her insecurity made it difficult to think reasonably. She heard him mutter curses under his breath.

"Have it your way."

He left. Meredith squeezed her eyes closed, wishing she was brave enough to trust him. Numbly, she removed the corset and put on the dress she had come in. Celia was waiting for her, still chatting with Sylvia. Aiden was gone.

They left the dressmaker's and went through a series of stores, but Meredith could hardly concentrate, she was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Finally, Eta Celia was satisfied by the amount of work they had gotten accomplished and they went back to the house to clean up before dinner.

Meredith went to her room in the guest wing and washed her face, trying to shock herself out of her depressing daze. She gripped the sink with her hands and let the water drip off her chin. She was startled out of her stupor by a brisk knock on her door.

She wiped her face with a small towel and answered the door. As soon as she opened the door, Aiden pushed his way inside. He shut the door with his foot before swinging her into his arms and depositing her on top of her bed. She opened her mouth to say something, but it was lost as he crushed his lips to hers.

Violently, he possessed her mouth, searing her lips with his anger. Desperately, she tried to hold him off with her hands, but she might as well have been trying to move a mountain. He pressed her into the plush mattress, his weight frighteningly immense. She whimpered in fear and his body froze immediately.

He rolled off of her and covered his eyes with his forearm. Meredith scrambled to her knees and put as much space between them as the bed allowed. He remained still, his body taking up well over half the bed. She tried to calm her breathing. She had never truly been frightened by Aiden, and told herself that he would never hurt her, but she was beginning to doubt that conviction.

"Are you alright?" he said, his voice no more than a tense whisper.

Meredith moistened her mouth so she could speak.

"I'm fine."

"Forgive me. I don't. . .I would never. . .I'm sorry."

She could hear the self-loathing in his voice. Meredith guiltily realized that she was changing him and it wasn't for the better.

Hesitantly, she approached him. Aiden didn't move. Carefully, she pulled his arm away from his face. He kept his eyes closed, but his mouth was pulled down in a grimace. Meredith waited for him to open his eyes, but when he kept them firmly closed, she decided it was time to take the first step.

"I'm sorry as well, for not believing in your words. I broke my promise by not believing in you."

She turned to sit next to him, her hip fitted against his waist.

"What was her name?" Meredith asked.

"Her name's Dani. She's not even in her twenties. She has an older sister named Lisa that married recently and a younger sister named Jenna. They have a younger brother named Marcel and their mother's name is Mora. She's Benny's widowed sister."

"I'm jealous."

She heard Aiden snort.

"I am. I don't have any close friends. It. . .it's lonely."

They stayed next to each other quietly for a long time. Meredith wanted desperately to mend the hurt she had inflicted on Aiden for doubting him, but didn't know how to bridge the space between them. In the end, she leaned back until she was laying next to him.

Slowly, she turned onto her side until she was facing him. He moved his arm so that it pillowed her head and curved to lay lightly on her shoulder. Meredith draped her own arm across the expanse of his chest. He pulled her slowly into the curve of his body until she was molded against his side.

She could feel his chest expanding with each breath he took and the pulse of his heart beneath her palm. The warmth of his body soaked into her. She didn't realize she had started to drift asleep until she felt Aiden pulling away.

"What?" she asked, her mind slowly becoming more alert.

"We have to get up or mother will be searching the entire house looking for us."

Meredith was relieved that he sounded much calmer.

"Aiden."

He turned to her, slowly as if he was afraid of frightening her again. She pushed up to her knees and kissed him, threading her hands through his thick hair. He remained still, keeping his hands at his sides. A wave of sadness washed through her, she pulled away and got off the bed. Aiden remained seated and stared at the ground.

Meredith bit into her lips and quietly left the room.

(Aiden)

Aiden stared at the floorboards as the door closed behind Meredith. He was disgusted with himself. Not only had he forced himself on Meredith in anger, but she'd actually apologized to him. Despite deserving her scorn and anger. Ironic how he now despised his past when it had been so enjoyable to make.

He raked his hands through his disheveled hair and flopped back onto the bed. The sheets smelled of Meredith. Desire swamped him, but was tempered with a hefty dose of guilt. He groaned aloud. Whenever Meredith was concerned, he couldn't keep his thoughts or actions straight.

After not having seen or touched her for a week, he'd nearly ravaged her in the dressing room when he had caught her half-dressed, her lovely breasts threatening to spill out of her unlaced corset. He gritted his teeth against his unruly thoughts and pushed himself off of her bed.

He couldn't help but cast a parting glance at the rumpled sheets and remember how sweetly she had pressed herself against him just moments before. Aiden forced himself to leave, but her scent lingered, clinging to his thoughts.

Aiden avoided going to dinner. Unlike Meredith, no one would raise any questions if he wasn't there and he didn't think he could take any of his brothers' teasing tonight. What he really needed was an outlet for his frustrations.

His feet led him outside, past Grey's greenhouse and into the woods. Subconsciously, he knew where he was going, but he was still surprised when he arrived at the lake. The same lake where he'd had his first taste of Meredith.

