To Be Loved: Chapter Two

Skye's P.O.V.

I’m such an idiot! I thought to myself.
Did Aaron really have feelings for me all this time? Did he like me from the very beginning, when he first met me? Was I really that clueless that I didn’t notice anything?
I’m such an idiot! I thought again.
“Aaron, I had no idea,” I mumbled. “I-I’m so sorry. I-”
“Look,” he interrupted. “Let’s just forget any of this ever happened, okay? It‘s fine.”
“No! No, it’s not fine. Something like this can’t be forgiven. What can I do?”
“You can act normal, like everything’s exactly the same, like nothing is different.”
“But-”
And then it happened. His lips…
He could probably feel my heart pounding against his chest. It was a long, soft, gentle kiss. It was amazing. Like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I hated myself for not wanting to pull away. But he did.
“Everything’s the same as it always was, okay?” He whispered, his eyes still closed.
I nodded. But it wasn’t. I would act like it was, but it would never be the same again after this.

Aaron’s P.O.V.

Ever since I found out that Elena was going to marry my brother, I had forced myself not to think about her, to talk to her as little as possible, and I had done a good job at doing so. But after that kiss, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Her mouth was so soft, as if the world’s softest feathers were caressing my lips. And I tasted something sweet, probably a lip gloss with the strawberry flavor I tasted.
That kiss had changed me forever. But I knew for Elena, it wouldn’t effect her the tiniest bit. She was crazy for Adam, and comparing me to him was like comparing a grain of sand to the whole beach. No matter how much I wanted it, Elena would never choose me over my brother. I was no match for Adam, the guitar player in an up-and-coming band that all the girls would die for. I was just Aaron, known only as the book worm, and nothing more. Even if she did choose me, I couldn’t do that to my brother. He was like a savior to me. A hero. He’d helped me though so much, helped me with anything and everything. He was only minutes older, but he was years wiser.
When I was told that Adam proposed to Elena, I went to the beach to think. I threw rocks out into the water, and they’d leave a big, rippling ring. I liked observing the circles, how they stretched out and faded in a way I could never explain. I haven’t gone to the beach since.
But after that kiss, I felt like watching those ripples once again.
I went the next day, early in the morning.
The rocks skipped as I launched them into the water.
My phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Aaron! I’m so sorry! Please, I-”
“Elena?”
“Yes, it’s me. I went to your apartment, but you weren’t there. I asked Adam for your number.”
“ I told you it was fine. You don’t need to apologize.”
“I know,” she mumbled. “I’m apologizing ‘cause I was hoping that maybe…well, I’m shopping for a dress tomorrow and I wanted to get a guy’s opinion. I still do, so please forgive me.”
“Your wedding dress?” I paused and then sighed. “You don’t need to apologize,” I told her again. “I’ll go.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. And again, I’m-”
“I get it.” I shut my phone and walked home. I went to bed as soon as I entered my room. I was going to need it. Seeing Elena in wedding dresses tomorrow was going to be absolute hell for me.

I got up pretty early, and by pretty early, I mean really early. Like five o’ clock early. So early that I saw the sunrise. It was a reddish pink on the horizon. I’d never seen it that way before. It was so odd, unreal almost. Things I’ve never seen before always seemed unreal to me. That’s why Elena was so interesting to me. I walked over to their house and let myself in by using the spare key. She was sleeping on the pullout couch downstairs. I liked watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful, lying there in bed. Her snores were quiet, just little breaths, in and out, in and out. Her hair was falling over face a little. I brushed the hairs away. Watching her sleep was like watching that new, red sun rise into the sky. And I do realize that is super cheesy, but it was true.
A few minutes later, she fell off the couch and I laughed. “What a way to start a morning.”
I held out my hand.
She finally took it after a few seconds and we stood.
“Get ready and let’s go,” I said.

Skye’s P.O.V.

What was I going to do?
Figures only weeks before my wedding, I’d fall for someone else.
And not just anyone, but my fiancé’s own brother. Had he gotten over me? Maybe he told himself it was hopeless so he just threw away his feelings for me. Even worse, I hoped that this wasn’t the case, that it wasn’t true. But I loved Adam. We’d been through too much so I can just decide that I love Aaron just because I was feeling this way. I couldn’t deny that I cared for Aaron, but I couldn’t love him like that; He was going to be my brother-in-law!
Once again, I ask:
What was I going to do?
I’d made the decision last night when Aaron came home. I would try to spend as much time with Aaron from now on until my wedding to be absolutely certain these feelings were real. So now we were going dress shopping together.
Oh, goody.
We arrived at the shop, and I didn’t think I ever saw so many dresses. Wedding, prom, party out in the town, you name it, and you would find it there.
“Welcome to Fiona,” the saleswoman greeted us. “Can I help you with finding anything in particular?”
“Any wedding gowns would be nice.”
“Getting married? Congratulations, but isn’t it bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before-”
“Actually,” I interrupted, feeling myself blush. “This is his brother. I’m getting his opinion.”
“Ah. Well, please come with me.”

The first dress I tried on was strapless, and it had a lot of sequins, but the train was a bit too long for my taste. The next one was kind of nice, but Aaron and I both agreed it was too frilly. The next was like the first, but more simple and accident-proof. Although it was classy and my style, it was a bit heavy.
“You sure are picky,” Aaron chuckled.
“Please. This is only the third dress. This isn’t just any event. It’s a wedding. But be grateful that I’m not the kind of girl that try on like, forty dresses. I’m more of a twenty-two kind of girl.”
“Joy,” he replied sarcastically.
Luckily for him, twelfth time’s the charm. Even before I got a chance to look in the mirror, once I stepped out of the dressing room, Aaron stood quickly, as if he were approaching royalty.
“That’s the one, Elena.” he said. Then he murmured slowly, “Adam will be blown away.”
I looked in the mirror and instantly agreed with him. It was a satin gown, and very white, which was exactly how I wanted it. I was going to have flowers in my hair the day of the wedding, and as I imagined it right now in this dress, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
“You look beautiful, Elena,” Aaron said suddenly, and I could hear him breathing not that far away seconds later. “It brings out your eyes.”
“Do you really think this is it?”
“Elena, I’m his fraternal twin. What do you think?”
I turned to him. “Would you please stop calling me Elena? Just call me Skye, okay?”
“Okay, sure, Skye it is,” he said softly.
I didn’t understand this way of him making me melt when he just looked at me. I bought the dress before I could do something stupid, and we walked home.
“See? This is how it should be,” Aaron said playfully, putting an arm around my shoulder. “Like brother and sister.” He pinched my cheek and laughed.
“Ha ha,” I said as I pushed his hand away and then his arm on my shoulder. “Listen, I have another favor to ask.”
“Shoot.”
“Well, the band’s got a meeting with the manager tomorrow and we were planning on painting the room.”
“As long as you already have the brushes and stuff, I’m happy to help.”
When we got to the house, I put my dress away where it would be safe and hidden, somewhere Adam wouldn’t see it. I went back downstairs.
“Thanks, Aaron. I really appreciate you coming with me.”
“No problem. Look, I have to go now, okay?”
He opened the door and stepped out. He closed the door behind him, leaving me standing there alone in the living room.