Song of the Day: Perfect Tense by Fallulah
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T w e n t y n i n e
"Can I ask a question. I just had this thought," My aunt muttered as she looked at me and Nolan with her slight hawk-like eyes.
My aunt was still sighing deeply whenever she looked at Nolan, with her love struck expression. It seemed to me that she had quite forgotten her purpose of being here. But rather she was just staring at Nolan like a swooning teen. My uncle Peter sure wouldn't like this.
Cassidy on the other hand had already gotten over her little fangirl moment over Nolan and was now busy watching Power Rangers on the TV. I was sure proud of that kid.
"What is it?" I asked.
Though my question was directed to her, her eyes were still stuck on Nolan, and let us not forget those tiny hearts that were drawn in her eyes as she stared at Nolan.
"Nolan, son, what was my niece doing, straddling you again?" Though her question was a little serious, her face hadn't lost the fangirl expression. She was really creeping out at that moment.
"Oh well, you see I was-" I cut Nolan off before he could say something highly inappropriate.
"Aunt I just tripped over my feet and fell on top of him," I said as her eyes switched to me, narrowed down to slits.
"You young lady, are the definition of clumsy. Can you be a little more ladylike? Though it was pretty cliché how you fell on top of him. Right out of a movie or a romantic book. I really shouldn't have interrupted that moment. And then bam! You two would be kis-" My aunt's silly rant was cut off by the sound of the horn blazing through the living room of my house.
I looked down at my shoes to prevent anyone from seeing how red I was turning by the second. God, I really didn't want anyone, even Cass, to see me blushing red like a stupid Santa's hat.
But all that hope went down the drain.
Cassidy looked at me from the corner of her eye, smirking slightly. For a five year old, she sure knew how to smirk, looking all smug. She made a kissy face and pointed to her cheek first and then to her red coloured little dress, motioning my now flushed cheeks. I glared at her and she just smiled at me, innocently.
"That must be your uncle," My aunt said, frowning slightly. "He definitely has the worst timing in this world."
"Okay, then. I'll be leaving now. Cadence, I will come and pick Cassidy up at around five. I know you have your job today. And you Cassidy, don't you make a mess of your cousin. I don't want this house to be filled with power rangers' stickers and posters adorning the walls," She said as she stood up from the couch and Cassidy just stuck her tongue out at her.
"Why couldn't I have some normal daughter who loved Barbie and not Power Rangers?" Aunt Becca muttered as she shook her head slightly, trying to be subtle but everyone heard her, especially Cass.
"Love you too, mom," Cass said as she smiled innocently at her mother. My aunt rolled her eyes at her daughter but sure didn't stop a grin from spreading on her face.
"And Nolan, son, seeing how you are helping Cade here with her studies and not only that, but are also her friend, I really want to thank you. She sure needed some more friends and why not some amazing boy? Oh and by the way, I'll invite you sometime over for dinner. And we'll talk and I'll cook something amazing, though not great as my sister's or my niece's, I'll try my bes-" My aunt's rant was once again cut off by the loud sound of honking.
"That impatient man!" Grumbled Aunt Becca under her breath. She looked at me one last time before pulling me in for a bone crushing hug.
"I approve of him. I can't wait to see you both getting married and having kids," She whispered in my ears and my cheeks flushed, along with my ears.
I pulled away and glared at her through my pointed eyes. She was just grinning at me goofily.
"Two's the perfect number, I think," She said, winking at me.
"It's never happening," I weakly muttered, and a part of me saddened at the statement.
"We'll see," Was all she said before she turned to Nolan and hugged the daylights out of him.
"See you later, boy and Cassidy be a good girl. Don't cause too much trouble," She said as she started sprinting towards the front door. I followed suit, to wave her and uncle goodbye.
I entered the porch in my worn out outfit, the slightly colder wind whipping past me and into the house. I could see my uncle Peter sitting in the driver's seat. He looked at me and smiled. I waved at him and he waved back. I could see him clearly, his slight brown, slight greying hair a familiar mop.
If there was one thing about the cars here in Britain, it would be the fact that we here have the driver's seat to the right of the front seats and not the left like America and most of the countries do. So when my aunt moved to sit in the passenger seat, my vision of seeing my uncle blocked. My aunt looked at me once and then she waved at me, with a smile gracing her lips.
