From the Heart: A Valentine's Day Anthology Read online

  “You sure did, why didn’t I listen?” Aria asked through her tears, and managed a small laugh, too.

  “Because you saw beneath that, and God knows why, but you found something in the person under all those masks. I’ll respect your marriage, your privacy, and your need for space. But I’m your friend now, Aria, so please don’t walk away.”

  “I won’t, I promise.” The world was whole again, and life meant something. She took a deep breath and smiled. “I can’t believe you actually wrote me a song,” she added, perking up now that the air had been cleared.

  “What else was I to do while I was sitting here seething about you? Like it or loathe it, you were on my mind, Bluebird.”

  “Why do you keep calling me that?” she asked, looking over at the painting of a bluebird she just happened to have hanging in her bedroom. It’d been her grandmother’s, given to her as a child after she’d passed, and it’d always been her favourite.

  “Because you’re stuck in your cage, but one day you’ll be free to fly away. And because bluebirds are my favourite.”

  “Mine, too.” Her eyes were wide.

  “I’ll stop calling you that if you don’t like it?” he offered.

  “No. Don’t you dare, I love it.”

  ***

  Aria knew a time would come that she might regret letting her deceitful heart take control of her life, but she simply could no longer imagine a world in which Dexter did not exist. She lived for the cheeky messages and intense phone calls. Her body yearned for the happiness he brought her, and she stopped fighting his declarations of attraction and desire. They were only friends, and she refused to let herself feel guilty for mentally giving herself to another man.

  After weeks of calling and texting, they still hadn’t seen each other since that first night, but Aria knew her whole life had changed. Brad continued on as normal, seemingly unaware of his wife’s affection for another man—a man she still tried to convince herself was nothing more than a friend. She and Brad attended parties and gigs, all the while never actually talking to one another about anything other than his work. Her husband was lost to her, smothered by a blanket of commitments and responsibility that he’d woven for himself. If she was honest, Aria knew it was just a matter of time until something broke between them.

  “I’m heading to a gig tonight for one of my pop-bands. Don’t wait up,” Brad called as he grabbed his keys and checked he had his phone and wallet safely in his jacket pockets. Aria knew exactly what gig he was talking about, and wanted to make absolutely sure she accompanied him.

  “Can I come? I’ve got nothing planned, and it’d be nice to go out tonight,” she asked, smiling sweetly. “Which band is it?”

  “Another Way. Not your sort of thing, babe,” he answered, as if he might actually know what type of music she enjoyed. She wandered out to the hall with him, straightened his tie, and shrugged.

  “Yeah, I do like their new song. Come on, baby. Take me out tonight?” she pleaded.

  “Sure, why not,” Brad conceded, kissing her cheek softly. “Be ready for seven, I’ll send a car for you.”

  Aria nodded and smiled. She was alive inside with a flame that had nothing to do with her husband taking her on a date. She was going to see Dexter and his band playing live, and she couldn’t wait.

  After Brad left, Aria busied herself with choosing an outfit, primping and preening herself, and all the while she was bouncing around like a teenager. She wanted to text Dexter and tell him she was coming, but at the same time she also wanted it to be a surprise, and wrestled with herself as she tried to decide how best to proceed. When her phone rang, she beamed and pulled the handset to her ear.

  “Hey, you.”

  “Hey, Bluebird,” Dexter’s voice came through the line and went straight down her spine. “What’s this I hear about you coming to the gig tonight?”

  “Damn, I can’t keep anything a secret!” she squealed, earning a loud laugh from her new best friend. “Yeah, Brad’s sending a car at seven. I really wanted to come and hear you sing, I hope you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all. I must admit it’ll be hard knowing you’ll be out there.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “You make me nervous,” Dexter added.

  “Why? I won’t come if you don’t want me to?” Aria asked, suddenly feeling worried.

  “I do, it’s just that with you around I’m not sure I can be the fake me.”

  “Same here, but we’ll both just have to try, okay?”

