“Were these pancakes everything you ever wanted and then some?” he asks, biting into his crispy bacon.

I take his cue and we change the subject, continuing the conversation with lighter topics. We don’t talk about the past or anything that happened at the beach house. I think we may just need an afternoon where we don’t stress and can pretend everything is okay in our worlds. I’m not leaving him soon, and he’s not receiving death threats on the internet. We’re just two normal teenagers skipping sixth period, sharing a plate of pancakes.

“It’s still early, what should we do?” he asks me once the bill is paid and we’re making our way outside to the minivan.

“We can watch a movie at my house until you have to pick up the twins from school if you want?”

Aiden alone in my house? Please say yes, please say yes.

If he’s reading my mind, he doesn’t give me any indication. “Only if I can pick the movie.”

“Deal!” I agree and jump into the passenger seat. Geez, Amelia. Can you at least try not to look so eager?

3

My house is quiet when I unlock the door and step over the threshold, Aiden following close behind.

“Mom?” I call as we close the door and take off our shoes and jackets. “Hello?”

No response. Guess she went out. I resist the urge to look at Aiden and let him see the excitement all over my face. We’re home alone.

“Did you pick a movie yet?” I ask Aiden as we walk down the hallway.

“Of course. But I’m going to keep it a surprise.” I already know it’s going to be a movie that scares the shit out of me.

“You set it up, I’ll grab some snacks.”

“We just ate,” he calls after me, but I ignore him. He’ll be the one who eats most of the popcorn, I already know it.

After I pop the popcorn and dump it into a bowl, I grab some drinks and find Aiden on the couch. As I suspected, the screen is full of movie options that all look terrifying.

“Admit it, you’re picking a scary movie so you can put your arm around me, aren’t you?” I tease as I settle beside him on the couch.

“I don’t need a scary movie as an excuse to put my arm around you,” he says.

Aiden puts his hand under my jaw and tilts my head up as his eyes draw me in like quicksand. They’re unguarded and readable, which is a treat from Aiden that I can’t get enough of. You can tell that he’s happy. He’s genuinely and truly happy, and that makes my heart soar.

He leans in and brings his lips to mine, and even though we spent a good chunk of this afternoon kissing, the way I feel when he kisses me still takes me by surprise. We can’t get close enough. The taste of his lips is addictive, and so are the shivers that run up my spine as he deepens the kiss and parts my lips, running his hands up my back under my shirt. My fingers tangle in his soft hair, so at odds against the rest of him since nothing else feels that way. He eases my shirt collar over to expose my shoulder and trails kisses across my neck, making me melt into a pile of nothingness at his touch.