She mouthed to me, 'Love You.' I smiled and mouthed it back.
I waved at them one last time before uncle started off the engine and then they were off to wherever they had to be.
"She seems like a great woman," I heard Nolan's voice say in my ear and I jumped two feet away, gasping for air, trying to calm my erratic breathing down.
"God you scared me," I said as I slapped his shoulder, playfully of course. Or not. Maybe it was just an excuse to touch him, but yeah. That had to be done.
He just smirked at me, his infamous smirk. God, what I would to wipe that smirk off his face.
Kiss him? My mind chided, smirking. I could definitely feel my mind smirking.
He didn't say anything but wiggled his brows seeing me pant like that. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I thought about what he was teasing me about. And when realization hit me like a truck full of bricks, my cheeks turned scarlet and my eyes widened.
I slapped him even harder on his shoulder and he just chuckled.
"Shut up," I weakly protested.
"I didn't even say anything," He said, raising his hands up in mock surrender and on an afterthought said, "What were you actually thinking about?"
With that, he started tapping his chin and started mock thinking. His eyes lit up mischievously and he stared at me after a moment. "Dirty girl, you are. Damn, Brown!"
With that said, my face was on fire. God, it really worried me how much I blushed these days, especially with Nolan around. Maybe something was really wrong with my facial tissues seeing how much flushed I was getting.
"Are you two done fucking? I am hungry, you have to feed me," My cousin's whiny little voice snapped me out of me and I glanced at her. She was standing at the doorway, her lips pressed together in a pout and her arms crossed in a defiant way.
I put my hands on my hips and glared at her, trying to look like a mother.
"What?" She asked when I continued glaring at her.
"Who taught you that word?"
"I heard Taylor saying it to someone on the phone three days ago. Someone like Harry. Yes, her name was something Harry," She said as she squealed when she remembered her name correctly. I shook my head at her and her sister. Taylor was sure going to get a earful from me for this one, I thought. Swearing in front of small kids? I knew I swore way too much these days, but never in front of a five year old kid.
And she even said her name wrong.
"It's Harriet," I said, still shaking my head.
"It starts from a Harry, doesn't it?" Replied a sassy Cass.
A loud chuckling cut us off our bantering. We looked at Nolan who was guffawing, not exactly quietly.
"What?" I snapped at him.
"I love you Cassidy. You are now my best friend," Said Nolan, ignoring my question.
Cassidy's face broke into a huge, face splitting grin and she nodded.
"I know, I know. I love me too," She said, as she flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder.
Nolan's grin disappeared and a scowl replaced it. He was expecting her to say it back, but she didn't.
I broke into laughter this time and started clapping.
"I love you Cassidy. And you were always my best cousin," I said, hoping she will say it back.
And she does.
"Oh, I love you too, Cade! Definitely my best cousin," She said as she grinned at me.
We both chuckled and looked at Nolan who was pouting his oh-so-kissable lips.
"You are both big meanies!" He exclaimed, shaking his head. But I didn't miss that small smile threatening to take over his lips.
I turned to Cassidy and asked, "Now what do you want to do?"
"Let's go to the park!" She exclaimed as she started jumping up and down.
"And-" Started off Nolan, stretching on that, "we can get some amazing sprinkled ice cream."
Cassidy practically jumped on Nolan at that, startling not only him but me as well.
Never knew I could get jealous of my five year old cousin.
--
After quickly changing into something comfortable, I walked into the living room only to see Nolan tickling Cass at her sides, and her laughing hysterically, trying to get his prying hands away from her sides. But no avail, of course.
"Let's go, I'm ready," I announced as they both looked up and Nolan scooted a little away from my cousin.
Nolan's heated gaze travelled my body, and I felt my cheeks growing red. His eyes scanned the grey oversized jumper I was wearing and my old pair of blue, faded Levi's. My hair was up in a messy yet presentable bun, that I managed to pull off the last moment. My feet were clad in a pair of old, worn out Jordan's.