  “Deal.” Aria could hear the smile in his tone.

  “See you later.”

  “Oh believe me, you’re all I’ll see.”

  At seven on the dot, the doorbell rang. Aria grabbed her bag and headed out to the awaiting cab, where she spent the next twenty minutes fiddling with everything in sight in an attempt to busy her frenzied mind. After playing games on her phone, she checked and re-checked her bag, and then took a deep breath as the huge arena came into view through the car window. They pulled into an alleyway and were let into a secure area towards the back of the venue, where one of Brad’s assistants met her.

  “Evening Mrs Harper, Brad’s just inside talking to the arena manager. He’s asked you to meet him at the VIP area,” the burly man, Joe, informed her as they wandered the dark corridor towards the seats. On their way, they passed the backstage area, where she quickly caught the eye of the man who’d been on her mind every day since meeting him on that rooftop. If they weren’t talking or texting, she was playing Dexter’s albums on repeat through her headphones just to hear his voice, and her heart leapt at seeing him again.

  Aria carried on walking behind Joe, her eyes locked on Dexter’s until the last second, and the heat in their stare made her breath catch in her throat. When she reached the VIP booth with the perfect view of the stage, she was glad to find an open bar. She grabbed a glass of champagne and drank it quickly.

  “Slow down, babe,” Brad’s voice was low, but insistent from behind her.

  “Sorry, it’s warm and I guess I was thirsty. I’ll have a glass of water next,” she lied, turning and smiling up at him. Aria accepted a kiss on the cheek from her husband and then switched into dutiful wife mode while he discussed the evening’s arrangements with those who’d accompanied him. She greeted his colleagues, smiling and making small talk, and they then waited for the concert to begin.

  “Do you like this sort of music, Aria?” Brad’s boss, Cecelia asked with a clearly forced smile. “I would’ve thought you had more refined tastes?” The pair of them had never gotten on, and Aria was surprised to find her here at all. Usually, the CEO of Hope Records had far more important things to deal with than attend their clients’ events, and that was when Aria spotted her watching Brad like a hawk. She’d always wondered if Cecelia had a soft spot for her husband, and while part of her wanted to throw a punch, she realised that ultimately she didn’t care. There was no jealousy panging from within, and she shrugged it off.

  “I like all-sorts, CeCe. Better to have varied tastes than no taste at all,” she replied with an equally forced smile. The pair then moved away from one another as the support act began playing, and Aria felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

  Please tell me I didn’t imagine it? Was it really you walking in and out of my line of sight, and bringing me right to my knees? I had to down a beer, Bluebird. My nerves are shot.

  Aria had to fight the smile she felt brewing from within.

  Same here, but it was a glass of wine. Just enjoy tonight. I’m here to see you, not anything or anyone else.

  The concert was amazing. Aria didn’t take her eyes off Dexter for a single moment, and she felt his eyes on her, too. She played it cool, but when he silenced the crowd and spoke into the microphone in a moment of improvisation, they all stopped and watched in awe.

  “Thanks for coming out tonight!” Dexter called, making the crowd go wild. “I’ve been working on something new, and wanted to see what you all thought? Whadya reckon?” Screams and a
pplause both silenced and answered him in equal measure, and Aria could hear Brad muttering under his breath beside her.

  “Little shit, wrecking the schedule,” he was saying to Cecelia, who nodded and stroked his arm supportively. “I haven’t approved any new material.”

  “The crowd seems to like it. Let’s wait and see what he comes out with,” she was saying, leaning in close. Aria’s gaze settled on Dexter again. She didn’t care what was going on behind her, all she wanted to do was listen to him sing, and suspected she might know exactly what new material he was talking about.

  He picked up his trusty guitar and began strumming, and his band mates seemed to know nothing of his plan to slot in an extra track, so stayed quiet while he sang. It was twice as satisfying to watch as he got his moment of acoustic reverence, an Aria loved that she’d been enough of a muse to bring out the real musician within him. The combination of Dexter’s soulful voice with just the accompaniment of his guitar was amazing, and it made her consider how truly talented he really was.

