Three days later
"So now that my throat feels better we need to talk," Clare told Aaron. Aaron had been sleeping on Clare's couch and fixing her different kinds of soup for her since it hurt her throat to eat most things. He wanted to be there if his mate needed him. Clare had allowed Aaron to baby her while her throat was so sore, but now that she was mostly back to normal, except for the bruises she could start doing stuff for herself again. Eating more normally.
"OK, now that your throat isn't so sore and you're not so hoarse from Ricky nearly strangling you what do you want to talk about?" Aaron asked her.
"I've come to a decision about that mate thing you were telling me about," Clare explained.
"What decision?" Aaron asked his interest immediately obvious. Aaron tried to conceal his excitement, because he didn't want to get his hopes up that Clare was going to agree to be turned immortal and to be by his side forever. He knew what the story that he had told her sounded like and that was pure fantasy even if it was the truth.
"I've been debating with myself, as to whether or not I loved you enough to last what is technically multiple lifetimes. You explained that immortality is not all it's cracked up to be, because you're living your life endlessly, basically. Being nearly strangled by Ricky, even if that was accidentally, has made me realize that life is simply too short to deny love. At least for most people," Clare added.
"We've gotten much closer over the last few months ever since we returned from our trip to Crescent City and your efforts have not been in vain. I mean you've been going out of your way to take care of me ever since that idiot Ricky nearly strangled me."
"I don't think I did anything special," Aaron told her. "It wasn't your fault you were hurt, as you were just shopping for supplies. Any human being who was truly in love that was a boyfriend or a girlfriend would do the same."
"Well, I suppose, if they were really in love that's possible. The only problem is that a lot of people are selfish and they don't really love their significant other, not enough to take care of them when they're injured or sick anyway," Clare said. "My point is, I've also finally absorbed everything you've told me, even though to me anyway, it stretches into the realm of fantasy and myth."
"I can't blame you there," Aaron admitted sympathetically. "This is the 22nd century where such things should not be a reality. Not in this modern society. If you went to someplace like Egypt though, even though they have advanced like the rest of the world you'd realize that they have a deep-rooted belief in the supernatural. If I hadn't actually been born immortal, I'm sure, my reaction would have been the same as yours at least at first."
"That's really nice of you to say," Clare told Aaron kissing his cheek.
"It's the truth," Aaron told her, even as he rubbed his cheek smiling. "So does this mean you accept being turned immortal that you'll take me as is? I have a lot of faults you know."
"Everybody does though," Clare told him. "If we were perfect we would be gods and goddesses ourselves and even they are not perfect, which I suspect is because we have feelings and emotions. Most everyone goes by them instead of logic."
"I'm sure you know that logic is all well and good, but most decisions have an emotional base," Aaron said. "While you might think you're making a good decision, one only based off logic that is not often the case."
"I know," Clare said simply, "which is how I know I do love you, so yes, I have decided to accept your offer."
Aaron felt relief sweep through him and he stood up picked Clare up in his arms swinging her around in pure joy.
Clare laughed glad she had Aaron so happy with her announcement. Aaron then sat her down on her feet and hugged her tightly before kissing her possessively.
"I see my announcement makes you happy," Clare said in a much more calm tone then she actually felt inside. Her insides were doing a very upbeat happy dance. All Aaron had to do was smile at her and she figuratively turned into a puddle of goo.
"You have no idea," Aaron told her with a brilliant smile. "Had you been immortal when Ricky attacked you, if he had managed to crush your windpipe you wouldn't have died permanently. Of course, since you were in public, it would have been just as well that Ricky didn't manage to kill you, as you would've awakened in a few minutes. You might've been in the morgue by then, which while not as public as the grocery store parking lot they still would've been at least one or two people there. At least the coroner, though possibly, there would have also been an assistant or something. Or you could've been in one of the cold drawers waiting to be buried, as an autopsy might not have taken place if it was obvious how you died."
"I certainly would've shocked the hell out of that coroner when I suddenly woke up," Clare giggled.
