Page 44 of This Blood That Binds Us

“Please don’t apologize. I was just checking to make sure everything was okay.”

His smile seemed sincere as he pulled his hands through his hair.

“I did look for you in class, but I didn’t see you...Is everything okay with you?”

“Oh, yeah, I was sick last week and this week. I had another class to cram for. I’m pleasantly surprised you noticed my absence, though.” A smile tugged in the corner of his lips.

“Hey, Kimberly!”

Aaron’s voice was coming from just up ahead. He bounded toward us in his white socks, flat sneakers, chest held high. Aaron’s outfits were casual. Simple tees, and if I were to guess, he had a few different-colored pairs of the same shorts he cycled through. He wore a long-sleeved baby-blue sweatshirt layered with a white shirt underneath.

“Sorry, I got here early. I had nothing to do today, and I was excited.”

He looked at William and immediately stuck his hand out. “Hey, man. I’m Aaron. Nice to meet you! I didn’t know you knew Kim.”

William grabbed Aaron’s hand firmly. “I’m William. Kimberly knows me from class. I was just helping her up the sidewalk. She nearly fainted back there.”

Aaron frowned. “What? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine! It was nothing. I think I just got dehydrated or something,” I said before turning to William. “Thank you. Sorry again about the party. Maybe we can have a raincheck?”

“I’ll hold you to it. I’m sure Aaron here will have another party soon. Then we can pick up where we left off. Right, Coleman?”

William’s dark eyes glistened.

“Uh, right! Sure. I’m sure we will. At my place. The perfect place for you guys to...bond. Great idea!” Aaron said at a mile a minute. “Anyway, Kim, are you ready to go?”

“You two have fun today.” William cast a lofty expression at Aaron before jogging back down the hill we had just come up.

I shook my head. Boys.

“Someone’s got an admirer.” Aaron nudged me playfully.

“Hardly. He’s just a friend.”

The sun was high in the sky, and the light reflected in Aaron’s dirty blonde hair. I couldn’t help but stare at him for a second. Aaron was light, and the sun’s rays enhanced every one of his features. It reminded me of that early-morning feel, when I’dwake up in the mountains, the sun catching my skin. It was warm, and it woke me up and invigorated every cell in my body.

“You think he’s cute!”

Aaron skipped backward in front of me, his hands stuffed into his pockets. Despite the amount of people on the sidewalk, he had no trouble dodging them.

“No.”

The words rolled out quickly, but I didn’t want to lie.

“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean anything. It means I have eyes. Just like everyone else.”

“Should I expect wedding bells in the future, then?” Aaron said.

“Wedding bells? I think as far as life events go, right now, I’m a lot closer to a funeral.”

Aaron laughed. “Woah, dark! It’s way too early in the day to be talking like that.”

We stopped in front of my favorite boutique. It was painted pastel-pink and had little hearts on the windows. It displayed the cutest clothes I’d ever seen, and if I could save up long enough, I could afford the block-colored long blazer in the window.

“Do you think I’m cute?”

Aaron’s tone was still light and airy.