Page 56 of The Sky Between Us

And finally, she slipped into her high heeled boots and crossed her legs.

“All done,” she shot me a hot look, and I shook my head.

“You love playing unfair, don’t you?” I muttered to myself as I tore my eyes from her and focused on the road.

“Yes, I do,” she whispered in my ear, before licking my neck.

Catching her face in my hand, I pulled her away with a grin. “Behave. I’m trying to drive.”

Lifting up her hands innocently, she returned to her DJ role.

The rest of the ride passed in a blur. Hazel asked me hundreds of questions about my life and my family, preparing herself for meeting them, and I was equally nervous. I only ever brought home one girl, but I had to remind myself this was for Camilla. Yet, we agreed I’ll introduce her as my girlfriend. There was no way I could keep my hands off of her.

“It’s a nice house,” Hazel complimented our simple white house. It was two stories, but not as fancy as Hazel’s looked.

We parked in the garage, next to my father’s Nissan and walked up the stairs directly into the house. Hazel’s eyes travelled through the garage, taking in the tools scattered on the table and various boxes labeled with our childhood things.

“Mom, we are home,” I shouted as I opened the door, leading into the hallway. Right in front of us was the modest looking living room, plain white with cream and beige furniture and various plants I couldn’t even name.

“Aiden,” my mother squealed in happiness and launched at me before I could see her. I hugged her, feeling how much smaller she was compared to the last time I’ve held her. Time passed and I always forgot my parents weren’t getting younger. Camilla’s new obsession really took a toll on her health as well. “Thank you for coming home.”

“Of course, mom,” I muttered into her ears, emotions lacing my voice. “Let me introduce you to someone.” I pulled away and looked at Hazel, who watched us with a hooded gaze. “Mom, this is Hazel, my girlfriend.”

The words felt strange, as they rolled off my tongue. Not because I haven’t used them before, but because saying it to my mother made everything painfully real. All the things we tried to ignore, acting like we were just another couple in love with both of our baggage.

“It’s lovely to meet you, darling,” she embraced Hazel with the same enthusiasm and love as she did me. In her mind, she was already family. “I wish it was in different circumstances.”

Hazel nodded, too choked up to speak. “I’m glad to be able to put a face next to the name. Aiden has told me a lot about you,” she managed to say, voice shaken.

My hand found her back and I circled my palm.

“May I use the restroom?” she asked, glancing at me.

“It’s at the end of the hall,” my mother pointed towards the end of the hall. “You will see there’s a dance studio next to it.”

Hazel smiled. “I’m sure I’ll find it then, excuse me.”

“She is very cute,” my mother beamed at me once Hazel was out of earshot.

I rolled my eyes, but smiled. “She is…”

“You never bring a girl home. She must be very special.”

Another nod, as my voice was gone from all the emotions choking me.

I just hoped I didn’t make things worse by bringing her here.

I heard the music before I saw her dance.

Tate McRae’s voice blasted through the speakers and the tiny blonde girl kept dancing to it. Her hair followed her around like a cape, and her ice-cold blue eyes remained on the mirror, searching for errors in her movements, not letting herself enjoy the music or live through the painful lyrics which she clearly picked for a reason.

My feet came to a stop in the doorway and leaning against it, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She had that captivating “it'' factor that made everyone stare and an outstanding technique to back it up. It was only her passion that kept falling behind because her body was utilizing all the last reserves to get her through. With every step, I felt her moves grow heavier and her body dragged.

“Boy trouble?” I asked suddenly, stopping her in the middle of a jump preparation.

Her head whipped towards me, hair following, and the resemblance to her brother was clear. Same frown that Aiden used to wear in the beginning to show his dislike. But this expression didn’t scare me anymore.

“Just asking, because if it is, you should put it in your movements and make the spectator feel that pain the singer is singing about,” I explained to her.

---