"Yes, you would have and that's not a good idea Clare matter how funny it would've been," Aaron told her seriously. "There are probably cameras in the morgue and all over the building for one thing. Also, you might have given the medical examiner examining your body a heart attack and even if you didn't they probably would have fainted. You could also have gotten him or her fired for negligence or his superiors could have decided that the examiner was drunk on the job and got him in serious trouble. Even if the medical examiner didn't get in trouble for just letting your body disappear, it's still not a good idea."
"I hadn't thought about that," Clare admitted. "I would hate to get whoever had charge of my body in trouble with his their superiors."
"So would I, which is why I'm glad that you didn't die in public and then come back to life. If you had died, because of Ricky it would've been permanent and I would've killed him I promise you," Aaron said his tone fierce with a deadly edge. "Such an event would start rumors that would spread and while it might be taken as just a practical joke there's no point of risking more serious consequences and not only for you, but for the coroner who would've been the one in charge of the morgue."
"I suppose, it's a good thing, that I took a few self-defense classes," Clare said. "My elbow in Ricky's ribs probably at least bruised them, maybe even cracked a couple. If that's the case nobody deserves it more. I also stepped on his foot, but since I was wearing tennis shoes with rubber soles that didn't do as much damage as my elbow."
"You did a good job that's all that matters," Aaron said. "Did you tell your brother what his friend did?"
"I did. I called him on the vid phone not long after it happened before Ricky could start spreading lies about what happened or my bruises could fade. My hoarse voice plus the bruises on my neck made Chad furious.
"Chad wanted to teach Ricky a lesson, but I told him I was fine and I didn't want him getting in trouble with the authorities, just because he punched Ricky and beat him up. Chad even apologized for how much he'd persisted that Ricky and I would make a good couple.
"Ricky is in a lot of trouble and Chad has sworn that their friendship is over after what he did. Unfortunately, Ricky didn't go to prison for my assault, which means he can still cause trouble."
"At least your brother finally realizes what kind of man his former friend is," Aaron said.
"There is that," Clare said. "Everytime I talk to him lately he's apologizing for what Ricky did and for ignoring me when I told him that I never have liked him."
"It gets annoying," Aaron guessed.
"Definitely," Clare agreed. "Though it's definitely preferable to Chad trying to push me towards his friend."
"I can see where Chad's coming from though," Aaron said. "You need to look at it from your brother's point of view, he kept being an advocate for Ricky and yet his friend attacks you, just because you don't want to date him and told him so to his face instead of through your brother."
"Chad admitted that he caught Ricky going though his things as if searching for something and while Ricky apologized Chad thinks that's when he found out what area I was living in, as I'm sure he already knew the state I'd moved too. People tend to shop in the same area where they live so it was a good bet. Luckily, Chad wasn't so stupid to write down my actual address. It is on his computer so that he can send me presents, but his computer's passworded thankfully," Clare explained.
"So he just hung around the area, probably near where he could see the entrance to the grocery store since everybody needs food and then approached you when he saw you come out with a cart," Aaron guessed.
"I don't know for sure, but your theory is probably accurate," Clare said. "I'm not going to worry about Ricky Martin any longer. He better not come anywhere near me or I'll take out a restraining order. I'll have him arrested if I have to do that, if he comes near me and he'll then have to pay bail."
"You probably should've done that this time," Aaron said. "He can be arrested and charged easier if you have an active restraining order on him and he breaks it."
"Probably," Clare agreed. "Let's forget about Ricky Martin. If I never see him again it'll be too soon. I still can't believe he did what he did, as he ruined his friendship with my brother because of his actions, which tells me that his friendship with Chad wasn't important to him."
"That's true. It's clear your brother loves you very much, even if he didn't listen to you about Ricky Martin," Aaron said, even as he held the love of his existence close, glad that she had survived having Ricky nearly throttle her like he had.
The two of them just stood in the middle of the living area for awhile and then Clare stomach growled.
"I can tell someone's hungry," Aaron teased Clare who blushed.
