Awakening You
Page 6

My mother, Fiona, and Everson enter the living room from the foyer while my father comes hurrying in from the hallway.
“What’s going on?” he asks as he rushes in. “Why’s the alarm going . . . ?” He trails off when he sees my mom. “That was a quick trip.”
“Yeah, we just went through the drive-thru.” My mother gives a suspicious glance between Ayden and me. “What have you two been up to?”
Shrugging, I press the tip of my pencil against the drawing. “Nothing. Just chillin’.”
“Sure you were.” She exchanges a look with my father, and for a flash of an instant, I wonder if they know exactly what Ayden and I were up to. “Did you check on them at all while I was gone?”
My dad shrugs at her. “Not really, but the alarm was set so I’d know if they tried to leave.”
“I’m not worried about them leaving.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
Hello, Captain Oblivious. Even I get what she’s worried about.
She presses him with a look, but he still appears lost, either clueless about what my mom’s implying or unwilling to accept it.
“I have a few things I’ve got to take care of,” he says to her, backing out of the room. “Meet you upstairs in, like, twenty minutes?”
My mom heaves an exhausted sigh. “All right.”
He waggles his eyebrows at her, and then the two of them exchange a look meant only for them to see, even though there’s a room full of eyes.
“Wow, way to be obvious, you two,” I say to break the awkward silence in the room.
My mother shoots me a dirty look, and I flash her a smirk.
“She’s just like you,” she tells my dad. “You know that, right?”
“I do.” He grins, pleased. “And I’ll take that as the highest compliment.” He winks at me before turning and disappearing down the hallway.
My mom brushes her auburn hair off her shoulder then turns to me. “I’m going to go upstairs to take a shower. Try to behave. And have everyone in bed within the next hour.”
I give her a salute. “Yes, boss.”
She rolls her eyes but smiles before walking off toward the stairway. Moments later, I hear the alarm beep, meaning she set it.
Once all the parentals are out of the room, Fiona, the youngest of the Gregorys, plops down on the sofa beside Ayden. Kale hurries up to me, hands me a bowl of caramel swirled ice cream, then sits down on the armrest.
“I brought you ice cream.” She gives Ayden one of the cups. “I got cookie dough because I know it’s your favorite.”
Ayden stares at the bowl with his brows knit. “How’d you know it’s my favorite?”
Fiona rolls her eyes. “You think you’re so mysterious, Ayden, but let me tell you, you kind of aren’t.” She shovels a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth then flashes him a grin. “You said something about it being your favorite during your birthday.”
“Did I?” Ayden wonders, diving into his ice cream. “I don’t remember telling anyone that.”
“You told Lyric, just like you tell her every other secret of yours.” She kicks her feet up onto the coffee table with a sassy smirk on her face.
Ayden and I share an amused look because Fiona is a typical thirteen-year-old—full of rebellion, a sassy attitude, and keeps everyone on their toes.
“Just like you share everything else with her, including your body,” she adds with a giggle.
Ayden and my eyes snap wide, and she erupts in a fit of giggles.
Kale chokes on his ice cream. “Jesus, Fi, where’s your filter?”
“I don’t share my body with her.” Ayden’s voice cracks.
Technically, he isn’t lying. I haven’t touched Ayden anywhere other than on the outside of his clothes. I, however, have been very giving with my body.
“Fiona, why would you say that?” I ask coolly, stirring my ice cream.
She dabs the tears of laughter from her eyes. “Because it’s true. Everyone knows it.”
I lick a heap of ice cream off the spoon. “Who’s everyone?”
She shrugs indifferently. “Me, Kale, Everson, half the kids at school.”
“What about my parents?” I ask her. “And yours? Do they know?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t think they know yet. They’re pretty oblivious when it comes to these sorts of things.”
I kick back on the sofa with my feet propped under me and stuff a bite full of ice cream into my mouth. When our relationship started heating up, Ayden and I agreed it’d be for the best if we kept it a secret for a while. With our families being so tight, we know that the moment they find out, they’ll start giving us rules and having expectations. At eighteen-years-old, we want to have a normal relationship without parents getting involved and making everything all awkward.
“I wouldn’t get too relaxed if I were you,” she remarks. “Sooner or later, they’re going to find out, and it’d be better if you guys told them; otherwise, you’re going to hurt their feelings. You know how sensitive they can be.”
I catch Ayden’s gaze. “She’s probably right.”
He squirms uncomfortably. “Yeah, maybe.” He shoves a bite of ice cream into his mouth and stares at the fireplace, lost in thought.
I open my mouth to ask him if everything’s okay, but Kale speaks first. “Ayden, could you help me with something?” he asks, quickly hopping to his feet.