More With You (11 page)

I move one hand behind her neck and the other is holding her cheek. I angle her head back and deepen the kiss. Hailey opens her mouth and I take full advantage to slide my tongue in, and hers immediately duals with mine.  She moans and my desire is fueled.  I can’t get her close enough, can’t get enough period.  Hailey slows the kiss and pulls her lips from mine.  I tug her into a tight embrace. 

“I need for you to always be safe.  Not because I feel like your older brother, but because you are important to me.  I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you.”

I feel her nod against my chest. “Let’s go. They’re going to wonder where we are,” I say against her ear.

She slowly pulls away from me. “Thank you, Aiden.” With that, she turns and heads back to the beach house.

I stand there and watch my heart walk away from me. I place my hand over my heart and rub the ache that is throbbing in my chest.  No girl will ever mean to me what Hailey MacCoy does. 

I turn on shaky legs and walk back to the beach house. Putting all of my concentration into not letting Aiden see how much I’m affected by him. That kiss…it was different than any other kiss we have shared up to this point. It was filled with passion, desire, and need.  I know I feel all of those things when it comes to Aiden, and gauging by his reaction and the look in his eyes, he feels the same for me.

I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that Aiden wants me.  Well, maybe not want as in the forever kind of want.  I do believe him though, when he tells me that he would protect me and wants me safe.  I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was being sincere.  He says I’m important to him, and I believe that too.  What this means for us, I have no clue.  I’m not holding out for more, because I just don’t see that happening for us.  There is a part of me, even though it’s a small part, that is starting to admit that things between Aiden and I are changing.  We both acknowledge that there is a connection. Now we just need to decide what we are going to do with it.

By the time I reach the beach house, my legs are more stable and I seem to have a handle on my emotions. I join Liam and Allison on the deck and to my surprise, Aiden is right behind me.

“What took you guys so long?” Liam questions, eyeing us closely.

“I was just reminding Hailey, to be careful.” He looks at Allison. “Both of you need to be careful.  You can’t trust just anyone these days.”

Liam nods his head in agreement. “I told Allie the same thing. We just need you guys to be safe. Especially you,” he says, pointing to me.  “In a few short weeks, the three of us will be in Charlotte and you will be here without us to look out for you.  I need you to promise me that you will make good decisions and be safe.”

“I know, Liam. I love you for it, I really do. But how am I supposed to meet new people, and move on from losing my three best friends, if I can’t even talk to other people,” I say with a sigh.

“I didn’t say you can’t talk to people. I said be careful. Today was a risk. The two of you were alone with four big guys who could easily over power you. Make sure you don’t find yourself alone in that type of situation. If you meet a guy, meet him out in public or with a group from school before you put all your trust in him.” Liam runs his fingers through his hair. He glances over at Aiden before turning his attention back to me.

“I know you are going to date, and one day you will meet someone that loves you like I love Allie.  I want that for you.  I also don’t want you to settle or end up with some douche bag that doesn’t treat you like you deserve.  Just be careful, okay?”

I walk around the table to stand behind Liam and wrap my arms around his neck. “I love you, big brother. I promise to be safe.”

I stand up and walk back to my seat. I take a minute to look at each of them before I say. “I love all three of you, and I’m going to miss you like crazy.”

Allison clears her throat. “Well then, we need to enjoy our time here together. Who knows how long it will be until we can do this again. And, somebody has a birthday in two days.” She winks at me.

“Yeah, what do you have in mind, Hales?” Liam asks me.

“Really, just hanging out is fine.  Sitting by the fire, maybe a wine cooler or two,” I say sweetly.

“I think that can be arranged,” he says.

With that, we all dig into the pizza.  Pizza that thankfully, due to the summer heat, is not as cold as I would have guessed. 

The next two days consisted of lounging on the beach and just hanging out. Aiden and I have been able to act as though the “incident” two days ago never happened. Well, at least that’s what I’m telling myself. I think about it all the time, the kiss, his declaration that I’m important to him, and not just because I’m Liam’s little sister.  To be quite honest, my nerves are shot. 

Today is my birthday.  I’m twenty years old.  I need to let loose and have some fun, and I intend to do just that.  I plan to get Allison on my side, so that she can run interference with Liam and Aiden.  I leave my bedroom in search of Allison.  I find her in the laundry room.

“Hey, you,” I say as I hop up on the dryer. “Need any help?”

“Hey, no I’m good, but thanks,” she replies. “What’s up?” she asks, shutting the door on the washing machine.

I shrug my shoulders. “Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

Allison hops up on the washer. “I’m all ears.”

“Well, you know how Liam and Aiden have been stuck to us like glue since the run in with Seth and his friends the other day?”

Allison rolls her eyes. “Yeah.”

“Well, I really just want to let loose tonight.  I was hoping you could help run interference with them.  I’m good with it just being us, but I’m seeing lots of alcohol in my near future.  I just want to relax.  I feel like I’m always on edge anymore.”

“You know I have your back. I assume the stress is a multitude of things. Including your feelings for Aiden?”

I stare straight ahead at the wall. “Yeah, that has a lot to do with it.”

“Hales, I really think …”

“Please, Allie. Just don’t go there, okay? It’s not going to happen. Can we please just kick back and have fun, like old times?  Before I let my heart take over my mind?” I plead.