  “There’s a girl for me, but she can’t be mine.

  I don’t wanna keep away, ‘cos she’s on my mind.

  Love is powerful, it’s sheer agony. But it’s the only way I can breathe, the only way I can be.

  I’m hopeless without you, why can’t you see?

  Spread your wings and fly. Fly away with me.

  Help me soar, let me be the sun on your face and the one you adore.

  Spread your wings and fly to me…

  Will you let me hold you? Will you be mine?

  Can we fly away together, until the end of time?”

  Inside, Aria’s heart was racing. Everything in her screamed to him, craved him. Her love for Brad was gone, she knew for sure now. Outside, she stayed still and calm, while inside she was on fire. She forced herself to stand tall and breathe deeply. No one could know her secret until she was ready. Aria knew she couldn’t act rashly, but that she had to find a way to end things with Brad. The sheer thought terrified her, but was also the most exciting prospect she’d had in years.

  ***

  Videos of Dexter’s new song went viral in minutes. The band was catapulted to even more fame thanks to his heartfelt lyrics, and back-to-basics acoustic style. Speculation was soon rife about the paramour he was clearly longing for so incredibly that he’d been compelled to write about her, and no one had any idea it was his manager’s wife.

  Aria watched the video file for the hundredth time on her laptop, her eyes as glued to the screen as they’d been the first time. Whoever had recorded it was stood right beneath him in the crowd as he’d sang, and had captured the song perfectly. His features were pained, his heart on his sleeve. He was real. The fake Dexter Fray—the stage version of himself—was gone in that moment. He’d done it, he’d messed up and dropped his façade in front of millions, but it’d shown his real talent, and had been worth every second.

  In the week since his impromptu performance, Dexter had been on a whirlwind of interviews, photo-shoots, and all the while planning for the band’s upcoming world tour. He’d spent an afternoon in the studio recording the new track, and had kept Aria up to speed with the exciting news every step of the way. Their calls and texts hadn’t stopped, if anything they’d spent longer corresponding, and she was positive that they were simply cementing their grip on one another’s hearts and souls. She knew what she wanted now, but didn’t even know where to begin to break away from her husband. He wouldn’t let her go easily, that much she was sure about, and Aria knew she needed a plan.

  ***

  Aria decided to go to the office and see Brad after another day spent alone, and knew she simply couldn’t wait any longer. He had to know they were over; she needed to be free to fly. Joe was there to greet her, fussing and getting under her feet as he tried to direct her, but Aria was on a mission. She stalked straight over to Brad’s office, but found it empty. Turning on her heel, she headed in the opposite direction to see if he might be in the marketing department, and that was when she heard the moans. They were coming from the door marked ‘Cecelia Hope,’ and it was clear she was enjoying herself inside.

  Without hesitating, Aria leaned down and peered through the keyhole. Something stirred within, a mistrust she’d felt originate long ago and hadn’t let bloom, but now she was wracked with suspicion. She had to see for herself if what she was hearing had anything to do with Brad. Aria didn’t care if it was an invasion of CeCe’s privacy, she needed to know.

  She placed her deep brown eye over the small opening and peered through, and she could see the source of the moaning bent over her desk. CeCe’s skirt was pulled up, while her knickers were around her ankles, and the man behind her was thrusting in and out with heavy, high-speed pummels that were loud even to Aria’s ears. Part of her wanted to look away, not to witness it any longer, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away. Aria was breathing hard. She didn’t know if it was the excitement of her sleuthing, or fear that she was about to catch her husband in the act, but she had to force herself to calm down and think.

  Was Brad wearing a blue shirt this morning, or a white? She couldn’t remember. Did he have his grey suit on or his black? Aria quickly realised she’d been so disinterested in him lately that she’d failed to notice those small things, so couldn’t discern whether the white shirted, grey suited man, buried deep inside the woman now stifling her screams and clearly climaxing, was her husband.

