NOTE: I REVISED BEFORE YOU GO, SO THERE WILL BE SOME MISINFORMATION IN THIS ONE REGARDING LEON & ELIZA'S RELATIONSHIP. I WILL FIX IT SOON, THOUGH!
* I would HIGHLY recommend reading BEFORE YOU GO and THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR before you read this novel...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Aria
Aunty Kate and her husband arrive on Wednesday, showering Benn and I with a plethora of hugs and kisses. Dad and her exchange their usual, silly banter, burning each other like a marshmallow over the campfire whenever they see fit. Mom says she finds it immature, but we can all tell that she secretly likes it. Dad can be a bit of a dweeb, in my mom's words, and she likes it when someone is there to put him in his place.
Over dinner, everyone tried to tell Aunty Kate and Uncle Adrian that they were welcome to stay at the house rather than rent out a cute little bungalow for two weeks, but they politely declined. Although I wanted to spend time with Aunty Kate, how can I blame her? With me, Benn, Jax, Mom and Dad, and Uncle Hainsey and Aunty Emyln, the house is extremely crowded. So crowded, in fact, that Benn and I have to share a bedroom and a bathroom. And, let me tell you, it's hellish to share such a compact space with him. He's like a teenage boy, leaving the seat up after he uses the bathroom and leaving a trail of disaster wherever he goes. That being said, I'm happy we don't have to share a bed as we did at Grandma's when we were kids. Having a twin-sized bed all to myself is perfectly fine with me.
Now that dinner is over and the porch table has been cleared of any remaining dishes from dessert, we're all sitting out back, beneath strings of twinkling lights and the sweet air of a warm summer night. Against the streaks of orange and pink and purple from the sunset, the towering trees look like shadows. It's beautifully alluring. Just like the yard is with its lavender and black-eyed Susans, tall grasses that billow in the soft breeze, a dry riverbed cascading down the far side. It's no surprise that the yard looks like something you'd find on Pinterest – my aunt and uncle are stellar with their combined jobs.
Uncle Hainsey, who is sitting to my left, nudges me. "Where's your head tonight, Aria?"
I tear my gaze away from a bumblebee that's resting on a rose. "I'm admiring the yard," I reply. I'm surprised with my own answer because normally I'm thinking about hockey or my captaincy or, now that we're dating, Leo. As much as I love thinking about those three things, I'm happy my mind is empty and relaxed tonight. It's been a while since everyone in my family has managed to find time to get together. The lack of time spent together is a price we've had to pay for associating ourselves with hockey, but we've all faired pretty well, finding time to spend together, be it meet-and-greets after games or brief coffee shop dates. The Maddens, Stones, and Martinezes always find a way to make things work. "You and Aunty Emyln are amazing at what you do."
"I know," he smiles, taking great pride in the work they accomplished together. The yard and the house look nothing like they did when the two of them first moved in. I don't know how they were able to balance renovations with their work, but they did it. "But enough about work. How's summer been so far? You're living in our house and Ems and I have barely seen you, or Benn for that matter."
I shrug, contemplating whether or not I should tell him about me and Leo. Technically, I still haven't told my parents, though I do believe that Dad has already put the pieces together judging by the way he oh so blatantly embarrassed me in front of Leo. Dad's always been good at reading people, and I'm positive I was an open book that night on the front porch. What is it with dads and embarrassing their daughters in front of their boyfriends?
