ALEXA'S POV
I was fifteen when my mom died. It was sudden. One day she was there and the next she wasn't.
I always felt a little guilty about Rebecca dropping everything to be with me despite the fact that she never made me feel like a burden. She was there for me.
I could never tell her this without crying but I was so grateful to her for taking care of me the way she did.
She didn't have to drop everything to be with me. She didn't have to stay in Nevada so I wouldn't have to move schools. She didn't have to work long hours so I wouldn't have to but she did.
I didn't know where I would be without my sister...which was why I felt guilty about going to NYU and leaving her. I worried about her being alone. It was the reason I had called Damian that day.
"Hello?" he had answered.
"Hi. This is Alexa, Rebecca's sister."
I spoke fast and almost out breath as I gave him the hotel's address and then hung up. I didn't know if he was going to show up. I didn't really know why Rebecca had left him, she didn't talk about it.
The thing was, I knew Rebecca wasn't happy in Nevada. She was almost like a robot going to work every day, asking how my day was when she got home, sitting in the living room and watching movies in her time off...
Even when she started dating Julian, I could tell she wasn't entirely happy. Her smiles weren't real. I didn't understand what had made her run away by I knew she still loved him. There wouldn't be pain in her eyes whenever I asked her about him if she didn't.
On Thursday, I could tell something was bothering her. Aaron had taken us shopping to the mall and she was just walking along without saying much.
I wondered if she had gotten in a fight with Damian.
Maybe I had been wrong. Maybe Damian couldn't make her happy either.
During lunch, Aaron and I exchanged looks.
Aaron was her best friend once, maybe he could do something to cheer her up but he seemed just as helpless.
I didn't remember Aaron being so attractive back when I met him in Rebecca's wedding. Probably because I was much younger and had crushes on boys in bands. Of course, he still was 6 years older than me. Maybe that's what made him attractive...no, I was pretty sure it was his short brown hair and clear brown eyes...his strong jaw...oh, and his six-pack definitely gave him points as well.
Eighteen wasn't that young for a twenty-four year old right? Maybe not for me but for him, yes. It didn't help that I was his best friend's little sister.
Why was I worrying about this anyway? I was starting college. I was moving to New York in a few months so it wasn't like I was going to start a relationship.
So I had a little crush on a twenty-four-year old. Pretty sure I wasn't the first one. Besides, it wasn't so bad as long as nothing happened right? At least he wasn't in his thirties.
"So where should we go next?" Aaron asked looking at Rebecca who looked up at him, as if remembering that she wasn't alone.
"I'm actually meeting Melissa. She saw your Instagram post and found out I'm in California, thanks by the way."
Aaron looked embarrassed. "Sorry about that."
"You should be," Rebecca joked with a half-smile. She looked at me. "I'm so sorry about leaving you alone again. I feel like I have you abandoned."
"I don't mind at all," I assured her. "I mean, you have a lot of catching up to do." I shrugged.
Rebecca nodded. "Yeah, we're leaving Sunday morning. This feels like the longest week ever."
To me, it was the opposite. It was going by fast. This was probably the most exciting week of my life. Aaron had taken me under his wing and took me everywhere he went. Yesterday, he took me to see some of his properties. He invests in houses, renovates them, and then rents them. He said he began with the money his dad left him. That was really good business, if you asked me.
This had turned into a really good birthday trip for me. I felt a little guilty, though, because I didn't think Rebecca was enjoying it as much.
"You're coming tomorrow to play volleyball with me and my peeps," Aaron told Rebecca as he brought the cup to his lips.
"I haven't played in so long, Aaron," Rebecca said. "I'm pretty sure I suck now."
"You're coming, Reb, for old time's sake."
Rebecca rolled her eyes at him. "Fine," she said then stood up. "I have to go. Do you mind hanging out with Aaron or do you want to come with me?"
"I don't mind," I said then looked at Aaron. "Unless Aaron is tired of me."
