Page 43 of Northern Stars

“That movie was awful,” I remarked as I walked out of the theater in a giggling fit.

“It was pretty bad,” Aiden agreed after he tossed out our popcorn container. “But somehow, it was still the best movie experience of my life.”

“Me too. I now understand why people skip school.” I spun in a circle. “This feels free. Do you feel it?” I took his hands into mine and began spinning with him. “Free!”

We spun faster and faster, chuckling like kindergarteners during recess until I lost my footing a bit. Aiden was quick to pull me in closer to him to steady my unstable steps. He pulled me into his chest and held me close. Our spinning came to a halt as we stood on solid ground, yet somehow I still felt as if I were spinning round and round. His eyes were dilated as he stared at me. I watched as his stare moved from my eyes to my lips. My eyes fell to his mouth as it parted, and he whispered, “Free.”

His hands moved to my lower back, and I grew a little closer to him. My hands landed against his chest as I stared up at him once more. “Free,” I softly replied.

Were our thoughts the same?

Was he thinking about kissing me the way I was thinking about kissing him?

Was his heart beating forward, then backward, then sideways, too?

Were his thoughts still spinning at full speed ahead?

Were his lips soft?

Did he know I wanted him to be my first kiss?

Did his heart want to know mine the same way my heart wanted to know his?

“Hails,” he breathily sighed. Our faces were so close that his word warmed my skin.

“Yeah,” I breathed back, my stare on his lips. His full, plump lips.

“I’m thinking about doing something right now.” His fingers slightly massaged my lower back, creating a wave of rippled nerves throbbing between my thighs.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” His teeth slowly grazed against his bottom lip. “Are you thinking about it, too?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Yeah?”

I giggled, but this time it was nervously. My butterflies were intensifying, my nerves were a wreck, my anxiety was heightened, and he smelled so much like lemon drops, which was my new favorite scent. “Yeah.”

He brought a hand up to my mouth and gently brushed my bottom lip with his thumb. “Hailee, I—"

“Are you Aiden Walters?!” someone blurted out, making me jump what felt like five feet away from Aiden. Our intimate moment was ambushed by three girls, squealing like crazy over Aiden.

“It is him! Oh my gosh! You are so hot,” one of them breathed out, jumping up and down.

The other one, the redhead, told him that he was the most talented person in the world. Then they all begged him for photographs. Aiden’s whole body shifted into a different demeanor, and he turned up his charm factor. He instantly went into actor mode and was so kind to the girls, giving them the photographs and autographs which they begged for.

Shouldn’t you people be in school?

Wait, I should’ve, too. Still, they just ruined what was bound to be the best moment of my life.

“I’m sorry, ladies, I’d love to chat more, but we have a meeting to get to,” Aiden said, stepping over toward me.

The girls looked in my direction, and the redhead blurted out, “Is that your girlfriend?”

“Of course, it’s not,” the other replied.

What was that supposed to mean?

---