Chase and Company

Chapter Nineteen: One Hell of a Show

                Once everyone was stuffed after our picnic—with Camille beating out all the boys in the hotdog eating competition with a score of twenty three hotdogs— we dispersed to various locations amongst the property for the best view of the fireworks.

               “I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to be outside, Aiden,” I commented as I slowly climbed up the stairs to the second story of the house. He wanted to carry me everywhere but I insisted I was fine. Aiden finally relented to letting me go up by myself, provided that I leaned against the wall for support and that he stayed behind me to make sure I didn’t go tumbling down.

               “What makes you say that?” he asked.

               “Maybe because that’s where the fireworks are?”

               “I guess so,” he said distractedly.

               “So why are we inside?”

               “Why must you question all that I do?” I heard him mutter before I felt his thumb and middle finger connect loosely around my wrist. I turned to look at him. In the dimness of the house, the only thing I could make out were his bright blue orbs, lower than my eye level for once because Aiden stood a few steps below me. Slowly, he climbed a few more steps closer to me until we were almost but not quite the same height. His line of vision directly matched up to my mouth and I couldn’t help but notice how he wasn’t look up at me, but rather straight ahead.

               “I thought we could be alone for a while,” he said quietly, his voice bouncing through the empty house. I could hear the faint laughter of our parents from outside. We left Landon on the patio, Clark sat himself on the sand, and Hudson took Camille down to the beach away from everybody.

               We were alone.

               “We are alone,” I said automatically.

               Thank you, captain obvious.

               He grinned up at me. “I know,” he said.

               My eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Well, what did you have in mind?”

               Aiden took another step up until we were on the same level, towering over me once more. I scooted to the side so that both of us could fit. He turned to look at me and he grinned impishly. He crept forward slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

              “Aiden, what are you—“ I began while I shuffled backwards. When my back flattened against the wall the staircase was connected to, I let out a small squeak.

                Aiden chuckled softly as he braced his forearms against the space of wall on either side of me, effectively preventing me from sidestepping away. Despite my inability to move backwards anymore, he continued to lean towards me, enveloping me in his shadow. I could barely see him in the dark already and now I was relying on the heat radiating off him to pinpoint exactly where all of him was. 

                “Uh, what are you doing?” I said in a pitch three octaves higher than my normal voice.

                “You’re usually not this afraid of me,” he breathed, warming the air between us. My nose twitched at the sharp scent of mint.

                Bless Ms. Evelina for handing everyone gum after the hotdog contest.

                I stood up a bit straighter, my body still leaning against the wall for support. “I’m not afraid of you,” I replied, donning on a more haughty tone.