Dear Aaron(81)

I think I blinked and I might have smiled, but my heart started beating so fast, fast, fast again, there was no way I could be sure.

What had to be Aaron’s palm rubbed at my lower back and swept up my lower spine to the middle of it, landing right by where my bra strap lay. That big hand had outstretched fingers spanning what felt like most of my back, and I swear I heard him whisper, “It’s fine.”

And from one moment to the next, the hand on my back disappeared, and I sensed it move further up my spine before moving to cup my shoulder and gradually ease me in closer to his side. More than a little distracted and only slightly aware of what was happening, I reached out to shake each person’s hand across the island, trying to rack my brain for their names and who was who but failing miserably. One of the fingers on my shoulder rubbed a circle there.

“We’re going downstairs. Neither one of us got any sleep. See you in the morning,” Aaron told them, the hand on the back of my neck sliding down to palm my lower back once more.

The guy with the darker skin and light eyes was still glancing back and forth between us as he said, “We need to go grocery shopping, but the store closed at eight.”

“We’ll go in the morning then. You good with going at ten?”

The tall, good-looking man almost blanched. “Ten? In the morning?”

The fingertips on my back did a little tap. “Nobody told you to nap.”

The tall guy and the one with the green eyes made a noise that had Aaron making a noise in his throat.

“Go by yourselves then. I’m going at ten. I’ll see you in the morning,” Aaron said as he took a step back.

Nerves started to clog my throat, but I managed to mutter out a, “It was nice meeting you all. See you in the morning.”

The four of them waved at me, two more nicely than the other two. With another bye, I followed after Aaron as we headed toward the stairs we’d just come up. He stopped to scoop up four bottles of water from a pack on the floor I hadn’t seen on the way up when I’d been too busy looking around at everything.

Neither one of us said much as we headed down and turned off onto the second floor where he’d left my suitcase. He stopped almost immediately and frowned down at me. “You don’t have to go bed if you don’t want to. I just figured you were tired.” He paused. “We can stay up if you want.”

Was I tired? Yes. It was only eight, and it wasn’t even pitch-black outside, but for the first time since I was younger than ten, I was more than ready to pass out before midnight. Plus… “I can go to bed.” Then I thought about it. “Unless you don’t want to.”

Aaron flashed me a lazy smile. “I’m tired.”

I nodded at him and let out a breath that was supposed to be calming but really felt more embarrassed. “Will you tell me everyone’s name again tomorrow?” I whispered.

That mouth smirked. “Yeah.”

“Was the girl with the cast Max’s sister?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded. “And the other girl?”

“Brittany. That’s Des’s girl.”

I wasn’t sure which one was Des but hopefully tomorrow I would. Just standing there, I could feel my eyes getting droopy, and Aaron must have noticed too because he let out another tiny snicker. “Let me show you your room before you pass out.”

With sweaty hands I had clenched at my sides, I nodded, almost relieved. “Thank you so much for inviting me again,” I told him as he led me toward one of six doors I counted, stopping at the one furthest away from the stairway. “I’m sorry for being so awkward, but hopefully tomorrow—”

Aaron shook his head. “Stop saying you’re sorry. Everything is all right, Rubes. Right? I’m just me. You’re just you. We’ll be fine. You’ll be back to giving me hell in no time with everyone around.”

That had me smiling.

Which must have made him smile.

Something brushed against the balled-up hands I had at my sides, and I didn’t need to know it was his knuckles. “I’m in the room right next to yours,” he said, gesturing to the door just behind his shoulder with the hand he’d just touched me with. “The bathroom is the door in front of mine. There’s another one upstairs. If you need me, any hour, wake me, all right? Get some sleep.”

I nodded at him for a moment before reaching forward to grab ahold of his wrist. His skin was warm and his wrist thick, and that focus on me was almost too much. Sliding my grip down the length of his fingers, I dropped my hand and swallowed, trying so hard to act like this was all normal. “Goodnight. Thank you for inviting me again.”

He dipped his chin down and handed over two of the four bottles of water he’d been holding before taking a step back, toward his door. “Night,” he whispered, that smile still playing at his lips. “I’m glad you’re here.”

I was screwed. Here I’d come, expecting and hoping that this weekend would help me get over him and… I was screwed. Even if I knew this road went one way and one way only.

A little sister. That’s what he saw me as. I couldn’t let myself forget it.

I flashed him a smile I only partially felt before turning around and pushing the door open, dragging my suitcase in behind me. More white walls and seashells and sea dragons stared back at me in the small room that was quickly going dark as all traces of the sun completely disappeared. Flicking on the light switch, I kicked off my flats and stumbled toward the bed, ripping my clothes off and dropped the bottles of water beside the frame. Too tired to shower after wiggling out of my tights, I crawled on top of the mattress after shutting the gauzy mint-colored curtains. I’d just tugged the sheets up to my neck when I thought twice about it and jumped back off, grabbing my computer and phone from my weekend bag and hooking the smaller device up to charge. I’d call my mom tomorrow, or at least text her. She hadn’t responded to my last message and I wasn’t surprised.