Lying next to Aiden after making love to him, I run my fingers over his perfectly sculpted chest and listen to his breaths. They are steady and calm. He breathes in with his nose and out with his mouth like they taught me in yoga class - the way that I couldn’t quite get used to breathing in my everyday life.

“Well, that was a nice surprise,” I say.

“Yes, and for me, too.”

“Oh, c’mon, don’t tell me that you didn’t know what was going to happen.”

He stretches his arms behind me, flashing a smile. “I had a hunch, but I wasn’t sure. I mean, you can never be sure of these things, you know?”

I shake my head, not believing him for a second.

“But this isn’t really why I came over,” Aiden says.

“No?”

He shakes his head.

“I really missed you. I had to see you.”

I love the sound of that.

“I missed you, too,” I say.

It’s still hard to believe that it’s physically possible to miss someone you have just seen. I mean, up until a few weeks ago, I had no idea who Aiden Black was and I went about my life just fine. I actually thought I was doing okay. And now? Now, if I don't hear back from him throughout the day or don't see him, it feels like a part of me is missing. But now that he is in my life, all of my thoughts seem to focus entirely on him and what he is doing. I know that this may not be entirely healthy, but I don't really know what else to do with this insatiable need to be with him.

“I haven’t felt like this in a very long time,” Aiden says after a moment. “Actually, I don't think I’ve ever felt like this. It’s strange to say, but it’s like I’m obsessed with you, Ellie. I have to know what you’re doing. I want to see you all the time.”

“I know what you mean,” I whisper.

“I just want to be with you all the time. It’s like the world is a better place with you by my side.”

I give him a small kiss on the lips and tell him that I feel the same way.

“Especially with everything that’s going on with Owl,” he adds. I look into his eyes. They are downcast and lacking in luster. The mere mention of his company, his life’s work, and what’s happening to it is enough to send him into a downward spiral of depression and sadness.

“I wanted to ask you about that,” I say after a moment. I wait for him to continue, but he doesn’t.

“I was watching CNBC…” I start.

“Oh, those assholes don’t know anything.”

“Okay, so what is going on?” I ask again. I want him to open up, tell me every last detail, but the mere thought of Owl seems to shut him down.

He looks away, somewhere past me, and then gets up.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

Aiden pulls on his boxer briefs, then his pants, and buttons up his shirt before turning back toward me. He sits down on the bed. I clutch the bedspread toward my bare shoulders and wait.

“It’s all falling apart,” he says after a moment. “Blake is a lot more powerful and influential than I ever thought he could be. I really underestimated him. And the worst part? I don't know what to do about any of it. I’ve called all the investors, practically begging them to reconsider, but it was all to no avail. He has convinced them and now they are happy to lose a little bit of their investment rather than go down with the whole company.”

“Oh my God,” I whisper.

“And the thing is that they don't have to lose much at all. I mean, if they all decided to stay. But since they’re falling like dominos, there’s not much I can do to stop it. I need them all to suddenly change their mind if I want to salvage any of the losses. But I can’t.”

Aiden won’t meet my eyes. Instead, he watches the rain pound against the window. I wish there were something I could do to help him. But I barely know what’s going on. Then something occurs to me.

“Do you need money?” I ask.

“What?”

I repeat my question. I know that he will be tempted to lie, so I search his face for the truth.

“No, I don't need money,” he says with half a chuckle.

“You gave me a lot of money, Aiden. Too much actually. So, if you need help…” I say with my voice drifting off at the end.

“First of all, I did not give you a lot of money.”

“I made like thirty thousand a year at my job, Aiden. And after a night with you and then the week, I have more than I could ever spend.”

“Okay, I know it was a lot of money for a regular person. But Owl has lost over a billion dollars already. Probably a lot more. A few hundred thousand won’t make a big difference. And you know that, right? I mean, you have to know that.”

I did know that. I mean, it’s not like they lost a million dollars or even ten. A billion dollars is such an astronomical sum, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much that is. “So, what’s going to happen now? Do you have any money saved?”

“I have no idea what’s going to happen. I’ve never lost anything this big before. But my lawyers are already mentioning that I might have to step down for the good of the company.”

“Step down?”

“The investors are pulling out because of me, so I might not have a choice if I want Owl to survive.”

“Oh my God,” I whisper. I put my hand on his shoulder, but he just brushes me off.

“It’s all up in the air. No one really knows what’s going on.”

I don’t know how to help him. I want to do something, but I can’t think of anything. I mean, what can you do for someone in this position? Eventually, I coax him into having some tea with me. I’ve always been under the belief that tea has the ability to make everything okay, and if not totally okay, at least better. I toss of bag of mint tea into my cup and Aiden opts for a cup of English Breakfast. I find a box of sugar cookies in the back of the pantry and place those on the table as well. He barely takes a bite of his.

Sitting here, across from him, I feel completely helpless. And stupid. Mainly, I feel stupid because I actually thought that he was better. I mean, he came to see me and we had awesome sex. I thought that things were turning around for him. But he’s actually just as distraught, if not more distraught, than he was before.

