Sidney Berry had her life planned out: after high school go to culinary school, become a world-renowned chef and marry her childhood sweetheart, Aiden. But after a tragic incident that shakes her world at the end of her senior year, her plans derail...
That memory sent warm tingles through her. But those warm tingles quickly mixed with the rising heat from her rage as she watched a girl sitting between Aiden's legs on the bleachers just like she had at the Rucker. Jamal, a nice enough guy who seemed to never leave his side lately, was sitting right beside him laughing a big old laugh with his head thrown back at something that Aiden said but Sid didn't catch. She stood frozen for a moment, deciding whether to retreat in anger or attack in anger. But it seemed that at the moment she had made her decision to retreat Aiden noticed her standing there. She tried not to read into the way he inched further back on the bleachers to put space between him and the girl lingering between his legs.
"Hey, babe." Aiden had gotten up and was making his way over to her.
"Hi." Sid eyed the girl. Taking in everything from the way her coils were pulled into a beautiful high puff on the top of her head. To the way her long toned legs escaped gym shorts that hit just above her knee as she sat there so coolly. Aubrey, Sid raked the girl's name across her mind. She was one of the girls who knew the starting lineups. A real basketball fan and really gorgeous. She and Aiden seemed close. Sid's hands flew to her hair and she drew in a relieved breath after realizing it was still in neat box braids that she had done a few weeks ago on a quick trip back to Brooklyn for Aiden's Mom's birthday. Now, she just hoped no one could sense the tremble in her voice.
"You ready?" Aiden asked.
"Are you?" Sid spat back. Her eyes trained on the girl. She was now talking to Jamal who kept throwing glances their way.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Aiden moved his face in front of hers to block the death glare she was shooting toward his friends. She focused her eyes on his. Stared at that face that she wasn't quite used to yet.
"Nothing."
Aiden eyed her cautiously but chose to let the topic go. "Let me grab my stuff." Sid didn't let her eyes stray from him as he made his way back toward the den of deceit. Maybe she was overreacting but Sid had that nagging feeling that something was going on that she was not privy to. Like she was all of a sudden shoved out a circle that she had built. The one she'd been in since she and Aiden were five-year-olds playing tag.
"I'll catch y'all later. We're going to head over to dinner."
"Oh, I'm going that way too. I'll eat with y'all." Jamal said. He started to gather his things.
"Babe, I actually wanted to go off campus for dinner. Something a little nicer. Alone. Since breaks coming up an all." She threw in the last part to soften the brusqueness. Even though it delighted her a bit. She was being ruder than she had been in a long time. It felt good to be rude and lie. Just five minutes ago she was fantasizing about the chicken pesto that was on the dining halls menu today. The thought of topping it off with some ice cream from the soft-serve machine almost made her knees quake. But after seeing...whatever the hell she just saw, she wanted Aiden alone. She forced herself to put on a face that she hoped looked apologetic toward Jamal.
"Next time," He said shoulders dropped. He was out of the gym a moment later, taking Aubrey Between-the-Legs McGee with him.
"Are you okay? Did I do something?" Aiden asked as they walked out, his voice gentle but filled with concern for her as always. She eyed him. Did you? she questioned him in her mind. The face may have changed but those eyes of his were still the same. The ones that seemed to hold every emotion he'd ever felt. Right now they were holding a ton of worry, and with only a few hours to spend with him before they wouldn't see one another for a week, she didn't want them to part on a fight over nothing really. She hadn't seen anything but two friends comfortable with one another. Even if a little too comfortable.
"No. Just miss you."
"Well, I'm all yours. Where did you have in mind?" Aiden asked as they walked toward his car. She didn't really have any off-campus dining options in mind so she scrambled to think of something.
"Chipotle?"
"Bet. I'm getting extra chips and guac," Aiden said excitedly. Putting an extra pep in his step as they neared the car. No matter how ripped he got he was still that little chubby food-loving boy she always knew.
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