Free Make Believe: A Novella by Sharlay Page A

physically relax against me.
    “It’s a wedding dress! You have to be dragged from store to store to find the right one!” Jess teased.
    “She has a point,” Leah giggled.
    “I suppose,” April chuckled.
    The only person not relaxed was Crystal , and it was making me mad. She was always so quick to prejudge people without even knowing them, something that has always frustrated me about her.
    “Do you three mind if I ju st have a quick word with April?” I interjected.
    They all shook their heads. I dragged April around the corner where only a few shoppers were gathered.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked.
    “Nothing.”
    “It’s me you’re talking to here. Are you not comfortable with me going to lunch with Leah?”
    “It’s not that. It’s just…Jess and Crystal think she likes you.”
    “Wow, reliable sources .”
    “I’m being serious, Aiden.”
    “And if she does?”
    “What?” she asked in frustration.
    “OK ,” I said, now dragging her to the nearest restroom.
    “You can’t come in here, Aiden . It’s a ladies….” I cut her off.
    “It’s never stopped me before,” I s aid and pulled her inside. “Look,” I said, spinning her around to face the mirror, so she could see herself. “Look at how incredibly beautiful that woman right there is,” I said, pointing to her reflection.
    I saw the slight hint of a smile forming on her face.
    “What makes you think I would ever want anybody else when I have you? I don’t care if my crazy sister, your friend, and a thousand other people think she has a ‘crush’ on me. It changes nothing. You are, and will always be, the only one for me.” I kissed her neck gently before turning her around to face me. “Just us, OK? Stop listening to the world, April, when I have all the answers you want right here. There may be a thousand Leahs, but only one you,” I said, planting a soft kiss on her lips.
    “You know, only you could be so sweet and so ridiculously arrogant at the same time,” she chuckled. I acted surprised. “A thousand Leahs? You’re not that irresistible you know,” she said with a smile on her face.
    “Did I ever mention that you blink when you lie?” I said , trying to keep a straight face.
    “Shut up,” she said as she hit me softly on the arm. “I love you,” she whispered, then kissed me.
    “ Good, because I love you, too, and only you,” I whispered against her lips.
    “Well, now that Romeo and Juliet have confessed their undying love for each other, can they get the hell out? I need to pee, and the last time I checked this was a ladies only area!” exclaimed a curly redhead young girl who stood there cross-legged.
    “Caroline, you can’t stand in the way of true love!”
    “Megan, I think you’ll find that my bladder doesn’t care about true love!” she said as she started to bounce up and down on her feet, causing an object to fall out of her pocket.
    “Is that my darn lip gloss?” the other girl wondered as she picked it up from the floor.
    “Whoops!” the redhead said guiltily before running into one of the stalls.
    “Let’s get out of here,” I laughed and pulled April toward the door. “So, are we good?”
    “Always.”
    “There you are. Are you ready, April?” asked Crystal who had her hands firmly planted on her hips.
    “Yeah, I am now.”
    “Good.”
    “Where’s Leah?” I asked.
    “What do I look like, a tracking device?” she grunted.
    “Whatever. I’ll call you later, beautiful,” I said to April before kissing her and walking away.
    “Hey,” Leah said as I walked back into the deli.
    “Sorry about that . Are you ready to go?”
    “ Don’t worry, and yeah.”
    “Good,” I huffed as I headed to my car. Crystal’s attitude always put me in a bad mood. Now I felt awkward around Leah because all I could think about was whether she liked me. It had crossed my mind before, but I just ignored it. It made things feel very awkward. This was going to be one long day.
     
     
    Chapter