“And cake?” Olivia asked, brows raised and eyes dancing with excitement.
“And cake,” I reluctantly agreed.
“Yay!” they exclaimed in unison, pouncing to join me on the floor. They tackled andhugged me, all of us giggling as we untangled ourselves. We talked for a while longer, enjoying our time together. As I was falling asleep, I heard a soft ding from one of their phones. Olivia, laying on her stomach inches from me, turned her head to face me.
“Sadie,” she whispered.
“Olivia,” I hissed back.
“Happy Birthday.”
I fell asleep with a smile gracing my lips.
Aiden
Scott and Olivia had the genius idea to have me, Aiden Rivers, the boy that Sadie couldn’t stand to be in the room with, distract her while they decorated for her birthday. I’d fussed, I’d groaned, and I’d downright refused, but it was useless. This was my job, and I was stuck with it. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, what I was going to say, but I only had about four hours left before they needed her gone, hidden away.
I often caught her glancing at me when no one else was looking, giving me a sidelong gaze in the kitchen, or stopping to peer into my eyes when we passed one another. My heart fluttered, my breath quickened, and the only thing I could do was wonder when she would snap again…or if she would touch me again. Almost kissing her had been heavenly, but I’d scared her off.
I shuffled to the kitchen, seeing Olivia and Scott huddled together talking quietly. “Hey, guys.”
Scott nodded, Olivia smiled. “Hey, Aiden,” she said. “Got your plans together?” she whispered, smiling widely.
Shaking my head, I ran a hand through my hair. “No. She hates me, Liv. I can’t do this. I think you need to get Juniper to help.”
“Can’t. We need her to pick up food. Her super speed and strength will help Sabrina. Spencer is staying here with us,” she explained.
Groaning, I slumped in the closest chair. “I don’t know how to get through to her,” I sighed.
“To who?” Sadie asked.
Snapping my head up, I saw her standing in the doorway…tight jeans hugged every inch of her lower body, while small heels made her slightly taller. A blood red shirt draped over her torso, exposing one shoulder. A delectable shoulder I wouldn’t mind kissing. Her hair curled around her, flowing all down her arms and back. She stared at me expectantly, her hand on her hip, eyes gazing at me, penetrating my soul and gripping my chest.
“No…one,” I stuttered. I mentally kicked myself for sounding like an idiot.
The look she gave me was priceless, a cross between “you’ve lost your mind” and “you’re an idiot.” Sauntering over to her brother, she didn’t see my eyes following her every move, devouring the way her hips swung, how soft her long, rich locks appeared. Olivia cleared her throat, breaking my trance. I glanced at her, seeing a grin trying to escape her tightly closed mouth. Scowling, I stood, bumping my body into the table.
Sadie turned, staring at me. “Are you ok? You’re acting stranger than usual.”
“Yeah…”I stammered. “Uhh…I was just wondering if you could show me some of your sorceress moves…like fighting…or something,” I finally spat out.
Arching her brow, she blinked a few times, then turned to Olivia. “I guess I’m going to go show Aiden some of my sorceress moves. We’ll be back later.”
She nodded, giving me a thumbs up as soon as Sadie’s back was to her. Rolling my eyes, I followed closely behind Sadie, forcing my eyes to stay level with the top of her head, and not roaming lower. We stepped into the fresh air, the coolness of the day hitting us after being outside in the warmth.
“Where do you want to do this?” she asked, sticking her head out, facing the sky.
I watched her for a few seconds, a few seconds too long, because she opened one eye, peeking at me. “Aiden?”
“This way,” I coughed, stumbling down the steps. This was going to be the longest afternoon in the history of afternoons.
Scott
Pulling Livvie close, I brushed the hair from the side of her face, cupping her chin, caressing her silky soft skin. “You’re so beautiful,” I murmured, capturing her lips with mine. Moaning she leaned in and arched her body to me, molding us together perfectly. Her hands left a glorious trail of heat as she snakes up my chest, twirling the base of my hair between the pads of her fingers. I pushed my tongue, desperate to have her open her lips for me. She granted my entrance, the warmth of her driving me wild as she darted her tongue in and out of my mouth, trying to nibble my bottom lip with her teeth. We kissed until we were delirious and dizzy, our bodies sizzling with desire.
