Lead Me To Love Pt 01

This is the revised entry to the first part of my series Lead Me To Love. While the original story was very well received, it was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors that were pointed out to me more than a few times. Upon further review, there were also a couple of continuity errors that I spotted. To me, it was unacceptable.

Now I've done my best to make sure all of my grammatical errors are fixed. However, what I've also done is that I've expanded some scenes and dialogue to give the story more cohesiveness and better flow, along with addressing some continuity issues.

That said, if this is your first time reading this story, I welcome you wholeheartedly and I hope you enjoy this tale. I've put a lot of love and effort into this story and I really hope you enjoy it!

Alexandra

-

"Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

- Marilyn Monroe

-

Aiden Schroeder's life had come crashing down around him. Not only had he been let go from his job after his department had been downsized, but his engagement to his fiancé Natalie ended that same week. This was after she had dropped a bomb on him, admitting that she was going to get back together with her ex and would be moving out by the end of the week back to Florida

"I hope you understand that it hurts me immensely to do this, but I think this will be better for us in the long run." Natalie twirled her blonde hair as she stood up, looking down at him as he sat on the couch in tears. Easy for her to say that since she wasn't the one who was going to be alone.

"Just.....why Natalie? Why now? When I need you the most?" Aiden's face was buried into his hands. He felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest and stomped on. None of this made any sense to him. Everything seemed to be going fine. No, they had not set a date for their wedding yet but they seemed happy to marry one another.

She looked down at the floor, twisting her foot into the hardwood floor of the apartment. Her brown eyes looked at Aiden.

"If I told you, you really wouldn't understand. I have to follow my heart on this Aiden. Please just trust me on this. This is going to be the best for the both of us."

A surge of anger shot through him upon hearing these words. Aiden looked up at her with a look of rage in his red, tear streaked eyes. He slammed his fist down on the table and shouted.

"NO!"

He inhaled as his whole body shook. Natalie had taken a couple steps back. Realizing that Natalie was starting to fear him, he exhaled as he placed the palms on the table. He slowly stood up and walked off to the guest room, but not before he turned and sneered at her. "There is no 'us' anymore. Just get your shit packed and go. Don't talk to me for the rest of the time you're here!" He loudly slammed the door shut.

Aiden lay face down on the guest bed, coming to grips with the fact that everything he & Natalie had been through, all of those memories they had shared, had been for nothing.

-

He didn't even have to wait until Friday for Natalie to leave. Two days after she dropped the bomb on him, all of her belongings were out of their apartment, packed into her VW Beetle and she had left to be with her new beau in Florida. After she left, he spent that entire day in the living room playing video games and knocking back a few beers he had purchased at the local convenience store down the street from where he lived.

That night, he lay in bed in what used to be his & Natalie's bed after sleeping in the guest room of their two-bedroom apartment they had shared on the North Side of Chicago for the past couple of nights. He had sent a mass text to all of his family, finally letting them know of the events that transpired. Most of the responses he had received were those offering their apologies for what had happened & he had also spent an hour on the phone with his parents as they talked him down from his heightened emotional state. He had placed the phone on the nightstand and was about to fall asleep when his phone started vibrating.

Turning around, he grabbed the phone and saw the name of his cousin, Cassie, on the screen. Without a second thought, he tapped the green phone icon on the screen and brought the device to his ear.

"Hey Cass." He answered in an almost monotone voice.

"Aiden, I'm so sorry to hear about what happened with you and Natalie! Are you doing okay?"

"Aside from wanting to hurl myself into the Chicago River because I have no idea what the fuck I'm going to do now, I've been better." Aiden huffed in frustration.

"Please don't say things like that. We're all worried about you. I'm worried about you."

"I get laid off from my job & then my fiancé magically decides all of a sudden she no longer loves me all in the same week? I think my reaction is perfectly justified. Christ, I feel like such a goddamn loser right now."

"Aiden, you are not a loser. I felt the same way when Gabriel decided to leave me for his co-worker." Cassie told him in a reassuring voice.