  “Yes, I’m there. I’m coming, babe.” It sounded like Brad.

  The man stilled and groaned his obvious release. He then slid himself out and leaned down to pull up his trousers, which was when Aria caught sight of his face. Brad.

  She knew she should be furious, hurt, betrayed, and sickened. But, no. Aria felt liberated. Suddenly freer than she’d felt in years, she knew exactly what she wanted to do in response to her husband’s infidelity. She stood and quickly headed back towards the entrance to the building, where she calmly informed Joe that she hadn’t found her husband.

  “I only wanted to let him know I was heading out, so not to worry about dinner. Could you relay the message?” she asked, without waiting for an answer.

  Aria then hailed a cab and gave the driver instructions to Dexter’s house. She almost banged down the door when she arrived, and was so eager to go inside and finally claim the prize she’d held herself back from. Dexter’s band mate, Alex, flung open the door in surprise.

  “He’s upstairs, I’ll go get him,” he offered, but Aria was hot on his heels. They rounded the corner and he knocked. When a low murmur sounded, he poked his head inside. “Aria’s here,” she heard him say, and his tone made her go cold. He said it as if he was sorry, and the second Dexter’s door opened and she saw inside, she knew why.

  He was half-naked, just in jeans and socks, and sat on his bed was a woman. She was young, much younger than Aria, and she too was only half-dressed. They all stared back at her with wide-eyes, and Dexter reached his hand out to her.

  “It’s not what it looks like,” he said, shaking his head. His wide-eyed, sorry stare made her want to reach for him, but her anger forced her not to care enough to soothe his guilty conscience. She felt his betrayal far more than she’d felt Brad’s, and felt herself die a little inside at the sight of the smirking young thing staring up at her from atop his ruffled sheet. Aria turned and ran.

  She was out the door and down the street before she could even think straight, and didn’t look back. Heavy grief swallowed every one of her senses, and when she finally stopped running she hailed a taxi and cried the entire journey home.

  “You okay, love?” the cabbie asked, turning to look at her from the front seat.

  “Fine,” she managed, thrusting the cash into his hand before taking off inside. She turned off her phone and curled into a ball on the bed. Aria was a heaving mess, and felt lost and so unbelievably alone. Both the men in her life had betrayed her on the same day, and she felt like such a fool for having trusted either of them.
r />   Eventually, she unfurled her exhausted body and stripped. She climbed into the shower, where Aria let the last tears she was determined she would ever let herself cry for Dexter Fray fall. She washed them away along with her shame and the pain of losing him, and promised herself she’d never fall for the lies men told ever again.

  As she dried her hair, realisation struck. Brad was having an affair, and she had nothing. Aria knew she should leave, but where would she go? She had no money of her own, and no backup plan. She needed time to think, and figured that until she had it figured out, she’d just have to stick with the devil she knew.

  ***

  Weeks of unanswered phone calls and ignored text messages ensued. Her doorbell rang a few times, but Dexter was a coward. He never came when Brad was around, and he didn’t fight for her. Aria watched from the bedroom window each time as he gave up and walked away after just a few minutes.

  She listened to sad songs about breakups and heartache, while faking closeness and attentiveness for the husband she knew was getting his dick wet inside his boss. She didn’t let him touch her, but Brad didn’t seem to notice the extra iciness behind her sweet exterior, and Aria was glad. Her head wasn’t straight, and she knew she should be making plans to leave, but didn’t know where to begin or who to turn to.

  One morning after he left for work, she headed straight down to her local library to use the computers. She didn’t want to risk her husband discovering what she was researching, and spent the time getting her finances in order and finding herself a decent divorce lawyer. After a few hours spent on edge, yet driven towards finding her future, she returned home, where she found a single pink rose sat on her doorstep. Aria picked it up, and read the note attached.