Smolder Chapter 6

“Sure,” she said, waiting for the inevitable onslaught.
“My brother is gaga over you, okay? I see it. My parents see it. Heck, the whole town probably sees it. But I see something else, too. You’re toying with him, and I won’t allow that. Got it?”
Jade blinked, taken aback. “Look, I don’t want to fight with you. I know it would kill Aiden if he thought we didn’t get along but honestly, I don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s my best friend. I would never want to hurt him.”
“Oh, really?” she challenged, eyes narrowing.
“Yes, really,” Jade responded, trying to rein in her frustration. Where is this even coming from?
“Then what was that?” Summer waved her hand dismissively toward the Conclave’s platform.
“What?” Jade glanced over her shoulder at the platform, utterly confused.
“Aiden saved my life,” she mimicked in a high-pitched voice that sounded nothing like hers. “He’s the only one I trusted. I’d be dead if it weren’t for him… blah, blah, blah.”
Jade’s mouth fell open. “That was the truth!” she defended, completely blindsided. How had defending Aiden made his sister this angry?
Summer shook her head, exasperated. “Oh my God, you are blind. Didn’t you see his face? He was practically glowing while you spoke.”
Jade frowned, confused. “What?”
“Look,” she said, sighing, “I want us to get along but you’ve got to back off. Aiden told us you have a boyfriend, and as long as that’s the case, leave him be.” She bent down to fold the picnic blanket, her movements quick and sharp.
Jade took a deep breath, her frustration mounting. “I’m not going to stop being his friend.”
Summer stood, the folded blanket in her arms, her expression softening just a little. “You will,” she said quietly, “when you finally realize it’s breaking his heart.” With that, she turned and walked toward the rest of her family, leaving Jade, stunned.
Jade clenched her fists, her emotions churning. The nerve! Summer had no idea what her friendship with Aiden was really like. Sure, Aiden’s feelings had gotten a little... complicated in the past few months, but ... He knows I’m in love with someone else, she reminded herself, biting her lip.
“Jade!” Aiden’s voice broke her from her thoughts. She saw him waving her over, his family waiting on the lawn outside their two-story home. She shook off the conversation with Summer and hurried to catch up.
“Aiden,” his mother said as she reached them, “why don’t you take Jade upstairs and help her get settled?”
He nodded and motioned for Jade to follow him. “Come on,” he said, grabbing their bags from the front porch. As he hauled the bags, she paused to take in her surroundings.
The Francis home was cozy, almost ridiculously suburban in its charm. It wasn’t what Jade had expected here, but it felt strangely comforting. The living room had a big, cushiony sofa, a few chairs clustered around a coffee table, and a wide-screen TV. Video games peeked out from the entertainment center, and the shelves were filled with books. The scent of something homey and delicious lingered in the air, probably from the kitchen just beyond the dining area.
What caught Jade’s attention most, though, were the family photos. They were everywhere, lining the walls and sitting on shelves, each frame a snapshot of the Francis family’s life.
The wooden staircase in front of her was practically a gallery of memories. As she followed him up the stairs, she couldn’t help but linger on the framed photographs: an awkward family Christmas card featuring terrible sweaters, a picture of a younger Aiden and Summer playing in the backyard, streaks of fire darting between them. There was even a more recent photo of Aiden holding a baby Luca no more than a year old.
“I love that photograph,” Scarlett said softly, coming up behind Jade.
Jade hadn’t realized his mom was following them up the stairs. She turned, smiling at the warmth in her voice. “They look so much alike,” Jade said, gesturing toward the picture.
“My two boys,” she replied, her smile creating dimples in her slightly rounded cheeks.
“Not the photos again, Mom,” Aiden groaned as he bounced down a few steps to grab Jade’s arm. “Don’t believe anything she says,” he whispered in her ear before pulling her up the stairs.
“I heard that Aiden!” she called after them, her voice laced with amusement.
Jade grinned, feeling the warmth that seemed to radiate from this family. It was easy to see why he was so kind and open he had grown up surrounded by love.
“Here we are,” he said, pushing open the door at the end of the hallway.
Jade stepped inside and immediately knew it was his room. Superhero posters lined the walls, and a hefty collection of comic books filled the shelves. A wooden desk in the corner was cluttered with notepads and old books. Across from it was a twin-sized bed covered in a black comforter, where her suitcase rested.
“It’s not much, but make yourself at home,” he said, dropping her bags by the bed. He leaned against the doorframe, watching her.
She ran her fingers over the spine of a well-worn comic book on his desk. “Your room is exactly how I imagined it,” she teased, turning to give him a playful grin.
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Yeah,” she said, her smile softening. “It’s so… you.”
Aiden chuckled and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, his carefree demeanor returning. “You’re probably right.” He glanced at her, a faint smile on his lips. “Look, Jade, I want you to be comfortable here.”
“I am,” she assured him, but her thoughts drifted back to Summer’s words. “Aiden…” she started but stopped herself.
“What?” he asked, sensing the change in her tone.
She hesitated, unsure how to bring up what his sister had said. He doesn’t need to know about that. Instead, she took a deep breath and smiled. “Thanks for letting me stay. I mean it.”
His expression softened. “You don’t have to thank me, Jade. You’re always welcome here.”
She met his eyes and for a brief moment, the air between them seemed to shift. The ease they’d always shared felt… complicated. She broke the gaze, stepping toward her suitcase, trying to shake the feeling.
“Alright,” he said, standing up, his familiar grin returning. “I’ll let you unpack. I’m going to grab Luca before he drives my mom crazy.”
She laughed, nodding as she unzipped her suitcase. “Good idea.”
As he headed toward the door, he paused, glancing back. “Hey, Jade?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
She smiled, genuinely touched. “Me too.”
With a final grin, he disappeared down the hallway, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, her mind racing. What if Vanessa was right?
She shook her head. No. He knows I’m with Benjamin. He knows we’re just friends. But still, the lingering doubt crept in. How much had their friendship changed?
Brushing off the uneasy feeling, she began unpacking. She wasn’t here to overthink things. She was here to train and understand more about who she was.
Even if Summer had thrown a wrench into things, she wouldn’t let it change her friendship with him. They were just friends nothing more.