His eyes travelled back to my eyes and held them, fixed. Sea green to chocolaty brown. Captivating, his gaze was. And this time, my eyes weren't shy of looking into his eyes. I didn't have heat creeping up my face like every time he said something remotely 'aww worthy.'
But like every other moment between us, this one too had to end. But by Cass this time, of course.
"Why are you both staring at each other like that? It's weird," Her voice took us out of our daze.
We both looked away and avoided gazes. It was awkward to say the least.
"When I said don't stare, I didn't mean you don't have to look at each other too."
Well, that was unnecessary, Cass.
"Umm, let's get going. We have to get back before five," Said Nolan as he glanced at the wrist watch, which I might add looked as expensive as my Vespa.
"Yeah, you are right," I said and Nolan glanced at me. His eyes held mine for a moment before he shook his head and looked at Cassidy. His expressionless face broke into a grin when he looked at her and her complete five year old adorableness as she tried to tie shoelaces of her bright blue coloured shoes but failed miserably.
He trudged towards her and kneeled down so that they were on eye-to-eye level. He looked her in the eye, still grinning that face splitting grin, which made Cassidy grin back too, but a little sheepishly, as she was probably embarrassed because she couldn't tie her laces.
His hands moved to her shoes and his fingers grabbed the laces out of her fingers as he skilfully tied the shoelaces and taught her.
"Cass, first you are supposed to take the two strings and hold them like this," He said as he illustrated. "Then tie a knot with them and make two oval eggs. Overlap them and bring one out of the other and bam! You are done."
Cassidy clapped loudly at him and without a warning, she leaned in and pecked him on his smooth, slightly stubbly cheek.
Nolan closed his eyes and sighed before chuckling. And this time, he leaned and pecked her forehead.
A part of me found it adorable what Nolan did with Cass but another? It was jealous.
For the second time in fifteen minutes, I was jealous of my five year old cousin.
--
"Lan! Take me to that slide," Ordered Cassidy as she pointed to the direction of the supposed slide.
Today it seemed like I wasn't her chariot to take her places but rather, it was Nolan. And not only that, she also named him 'Lan,' after his name.
Thank God, Nolan didn't bring his motorbike but rather his car. It was a beautiful, black SUV. I wasn't even going to ask how many vehicles his family had. It would be stupid on my part.
"Okay, Miss," Said Nolan in his rehearsed posh accent as he picked her up and sat her down on his shoulder. Cassidy started giggling about it and Nolan's accent. With Cass on his shoulder, he started sprinting to the supposed slide.
"Careful Nolan!" I shouted after them as I reluctantly started running after them.
Remind me again, why I never took sports?
But even with a child on his shoulders, practically, Nolan was definitely faster and a better runner than me. When I reached the slide, Cass was already halfway up the stairs. She was literally skipping stairs and it was really scaring me how fast she was going up.
"Slow down Cass!" I yelled at her only to have a roll of eyes in response.
"Don't you roll your eyes at me! Tell her something Nolan," I desperately turned to Nolan only to have him look at me with amusement.
"What? Tell her," I hissed.
He grabbed me by my shoulder and looked into my eyes, deeply.
"Breathe," He commanded. And I hesitantly did. I closed my eyes for a moment and calmed down. When I had toned it down, I snapped 'em open again.
"And don't worry about her. I won't let anything happen to her," He promised and I nodded.
But exactly at that moment a familiar scream echoed through the garden, startling me and Nolan out of it. Everyone around us, children and parents included looked at the place where the scream was heard from.
"Cassidy!" I screamed as I started running, this time way faster than before with Nolan hot on my heels.
I reached the front part of the slide where Cassidy was on the ground, bawling her eyes out. I sprinted to her and took her in my arms.
After a moment I let go of her and scanned her tiny frame for any injuries. Her hands were massaging her knees where a scrape had formed and turned an ugly shade of red.
"Is it hurting?" I asked but then frowned for my stupidity. "Of course it is."
"A little," Said Cass as her sobs turned to sniffles and she quieted down a little.
In the background I heard the sound of a cloth tearing apart and the next thing I knew, a piece of blue flannel was being offered to me. I looked at the person who gave it to me. A small kid around six or seven with his small blue eyes etched in clear concern.
