By the time I reach the front door, she’s long gone.
I push my way through the door of the home that’s quickly becoming one hell of a comfort for me and the second my eyes scan the room, I find Aria standing before Noah with her hands up, waiting for him to pick her up, and naturally, he caves like a little bitch.
He’s completely fallen for her charm and she has the big guy wrapped around her little finger. Anything she wants from him, she gets. It’s the sweetest thing to watch, but not as great as watching Rivers squirm with her. Noah hasn’t admitted it, but I think she reminds him of his little sister and how they used to be. It’s kind of like he wants to share all the moments with Aria that he didn’t get to share with Lily.
In fact, the whole Cage family has taken her in as their own, just as they did to me. She’s like their missing link and fills the void Lily left behind. It’s kind of sweet while also extremely heartbreaking to watch.
God, I wish they still had their little girl. I hate that they’ve had such a devastating loss.
I close the door behind me and grin as Aria’s head falls into the nook of his neck before giving him the sweetest smile. “Can we pleaaaaaase go to the beach today?” She finishes off her request by pouting out her bottom lip as though she’s filled with complete pure innocence, but we all know better, she’s a five year old version of the she-devil.
“Beach?” Noah groans, teasing her. “But I don’t like the beach. Wouldn’t you prefer to stay in and do nothing?”
Her little face falls. “Noooo,” she whines. “Henley said if I say please you would say yes.”
“Throw me under the bus why don’t you,” I grunt, walking in and dumping the keys to dad’s truck on the entryway table only to get Noah’s cheeky as fuck smirk thrown at me from above Aria’s head.
“You’ll quickly learn, kid,” Noah grumbles, putting her down. “Henley is never right. Don’t listen to her. In fact, it’s probably best you do the exact opposite of everything she tells you.”
I suck in a breath and shoot him a sharp glare as Aria slaps a hand over her mouth, trying not to giggle at the guy. She tugs on the bottom of his shirt and indicates for him to bend down so she can whisper in his ear and I grin as her whisper is just as loud as her normal speaking tone. “I can’t. She’ll get me in trouble and make me clean my room.”
Noah’s eyes widen in mock horror as he sucks in a dramatic breath. “What? How dare she?”
She giggles again and goes to say something when Rivers walks in the room and gives her a smile. He falls down onto the couch and within the blink of an eye, she throws herself down on the couch beside Rivers, but not just beside him, like really beside him. Her whole body is pressed right into his side while he sits as stiff as a board, looking around for a way out.
Sucker.
“We’re going to the beach,” Aria cheers, filling Rivers in on the plan and Noah draws me into his warm arms.
Noah cuts his gaze to Aria. “I don’t remember agreeing to that.”
She pokes her tongue out at him, realizing that he’s just teasing her and I roll my eyes. Is this my life now? Listening to these two idiots fight and tease each other? Though, I guess that isn’t much of a change to the way life is now. Both Tully and Rivers do the same to him. Hell, even I give him shit too, though he’s certainly no stranger to giving it back just as bad. In fact, worse.
Noah chuckles and pulls away from me. “I’ll go see what’s taking Tully so long,” he calls over his shoulder as he heads for the hallway.
I sit down on the armrest of the couch and grin down at Aria, knowing she doesn’t have much patience left in her. I mean, if Tully doesn’t hurry up, she’ll be left behind, not that Rivers would accept that. He’d probably throw her over his shoulder and storm out of here like a caveman.
I hear the sound of Tully’s bedroom door being flung open before all hell breaks loose.
“AAHHHHHH,” Noah yells as Tully screeches like a banshee before her bedroom door is slammed shut.
My eyes cut to Rivers who’s suddenly sitting ramrod on the couch, ready to run down there if need be, always prepared and ready to stand against any threat that dares to look our pack in the eye.
Noah comes storming up the hall with a blank look in his eye. “Dude, what the fuck?” Rivers questions, temporarily forgetting the ‘no swearing’ rule around Aria.