BitterSweet

Chapter 5.

AaliyahPOV-

I knew they liked each other, I knew it! They just needed a little push.
My brothers have always gotten girls' attention, it's not hard for them. I thought they would never settle down.

That is, until Niall brought home Hailee and with Hailee her cute and shy roommate Camila. I saw the way Shawn and Camila looked at each other, but then my big dope of a brother had to open his big mouth and try to charm her like the others.

Couldn't he see what I see? Camila is different.

I knew since that day he'd need help, my help to be specific. It's not hard for Shawn to get laid, but I want him to find love. And I secretly want Camila and I to become sisters one day. But mainly because I know Shawn doesn't think he deserves love.

Mom told me the story of Shawn’s adoption when I was old enough to understand, I was about 8 or 9. I've never really noticed it until one day I was looking at a family photo. Shawn didn't look like the rest of us. His hair is much darker and his eyes are a light shade of brown.

That's when mom told me she and dad adopted Shawn when he was little and why. Since that day, I've wanted to show him that just because his birthmother neglected him, didn't mean we would too.

I know Shawn was struggling with some things and was in therapy for it. I wanted him to feel loved and wanted so when I was 14 I asked mom's permission to dye my hair. At first she said no but I told her why, that I wanted Shawn to feel comfortable in our family, that he had someone that looked like him even though it was only hair.

Mom gave me a long talk about family and blood not meaning you're family. At the end, she allowed me to dye my hair so I did, I dyed my hair a color to match his.

Anyway, Shawn hasn't really claimed anyone as a girlfriend or brought anyone home to meet us. But I have seen the way he looks at girls and the way they react towards him. I also notice the way he looks at Camila is different. She's not just some girl to him, she's more than that, I know it.

And I know she likes him too because she brings him up in conversations a lot and tries to act nonchalantly about it.

They may not see it yet, but they belong together.

I thought my best bet to get them to admit their feelings for one another would be to kiss. However, I knew they would need a little forced encouragement but I couldn't think of how until I was looking through our storage one day and the big CHRISTMAS DECOR written on our box of decorations was staring me in the face like a giant sign saying, use the mistletoe, use the mistletoe.

Unfortunately mom only uses fresh so I couldn't find any mistletoe in our Christmas decoration box. However, I wouldn't let that spoil my plan. And you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find mistletoe during the summer. I had to order the darn thing online and it took forever for it to arrive since I had to order it from someplace far away, but once it came, I knew I had to use it. I did and my plan worked!

Looking over at Camila as she covers herself in sun protection, she seems in a daze. I smile knowing exactly what she's thinking about.

"Are you thinking about that kiss?" I ask her.

"Huh? What?" She looks up at me and I can still see that daydream look in her eyes. Yup, she's thinking about it.

"Kissing Shawn." I clarify, repeating, "Are you still thinking about it?"

"Oh, no." She giggles and, oh my gosh, she's blushing! She's totally blushing. I've never seen Camila blush so hard before.

"I think Shawn really likes you." I tell her.