Memories of that night haunted him, taunted his frustrations. He threw his clothes off of his body and sunk into the cold water. He let himself become enveloped, the water cocooning his body in a frigid embrace. He stayed under until his lungs were screaming for air. Kicking off the bottom of the lake, Aiden broke the surface and took in large gasps of air.

He floated on his back and listened to the strange muffled noises of the water, ears submerged. The cold seeped deep beneath his skin. Rarely was he ever chilled, but tonight he felt cold inside, like there were cracks in his skin that let the cold soak into his bones.

Aiden floated for ages, concentrating on how his breathing made his body bob in and out of the water. He was past feeling the cold, he was numb and his mind was blissfully quiet. He let out his breath slowly, sinking beneath the surface and deeper until his back touched the lake floor. Aiden stared up at the water's surface, marveling at how dark it was, how quiet. He ignored the burning in his lungs, ignored the way his vision dimmed.

His body struggled against his lethargy and made him push up from the lake's floor in a desperate attempt for the surface. He involuntarily sucked in a lungful of water. His body, now in a full panic, he struck out for the surface, his movements painful and slow. Then he blacked out.

The uncomfortable sensation of having his chest repeatedly pounded on broke through his consciousness. Then he was coughing up water and dragging in desperate breaths where he could. Opening his bleary eyes, he shivered. Grey's face came into focus just before his brother slapped him. Aiden blinked, the cold numbing most of the pain, but none of the shock. In his entire life, he had never known Grey to lift a hand against anyone outside of the trials.

"You are the biggest idiot alive," Grey said, the last word coming out bitterly.

Aiden blinked again, watching his brother's face color in anger. Dazed, he thought it was actually quite funny to see Grey this way. He got another slap for that. As his brain started to unfreeze, he scrub a hand over his face.

"Sorry, Grey. I agree. Biggest idiot." His throat burned and ached.

His brother sighed and dropped down next to him. Aiden wondered how often people would be forced to placate to his selfishness. He dropped his head forward, wishing he could just be numb and thoughtless again.

"Don't make me slap you again. Better yet, I should beat the shit out of you and then give you over to mother."

Aiden shuddered at the threat, not that he was afraid of getting beaten up, but the prospect of being handed over to his mother was unimaginable.

"You've been acting like you've gone mad. What the hell are you doing? I thought you were going to calm down once you and Meredith were together, but you've only gotten more out of control. First you go off to that damn toy boat of yours without a word to anyone of us, then you go try to drown yourself at the bottom of this stupid lake no one knows about."

He heard Grey let out a frustrated curse and felt more guilt for dragging him into his problems. Slowly, reluctantly his body began to warm up. He shivered as feeling returned to his extremities.

"Come on, let's go." It wasn't a request.

Aiden followed Grey back, mostly due to his tone of voice but also because at that moment he needed someone to direct him. He felt lost in more ways than one. They didn't talk on the way back and Aiden didn't ask how Grey had known where he was or how he had been close enough to rescue him from drowning.

It was only when the house came into sight did he realize that he was still naked and that Grey was soaked to the skin, fully clothed. He couldn't stop the laugh that erupted out of him, even as he realized it had a slight deranged tinge to it. Grey glanced at him warily, but Aiden subsided into quiet chuckles.

"Just realized I left my clothes on the bank."

"Hasn't stopped you from coming home before."

Aiden smiled at his brother in chagrin, knowing he was right. They walked together in a slightly lighter mood and entered the quiet house. Grey left him then to go to his own room. Aiden moved hesitantly through the halls. All he needed now was for Meredith to catch him walking naked around the house, dripping pond water. Like she needed more proof on the state of his insanity. He dragged a hand through his sodden hair, raking it away from his face.

He made it to his rooms without any encounters or surprises. Despite his mother's protests, his rooms were quite bare. He had liked the clean emptiness, but was beginning to realize that perhaps he just didn't have things to fill it with. Most of the things he brought back from his adventures were things he gave to others. Rarely, did he keep anything for himself.

As he looked about his sitting room, he noted just how bare it looked. There were two armchairs on the far wall and an empty desk against the other. His bedroom was no better. Though his bed was of an impressive size, the only other furnishings were an old cabinet and a threadbare rug.

Ignoring his wet hair and the smell of stagnant water, Aiden tumbled into bed. He felt a dull aching in his chest and realized that he was missing Meredith's scent on the sheets. Balling his fists, he forced himself to lay there. Eventually he closed his eyes, but sleep did not come.

It took a long time for the sun to lighten the sky. He hadn't slept, hadn't even bothered to drag the covers over his chilled body. Once it was light enough, Aiden dressed and left his empty room. The servants were quietly moving about, cleaning or going about some other chores. He startled a few as he walked through the halls.

He found himself wandering aimlessly around the house as he waited for something to do, as if he would miraculously know what to do with himself. Grey found him a bit later and dragged him out to the yard where he made him chop a mountain of fallen logs and haul them across the yard to set in a neat pile. Aiden was grateful for the work, grateful that his brother cared.