She pulled away, panting, and opened her green pools of love to peer at me. “I love the way you kiss me,” she sighed.
“Not as much as I love kissing you,” I groaned back. “You drive me crazy,” I growled in her ear, taking the soft flesh between my teeth.
Giggling, she jerked back, palms on my chest. “Stop,” she said forcefully, though her eyes gave away the playfulness. “We have to get ready for Sadie’s party. I’m not sure how long Aiden can keep her away.”
I laughed, nodding. “What’s up with them? Why do they hate each other?”
She stared at me, her eyes wide, mouth open in shock. “Are you serious?”
“What? You can’t see how much they don’t want to be around each other? He was practically begging for someone else to distract her today,” I explained. How did Livvie not notice this? Weren’t girls supposed to be more observant than guys?
She threw her head back, squealing in her laughter. “You are serious. Scott,” she calmed herself, caught her breath, then continued, “They don’t hate each other…they like each other.” She stood shaking her head, staring at me like she thought I was the crazy one here.
“No, they don’t. My sister is too young.”
“She’s sixteen, Scott. Are you telling me you didn’t like girls at sixteen? She’s a year younger than me…”she said.
I sat on a stool, hanging my head to my hand, scratching my head. “My sister…she likes Aiden?”
She nodded, lips pursed tightly, brows raised.
“And he likes her?”
“Pretty sure,” she confirmed.
“They told you this?” I questioned, still not believing.
She huffed, “Of course not. I figured it out. Just watch them, Scott. It’s obvious.”
I didn’t reply. The words sunk in, shocking me as the realization settled. My sister, my baby sister that would always be the little girl I rescued from the playground, liked a boy. Not just any boy, though, but the one I found out kissed my girlfriend not a month ago. I had to talk to Sadie, get to the bottom of this, before I truly believed it.
Olivia
“Concentrate,” Scott demanded, his voice stern in my ear.
“I’m trying,” I growled, annoyed. It had been an hour since Sadie and Aiden left, and I was still trying to decorate without using anything but my abilities. Anna, Sabrina, and Spencer left the room, sitting inside the living room to give me space. My nerves were messing me up, causing absolutely nothing to happen.
Anna’s shoes clinked on the floor as she entered. “Little one, leave us.”
“But…” he started before she cut him off with a glowering glare.
“Go. I can help her. You’re making it worse.”
He looked to me, then her, before huffing out of the room.
Watching him go, I mumbled, “He expects too much.”
“No, he doesn’t. He knows you can do this, just as I do, but he’s a bit more impatient than I. Follow my instructions.”
I nodded.
“Close your eyes.”
My lids fluttered closed.
Her melodic voice sang to me. “Now, relax. See Abana out in nature. Imagine lying in the grass, the soft prickle on your skin. Fresh flowers surround you, slightly waving with the wind.”
The image grew in my mind, pul
ling me to the location. My muscles eased, my worries vanished. It was just me, nature, and Abana.
“Good,” she praised. “Raise your palms up, towards the sky.”
I did as she directed, instantly feeling the connection to the power within me. It flowed freely, dancing inside me, joyous I was letting it out to play.
“I want your mind to come back here now, imagine how you want the decorations to look. Exactly, Olivia,” she instructed.
My mind shifted, placing me back in the kitchen. I imagined first, the grey and purple streamers overlapping in a flower design on the ceiling with the chandelier acting as the center. The table held the essentials, with flowers strewn in the open spots. Bowls and trays of food were positioned on the counters and bar, creating a buffet style L-shaped entrance. I left her presents floating around the walls, little balls of light framing them, creating a display. My imagination created an elaborate setting, but when I opened my eyes, I was shocked to see it in reality…even the floating, lit presents. “I did it,” I said astonished.
“You wanted her gifts to hang mid-air, Olivia?” Anna chuckled, twirling in a small circle to survey what I did.