Gabriel was Cassie's ex-fiance.

If there was anyone who understood Aiden's situation, it was Cassie. Aiden had first met Gabriel when he was back home from college during his junior year in college for Christmas Break at his aunt & uncle's place. Cassie had introduced her then-boyfriend Gabriel to everyone. Right away, Aiden's gut told him that something was off about Gabriel and his suspicions would later be confirmed.

After 3 years of dating, Gabriel proposed to Cassie and they moved into a home in suburban Denver. Then not even 6 months later, Gabriel all of a sudden emptied their joint savings account of over $50,000 and decided to run away with a co-worker of his to somewhere out east.

When Aiden found this out, he thought Gabriel was a bigger fool than he already was. At 29 years old, Cassandra Novak was 3 years older than Aiden. Standing at just over 6' 1" compared to Aiden's 6' 2", she was the embodiment of what everyone thought your average volleyball player looked like, which made sense considering that she played competitively in both high school and college.

Her long wavy blonde hair was almost always in a ponytail, which complimented her hazel-colored eyes, high cheekbones and long heart-shaped face perfectly. Her job as a trainer & coach paired with her workout regimen kept her more-or-less in the same athletic shape that she was in high school. All of her working out had kept her C-Cup breasts high and perky without any signs of sagging, which she took great pride in.

However, if there was one thing that every guy she dated loved, it was her butt. It wasn't that it was large or wide but it was firm and muscular. Not too big, and not too small. As one of the guys she dated once told her, she had the perfect ass. At first she was self conscious about it but over time, she became confident with how her posterior looked and had to admit that she rocked it well.

"Aiden, are you still there?" Cassie asked

"Yeah, sorry Cass. It's just been 3 long days."

"Look, I know from first hand experience what it's like to have someone you love betray you in the worst way imaginable. You will get through this, I promise."

"I dunno, Cass. Everything is just so shitty right now and now I'm worried about what's going to happen to the apartment now that Natalie has left me."

"What do you mean?" Cassie now asked with concern in her voice.

"Rent here is outrageous. We paid over $3000 a month to live here and now that she's out of the picture, I'm going to have a rough time trying to keep my head above water here."

There was a brief pause on Cassie's end.

"So move then."

"Move? Why would I move?" Aiden raised an eyebrow.

She explained. "Think about it, Aiden. You have no job and that bitch decided to leave you at the drop of a hat. Have you even made any friends since you moved to Chicago?"

Aiden shook his head; He hadn't. "No I guess not. But if you're calling to tell me that I should move back into my parents' place, then guess again."

Cassie was quick to reply with a cutesy sing-song voice "Well, you could move in with meeeeeee.......?"

Aiden's body tensed up. Another thing worth noting is that he harbored a crush for her in his younger years and, even now, he thought she was still a good looking woman. Now she was inviting him to stay at her place. Hearing her raised voice invoked something within him. It was like all of those old feelings for her were locked away in a sarcophagus, only to be nudged awake through some divine intervention.

He nervously responded "I appreciate the offer but I would need to secure a job before I make such a commitment. My old employer was nice enough to offer me a severance package but I know those funds are finite and I really don't want to be a burden on you."

"Actually, our clinic is looking for a full-time marketing person and we need someone who is proficient in social media and outreach. I know for a fact that is what you did when you worked at your old job, if your LinkedIn is to be believed. If you were to say, apply for the job, I could put in a good word for you...." Aiden could hear his cousin smiling on the other end.

He couldn't believe his ears "Wait Cass, are you serious about this? You would be cool with me moving in with you if I got the job?"

Cassie laughed "Of course, and even if you don't have work lined up, I'd still love to have you. It's been too long since I've gotten to spend time with my little cousin."

Aiden sarcastically scoffed at her "We're basically the same height, you ass!"

They both shared a heart-felt laugh. It was the first time Aiden had done so in a week and he felt a sense of warmth as he did so.

"Tell you what, I'll send you the link. Why don't you look it over and see if it's something you'd like to do?"

