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EIGHT
~ Samuel ~
I kept thinking about the look she had given me on the doorstep the night before. Had she wanted me to kiss her as much as I wanted to? I kept telling myself that I must have been imagining it, but I couldn’t help but think that maybe she did. It left me distracted at work the next day, and I wasn’t as chatty as I usually was with my patients. By the time that the last one had left, I knew that I couldn’t leave things unspoken. Pulling out my phone, I shot Aria a text.
Be ready at 9 tonight. Wear something comfy and warm. I’ll be outside – S.
Within a few seconds, I had a response ping up on my screen.
I look forward to it. See you later – A.
What did that mean? Did she actually want to see me? Was it a part of her acting, or did she really want me? I knew that after that kiss, the line between what was fake and what was real had started to blur. I knew that it had stirred something inside of me, something I hadn’t felt since my teenage years when I had been with her at the beginning.
My plans gave me enough time to go home and have dinner with my mom before getting ready. She must have noticed that I was looking anxious as she grinned over the table at me.
“You going to see Aria tonight?” she asked.
“How did you know?”
“I remember that look in your eyes from your teenage years. This time you don’t need to sneak out the window, though. The front door is more than adequate.”
I laughed, “I’m glad I have your permission.”
“You have more than that,” she waved her fork at me, “You had better seal the deal on that girl soon. She’s quite the catch, and her job takes her all over the place. If you don’t snag her now, I doubt you’ll ever get a chance again. At least, not while I’m still on this earth.”
Despite knowing the eventual outcome of our fake relationship, I knew my mother was right. It was extremely rare for Aria to grace Cherrywood Falls with her presence and, when she did, it was only for a very limited amount of time. If I were to consider any real possibility of forming something with her, I would have to take my chance during this time. But it was all fake, right?
After dinner, I helped clear everything away while mom sat in front of the television and dozed off. I went upstairs and showered, spraying myself with cologne afterward. I then changed into a comfy but nice-looking pair of jeans and a thin, loose sweater, just in case it got colder tonight. I checked myself over in the mirror with a few minutes to spare before going out the front door. Standing outside on her own doorstep was Aria, looking gorgeous in casual clothing.
“Is this suitable?” she asked, looking down at herself.
I nodded. She was wearing jeans that made her ass bounce and a cropped hoodie that skimmed her navel top. Getting a glimpse of that exposed midriff had my mind racing, and I had to look away to calm myself down.
“Let’s get going.”
“Have we got far to walk?”
I shook my head and smiled, “It’s right around the corner.”
She looked at me suspiciously but didn’t ask any further questions as I led her around the houses. When the park came into view, a grin burst onto her face.
“I haven’t been back to Elderberry Park since we were kids. What are we doing here? Is anyone else coming?”
“No, I thought we could do with some time hanging out without the pressure of faking it. I miss having you around, you know.”
“Me too,” she smiled before grinning mischievously, “Race you to the swings!”
She had the element of surprise, but it didn’t take long to catch up to her. I grabbed onto her waist as I picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. By the time we got to the playground, we were out of breath and laughing maniacally. I couldn’t remember the last time I had so much fun.
“Do you remember all the times we used to hang out here?” she asked after regaining her composure.
She elegantly ran her hand along the lengths of wood. The way she was standing stretched out her body, and the cropped hoodie raised, exposing the bottom of her lacey pink bra. I could feel myself harden in my jeans, seemingly excited by the smallest of glimpses. Aria had always had that effect on me, and I was surprised to note it hadn’t been dampened after puberty.
“I certainly remember the last time.”
How could I forget? It had been permanently engraved on my brain as one of the worst times of my childhood.
“When we said goodbye,” she murmured, sitting on one of the swings.
