COSMOS | Complete

CHAPTER 35: ASHER

The first day back at school from the waterfall, most girls know about my plight with Aaron, and most girls want to kill me.

As always, the students part like a tide as Aaron leads me through the hall, hand locked in mine. He notices the tension and the glares, and cocks his head at me, silently asking for me to explain. "I have a lot of unspoken death threats," I mutter, averting my eyes from the people crowded around us.

Aaron snorts. "The people in this place ..."

He chews on his bottom lip, smirking. I know from experience he gets this expression when he's up to something, his little brain factory churning out schemes and dares at lightning speed. "Whatever you're thinking," I hiss, tightening my grip on his hand, "You should think twice."

"Well, we do have a lot of witnesses around here in case you actually get murdered."

"Very enlightening. I'll reward you the first speech at my funeral."

Aaron suddenly stops, halting me in my tracks. His eyes spark, and he's leaning down, and his irises suddenly aren't a millimeter in diameter, they're a centimeter, two centimeters, and in a blink, his forehead is gently pressing against mine. "Wonder what they'll do with this," he whispers, meeting his lips with my own.

There's a collective gasp around us, and I'm sure a hear a few camera clicks, because Aaron Blakely is kissing someone he shouldn't even know exists. He's dipping me backward, languidly twining his tongue with mine as if he has all the time in the world. If it were anyone but myself, I'd be disgusted, but right now, I can't think of anything better.

Too soon, Aaron rights me and pulls me back to arm's length. He seems unaffected, but I feel as if I've hurtled twenty miles around a track. Only he can elicit this response from me, and that's only one more thing to the lengthy list of powers that he has over me that no one else does.

Aaron hugs me against his chest, cruising down the hallway. "We should do that again sometime," he says into the top of my head. I roll my eyes, but no one can cover up my flaming cheeks and warbled breath. Honestly, I'd do it again right now, then after that, and forever and ever and ever, probably until my heart goes into cardiac arrest, and instead of twenty miles, I'll feel as if I've run around the world. Then I'd seek Aaron in the afterlife and repeat everything over and over again.

"You make me crazy," I mutter, stopping at my classroom. Aaron halts beside me, twisting my fingers in his. He smiles, all dimples and lips.

"Likewise."

At home, Dad and Heidi are arguing again.

It started as a small bicker, but it grew into something much more monstrous than it should have. Dad hasn't been in love with anyone in years, and this is the first relationship Heidi has taken seriously. Dad doesn't want her to have to work for us, so he hired a replacement. The new lady doesn't even know how to make bratwurst.

However, even I knew Heidi wouldn't be content with sitting in the house all day. An immigrant from Germany, Heidi doesn't have much in her head, but much in her hands. She wants to work and provide. She knows no other life.

The only option is that she does housework in someone else's home. Heidi recently found a family home to a disabled child, which means longer work hours and more time away from Dad and me. She considered going to a different house with a smaller work load, but she's inseparable from Katie, the twelve-year-old girl with Down Syndrome. Dad understands this, so for now, it's back to an empty house with an empty family.

Since Sofia's arrival, the house has been drowned in the smell of Mexican spices. Not that I complain – I adore an arroz roja as much as the next person, but it isn't the food – it's the touch.

Eating Heidi's food felt as if she'd blessed it with an ingredient that only she possessed, and though she could cook the same thing as anyone else, it always tasted different – better. A little sprinkle of sugar, a little speckle of salt? No, there's a different ingredient: love.

Sofia screeches hello as soon as I walk into the door. She's in the back of the house, blasting muffled Spanish music to help her get through her day. I can't complain – I can allow some music while a lady cleans an entire house.

I bolt to the stairs leading to my room, passing by Dad and Heidi. They're standing across from each other, arms crossed, air crackling with tension. My skin sparks as I stop to stare at them, almost as if the stress is tangible.

"Everything okay?"

Dad is never home at this hour, and neither is Heidi. Something must be serious for either of them to be home so early.

"Everything's fine." Heidi smiles to me, wrapping me in a hug. Heidi's hold is warm and strong, but I sense a hint of desperation behind her embrace. From what, I have no idea, but I must trust that if there's something truly troubling her, she'll come to me.

I pull back, glancing at the two of them. Dad remains where he is, staring at everything but me. With a jolt, I realized he's ashamed.

"You two are home early," I start. Heidi glances back at Dad, but catches herself and whirls back to me. "It's nothing, really." She shrugs, struggling to make everything seem like nothing. "Truly. Go back to your room and do your homework, okay?" Heidi pats my shoulders, making me want to forget as much as she does. "I'll have a plate of cookies waiting for you when you're done."

I give her a grateful smile, cast one last look at Dad, then make my way up to my room. Whatever's going on between the two of them, I hope it's only about what flowers will be the centerpieces at the wedding.

Who am I kidding? I'm a bad liar, especially when it comes to myself.