realize the ramifications that would
have. I didn’t understand how big the story was going to get. My
life became a circus, and I wanted nothing to do with any of it.
The press was making a big deal out of nothing.”
I stared at him in awe.
“The military really spun things to their
benefit as well. I knew they needed to do that. Press about the
military isn’t always the best,” he sighed.
“You don’t say.”
He grinned and licked his lips before taking
a sip of water. “Honestly, it’s nothing I like to talk about. The
attention was undeserved and quite lopsided when I frame it up with
everything else that I’d done in my life.”
I shook my head in disbelief. The many sides
of Aaron seemed at odds with each other, yet they were all needed
in order to define the man he’d become. Learning about this put
into perspective so many inconsistencies that I didn’t understand.
There was much more to his story than what was even online, let
alone what he even told Gabby. The depth to Aaron was staggering,
and it seemed like I’d only scratched the surface.
“Oh, my god,” I whispered.
“What?” he asked.
“I remember you. I remember the story. I
can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together.”
“Why would you? It was a long time ago…”
“But still. I remember now. It was on all
the channels. I was in high school.”
Aaron nodded. “My worst fear about the whole
thing was that Gabby would see something about it in the news. I
was a complete fraud. I abandoned my little sister because I was
too cowardly to stand up to our dad, and here I was being declared
a national hero. It was complete garbage and wrong on so many
levels. The least of things she needed to see was her long-lost
brother being hailed as a hero. I was no hero. It was just
happenchance that I was there.”
“I don’t know how she didn’t see it,” I
muttered, shaking my head. “You were everywhere.”
Aaron let out another sigh. “Yes. I
was.”
“How in the world she didn’t notice you if
not on television, at least at the grocery store. You were on all
the magazines.”
He nodded and had a pained expression. “When
I left Gabby, I looked a lot different than I did when everything
happened. The military will make a man out of even the most scrawny
individual.” He attempted to grin, and I couldn’t help but smile at
the man who I’d so deeply misunderstood. “Not that I was ever
scrawny.”
“So over about the spread of six months,
Elizabeth somehow became known as my fiancée, even though I never
asked or gave her a ring. I didn’t question how that story got
spread. I didn’t want to know. Anyway, I went on with my life and
as quickly as I was thrust into the spotlight, I fell from it.
Jason and I developed our product and then we both jumped ship the
moment we could.
“The sad thing is that I think Elizabeth
actually told her friends that we were engaged. I’ll admit I leaned
on her a lot during that whole time, but I never thought I gave her
that idea. Shit. I mean, we didn’t even sleep together. I mean…come
on.” He flashed a devilish grin, and my cheeks reddened at this
revelation.
Having all of the pieces of Aaron’s hidden
life emerge and paint a complete picture of the man I fell in love
with made my spirit rise to the occasion. I never should’ve
second-guessed him, but I hoped that going forward, we wouldn’t
hide anything big or small.
“I felt bad that she got carried through all
that. Some story even ran about her being dumped by me. I have my
suspicions who leaked that one.”
“Tracy?” I asked.
He nodded. “But whatever. When Elizabeth got
out of the service, she worked a few low-paying jobs, and then she
came up with the idea for her business. By the time she reached out
to me, I was already working with my father again. I thought it was
the least I could do to help get her on her feet. Plus, she had a
really good idea. It honestly never occurred to me that the
have. I didn’t understand how big the story was going to get. My
life became a circus, and I wanted nothing to do with any of it.
The press was making a big deal out of nothing.”
I stared at him in awe.
“The military really spun things to their
benefit as well. I knew they needed to do that. Press about the
military isn’t always the best,” he sighed.
“You don’t say.”
He grinned and licked his lips before taking
a sip of water. “Honestly, it’s nothing I like to talk about. The
attention was undeserved and quite lopsided when I frame it up with
everything else that I’d done in my life.”
I shook my head in disbelief. The many sides
of Aaron seemed at odds with each other, yet they were all needed
in order to define the man he’d become. Learning about this put
into perspective so many inconsistencies that I didn’t understand.
There was much more to his story than what was even online, let
alone what he even told Gabby. The depth to Aaron was staggering,
and it seemed like I’d only scratched the surface.
“Oh, my god,” I whispered.
“What?” he asked.
“I remember you. I remember the story. I
can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together.”
“Why would you? It was a long time ago…”
“But still. I remember now. It was on all
the channels. I was in high school.”
Aaron nodded. “My worst fear about the whole
thing was that Gabby would see something about it in the news. I
was a complete fraud. I abandoned my little sister because I was
too cowardly to stand up to our dad, and here I was being declared
a national hero. It was complete garbage and wrong on so many
levels. The least of things she needed to see was her long-lost
brother being hailed as a hero. I was no hero. It was just
happenchance that I was there.”
“I don’t know how she didn’t see it,” I
muttered, shaking my head. “You were everywhere.”
Aaron let out another sigh. “Yes. I
was.”
“How in the world she didn’t notice you if
not on television, at least at the grocery store. You were on all
the magazines.”
He nodded and had a pained expression. “When
I left Gabby, I looked a lot different than I did when everything
happened. The military will make a man out of even the most scrawny
individual.” He attempted to grin, and I couldn’t help but smile at
the man who I’d so deeply misunderstood. “Not that I was ever
scrawny.”
“So over about the spread of six months,
Elizabeth somehow became known as my fiancée, even though I never
asked or gave her a ring. I didn’t question how that story got
spread. I didn’t want to know. Anyway, I went on with my life and
as quickly as I was thrust into the spotlight, I fell from it.
Jason and I developed our product and then we both jumped ship the
moment we could.
“The sad thing is that I think Elizabeth
actually told her friends that we were engaged. I’ll admit I leaned
on her a lot during that whole time, but I never thought I gave her
that idea. Shit. I mean, we didn’t even sleep together. I mean…come
on.” He flashed a devilish grin, and my cheeks reddened at this
revelation.
Having all of the pieces of Aaron’s hidden
life emerge and paint a complete picture of the man I fell in love
with made my spirit rise to the occasion. I never should’ve
second-guessed him, but I hoped that going forward, we wouldn’t
hide anything big or small.
“I felt bad that she got carried through all
that. Some story even ran about her being dumped by me. I have my
suspicions who leaked that one.”
“Tracy?” I asked.
He nodded. “But whatever. When Elizabeth got
out of the service, she worked a few low-paying jobs, and then she
came up with the idea for her business. By the time she reached out
to me, I was already working with my father again. I thought it was
the least I could do to help get her on her feet. Plus, she had a
really good idea. It honestly never occurred to me that the
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