"When you've been living off thin soup it's no wonder," Clare said. "Chicken broth, beef broth, bone broth and tomato soup might be good, but they're not very filling, especially for three meals a day.
"True," Aaron agreed wholeheartedly, as he'd been hungry for the last few days, as he'd been eating the same thing as Clare in a show of support. He hadn't wanted to eat anything more substantial since Clare couldn't join him as that would make her envious of what she couldn't have until her throat quit hurting every time she swallowed.
"What would you like for an early dinner?" Aaron asked. "Anything you want is yours."
"That's quite the offer," Clare said thinking about it. "What about prime rib rare, with a twice baked potato, rice and asparagus."
"That sounds really good, all but the asparagus. I think I'll get peas instead," Aaron said.
"Don't like asparagus?" Clare teased him.
"I'll eat most vegetables, but I never have liked asparagus," Aaron answered with a grimace.
"Well, everybody has different tastes," Clare said with shrug.
"I'll call the order in to one of our favorite restaurants and they should have it ready by the time I go to pick it up," Aaron said.
"Good, because I'm starving," Clare said, even as her stomach growled again.
"I'll hurry," Aaron said taking out his link and making the call, even as he opened and walked through the front door and left Clare's apartment.
Clare watched him go and knew that she had made the right decision about letting Aaron turn her immortal, even if living forever was a rather strange concept still.
She loved Aaron so much that the thought of being without him caused her physical pain and she knew that Aaron felt the same way about her and those feelings would make their eternity worthwhile.
~~~Aaron and Clare~~~
"Dinner is served my lady," Aaron said, as he put a plate on the table and Clare's apartment.
Aaron had returned to the apartment with several large bags of food, and Clare's stomach had growled hungrily after she had smelled the enticing of grilled meat coming from the carryout bags.
"It smells wonderful," Clare said sniffing the steak. Clare cut a piece of her steak and put it in her mouth. "Cooked just the way I like it!" Clare exclaimed pleased.
"Mine to," Aaron agreed, as he took a bite of his own steak. "Rudy's is a really good place to get an excellent steak."
"Yes, it is," Clare agreed that she took a bite of her twice baked potato. "They aren't the cheapest place to eat, though really no steakhouse is.
"That's true," Aaron agreed, as he ate his excellent steak. "How is the soreness of your throat?" Aaron inquired next.
The bruises had turned bluish-purple, which meant they were healing. They would eventually turn yellow-brown or light brown when they were nearly gone.
"It's a lot better, though I know it's gonna take awhile for the bruises to completely heal," Clare said. "The soreness in my throat is completely gone though, which means I can really enjoy this dinner you got for us."
"That's good," Aaron said, as he ate a bite of his rice pilaf that he had gotten to accompany his steak. "I noticed you're no longer hoarse like you were, which tells me that you throat is no longer sore."
The two chatted about inconsequential things as they ate.
"Thanks for dinner Aaron," Clare finally said after she finished. "It was really good, especially since I've been eating soup from a can for the last three days. Oh and instant oatmeal."
"I'm afraid I'm not much of a chef," Aaron said. "I can heat up leftovers or things like soup in the microwave with the best of them but that's about it."
"I can cook, so it doesn't matter," Clare said.
"We can always eat out," Aaron shrugged. "Remember, what I told you when we first met that I'm very wealthy and I didn't lie when I said that. Money isn't an issue for me and when we marry what's mine is yours."
"Eating out isn't very healthy though," Clare said. "Oh, every once in awhile of course, just not all the time."
"You're going to be immortal, Clare, eating out on a regular basis isn't going to affect your health," Aaron told her.
"It will my weight though," Clare said. "I could easily gain a lot of weight if I'm not careful."
"True,"Aaron said. "Unfortunately, being immortal can't stop you from gaining weight. It just means you can't get sick and you heal really fast from injuries. You're likely to survive an injury that would kill a human depending on where it is."
"That's a really nice perk of being immortal," Clare said happy at that prospect. "I usually catch a bad cold every winter and it will be nice not to anymore. I sniffle and cough for days."
