ADALYNNE
I had been strolling around the biggest mall in Boston with Mrs. Victoria, Mrs. Amy, and Harley. The three of them invited me to come along to shop and get mani-pedis.
"Mrs. Victoria, I can't afford this, I -"
She held up her hand. "Darling, don't worry about it. I've got it."
I was only going to shop, knowing my limits with the prices. I brought a good bit of money with me because I knew here and there I'd buy something; rather being necessities or wants. I was raised to always bring money along wherever I go.
Before I left, Baylor and I got into a mini argument about this arrangement.
"I put my credit card in your wallet," Baylor said while tugging on a pair of blue jeans.
"No, thank you." I opened my wallet and found the Visa card in my wallet along with my driver's license and student ID. I took it out and placed it on the top of Baylor's Chester drawers.
"What do you mean, 'No, thank you?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Let's not go over this again. I appreciate you being a gentleman, but please, let me buy my own things."
He shook his head. "I'll go give this to my mom then."
"Baylor, no." I snatched the card from his hand and held it behind my back.
"Okay, now keep it."
I smirked. "I'll keep it but I won't use it."
"Adalynne Rose Claire," Baylor warned.
"That's my name."
His expression was scornful, like he began getting mad. "I'm being serious."
I grinned to try and make him smile. It didn't work, so I snuck towards him and ran my fingers up and down his sides. He didn't move or even lift a muscle to smile. I looked up at his towering figure and I saw him staring at me like I was crazy.
"Really, Baylor?" I arched an eyebrow at him and waltzed over towards his nightstand where his wallet laid. I opened it and placed the card right where it belonged. I looked at him one last time and he glared at me. I huffed and rolled my eyes. I grabbed my purse and began to walk out of his room to meet the ladies downstairs.
"So no goodbye kiss or hug from you? Not even an 'I love you?" Baylor asked.
I turned around and looked at Baylor. He had a different expression on his face.
"I thought you were mad."
He shook his head. "Just please take the card." I walked towards Baylor and grabbed his face and pecked him on his lips. He pulled me into a bear hug.
"I love you." I kissed his smooth, cold cheek.
He hummed. "I love you more. Don't forget."
"I promise I won't."
"Just to let you know - red and black are my favorite colors." Baylor winked. He groped my butt.
"I'll get orange then," I smirked. He shrugged his shoulders.
"The easier it'll come off."
I hummed. "I'll think about it since you're being so persistent."
I pinched his cheeks and pulled them out just a tad and he cackled. I let go and pulled his head down towards me. I kissed his lips quickly.
"Bye, babe."
"Oh, Adalynne! This would look absolutely adorable on you! With summer coming along, this shirt would make your skin tone look amazing. Go try it on!" Harley squealed.
The crop tank top was yellow with floral designs. Harley was across the store in a matter of five seconds due to her long, tan legs.
"I think the white denim shorts will go great with this. Oh, and we can't forget white sandals." She handed me the outfit and headed towards the white shelves with a variety of sandals.
"What size?"
"Six and a half," I answered.
She looked along the shelves and found a pair that was my size.
"You're so lucky to have a small foot. I'm 5'11" with wide feet that are size elevens! Bless you short people."
I chuckled, "It's not fun. I wish I were tall. I love your height."
She grinned, "I thank Baylor and his right morals for choosing you."
Harley led me to a dressing room and made me try on some other clothes she had picked out. I tried on a few shirts and some shorts along with bikinis and such.
When I walked out of the dressing room, clothes all across my arms and three pairs of sandals in my hand, I found Harley sitting on a stool waiting for me to exit. She had a cart beside her, and she stood to give it to me.
"Okay, now I have an important question."
I laid my clothes in the cart and looked up to her.
"What color does Baylor like?"
"Black or red," I answered. She waltzed out of the dressing room area and I followed with the cart ahead of me, avoiding racks I walked between.
Harley stopped at a humongous table with nothing but lace underwear and thongs. Oh, no.
"We've gotta get something for the guy," Harley spoke. I closed my eyes in embarrassment. She laughed.
"Oh, it's not that bad! Even though it sounds gross because he's my little cousin, guys like their girl to wear things like this. Especially lace."
I mentally face-palmed.