"Sounds good Cass. I'll take a look at it tomorrow morning!" He smiled

They said their good-byes and he hung up the phone. His mood had improved considerably after talking with Cassie, knowing now that he at least had a plan. Plus if he were to move in with her, this would make up for all of the lost time they had been apart these past few years.

Growing up, Aiden was an only child and the closest relative in age to him was Cassie followed by her two older sisters. Their parents had lived about 10 minutes from one another and the two were inseparable growing up. From the time she saw and held Aiden as a baby, Cassie took it upon herself to be the de-facto older sister. She had taught him all about sports growing up since she played competitive volleyball and softball from an early age. In fact, she was the reason why Aiden had started playing baseball as she encouraged him to sign up for the Little Leagues.

The two were inseparable into their teenage years as Cassie would sometimes coach Aiden on good batting techniques and just on how to improve his game overall. It went without saying that Aiden idolized Cassie growing up and those feelings eventually developed a crush on his older cousin.

However by the time she left for college, they started to drift apart. She had secured a full-ride volleyball scholarship at Arizona State as a middle hitter and setter. This meant that Cassie would be attending college nearly 1400 miles away from their native Seattle; Much to the disappointment of Aiden.

She excelled in almost every way. During her four years on the team, they made it to the National Championship 3 times and during her junior year, had secured the national championship. She was the talk of the town and had gotten offers to try out for the Olympic team as well as playing for a few professional teams overseas.

However, Cassie had other plans. Her old high school volleyball coach, Victoria, from Seattle had set up a volleyball clinic in Denver after winning several state championships. Cassie, instead of taking her athletic career even further, wanted to put her sports medicine degree to good use. As much as she enjoyed playing competitively, she had always wanted to be a trainer as well as a coach. So not even a week after graduating, she began working under her old coach at the 5280 Volleyball Clinic in Denver.

Aiden, on the other hand, played baseball well enough in high school that he was able to play in Division III at a private college in Wisconsin but not on an athletic scholarship. No, they never made it to the national level but he was proud of his time playing as a college athlete. Yet no matter how old he was, he always looked up to Cassie as his role model.

Turning over on his side, he closed his eyes and he thought about all the fun times they had growing up together and a small part of him was looking forward to spending time with his older cousin once again, A couple of flashes of seeing Cassie in her little white bikini while their family was on vacation in The Virgin Islands briefly popped up in his mind as he felt a tingling sensation shoot through his body before pushing back on those thoughts that were becoming increasingly suggestive in nature.

He quickly shook his head as he had no idea where those thoughts came from. Eventually he fell asleep.

******

The following morning, he checked his phone and saw a message from Cassie. It was a link to apply for the clinic she worked at. Without a second thought, Aiden got up and went to apply for the position on his laptop. After nearly 20 minutes of filling out questionnaires and uploading his resume, he submitted his application. He then messaged Cassie.

Hey Cass, I went ahead and submitted my application for the position.

Great, I'll let Tori know and put in a good word for you!

Thanks again. It's really nice to know that at least someone is looking out for me. Even if it doesn't pan out, I'm glad that you gave me a heads up on the position.

Anytime Aiden. Look even if you don't get the job, I still wouldn't mind having you room with me for a while. It's been really quiet around here lately :).

Aiden chuckled.

There are worse people I could be stuck with besides you.

Lol, I'm flattered to hear that!

Understood, I'll keep applying here today but let me know if anything comes up.

Will do :)

-

About 2 hours later, Aiden had just gotten back from his morning run when his phone started to ring. Looking at the caller ID, his heart nearly skipped a beat: it was from a 720 Area Code with the words "5280 Volleyball" on the screen. Without hesitation, he answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Good Morning, can I speak to Aiden Schroeder?"

"This is he."

"Hello Aiden, this is Victoria Khoury. I run the 5280 Volleyball Camp & Clinic. I'm calling in regards to the application you filled out for our marketing position. Do you have a couple of minutes?"

"Of course!"