“Yeah…I mean, we’re sorcerers, we should have some fun with it,” I grinned. “Oh!” I exclaimed, startling her. “Sorry, I remembered something. Music…but I’m going to try it without closing my eyes.”
She nodded, watching me intently.
I racked my brain, settling on some rock bands I’d found on Sadie’s iPod. The mood was set, a rockin’ sixteenth birthday, and I’d accomplished it.
Scott snuck his head around the corner, his face bright with excitement and pride. “I knew you could do it,” he beamed, waltzing forward and grabbing me in a bear hug.
“Yeah…you make me nervous,” I squealed as he lifted me from the ground.
Sabrina trudged in, looking apprehensive. “Get out. I need to finish this cake before they get back,” she insisted, swatting at us to leave.
We obliged, sprinting to the living room. Sinking into the couch, Scott’s arm draped around my shoulders, my head rested on his chest, we sighed in contentment.
“Should we watch a movie or something?” he asked, lightly playing with my hair.
“You know…we haven’t really done that. Just sat, watched a movie, and not worried about anything,” I marveled.
He chuckled, his laugh deep in his throat, causing my belly to stir with longing. “Good point. We can do it now.”
He stood, taking long strides to turn on the TV and DVD player. He shuffled through the cases, turning to look at me, “Which one?” he inquired, holding up Batman and Spiderman.
Giggling, I pointed to Batman. “These are things you need to know. B-man is so much hotter.”
Looking unimpressed, he placed the movie I chose back down, popping Spiderman in. I laughed even harder, knowing he would change the movies out. Both were hot, in my opinion, but Spiderman was the movie I wanted to watch. He plopped back beside me, the couch dipping under his weight. I slunk back, resting on him, and linked our fingers together. His warmth settled around me like a comforting blanket, relaxing me, telling me everything would be ok. And for the duration of the movie, it was.
Sadie
He lay face down on the ground, his back moving quickly from his heavy breathing. I was worried I may have hurt him too badly this time, but I couldn’t check. He’d know I cared then. So I crossed my arms, leaned against the closest tree, and waited.
He groaned, then rolled over. “You’re trying to kill me.”
“No I’m not,” I disagreed, my voice giving away more emotion than I would have liked. “You wanted to train,” I said blandly.
“Yeah, train, not be beat to death,” he moaned, sitting and gradually getting to his feet.
I shrugged. It was his idea, after all.
His large eyes, so blue they reminded me of a just cleaned pool, stared at me, piercing my gaze. “You’re enjoying this.”
I shrugged, again, a slight smirk escaping the corner of my lips. “Maybe. It’s a nice birthday present.” I wasn’t upset he hadn’t told me happy birthday, really. I only wanted to throw it out there.
“Speaking of…” he started, stepping closer.
His nearness caught my breath, increased my heartbeat, made my palms sweat. Why did he cause this reaction in me? I felt like my body was betraying me. “What?” I asked, face straight, right brow raised like I was suspicious of him. In some ways, I was suspicious.
“I got you a present,” he teased, sticking his hands deep in his pockets.
I ignored the movement, not breaking eye contact. “Oh, yeah? Are you going to knock me down this time?” I goaded, trying to push his buttons.
“I’d never hurt you, Sadie,” he whispered, his eyes lit with concern and something I couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“Sure,” I teased, rolling my eyes. He was getting too close, too serious. It made me uncomfortable.
“Do you want your present?” he asked, his voice deeper than usual.
Exhaling sharply, I instantly started picking at my thumb nail. His hand came out of his pocket, reaching and grabbing mine before I could blink. The heat of him spread through me like wildfire, catching every part of me. I stood, consumed in all that was Aiden, and gaped at our touching limbs. He was inches from me. I could feel his breath on my face, the heat causing even more warmth to spread. My stomach flipped and flopped, and I guess there were butterflies floating around in there. I’d never understood the expression until this instant.
“That’s a bad habit you got there, Sade,” he growled, leaning even closer.