"What size do you wear?" Harley asked as her hands scurried through the black and red underwear.
"Medium." I let the fashionista pick out the underwear since I figured she knew what to do.
"I got a small because guys like them tight."
"Oh, dear Lord." I was beyond embarrassed.
She then plunged through the bras, picking out two. "Wait, what size?" Harley asked.
"34C," I responded.
"Okay, let's go."
She threw the four pair of underwear, two of each color, and the two bras into the cart and we wheeled to the checkout area.
"Mom said to meet her at the nail place beside Topshop."
Harley looked up from her phone and searched around for Topshop. "I've been to this mall a million times and I can never find Topshop."
I pointed. "Over there."
All four of us were sitting in the pedicure chairs, our feet in the hot water, checking our phones.
'got my present yet? ;)' Baylor texted an hour ago.
'That's a secret that I'll never tell. xoxo, gossip girl' I responded.
'you're a goof, guess what' Baylor texted.
'I'm not good at guessing games' I responded.
'I love you silly ;)' the text read.
I smirked. 'the feeling isn't mutual'
':(' he responded.
'I love you a lot, lot, lot, lot, lot'
As we were finishing up with the mani-pedis, the Chinese woman offered us beverages.
"I'd like a Coke," Mrs. Amy noted.
"Make that two, please," Mrs. Victoria said.
"I'll take a Sprite," I said.
"Water for me, please," Harley requested.
When the young Chinese lady delivered our beverages, we ladies shared a conversation.
"So how's it like dating my nephew?" Mrs. Amy grinned as she stared at me, waiting for my reply.
"It's really well. He makes me happy. He treats me so wonderfully and he's gentle and always reminds me that he loves me, which I do as well because I do love him." I couldn't help but grin at the thought of Baylor.
Mrs. Amy and Mrs. Victoria's face lit up with massive grins. Mrs. Victoria clasped her hands together.
"Oh, darling. I can tell he loves you greatly. He looks at you like you're the only girl in the world. He made sure you were warm the night we were over at Victoria's house." Mrs. Amy spoke.
"Oh, I've seen it before. I never thought he'd settle for a girl. It was always tap and leave," Harley agreed, and she placed her hand on my arm, gasping. "Lord, I never saw this coming for him." Harley leaned back in her chair.
All three of us laughed in harmony. "Harley, I can't believe it myself." Mrs. Victoria smiled and placed her hand on top of mine.
"I knew he always had a thing for you. He always spoke of you," Mrs. Amy said.
"Oh, really?" I smirked.
"Oh, yeah. Every time I talked to Victoria, she'd always update me on Baylor, to see how he was doing in New Jersey. All he'd ever say: Adalynne this, and Adalynne that. He'd never shut up," she giggled.
"We always teased him about it; it was hilarious," Harley spoke.
Mrs. Victoria scoffed. "I always told him to stop talking about you and start talking to you."
I grinned at Mrs. Victoria. "Thank you for telling him that."
A shirtless, blue jean shorts, flip flop wearing, soaking wet hair Baylor walked up to the car's trunk when we pulled up.
"Baylor, where on earth did you come from?" Mrs. Amy asked.
I chuckled.
"Cliff diving with Colton and Sean. We - oh, my God; did you all buy the entire mall?" Baylor's eyes turned to the size of saucers.
"Oh, shut up you shithead," Harley pushed Baylor out of the way and grabbed some bags.
Harley and Baylor seemed like siblings instead of cousins. They argued like siblings.
Baylor grabbed about three bags and turned to me. He stuck his tongue out at me and walked towards the garage door. I grabbed some great big bags and carried them in.
"Here's the fun part - separating them." Mrs. Victoria placed her hands on her hips. Harley reached out for her bags: the lot that she had - either Forever 21, Wet Seal, Sephora, Bath and Body Works, and American Apparel. I knew that I had gotten some things from American Apparel and Forever 21, but as soon as I saw a J. Crew and Victoria's Secret and Macy's and Topshop bag, I reached for them.
"Girls, you've got yours?" We nodded at Mrs. Victoria.
"Okay, well Amy they're out of the way and, well, this is gonna be tough because we both got things at each store we went to." Mrs. Amy looked at Mrs. Victoria. She sat on the floor with some bags and Baylor reached for a bag.
