Someone Like You

Prologue

PROLOGUE 

I'm home! Bursting through the backdoor, damp from the light drizzle of evening rain, I can't help but smile with uncontrollable excitement. I toss my keys on the kitchen counter and hold on to the expensive bottle of wine I bought on my way home from work.  

Blissfully, my mind races through the list of wedding details to be discussed during dinner this evening. I am marrying the love of my life, my heart, my soul-mate, my fiancé, Mr. Aiden Hughes, one of London's most respected barristers. One week ago, Aiden proposed to me in our favorite restaurant and this afternoon he booked the church for our December wedding nuptials.  

I can't wait to surprise him with his favorite bottle of wine. I jog up the curved staircase to the loud classical violin concerto by Mozart he left playing in the sitting room calling out to him as I anticipate feeling his strong bulging arms wrap around me. "Aiden!" 

I know exactly what dress I'm going to wear for dinner tonight, the ivory flow-y one with the spaghetti straps. He loves to see my bare shoulders!  

At the top of the stairs, in a heap, lies a new black trench coat, new money clip, and his keys. Oh Aiden, I roll my eyes. He's worse than a girl, shopping incessantly for new clothes. My image conscious hunk has apparently been at Burberry's today, as I recognize my favorite nova check print. As usual, he's buying something new every day. Well, at least one of us is a neat and tidy spendthrift. 

"Say it!" He belts out. "I want to hear you louder!" I curiously stop halting in confusion. 

At the intersection of my perfect-so-called-life and our bedroom door, I round the corner and hit a wall. Not a literal wall, a figurative one. BAM! My brain crashes and burns from lightning speed to a full stop. Blissful thoughts once occupying my mind, morph instantaneously into a cruel joke as I stand in the middle of the all the confusion.  

Sounds of begging pleas and panting breaths paralyze me. "Yes Sir, I'm yours." The sound of a muffled moan strangles me by the throat.  

A gleam of light flashes in my eyes reflecting off a pair of shiny silver handcuffs on a set of wrists attached to our bedpost. Paralyzed with shock, confusion, and fear, I stare in disbelief at the wreckage in front of me. A naked muscular back writhes back and forth, lost in the deepest of pleasures, while bulging forearms pull roughly on some sort of leather strap! Jeezes! I squeeze my eyes tightly shut but the sensual sounds of erotic pleasure mixed with animalistic growls grip my throat as I defensively will my ears to block it out. Meanwhile, my consciousness slips into a parallel universe of silence from the pure, formidable shock racking my body. With a crack of the strap, my brain registers the man is Aiden, my fiancé, my soul-mate, an instant stranger and I am the only one that knows I'm standing in the room. 

Numbness suffuses across my chest outward to my extremities as I desperately long to disappear into the bright sunlight streaming into the bedroom through the sheers. Just as so much confusion is running through my head, the crashing sound at my feet snaps me back to reality. I look down at the broken glass and watch the blood red wine crawl across the wood floor as time stands still for me. 

Startled by the loud crash, Aiden whips his head around. "Oh Fuck!" I can read the guilt deep in his eyes as they lock on mine like a radar. I gasp for air feeling a powerful, gut-wrenching blow to the stomach at the sight of him. 

"Christ, Audrey! No!" He panics scrambling out of bed to his feet, baring every tainted, naked inch of his body, while throwing our bedding over the mistake he allowed to ruin everything we built together. 

Trembling in devastation, I turn clumsily and run around the banister to escape the disastrous scene. Tears blur my vision as I blindly search for the railing and grab it with both hands letting out an uncontrollable sob.  

"Shit! Shit! Audrey I fucked up! Please stop Babe!" Aiden yells while I hear him hopping around, struggling to find his trousers. 

This is it. I can't believe this is happening. My life, my dream, my future, stained by his betrayal, will never be the same. This is the last time I'll ever hear my fiancé's voice calling out to me. His voice, his smooth, charming Australian accent radiates through my broken soul, clawing at my heart to run back into his arms. 

"Wait! Please baby, don't go! Let me talk!" His familiar seducing accent tugs at my raw, vulnerable heart. 

Momentarily conflicted, I want to pretend I never saw him with her and snatch our planned future back in my possession. Yet, the relentless stabbing pain of his reckless betrayal burns irrevocably and propels me forward out the door. I pass the kitchen counter grabbing my keys as I sprint outside in the rain jumping into my car, praying I leave before he comes out. Hysteria consumes me as my trembling body prevents me from inserting the key into the ignition.  

"Dammit!" I slam my hands on the steering wheel, cursing myself for shaking so uncontrollably and not having a push start ignition. Please start, please start. 

A loud crack of glass deafens my ears! Frightened, I scream covering my head, anticipating the glass to break. I peek around my arm and see two large hands pressed against the cracked glass next to me.  

"Get away from me!" I fumble the keys into the ignition and turn it! 

"Please get out of the fucking car Audrey! I fucked up and I will fix this. I can't let you go! I fucking love you!" Aiden pleas while pounding on the window. 

Finally the car starts so I jam it into reverse, as he continues to pound on the windshield. 

"Stop! The Fucking! Car! Audrey!" Aiden yells pounding one last time onto the hood as I reverse the car out of his reach to turn around.  

Looking back in the rearview mirror, I glance at him standing in the driveway with his arms stretched out, exposing his muscular bare chest and shoulders, and wearing trousers that hang open exposing his deep "v" pelvic muscle. Aiden grabs his head in dismay and drops to his knees. This is the last time I will ever see Aiden. 

Swerving on the wet pavement, I hastily accelerate down Strawberry Hill Road honking at two pedestrians crossing the street to move out of the way. I stop at the end of the road to dial my confidant, my maid of honor. 

"Erika!" I sob into the phone. "I left Aiden! Please meet me at the pub in ten! Please!" I cry, swiping at the tears spilling down my cheeks. 'Focus on the road,' I recite as I ignore the relentless beeping from Aiden trying to contact me on the second line. "Let Nate and Lizzy know. The wedding is off!" 

"Christ! I'm so sorry, Audrey. I'm leaving right now! Be careful driving." 

"Aiden's trying to call. I have to go so I can turn off my phone." Seething in anger and agonizing grief, I throw my phone on the floor and pull off the road to wring out the relentless flood of tears for the next ten minutes. My mind incessantly repeats over and over, 'why, why, why,' as if a voice is going to speak out explaining the answer. 

What was he thinking? How could he do this to me, to us? In a split second, his act of infidelity shredded all of his character, my trust in him, and our future together into bits. In turn, I realize my world is absolutely fucking shattered. 

Twenty minutes later, after driving around in mindless circles, I finally park in front of my safe haven, my brother's pub, and fall into the arms of my two loyal best friends, Erika and Lizzy, and my brother, Nate. Now I'm home.

Will Aiden give up Audrey so easily? Will Audrey forgive Aiden when he explains? 

Thank you for reading my story! Please don't forget to CLICK on the STAR to let me know if you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you! Please comment if you have a moment! Constructive feedback is appreciated and I will reply!  I enjoy answering your questions! Happy New Year! 2015