I didn’t think it was possible. He inhaled, taking a few wisps of my hair with the air. I gulped, unsure of what to do. “I know,” I stated dumbly. “I can’t commit to a present until I know what it is,” I murmured.
His rough fingers stroked my chin, shifting my gaze from our hands to his face. This close--mere inches away--I could see every inch of blue in his eyes. The ocean. I was staring into part of the ocean, I was certain. His pupils were dilated, making his gorgeous peepers even more attractive. His large, plump lips looked eager…for what I assumed was my own lips. His cheeks were slightly red from the training, or perhaps he was as nervous and embarrassed as I was. “I can’t tell you what it is,” he grinned. His eyes sparkled, reflecting the sunlight. He was bad, bad news.
“Then I guess I can’t tell you if I want it,” I said hastily, inching my foot backwards.
His strong arm shot out, circling around my waist. His fingers gripped my skin, leaving a deliciously hot spot upon connection. “Where are you going, Sade? Why do you keep running from me?”
“Why do you keep calling me Sade?” I questioned. My voice was uneven, and not normal. It sounded…sultry. I didn’t even know I could be sultry and here my voice was sounding it.
“Cause I like it,” he stated, giving me a sexy lop-sided grin.
My heart melted into a puddle at my feet. It was currently seeping into the ground beneath us. “Oh,” I said, oh-so-cleverly.
“Do you mind?” he asked, genuinely concerned. “I’ll stop if you do.”
I shrugged, “I dunno…I’ve never had a nickname or anything. My name really doesn’t make it easy…”
“I know…it took me forever to come up with that,” he chuckled.
I smiled a little smile, my mind still concentrating on the fact his arm was around me, our bodies pressed incredibly close together. His heat was mine, my breath mingled with his. We were in a very intimate position…and I’ll be damned, but I liked it. “I’m sure it did, Aiden.”
“I like it when you say my name…it sounds like it just drips from your tongue,” he admitted, voice husky again.
“Why are you thinking about my tongue?” I asked, kicking myself the second the words escaped my mouth. This boy made me to be an idiot at every encounter.
“Well…” he grinned, winking at me. “You know.”
“No.” I pulled away, an
d he reluctantly dropped his hand, watching me step back at least three feet.
“Do you not sense this…attraction between us, Sade? You’re driving me insane. All I think about is that night in the kitchen…” he struggled with his next words. “You’re gorgeous, I think about more than just that night…you make me laugh. You don’t seem to like me, and it makes me want you to like me…a lot.”
“Aiden….” I interrupted. I had to stop this. I couldn’t do it, not now, not today. “It’s my birthday. Can we drop this for now?”
Stricken, defeated, he hung his head. “Yeah.” He checked his watch, nodding to the direction we came. “Wanna head back?”
I nodded. Turning, I stalked off, leaving him to catch up.
He stepped in stride with me, his long legs catching him up in a few steps. “Sade…Happy Birthday,” he whispered, handing me a small box. I stared at it, unsure of what to do, when to open it, if I should open it. We walked in silence, the gift heavy in my hand. When Grandma’s house came into view, I slid it into my back pocket. I reached out, gripping his upper arm. He turned, hurt and anger clouding his once bright eyes.
“Thank you, Aiden,” I said, smiling softly.
He nodded, allowing me to go up the steps first. We entered the house, and I wasn’t expecting what waited for us.
Aiden
Deep in my conscience, I knew it wasn’t Sebastian, but seeing his face…the identical features, the same deep eyes, the same rich, black hair, did something to me. I snapped. His eyes bulged when my fingers gripped his arms, throwing his body back and slamming him against the wall. The frames holding the precious family photos rattled from the impact of his head on the wood. I vaguely heard the screams of Sadie and Scott, the demands they made to let him go. Nothing mattered but revenge.
A force came between us, pushing me back with a strength that was inhuman, unnatural. I stumbled back, bones sore and achy from Juniper’s superhuman strength. She stood there, heaving as she protected Sebastian’s twin. The reality of the situation settled in, causing me to grimace in embarrassment and worry.
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