Page 7 of Unfold
I grinned at her. “That’s wonderful, I’m so proud of you,” I said as she buried her head in my neck, sniffing me.
“You smell like cake,” she whispered innocently, and I laughed. She probably smelt my vanilla shampoo.
Aaron ran down the stairs, looking freshened up but wearing a scowl on his face directed at the little girl in my arms.
“I told you never to open the door without me, Ren,” he chastised.
“But Kat’s not a stranger,” she pouted, then tossed him a scowl of her own that made them look so alike. They both had brown hair, pointed noses, and deep green eyes. I was reminded of the first time I had met Aaron, of how handsome I had thought he was. My heart flipped when those green eyes met my blue ones.
“You look beautiful Kat,” he whispered, looking at me like I was some sort of exquisite treasure when I was only in a t-shirt, jeans, and boots with my hair pulled back into a ponytail.
I returned his compliment with a shy smile. “Thank you, Aaron. You look good too,” I said.
He took Renee from me and let her know that it was her bedtime, which the poor girl threw a tantrum over. She wanted to play some more with me, but it was getting late, so I offered to bathe her and read her to sleep, which she agreed to.
“I’m sorry about that, she’s normally not that stubborn,” Aaron said as we descended the stairs together after putting Renee to bed.
“Are you kidding? I love that kid,” I answered, letting him know it was okay. “So what are we watching?” I asked, taking my seat on the couch.
“Sci-fi,” he said, unsurprisingly. Luckily, I enjoyed science fiction too. “I’ll go get the popcorn ready.”
He came back with a large bowl of popcorn several minutes later and settled in under the blanket beside me. “Can I say something before we start?” he asked.
I turned to face him “Sure.” He seemed serious, and I hoped I hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Relax,” he said, reading my mind. “It’s about Jake…”
I rolled my eyes with a sigh
“No, let me finish,” he said, continuing when he was sure I was listening. “I understand how hurt you are right now, but please don’t be mad at him. I’ve watched him with Noelle for a while now, and I think I get why he likes her. Even though he doesn’t seem to know it yet. Both of them have something in common, something that draws them to each other and something none of us will ever truly understand.”
He paused and then continued, “They’ve both felt pain, and they find solace with one another. That’s not to say you didn’t bring him comfort, but it’s just different between them. Could you please not fight anymore? With Mason still recovering and you and Jake on the outs, our group is getting divided.”
“It’s because of me,” I whispered, feeling guilty. I had divided the group with my indecision; Mason was on bed rest, I had sent Jake off to Noelle and Liam was in prison because, in his own warped way, he had been trying to protect me. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, don’t be Kat. I didn’t say any of this to make you feel bad. I just want you to stop hurting and realize Jake is better off with Noelle.”
I nodded, he was right. The connection between Jake and Noelle was something else entirely. They completed each other in a way I didn’t understand. It must have been why I was so jealous of them together. I just wanted Jake to be happy, and if she made him happy, then so be it. “Ugh, I can’t believe I have to like Noelle now,” I joked, causing Aaron to laugh.
I watched him, studying his features in detail. Christ, he was so beautiful, I thought. Soon he stopped laughing, and we gravitated toward each other. I don’t know who initiated it, but soon we were kissing. It was heavenly, bringing memories of our first kiss, but I realized something as we got lost in each other. For some reason, it wasn’t enough. Something was missing.
He probably realized it too because he pulled back and watched me with a sad smile. “It’s not me, is it?”
“I’m sorry,” I shook my head.
“No, never apologize for how you feel Kat, ever.” He held my face in his hands. “You should go; he’ll be waiting for you.”
“But, we didn’t even get to watch our movie…”
“I’m not going anywhere Kat,” he said, staring at me with intensity in his eyes. “Now go… damn, he’s one lucky guy,” he muttered and I smiled.
As I was about to leave, I turned to him and said, “I love you, Aaron,” he said it back, but this time we both knew it was a declaration of friendship. “Oh, and I can’t believe you still let your mom take your measurements.”
I laughed at his shocked and embarrassed expression, carefree and happy, before skipping off to profess my love to the other boy.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The large doors opened to reveal him, the boy I had realized I was utterly and irrevocably in love with, Mason.