"Tie it around her wound," Said the mysterious kid.
I nodded and quickly took the piece of cloth and tried to tie it around her wound. But I couldn't. My hands were shaking real bad. A warm yet cold hand was placed on my shoulder.
"I'll do it," Said Nolan as he started sitting beside me and I scooted a little away from her. Nolan skilfully tied it around her tiny knee and then looked at her.
"Does it hurt anywhere else?" He asked her. My cousin shook her head no.
Nolan nodded and smiled at her slightly before leaning in and kissing her hair. He seemed like a perfect father figure at that time.
"Don't worry, for this princess a fairy princess will arrive and make it better," He said, grinning at her and Cass looked at him with wide hopeful eyes. "She will?"
Now when I said my cousin didn't like barbies, it didn't mean that she didn't like fairys and all that stuff. She still believed it Disney princesses and stuff.
"Yes," Said Nolan and Cass grinned widely at him.
I smiled as I watched the scene unfold in front of my eyes.
"Nolan?" Another voice snapped them out. I glanced at the source of the voice and looked at the mysterious kid from before who helped Cass.
"Josh? What are you doing here? Where's Asher?" Nolan asked and I found myself getting confused. Asher? Nolan's best friend Asher? Why would this kid know Asher.
"Oi Josh! Don't run around like that. You almost gave me an attack when I returned from bringing you soda and found you missing. Mom will kill me if I ever lost track of you, again," Said Asher as he suddenly came near us.
And now I understood why Nolan asked Josh about Asher.
"I just saw Nolan and Cassidy here tripped. So I came to help her," Said Josh.
Asher's eyes snapped to me and Nolan and Cassidy whose one arm was held my Nolan and other by me and rather tightly.
Asher quickly moved to Nolan and they did the guy bro-shake kind of thing.
Then he just looked at me and offered me a small smile which was big when it came to him. He really didn't smile much.
"What are you two doing here?" Asher asked, his gaze curious and yet held a spark I didn't quite decipher.
"We're here with Brown's cousin," Nolan said and Asher's gaze moved to Cass.
"She's such a beautiful kid," He said as he bent down and slightly pinched her cheeks and colour filled those rosy cheeks. She mumbled a small thank you, shying away from his gaze.
"She is, isn't she," Said Nolan.
"Yes," And this time it was Josh.
My eyes narrowed to the small kid before Nolan and Asher too looked at him suspiciously.
"Yeah, I mean mum always says that every girl is beautiful," He said, rectifying his mistake.
"Do you know Josh?" I leaned down and whispered and Cass's ear.
She nodded and blushed while looking away. "He comes to my school."
I tried to hide a smile and pinched her cheeks, I couldn't resist it. Sue me. Apparently, Nolan heard it too and bent down to pinch her cheeks as well.
"Oh look at that young couple with their daughter John! Why didn't you shag me when I was a teen? I would have also been a teen mom and we would also have such cute goals like a couple with our kid!" An old voice exclaimed and my eyes widened at that statement.
An old woman with her husband by her side was staring at us three with awe in her eyes.
"No ma'am you're mis-" I was cut off by Nolan.
"Aren't we goals ma'am? We have been married for a year now. And this is our daughter. Isn't she beautiful?" Said Nolan as he smiled at her gently but not before throwing a smug smirk over my way.
"Yes you are goals and indeed your daughter is very beautiful," Said the woman.
"Thank you ma'am. I sure take after my father," Said Cass, playing along. My mouth gaped open at her and I glared at her and Nolan.
Asher could be heard laughing in the background. I turned to him and glared at him too.
"I don't think so young lady. Your mother is too pretty," Now the husband said. My eyes widened at that comment and I choked on my own saliva. Sure wasn't expecting that.
"Oh she is, isn't she? And now you find young girls more pretty than me? I am not pretty enough for you. These girls who starve themselves to look good are enough for you!" Exclaimed the old woman and then looked at me. "No offense, honey."
"None taken," I replied but no one listened to me. They both were pretty busy bantering now.
I zoned out on their bantering as mind drifted to a dangerous territory. Nolan being my husband, we having kids in future.
And you know what was worse? A part of me felt all giddy thinking about it.