"Why don't you just dump it on the floor?" Baylor tilted the bag upside down.
"Baylor!" Mrs. Victoria popped him on the back of his arm. She grabbed the empty bag from his hand and began to push him towards the staircase.
"Go to your room." Baylor was laughing as his mother could barely push him.
"C'mon babe!" Baylor yelled as he rounded the corner.
"Go ahead and show him the surprise." Harley smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.
"He will not be seeing those until we get back home." My cheeks blushed as I admitted her those words, but at least she knows that I wouldn't be doing anything like that in his mother's and Dan's house.
"Where're your cousins?" Mrs. Amy yelled.
"Um, I don't know? Prolly out drinkin' a few. I left them at the lake."
"Why didn't you stay with them instead of dumping our stuff on the floor?" she asked.
"I don't think m'lady would appreciate me drinking because of my age." Baylor followed Mrs. Victoria back into the living room.
"Good job." Harley smacked him on his back.
Baylor walked to the kitchen, silence following behind him. Mrs. Victoria ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes were droopy, and I could tell she was tired from today's adventures.
She yawned, "That mall tires me out."
As Mrs. Victoria sat across from her sister on the floor, Baylor walked around the corner with a box of Wheat Thins.
"Let's go night swimming," Baylor suggested.
"You kids have at it." Mrs. Victoria stated.
I looked at Harley and we agreed together.
"I'll call my brothers." Harley began to call her brothers and I had to walk to Baylor's room to change.
I toted my bags upstairs with Baylor behind me.
As we reached his room, I began to put my new clothes away in my suitcase. I guess Baylor had saw me put the Victoria's Secret bag in my suitcase under my clothes without taking the undergarments out.
"What's in that bag?" Baylor asked with amusement in his voice.
"I got a new bikini," I lied.
"What color?" he questioned.
"Yellow - neon yellow."
Baylor hummed. I took my Triangl bikini out from my suitcase.
"Nice." I looked at Baylor and he had leaned on the door frame with his arms crossed. Out of my shoe bag, I retrieved a pair of Sanuk flip flops and laid them by the door. I then waltzed to Baylor's bathroom to change into my bikini.
"Don't look in that bag, Baylor Parker," I demanded. I shouldn't have said anything.
I threw my hair into a bun and then changed into the bikini. I made sure it was adjusted around my breasts, but then I remembered it had to be tied.
"Baylor!" I hollered. He opened the door and I turned my back towards him.
"Can you tie this?"
He took the strings and tied them into a double-knotted bow. I adjusted the top once again and fixed the straps across my shoulders.
"And can you please tighten these?" I pointed to the straps. He tightened them and then walked back into his room. I then followed after I made sure it looked okay and it wasn't reviewing anything. Baylor had stripped from his blue jean shorts, only leaving him in his boxers.
"I cannot get over your pale thighs," I chuckled.
He snarled at me and slid on his teal, black, and grey plaid Billabong trunks.
"Let's go."
The splashing of water was heard as Colton jumped off the diving board and Sean had slapped Baylor on the back with a green noodle.
"Dude, let's play chicken." Colton said as he wiped his eyes to rid away water. He pushed his hair back from his forehead.
"Harley versus Adalynne?" Sean suggested.
"Yeah. Alright, c'mon Harley." Colton went underwater and waited for Harley to climb on his back.
"Alright, I'm gonna go underwater and you're gonna get on my shoulders." I nodded and Baylor went underwater. I climbed onto his shoulders and he held onto my calves to hold me up.
I felt about ten feet tall once I was on Baylor's shoulders. I was about the same height as Harley, due to Colton and Baylor's tall height.
"On the count of three, go."
"You ready, babe?" Baylor asked as he walked closer to Colton.
"Yeah."
I smiled at Harley as we were a few feet away, getting ready to fight one another.
"One, two, go!"
Harley lunged for me and pushed me back. I held onto Baylor's neck and pulled onto the back of his neck as tightly as I could. I pressed my hands into Harley's shoulders and pushed as hard as I could.
The chants of Baylor and Colton were telling us to push one another down.