“I’m sorry, but I’m just so caught off guard by how messed up you are over Owl,” I say and immediately regret the words that have just come out of my mouth. They sound so selfish and self-centered.

“What do you mean?” Aiden asks without seeming like he has taken any offense.

“It’s stupid. I’m sorry I said anything.”

“No, tell me.”

“The last time I saw you, you were so fucked up. And when you came to see me this time, and we made love…I don't know, I just thought…that things were better.”

He stares at me. At first, I think he’s cross with me, but after a moment, a sly coy smile pops up at the corners of his mouth.

“Things aren’t better,” he says, shaking his head. “But making love to you did take my mind off them for a bit. And for that, I want to thank you.”

“It did?” I ask.

“Yes. I really needed that. I’ve been feeling nothing but shit for a very long time, and this afternoon just made me see that maybe there’s more to life than work. And even if I were to lose everything…” Aiden’s words drop off. His smile disappears and his face falls as he ponders that possibility.

I put my hand over his hand and wait.

Aiden nods. “What I wanted to say is that even if I were to lose everything, at least I know that I have you. And that makes everything better.”

I smile and wrap my arms around him. “Yes, of course. I’m here for you. No matter what.”

“I love you, Ellie,” Aiden whispers.

“I love you, too.”

With my arms still wrapped tightly around his neck and my head on his shoulder, we remain for a few moments, enjoying the silence. I listen to the steadiness of his heartbeat and the evenness of his breaths. I no longer feel helpless. I know that just being here for him is enough for now. And I will stay here for as long as he needs me.

The rain outside intensifies and the raindrops become smaller and more powerful. They sound like little pellets hitting my window.

“I know we never really talked about it before,” Aiden says after a while. “But I was wondering…”

His voice drops off. I wait for him to continue without letting him go.

“This is so dumb,” he says, pulling away from me. I try to look into his eyes, but he keeps them focused on the kitchen table. It’s clear that whatever he's about to ask me, he’s really embarrassed about.

“What?” I nudge him. “You can ask me anything.”

“I was just wondering if you would want to be…my girlfriend.” Aiden looks straight into my eyes when he says that word ‘girlfriend’ and it hangs there in the air between us, as if it’s suspended on a string.

“I know that we never talked about being exclusive. And I’m not even sure if you’re interested in doing that. But I thought that I would ask…because I love you, Ellie. And I want you to be mine.”

Even before any words come out of my mouth, a big smile forms on my face. I nod and wrap my arms around him as I slide into his lap. He welcomes me with both arms. He buries his fingers in my hair and gives me a big kiss.

“Is that a yes?” he asks, laughing, pulling away for a moment.

“Yes, of course, yes,” I mumble through the kisses. “I thought that you would never ask.”

After a few minutes of making out, I pull away. “Why were you afraid to ask me that?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I guess because I feel very vulnerable when I’m with you. Unlike any other woman that I’ve known, you actually have the ability to break my heart.”

That statement sends shivers down my back.

“I haven’t been exclusive with anyone since my ex-wife,” he adds. “I never wanted to. Honestly, I thought that part of my life was over. I never wanted to be in a long-term exclusive relationship again. I was never really good at those things anyway. But then…you came along. And, swept me off my feet.”

I shake my head.

“What? Why are you shaking your head?”

“I’m just surprised, that’s all. I love you, Aiden,” I whisper. “It would be an honor to call you my boyfriend.”

Aiden doesn’t stay long after that. He has a lot of work to get back to, trying to figure out how to salvage something that’s pretty much unsalvageable; those were his words not mine.

“Oh, hey, before you go, I wanted to ask you something, too,” I say. “My friend, Tom, who’s engaged to my old editor at BuzzPost, Caroline Warrenhouse, has invited us to a party that her parents are having at their house in Maine. Do you want to come? My roommate, Caroline, will also probably come.”

“He’s marrying into the Warrenhouse family?” Aiden asks.

“Yes, you know them?”

“I’ve heard of them. They’re quite influential. Old money. Never actually met them.”

“Well, you will if you come. We can make a weekend of it,” I say.

“I’ve never been to Maine.”

“Me either. But it’s supposed to be beautiful. Plus, they have this big estate on the water.”

Aiden thinks about it for a moment. I’m half expecting him to decline, given everything that he’s going through. But much to my own surprise, he shrugs.

“Yeah, I guess. Why not?”

“Really?”

“I’ve been wanting to go away with you for the weekend. And Maine sounds as good a place as any, I guess.”

“Okay, great. I’ll text you the details,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck and giving him a big wet kiss.

“You realize, of course, that Maine will be colder than here, right?” he asks.

“Yes, I know. But I think we can brave it for a few days.”

“Only if you promise to go to the Caribbean with me in return, sometime.”

“To the Caribbean?” I ask, surprised.

“Yes.”

“Of course!” I squeal. “You can take me to the Caribbean anytime you want!”