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Storming back in the house, I stopped when all eyes turned to me. I knew I must look crazy with my windblown hair and pissed off expression, but I didn’t care. Striding toward Aiden, I gave Barbie a glance over and a smirk before grabbing him to me.
With my body pressed against his, I locked my arm around his neck and pulled him to my lips. Years of missing him escaped in the form of a kiss, and I felt his arms wrap around my waist. Moving my mouth with his, I willed him to remember me, to remember us. We broke free when Barbie doll snaked her way in between us and pushed me away.
“Who do you think you are?” she screeched.
“We haven’t met. I’m Sadie. You are?” I lifted a brow and gave her my sweetest smile.
“His girlfriend!”
Aiden still hadn’t spoken, his fingers lingering on his lips as he stared at me wide eyed. Had he remembered? Was a kiss all it took?
Come on, Sadie. This isn’t a damned fairy tale.
Holding my hand in front of the blabbing face, I said, “Yeah, I don’t care. Move please.” I sent a shock to her feet and she stumbled as she found herself walking to the other side of the room.
“What in the...?” I heard her saying.
Gasps surrounded me, but I didn’t care. Stepping toward Aiden, I smiled. “Aiden?”
“Wow,” was all he said.
Olivia came to my side, locking her arm in mine. “Sadie, let’s talk in the kitchen,” she said sweetly. She practically dragged me away.
She pushed me ahead of her, hot on my heels as I took my time strolling to the kitchen. Once there, she turned and flicked her hand to ensure we had privacy. The room didn’t have doors, but she magically sealed us in.
“What are you doing?” she hissed. “You majorly pissed off Amy.”
“Who’s Amy?”
“The girlfriend,” she said with an eye roll.
“Oh,” I said. “Her.” Walking to the counter, I hoisted myself atop it and crossed my legs at my ankles. “I don’t care about her.”
“Sadie,” she said, exasperated. “I know you missed him, but this isn’t the way.”
“Why not?” I questioned.
“We have to make him remember.”
“What better way than with my lips?” I teased, winking at her.
“And if he leaves ‘cause his girl got upset?” she countered.
I stopped swinging my legs. “I didn’t think of that,” I muttered. Did I screw everything up by letting my emotions control me? Seeing another girl hanging all over him made me green with envy.
“I’m going to smudge her memory to make it look like he kissed you,” she sighed. “I hate to do that, but we need him here.”
She turned her head, grabbing her stomach and then her chest. “Scott’s upset,” she whispered. Waving her hand in front of the seal, she released us and rushed to find him.
Jumping from the counter, I followed quickly behind her. Arriving in the living room, I found Scott and Mark holding Aiden back as he attempted to make a beeline for the door, or so it looked. He squirmed and fought against them, but they were stronger.
“Let me go! Amy!” he screamed.
“Aiden,” Scott said calmly. “Please listen.”
“Who are you people?”
Mark and Scott exchanged worried glances, then Scott took both his arms and held him from behind. Mark stood in front of him, waving his hand in front of his face. Aiden stilled, eyes glazed and staring straight ahead.
“Aiden Rivers, your girlfriend Amy broke up with you before you came to town and you’re going to stay here because of how upset you are. You won’t fight us about leaving anymore,” he instructed.
My heart clenched knowing we were deceiving Aiden. What was I thinking, throwing a temper tantrum like a child? I should have sucked it up and followed the plan. It’d been five years, did I really think he wouldn’t date anyone?
Yes, yes I did.
They released him. He shook his head and looked around confused. “What’s everyone staring at me for?”
Olivia sighed in relief beside me and hurried to him. “Aiden, I was asking if you wanted to see where the ceremony will be tomorrow! You must have spaced out because you didn’t answer.” She made it seem so nonchalant and true he didn’t question her.
“Yeah, sure. I must have got lost thinking…about something.” He looked around one last time, eyes lingering on me before following Liv out the door.
“Sadie!” Scott yelled.
Well, he was angry.
“I know,” I said with a wave of my hand. “Olivia already gave me the once over about what I did.”
“I can’t believe you were so careless! What if Amy saw what you did outside?”
I shrugged.
“You’re infuriating!” he seethed. He stomped from the room and out the backdoor.
Juniper took one look at me and burst out laughing, doubling over after a few seconds. “You just walked up and kissed him!”
Smirking, I turned away so she wouldn’t see how proud I was of myself.
Mark cleared his throat. “What did you do outside?”
“Blew up some trees and set shit on fire,” I replied.
He chuckled under his breath and shook his head. “Same old Sadie.”
Juniper gave him a look and nodded. “She is, isn’t she?”
Rolling my eyes, I fought back my own grin. “Stop, guys. They’re really mad at me.”
Juniper shrugged. “I thought it was hilarious.”
“I should have controlled myself,” I said. “Listen, I have to get out of this dress.”
“We’ll go find Scott,” Mark said.
They left me standing in the middle of the living room, torn and confused, yet excited at seeing Aiden again. How long would this take? Would he still want to be with me once he remembered?
Would he hold it against me for running his girlfriend off?
There was only one way to find out.