Sometimes

Chapter seven

I nodded quickly when I remembered I hadn’t answered him.  “Yeah, just, uh, had something in my eye.  It’s gone now though.”  I cringed internally when I realised I’d just plastered a cheesy grin on my face.  “We can get going now.”  The sooner I was home and away from him, the better.  God knows what I’d tell him if I was around him for too long.

    I gathered my things up and shouldered my bag. 

    “Ready?” Sonny asked with a smile.

    “Yeah,” I replied.  My heart swooned in my chest and I was glad that I was still sitting down.

I got up finally and followed the guys to the door, forcing myself to look anywhere but at Sonny’s backside. 

Okay.  Just be cool.  I’ll only speak when I’m spoken to.  Yeah, that would help limit the amount of times I had a chance to say something stupid.

I noticed Aiden slow down.  “I hope you don’t mind me being here.  Sonny was helping me learn my parts to their songs when Leanne called and asked him to pick you up.”

Yes.  “Of course not.  Why would I?”

Aiden seemed to smirk for a second.  “Your eye all better now?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Not that you had anything in it,” he added with a grin.

I could feel my cheeks threatening to turn bright red.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Aiden sniggered under his breath.  “I know your game.”

    “What game?”  I frowned.  “You’re talking in riddles like Cassie.”

    “Well I bet Cassie would know how to act around a guy she likes,” he said in hushed tones.  “I can bet you she wouldn’t have done the whole ‘something in my eye’ thing.”

I wanted to hit him, but only because I’d been clear enough about liking Sonny that he’d cottoned on.  I must have been obvious; Aiden didn’t strike me as one to pay that much attention to what was going on around him.  He seemed to be studying me now though.

    “Well?” he said, a cheeky grin on his face.  “Am I right or am I right?”

I ground my teeth together and strode ahead out of the building.  The cold air hit my bare arms, making my breath catch in my throat.  I could hear shoes slapping the pavement behind me as I set my eyes back on Sonny.  He was on his phone now, waiting by the side of his car.

    “So, what are you going to do about your little crush then?” Aiden asked.

I looked up at him, feigning innocence.  “What crush?”

Aiden laughed. “Oh come on, Harriet!  You practically fall over every time you see him and you go all stupid when he speaks to you.”

    “Shut up.”

    “No,” he replied.  “You obviously fancy the pants off him.”

    “I do not,” I said resiliently, but I could feel my cheeks flaming, contradicting my words.

    “Then why are you blushing?”

I scowled.  “Why do you have to be so darn annoying?”

He laughed again, the skin by his eyes creasing.  “Because you are so darn obvious.”

I clenched my fist at his mimicking tone.  “Am not.”

    “So, are you going to do anything about your crush or not?”  He was gazing at me with a serious look now and it seemed out of place on him; he always looked cheeky whenever I was around him.  This new side of him made me nervous.