Allison releases a deep sigh.  “Yes, let’s get our drink on.  Don’t worry about the guys, I’ll talk to both of them.  This is your day.”

We hop off the washer and dryer at the same time and I engulf her in a hug. “What am I going to do without you? I’m going to miss this so much,” I say, fighting against tears.

“We’re just going to be a few hours away. Everything will work out, you’ll see,” she tells me. 

That’s Allison. Always looking at the positive side of life.  She’s been through so much loss, and yet she still manages to make lemonade out of lemons.  Liam really lucked out with finding her, we all did.

Allison and I make our way to the living room to find Liam and Aiden sprawled out on either couch. Allison runs and jumps on top of Liam and he engulfs her and pulls her tight. I stand awkwardly for a few minutes, and then head to the recliner in the corner.  As I am walking past the couch Aiden is laying on, he lifts his feet and motions with his head for me to sit.  This is something that we have done a million times, but now it seems…more intimate.  I want it to be more intimate.  I sit down and he rests his feet in my lap. 

“What are you two up to?” he asks me.

“Nothing really.  Allie was doing laundry and I was keeping her company,” I tell him.

“Today’s the big day. You feel any older?”

I shake my head. “No, not really.”

“What do you want to do today, birthday girl?”

Allison speaks up. “Hales and I are going to, as you boys say, tie one on tonight,” she says. I didn’t even think that she was paying any attention to us.

This statement, of course, gets Liam’s attention.  “What?  Baby, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Allison sits up and gives Liam the look.  You know, the one that tells him he needs to shut the hell up and give her her way.  Yeah, that look. “I said that Hailey and I are going to tie one on, get our drink on, hammer down, whatever you want to call it.  She and I only have a few more weeks together, and we are going to celebrate her birthday by getting wasted.  You, my wonderful fiancé, and you, my brother, are going to make sure we stay out of trouble.  You will provide us with our alcohol of choice and, if needed, hold our hair as we are praying to the porcelain gods,” she says, still giving Liam “the look,” daring him to object.

I watch as my brother opens and closes his mouth, no words coming across his lips. Allison has stunned him speechless. I love my best friend, my sister. She’s knows how much I need this, how much I just need to relax and let loose, and she is making sure that Liam and Aiden don’t get in the way of that.

Aiden nudges my leg with his foot. “Is that what you want, angel?” he asks softly.

I shake my head yes. “I need to let loose. I want to do it where I know I’ll be safe. I want to party with my best friends, before you all leave me.”

Aiden clenches his jaw. “You will be safe.  You deserve to let loose and have fun.”

Liam stands up from the couch. “Let’s head to the store and get what they want and get this night over with.” He drops a kiss on Allison’s head and walks out the door. Aiden stands to follow him.

“Any requests, birthday girl?”  he asks me.

“Not really. Just surprise me, and bring a lot.” I smile sweetly.  He shakes his head and smiles as he follows out the door after Liam.

Liam and I are in the Pathfinder and headed towards the local liquor store.  I can’t help but wonder what’s up with those two.  Allison is not a big drinker, and Hailey really isn’t either.  I could understand if this was her twenty-first birthday, but it’s not. Today is number twenty. I smile remembering a fourteen-year-old Hailey.  She was pretty then, but now…now she’s a goddess.  I shift in my seat to adjust the hard on that is starting to appear. 

“What’s gotten into those two?” Liam asks me, reading my thoughts.

I shrug my shoulders.  “I can only assume it’s what they said.  Allison will be leaving with us in a few weeks, and Hailey will be without us in Chapel Hill.  No, it’s not that far, but they are used to being together all the time, every day.  We all are,” I tell him.

Liam sighs. “I guess so. Listen man, you have to help me tonight. I assume it’s just going to be the four of us, but I can’t watch both of them. Can you please keep a close eye on Hales?”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “Yeah, man. I got Hales covered. She’ll be with me.” My heart and body are screaming yes. They both crave time with Hales. My mind on the other hand knows that this is not going to help my growing affection for her. I need to keep myself sober, so things don’t get carried away. If we are both wasted, who knows what could happen.

Liam pulls into the lot and turns off the ignition. “I forgot to ask what they wanted,” he says solemnly. 

“I asked Hales, she said to surprise her, but to buy a lot,” I tell him.

He groans and opens his door. Once in the liquor store, the possibilities are endless. The girls are not seasoned drinkers, so the heavy stuff is out of the question.

Liam decides on amaretto sour, strawberry daiquiri, and some flavored Smirnoff coolers.  I question mixing alcohol but he shrugs it off, saying that none of it is too hard, and that he and I will be mixing the drinks, so they won’t be strong. 
Good angle, MacCoy.
 

Our next stop is the grocery store. Steaks, baked potatoes, and salad. I choose a white cake with whipped icing from the bakery and have them put “Happy Birthday, Hales” in pink, her favorite color.  We also pick up some supplies to make ice cream sundaes, another of her favorites.

Arriving back at the house, we pack in all of the supplies and put them away.  The girls left us a note on the counter saying that they are on the beach.  Shit!  I bet there are tons of jackasses mulling around them.  Liam reads the note first, and then hands it to me.  Neither of us say anything. We just run up the stairs to our rooms, slide into board shorts, and rush out the door.  No words are needed. We both know what we are going to find.  Allie and Hales are gorgeous; no man in his right mind could walk by and not notice.