Meant To Be Yours #Wattys2016 [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE

Finally! The truth was out in the open. Aidan did not know how much he had wanted her to confess her feelings for him loud until she just did it. It was as if he had been waiting for that moment all his life and he felt his chest sag with relief.

And instead of looking shocked, everyone was grinning from ear to ear looking at each other with knowing looks. Which made Aidan frown. Now, wait a minute! They already knew?? How?? He had taken so much effort during the last two weeks to hide their feelings by avoiding each other. And all for nothing.

As he glanced at Kate, he nearly smiled at her priceless expression. It was also the conclusion she came up with since she stared at everyone one by one looking for a trace of surprise on each face. And found none! It would seem that everybody already knew about their “hidden” relationship! Damn!

“Mom?” she asked uncertainly her chest heaving with exhaustion after her outburst. And Aidan moved towards her as an attempt to provide her some support. It was as if they had all conspired against her to ambush her into confessing her true feelings. Which was not fair! And now that the truth was out, he would protect her with everything he had.

Judith returned the bland look of her daughter with a fiercer one. “Oh yes! I knew about you two are together,” her mother confessed and Aidan felt tension mount as even Alex was wearing a severe expression on his face.

“How do you know?” asked Kate indignantly. Obviously, she was as pissed off as him since they had taken so much care to avoid each other ever since Caitlin had found them out in the study. It had been pure hell for him to resist his new-found love and had to behave civically when all he wanted to do was pounce on her like the hungry lion he was.

“It does not matter,” her mother replied severely. “What matters is why you did not come clean about your relationship since the beginning?”

“Yes, Kate,” her father intervened speaking for the first time since the whole drama went off against them. “Why have you hidden such an important news from us?”

Uh-oh. Kate was not ready to let go of the matter that easily and Aidan watched as she frowned for a moment seeming to dig in her memories. Then she whirled round to face Caitlin.

“You told them!” she accused her sister sending her a look full of reproach and Caitlin shook her head in alarm.

“I did not!” Caitlin immediately replied crossly obviously miffed that her sister would think such a thing of her.

“She did not,” confirmed her mother and Kate turned back frowning and Aidan had to intervene by gripping her elbow gently and brought her closer to him. “He told us!” Judith informed them and her finger pointed at no one in particular. Frowning, Aidan looked at Kate incomprehensively and watched as her eyes flared in shock.

“Bruce?!!” she shrieked and everyone laughed at her seeming to enjoy her discomfiture.

Judith picked up her grandson. “Bruce, can you sing the song for Aunt Katie?”

Bruce giggled and sang “Aunt Kate kiss Uncle Aiiiiidan…. Aunt Kate kiss Uncle Aiiiiidan…,” and Kate had to laugh at his innocent tone all resentment forgotten. She loved her nephew like mad and it was hard to get offended in such a situation.

 “Oh this is so embarrassing,” Kate laughed hiding her face in her hand coquettishly and Aidan stroke her back tenderly. He was feeling uncomfortable too but since everyone was treating it as a joke, he was game. It meant that they were all accepting their relationship without any antipathy; even the Bigfoots were included in the drama.

On the contrary, he felt relieved. It was a good sign that her parents were able to laugh over such a discovery and it was all that mattered to him. It meant that they would made it together after all. And he was so desperate for a happy ending that he would tolerate being the butt of everyone’s jokes if ultimately it would get him his love.