"Not anymore," Aaron told her with a smile.
After dinner, Aaron and Clare worked in companionable silence as they scraped their plates and put them into the dishwashing unit before heading into the living area to turn on the TV and watch a movie. The two of them cuddled together quite comfortably, as they watched the movie they had chosen. It was an action flick that was quite good.
~~~Aaron and Clare~~~
"Congratulations on your engagement," Chad said shaking Aaron's hand.
"Thank you," Aaron said. "We appreciate it."
"I also want to thank you for talking some sense into me about Ricky," Chad said looking sad and devastated for a moment. "I can't believe that he would do something like attack Clare. I knew he had a crush on her, but that she wouldn't give him the time of day. At the time, I didn't understand why. Now though, I know she probably sensed something about him. Something dark and dangerous."
"A lot of women can sense when somethings off about a man," Aaron told Chad. "I know you didn't want to think of your friend, as a predator, but that's exactly what he turned out to be."
"I should've listened to my sister. She did try to tell me that she couldn't stand Ricky, I know that now," Chad said still ashamed that he had always ignored the fact that his sister didn't like Ricky at all and never had. He had been Ricky's go between trying to get Clare to agree to a date with him and he still felt ashamed that he had tried to force the issue.
He had just wanted so badly for his sister and his best friend to perhaps get married and start a family, but Clare hadn't cooperated. He had tried to push his own desires onto his only sibling instead letting her choose her own path, something that ashamed him now.
Clare had forgiven him though, so now he needed to forgive himself. Clare had understood that he wanted what he thought was best for her, but what he thought was best for his sister she didn't agree with.
"So to change the subject when is the wedding?" Chad asked.
"That is still being determined," Clare now came forward, now that the conversation between her brother and Aaron seemed to be mostly over.
"I'm still working on wedding plans and Aaron has told me to spend anything I want," Clare said. "Since I'm the only one doing the planning though, its going to take awhile."
"That was really nice of you Aaron, as females can spend a lot for their weddings or at least that's what I've heard," Chad said.
"I, only intend, to get married once," Aaron shrugged not telling Chad the real reason that he didn't mind if Clare spent thousands on everything she needed for the wedding. Not only was he extremely wealthy Clare was his mate so there was no possibility of divorce so why not let her spend what she wanted? She was only going to get one wedding unless they did some kind of a renewal of vows ceremony a few decades from now.
Clare said nothing, as Chad didn't need to know about immortality or about mates.
"It'll probably be at least six months from now as Aaron and I will have to figure out a date," Clare said.
"Six months isn't really long at all," Aaron said. "It's certainly sooner then most weddings. A lot of them take a year or more to plan depending on how big and lavish they're going to be."
"There probably isn't going to be more then 100 people all told. That's not many at all really," Clare said. "Still, there are caterers to hire, wedding dress and accessories to buy. It just takes time."
"I'd like to pay something. After all, she is my sister," Chad said, "I am her only living relative and its traditional. I'll know you're taking care of most of the cost," Chad added, looking at Aaron, "but still, I'd feel better paying at least some of it."
"We'll work out something," Aaron promised knowing that men had their pride and Chad loved his sister, which meant that he wanted to pay at least something for his sister's wedding, even if Aaron was going to pay the bulk of it.
"OK," Chad said, "that sounds good." He was relieved that Aaron wasn't going to insist that he pay for the whole thing and leave him out of it entirely just because of how he'd tried to get Clare to at least date Ricky. Aaron seemed to understand that he just had wanted his best friend as well as his sister happy and he'd thought that Clare would be happy with Ricky despite his sister's denials. His motives had been good, even if things had turned into crap. He'd been oblivious to his sister's hatred of his friend or at least her strong dislike or Ricky's obsession with her. He hadn't listened when Clare had tried to tell him that she didn't like Ricky at all.
"I hope we can get to know each other better soon," Chad said and Aaron nodded.
"Of course," Aaron agreed. "I'd like that a lot, though I don't know how often we'll see each other since you don't live here in Dallas."
