2. The mention of his name

"Hmmmmm, something smells delicious. " I cooed as I climbed down the stairs and walked towards the kitchen, my stomach growling in anticipation.

"Of course it does." Mum agreed. Setting down a couple of plates on the table as I came around to stand beside her. "I made your favorite and it's a far cry from the peanut butter sandwich you practically live on when you're staying in that house of yours. "

I rolled up eyes good naturedly "Mum, I don't even like peanuts, or butter for that matter so what makes you think I'm going to like a combination of the two?"

"Hmmm..." She hummed thoughtfully. "Is that Aaron's favorite then? I get confused sometimes. "

At the sound of his name, I felt my stomach drop. All morning,  I had been trying to  put thoughts of him to rest and now all that progress was down the drain and it didn't take more than the mention of his name. 

"Let me help you with that." I offered quickly, taking the bowl of salad from her hand and going to set it on the table. I needed a distraction from everything Aaron related, at least for now.

"So..." I began as mum came to take her seat at the table and we began eating our breakfast. I needed to steer the conversation as far away from Aaron as was humanly possible because knowing mum, she would probably find a way to make it about him again. 

God she loved that boy way more than anyone was allowed to love a person,  and he wasn't even her real kid. I am her real kid, and yet she doesn't talk about me half as much.

"Any plans for the weekend?"

"Me? Well, Lucas is away for that conference in Spain so I'll be helping him out with some work while he's away."

At her response I almost laughed. 

"Who are you and what have you done with my mother?"

"What do you mean?" She asked trying to act clueless. 

"Oh don't give me that mum, everybody knows you hate office work."

"I don't hate it." She argued. "I just try not to make it the center of my whole life like you, Aaron,  and your father have. Besides, a girl has got to step up for her man from time to time eh? You wouldn't know anything about that though would you? Seeing as you've refused to get yourself a man "

I stiffened again at her comment. why did Aaron's name manage to pop up in every conversation today? Although that is not the only thing that bothered me.

Ten years had passed since mum married  Lucas Hill, but I still didn't know how I felt about referring him to him as my father. I guess I could get used to him being referred to as that by a third party but it would take a much longer time for me to start doing it myself...if I ever.

"Baby?" Mum called, probably noticing the fact that I had spaced out.

"You good?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I replied, clearing my throat. "But I gotta go. Rosie's flight would be landing any minute now and I don't want her to have to wait for me."

"Alright honey, you run along now, and take your coffee with you."

"Thanks mum." I replied, smiling as I grabbed my coffee and turned it into a small flask.

"You tell Rosie that a lovely meal would be waiting for her once she arrives. "

That had me stopping dead in my tracks.

"Yeah about that..." I began hesitantly. "...Rosie's not going to be staying here."

"What? why?" Mum demanded. She looked physically wounded.

"Well, she rented out a suite so she can have her own space, also, she night be having friends over, and you know Rosie, she hates to be a bother. "

"But she never is." Mum sulked.

"Oh trust me, she will be when you have to attend to twenty new visitors every hour. She's got a lot of friends you know?"

"Lots of friends... and boyfriends." She responded giving me a knowing look. "She probably needs all that privacy so she can entertain them huh?"

"I know what you're doing mum." I replied while grabbing my keys from the counter. "And I refuse to allow you to trap me into this conversation. "

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't." I returned,  but before she could get another word in, I was already out the door, calling over my shoulder to say that I loved her. If she said it back I couldn't tell because I was already in my car zooming off towards the airport. 

The ride was an uneventful but fun one. Music was blasting loudly from the speakers and the my hair was flying in the wind as I sped down the road in my convertible. It was a gift from Lucas on my 24th birthday and me and this Baby had been inseparable ever since. 

It took approximately 25 minutes for me to get to the airport and additional 5 minutes for me to spot Rosie.

It took another ten minutes for her numerous bags and boxes into the car. They obviously couldn't fit in mine so we had to order an uber.

"Girl, I thought you said you were only here for a week?" I asked.  

"Yeah why?" She replied, turning me around so she could take a good look at me. "You're not looking so bad for someone who spends all her days cooped up in an office."

"Thank you Rosie, I love you too." I replied, ignoring her comment about me being cooped up in the office. I didn't spend all my time there, i had a life, kinda.

Before I could let my mind start spiraling,  I changed the topic.

"You say a week, but the amount of luggage you've brought suggests you might be here for at least one year."

"Oh please." She replied slapping me playfully. "A girl has gotta have options."

"I know that's right. " I concurred. "You look so good though." I cooed, turning her around so I could get a better look of my best friend then I pulled her into a tight hug before I started kissing her all over her face.

"Stop. Gross." She cried, trying to get me off her but she was laughing. 

"Why? I've missed you so much."

"Yeah me too." She replied sincerely. "How long has it been?"

"6 years? Minus Christmas." 

"Damn girl, that's almost equal to forever. Also, where did you get that tan? Girl your skin is glowing"

"Somwhere in Africa." She supplied with a proud smile. "My boo knows all the exotic locations for the best vacations."

"Your boo huh? Which one? The politician or the high profile lawyer?"

Rosie changed her men like she changed shirts, I honestly couldn't keep up. 

"Girl, those ones are old stories now. My new boo owns a wine factory and the money is flowing." She declared in a dramatic sing song voice that had me bending over with laughter. 

"You know what? Get in the car and you can tell me all about your wine boo on the way."

"Alrighty." She cooed excitedly as she hopped over into the car because God forbid that Rosie would act like a normal person and go in through the door.

"So, where did you meet him?" I asked as soon as we started druving.

"Who Kevin?"

So that was his name. Hmm, I'd remember to add it to the ever growing list of Rosie's conquests.

"We met at Luke's Inauguration party. "

"Wait Luke's the mayor right?"

"No that's ferdinard. Luke's DA."

"Oooh." I replied with so many names dancing in my head. "So you met your new boo at your old boo's party? That's not bonkers at all."

"I mean Luke and I were already on shaky ground anyway. He was becoming miserly in his spending and you know I can't deal with that. Besides the man is married,  too much drama there."

"And since when did you have problems with drama? Girl you live for that shit."

"You know me too well." She replied laughing. "but Kevin had too much potential,  I needed to focus."

I shook my head, amazed. "One of these days you're going to find a man whose going to sweep you off your feet and  lock you down and drag you to the altar. I'll gladly do the honors of being your maid of honor."

"The only way I'm getting dragged to any alter is if your hot stepbrother would be up there waiting for me.."

My mood soured immediately. "You really need to get over your obsession with that fool. Trust me you can do so much better."

"Than Aaron? No thank you. Have you seen him? That man is my soul mate. He just doesn't know it yet. But when he does,  he's going to realize that I'm the one he has been searching for his entire life."

I made a gagging sound that indicated how gross the conversation was getting. Rosie glared at me and I smiled inwardly but before she could make any comments,  I turned the corner and declared;

"We're here. Hotel De Luna"

"Wow! Its magnificent." Rosie cooed, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. And magnificent it was indeed, but I still had one very burning question. 

"Who is paying for this?"

"Luke of course." She replied, still not taking her eyes off the hotel's grandeur.

"Oh good." I replied in relief, because I knew staying at a place like this would cost an arm and a leg. She could probably afford it and so could I, but i was of the opinion that only money that needed to be spent was worth spending.

That was the difference between Aaron and me. Where i was conservative in spending money,  he threw money around like a lavish prince who had no problems in life and that annoyed the hell out of me. Granted, everything he did annoyed me but some things more so than others.