"Excellent, so I understand that your friend Cassandra referred you to this position. Looking over your resume, I have to say your qualifications are quite impressive and I would like to schedule an interview with you. How does tomorrow at 1pm central time work for you? Virtual of course!"

"Sounds good to me, that will work just fine!"

"Wonderful, I'm looking forward to hearing more about your work experience as well as learning more about you!"

"I appreciate your time in just speaking with me" He joked.

"Of course, Mr. Schroeder. I will talk to you tomorrow."

After the call ended, Aiden did a small fist pump and he shouted out "Yes!" Afterwards he went to grab some clothes before he went to shower when a thought occurred to him.

"Wait, why did Cass call me her friend instead of cousin?"

He pondered to himself as he grabbed his clothes for the day. He quickly deduced that it really didn't really matter; He needed a job.

******

The following day, Aiden stood in the bathroom looking at the mirror wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs as he applied deodorant & cologne to himself in order to freshen up for his virtual interview. Staring at his reflection, he started to flex in the mirror.

He had the same amount of muscle from his days playing baseball, and he was still in good enough shape that he retained most of his lean physique thanks to hitting the gym 3-4 times a week. His morning runs had managed to keep the fat off, which is more than what he could say about his old teammates.

He combed back his long brown hair before placing it into a bun and trimmed his beard so it no longer looked unruly but instead neat & proper. First impressions were everything after all.

-

The interview had gone well. He ended up speaking with Victoria along with the other co-owner, Hector, both of whom were not only impressed with his portfolio but also with the fact he had played baseball and understood the dynamics of being part of a team and all of the behind-the-scenes efforts that entailed.

He learned more about the clinic and what they did. Aiden was very impressed with their operations and what their plans were for the future. He could definitely see himself fitting in there.

After the interview, Aiden changed into a pair of jeans and his old Strokes t-shirt and left his apartment to run some errands. He didn't feel this way often, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he absolutely killed the interview. His mind began wandering about what life might be like in Colorado, along with all of the experience he might gain. For the first time in over a week, Aiden felt true happiness.

An hour later while pushing a cart full of groceries to his car at Jewel-Osco, he got another text from Cassie.

Soooo, you ready to be my new roomie?

Aiden stared down at his phone trying to comprehend the message. He quickly started typing.

I haven't heard anything yet. I'm not getting my hopes up quite yet.

Before he could hit send, he got a phone call from Tori. It turns out they were impressed with his qualifications & experience and was offered the job right there in the parking lot. Since he would have to get moved and settle his lease with his apartment, he would be starting in 6 weeks so he could get everything in order.

After Aiden hung up the phone, he let out a loud triumphant shout; Not caring if passersby heard him. He might as well have hit the lottery for all he cared. He got into his car and sent a message to Cassie.

I am.....roomie!

******

To say that it was cathartic for Aiden to pack up all of his belongings from his apartment would be an understatement. For close to 5 years, Aiden had called Chicago his home. Still, the events of the past 4 weeks had left a bad taste in his mouth and had tainted his memories he had of living there. Not only did he have a change of scenery to look forward to, but also the new beginning he was about to embark on as well.

He dropped off his keys at the property management company before hopping back into his car with the U-Haul attached and made his way to I-80 W via the Ike Expressway as he began the long 16-hour drive to Denver.

Most of the car ride was uneventful since Western Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska don't offer much in terms of changes of scenery. When Aiden eventually pulled into the hotel in North Platte, he was looking forward to watching some TV after seeing the endless flatlands of the Midwest.

After placing his luggage on the spare bed in his room at the Motel 6 situated along the freeway, Aiden called up Cassie.

"Hey Roomie" Aiden answered with a sarcastic high-pitched voice

Cassie giggled on the other end "Hey you. Did you make it to the hotel just fine?"

"Well aside from my ass hurting from sitting for so long in the car, I made it here in one piece. I still have about 300-ish miles to go before I reach your place."

"Well I can always give you one of my patented deep tissue massages we give to our players if anything is hurting, you know." She giggled in a suggestive way.