"Not at all." He grinned as he winked at me.
Rebecca looked at him then at me. "You guys better behave."
Aaron and I looked at each other and laughed. Rebecca shook her head with a smile before walking away.
"You're not tired of me either?" Aaron asked after we threw away the trash and began to walk.
"Not at all," I said mimicking his tone.
He grinned then put his arm around my shoulders. "Good. Now, what shall we do today?"
Aaron and I ended up in San Diego. We went to Sea World. It was a beautiful day to be outside and we had a blast. I went from the girl who didn't go anywhere to touring California in just a few days. I didn't want the week to end. I didn't want to start school again.
As Aaron and I looked at everything, I took a few selfies with him and posted them on Snapchat. My friends were going to be so jealous. I knew they were going to bombard me with questions once they saw the pictures and I loved it. A girl can dream.
It was getting dark by the time we left the park.
"So do you know what's up with Rebecca?" I asked Aaron as we walked to the parking lot.
"I don't have a clue," Aaron said as he ran a hand through his hair.
I looked up at him. "Does Damian really love her?"
We reached his car but we stood outside. There were people around us trying to find their cars, others trying to strap their kids inside. I leaned against the hood and Aaron stood in front of me.
"Damian suffered a lot when Rebecca left him," Aaron said. "I had never seen him like that. Even my mom was concerned. I think she was desperate enough to look for Rebecca and well, as you may know, she wasn't really fond of her." I nodded and he continued, "So to answer your question, yes. I think Damian really does love her. He knew he wanted to marry her after four months of knowing her." He looked at me. "What about Rebecca? Do you think she still loves him?"
"I think she does," I said then shrugged. "She never really talked about him. I'm sure we would have left if I wouldn't have called Damian."
Aaron smiled as he sat next to me, our shoulders touching. "Look at you being Cupid."
I laughed, feeling myself blush a little at how close he was to me. "It doesn't look good though, does it?"
Aaron shrugged. "I don't know. I think they're both really stubborn. They make it hard on themselves. She loves him. He loves her. So just be together, you know? Screw everything else."
"Wow, that's really romantic," I teased him.
He chuckled as he rubbed his shoulder against mine playfully. "I am a pretty romantic guy." He turned to look at me. "What about you?"
I smiled. "Am I romantic? No."
"Aw, come on. Every girl is romantic and loves romance. Doesn't your boyfriend ever do anything romantic?"
Was he trying to figure out if I had a boyfriend? Oh, Alexa, you're in trouble.
"I don't have a boyfriend," I said. "I've actually never been in a real relationship."
Okay, that was too much information. He didn't need to know that.
"I haven't either," Aaron confessed, looking at me. I noticed his eyes looking down at my lips for a moment, making me shake a bit.
"Cause you're a player, I'm guessing?" I teased as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
Okay, I was flirting. I didn't care. Aaron was hot and I could tell he wanted to kiss me. I wished he would just do it. It didn't have to turn into anything else. Just a kiss I could remember when I went back to Nevada. Just a kiss. Just one.
I hadn't been kissed in so long, I had forgotten what it felt like to have someone's lips against mine.
Aaron stared at me for a moment. His brown eyes bore into mine and then they moved down to my lips again. I parted them slightly, inviting him.
"I'm not," he said in a low voice as he leaned in. He chuckled as he brought his eyes back to mine. "Rebecca's going to kill me," he said before closing the gap between us. His kiss was soft and slow. It made the butterflies in my stomach go crazy. He placed his hand on my cheek as he kissed me. After a moment, he pulled away and looked at me with an amused look on his handsome face. "Wait. How old are you again? Just want to make sure this is legal."
I pushed him away playfully. "You jerk."
He chuckled then leaned in to kiss me again.
I couldn't believe I was making out with the hottest guy I've every laid eyes on. I was technically making out with my brother-in-law. I had gotten it my way after all.
I had my kiss to remember.