"You could move back to Denver," Chad suggested knowing how his sister was going to respond to that.
"Absolutely not!" Clare exclaimed. "If you think I want to be in the same city with Ricky Martin, you've lost what little sense you had Chadwick. I kept telling you for years that I did not like your friend but you didn't listen until he nearly strangled me. It mightn't've been intentional, but that doesn't cancel out the fact that he did. He thought holding me with his arm around my throat was a way to get my attention just because I kept denying going out on a date with him. That is not how a normal person acts, Chadwick.
"I mean seriously you would think he would've gotten the message a long time ago, but instead he just got you to keep reminding me that he didn't have a girlfriend, as if that wasn't annoying enough. I mean he didn't approach me from the front he came up behind me and held me captive," Clare ranted.
"He knew that you wouldn't talk to him if you saw his face," Aaron told Clare who nodded, as she had to come to the same conclusion herself.
"I suppose I shouldn't have suggested it," Chad admitted. "I haven't talked to Ricky after what he did to you, although he has tried to call me several times. I've told him that our friendship was over after what he had done to you. All he could do was whine and blubber saying he hadn't meant to hurt you, but you weren't cooperating until I hung up on him. He didn't admit that what he did was wrong and that he could easily have a crushed your windpipe. It was bad enough that you had bruises all around your throat from the pressure of his arm and it was also so sore that you were hoarse for days afterwards."
"I lived mostly off soup and believe me, I could've strangled Ricky for that alone, as it was stuff like bone broth or chicken broth, stuff that's only liquid, none of which is exactly very substantial," Clare said making a face remembering. "It would've been OK for part of a meal, but not as a whole meal. I was always hungry because that's all I was able to eat well other then oatmeal, none of which is solid as it's basically all liquid."
Chad winced at that, but said nothing, as he had already apologized a lot of times and knew Clare had forgiven him for not listening to her about Ricky, but she also didn't want to hear an apology again.
"It's in the past though and my bruises have mostly healed now," Clare said.
"So have you decided on the best man," Chad asked Aaron.
"I have a good friend by the name of David Rossi that I was going to ask," Aaron said. "We've known each other for a long time."
Clare knew when Aaron said a long time he meant centuries in this case, not just a few decades.
"You can be the head usher, Chad," Clare told him knowing her brother was disappointed not to be named best man. On the other hand, Aaron and Chad hardly knew each other so she could see why Aaron wanted to name his good friend and not her brother. "It will mean escorting people to their seats, making sure that settled before the ceremony."
"That sounds good. I can do that. I'll be happy to," Chad said sitting up straighter now that he knew he was going to be part of the wedding party. They weren't excluding him from playing a part in his sister's marriage. He now understood that Aaron just wanted his friend to be best man, because they had known each other for much longer.
"That's good Chad. It's not gonna be for a few months. You need to get a tux as it's gonna be a formal event. I know you don't have one unless you've bought one, since last time I was in your closet."
"I haven't," Chad said.
"I had already figured that," Clare told him with a little smile. "I know you're not big on formal events, but since this is for me you're willing to go along with wearing a tux."
"He should be able to rent one just for the wedding," Aaron suggested. "There's no point in going to the expense of buying one if he's never going to wear it again."
"That's a good idea, Aaron," Clare approved. "You're absolutely right. There's no point of Chad paying out hundreds of dollars for a tux that he's only going to wear once. We have no other siblings and I'm only planning on getting married once. Thinking about it though you're gonna need a tux for your own if you ever get married."
"I can rent one again if that ever happens," Chad said firmly liking the idea, as it saved him a lot of money. "If I was one of those guys that went to a lot of formal events where they were required it would be one thing, but I'm not, so renting is just fine. Besides, if that ever happens it would probably be out of style if I did buy one, as even I know styles change all the time."
Clare nibbled her bottom lip in thought then nodded in agreement.
"True. Fine. we can rent," Clare finally agreed.
~~~Aaron and Clare~~~
