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“I promise to be good…” My voice was muffled by Dad’s shirt.

I heard a rumble in his chest as he chuckled. “We know, kiddo. If you want to catch a ride back to Aiden’s, you should probably hurry after him…”

I slowly pulled back from the hug and turned as Aiden’s truck took off from the curb. I swore and started racing across the front lawn and out onto the street.

“Aiden!” I yelled after his truck, waving my arms in the air. “Aiden, stop!”

He was halfway down the street already, but the brake lights turned red as the vehicle screeched to a halt in the middle of the road. The truck door opened, and Aiden jumped out. His face was filled with concern, and he started running back toward me.

He stopped a few strides away, his lips pulled tight with worry. “What’s wrong?”

I ignored the distance between us and continued running, jumping into his arms and throwing my legs around his waist. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me close. His eyes were still filled with confusion as he stared at me.

“What are you doing?”

“This.” I kissed him with everything that I had, and he didn’t hesitate to kiss me back. He grasped me tightly, like I might disappear if he didn’t hold me close. Any doubts I might have had about leaving my parents fled. Every cell in my being told me I was supposed to be with Aiden, and I’d never felt it any stronger than I did now.

“You’re making it really hard to leave you,” he said between kisses.

I started smiling and lowered myself from his arms so I could look him in the eyes. Aiden didn’t know what I’d come to realize, but it felt like my newfound feelings were plastered across my face.

I lightly laid my hands over his chest and stared into his beautiful eyes. I thought I’d be nervous to tell him what felt, but I was oddly calm. “Aiden, I love you.”

He smiled widely in response. “You do?”

“I do.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance, but for a moment, the sun peeked out from behind a cloud, shining brightly down on us. His eyes sparkled as the sunlight danced across them, and the warmth in his smile seemed to wrap its way around me as he pulled me closer again. “I love you too.”

He sealed his words with a kiss. Though this was far from the heated kiss we’d shared just before. It was light and fun, and we were both laughing as we struggled to contain our joy. The fact we loved each other felt impossible. It was crazy and stupid but all kinds of amazing. I could have kissed Aiden all day, but I still hadn’t shared the best news with him.

“I don’t want to be apart from you even for a day. Let alone for months,” I said.

Aiden paused to look down at me. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that despite the fact you drive me crazy. And despite the fact there are some moments when I genuinely wonder what is wrong with me for wanting you, I would rather be stuck in lockdown with you than be anywhere else.”

Aiden’s eyes widened with surprise. “But what about your family?”

“I love them too, but they understand that we don’t want to be separated. They want me to be happy, and nothing makes me happier than you. They’ve told me I can stay with you.”

There was complete disbelief in his eyes as he looked at me. “So, you’re saying you voluntarily want to spend your lockdown with me?”

I responded with a big, beaming smile. “Yeah. I think I do.”

He let out a laugh and pulled me tightly into his arms. He couldn’t seem to contain his enthusiasm because the next thing I knew my feet were off the ground. He spun me around, and I squealed as I felt a rush of giddiness.

“I can’t believe this,” Aiden said, as he lowered me to the ground. There was still a huge smile on his face, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’re really sure you want to do this?”

“I am.”

He grinned in response, and the way he looked at me had me worried he was about to pick me up and spin me again. Thankfully, he managed to resist the urge, and he rested his arm over my shoulder instead. “I guess we should probably go get your bags again,” he said.

“Probably,” I agreed.

So much of the future was uncertain, but it didn’t feel so scary because I knew Aiden would be by my side.

“I told you I’d make a great lockdown buddy,” he said, as we started back to his truck.

I laughed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Who would’ve thought you’d actually be right?”

* * *

The End

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