"Babe, remember what I taught you!" I have no idea what he taught me, but I took Aiden's lessons into action and pushed Harley in the chest, and she groped Colton's forehead.
"You got my eye!" Colton hollered and I laughed as I pushed Harley again, her grasp on Colton coming unleashed and she fell off his shoulders, making a splash as she hit the water.
"Hell yes!" Baylor shouted. He kneeled down underwater and I climbed off his back.
"Okay, Adalynne versus Baylor!" Harley loudly spoke as she came above water. I looked at Baylor and he grinned.
"Who's getting on my shoulders?" Sean asked.
"Harley, you can't hold anyone 'cause you're shorter than me and Sean," Colton notified.
"You guys are too heavy for me, besides Adalynne. But alright, I'll go get something to eat while you all brawl."
"Get on my shoulders, Adalynne," Colton said.
"Alright," I agreed. He had done what Baylor done for me earlier and he picked me up. It felt different to be on someone else's shoulders besides Baylor's, but I realized that Baylor and I was going to fight against each other, and I knew then that I was going to lose.
"I'll try my best not to push you off," Baylor cackled.
"We're gonna win," Colton bragged.
"Says the one who couldn't hold Harley up," Sean said.
I'm pretty sure Colton gave him the bird finger.
"One, two, three: go!" Harley yelled.
As I went to shove Baylor, his hands caught mine and he clasped his fingers with mine and he pushed.
"Push, Adalynne!" Harley shouted.
I clasped my hands around Baylor's shoulders and shoved as hard as I could. He would not budge. As Baylor pushed against me, I began to feel like I was stumbling and Colton held onto my thighs as strongly as he could so I could practically glue onto him and stay up.
"Push him!" Colton shouted. I pushed harder than I did all night and shoved Baylor hard, and when he went to push me again, I shoved him harder. Over and over again until he looked like he was about to fall backwards.
"Push!" I pushed him one last time until he fell backwards.
"Hell yeah, we did it!" Colton hollered.
"We've slain the beast!" Colton shouted in victory.
Colton lowered me off of his shoulders.
"I let you win," Baylor said as he came above water, fixing his hair by the shake of his head and ran his hand over his eye area.
"Sure, sure." I walked slowly to the poolside and pulled myself onto the side of the pool. Baylor then walked over and he placed his body between my legs.
"Here you go." Harley reached her arm over my shoulder and handed me a can of Pepsi.
"Oh, thank you."
"Where's mine?" Baylor asked.
"Losers deserve nothing," Harley said sarcastically.
"I let her win. She's a girl; I can't push a girl," he babbled. "Can I have some?" Baylor motioned towards my Pepsi as I had put it against my lips to drink some. I handed it to Baylor once I was done. I grabbed the hair bow that held my hair into a bun and pulled it out to release my hair. I hated it when my hair was wet when it was in a bun.
Baylor handed me the can - empty can back.
"You shithead." I ruffled his hair.
"I think all that exercise knocked the alcohol out of my system," Colton said as he got on a float. He was ridding the water from his ear and he pushed his hair back from his face.
I crossed my arms over Baylor's chest and leaned my head against his. He turned his head and kissed my lips.
"I've been texting this girl, and she's-" Colton paused, possibly by confusion as to he didn't know how to describe her.
"Is she nice?" Baylor asked.
"To me, yeah. But-"
"Is she cute?"
"Hell yeah," Colton answered.
"Passionate?" Sean asked.
"She's given me a blow-"
"Oookayyy, I'll act like my little brother did not just say that." Harley gave a dirty look towards Colton.
"Those girls are everything," Sean responded to Colton's statement.
"Not you, too." Harley huffed.
Baylor said nothing.
"All of you are just man whores," Harley announced.
"And you aren't?" Baylor inquired.
I smacked Baylor's chest. "Do not call her a whore," I demanded.
Colton cackled. "Everyone's a whore deep down inside."
"Why are you guys talking about whores?" Mrs. Amy asked as she walked outside. She sat on the lounge chair along with Mrs. Victoria.
"Harley brought it up." Sean said.
"Baylor called me one," Harley announced.
"Well, you are," Baylor spoke.
"Adalynne, smack him for me," Mrs. Victoria said, and I did.