“I’m on my way down,” I said.
Two minutes later I was on the escalator. Justin was waiting at the bottom in a navy Jaxon Waters T-shirt and jeans. He had Chelsea on his shoulders. She was using his forehead to hang on, her little fingers interlocked over his eyebrows. His hair was an absolute mess.
“I find that extremely attractive,” Maddy said, too low for him to hear.
“Same,” I whispered.
“Hey, Forehead Kiss Guy,” Maddy said when we got to the bottom.
He looked at me amused. “Wow. You are obsessed with me.”
I laughed and smiled up at Chelsea. “Hi, Chelsea.”
She gave me a shy hello, and I introduced her to my best friend.
Justin nodded toward the entrance. “I need to rent one of those little car strollers at the entrance. Her legs gave out an hour ago.”
“Where are Alex and Sarah?” I asked, looking around.
“On the rides. I got them all-day wristbands. We probably won’t see them until they’re hungry. I was about to take Chels to the aquarium.”
Chelsea leaned over his head. “Jussin, I have to go potty.”
“Okay, I’ll take you,” he said, looking up at her under his eyebrows.
“Want me to take her?” I asked. “You can rent the stroller while we’re in there.”
“Sure,” he said, lifting her off his shoulders. “Thanks.”
When we came out of the bathroom, Justin was waiting with the stroller.
I wished I could hug him. I couldn’t do it when he had his sister on his shoulders, and it seemed weird to do it now that the hello part was over. I watched him lift his little sister into her seat and turn the stroller to face the mall. But instead of pushing it, he stepped out from behind it, closed the small gap between us, and scooped me into a hug.
I went instantly breathless.
“I didn’t get to say hi to you,” he whispered, squeezing me.
My heart pounded, and he tightened around the breath I let out.
He held me for just longer and closer than a friend would. Then he kissed my cheek and let me go, and I felt like I’d been twirled around in circles and set back down. I was actually a little flustered.
Maddy was eyeing me.
“Are you hungry?” Justin asked. “Want to get something before we go see the fish?”
“Uh… I’m okay. Maddy?”
“I’m good. Let me push this,” she said, walking between us to take the stroller.
I was glad she did because Justin used his freed hand to hold mine.
He led us to the elevator and when he leaned over to push the down button Maddy put her mouth to my ear. “You’re blushing,” she whispered.
I jerked my head to look at her and mouthed the word What?
She gave me a wide-eyed Oh Yeah, You Are nod.
I put my free hand on my cheek. It was warm. Knowing I was blushing made me blush harder.
I did not blush. That was not a thing I did.
I guess until now.
CHAPTER 23 JUSTIN
Think of how much room there is for activities,” Emma said, putting her arms out.
“I do like corduroy.”
We were sprawled on a giant bean bag at the giant bean bag store on the third level.
I was so glad she was here.
We’d been to the aquarium, then had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe—Chelsea insisted we eat there once she saw the front of it on our way to Bubba Gump Shrimp. Afterward we stopped at a cookie shop and then went to the old-timey photo place. We did pirates and the fedoras.
I was using every excuse to touch Emma. My knee against hers under the table at dinner, holding her hand, a palm on her lower back as we walked into a store. And if I didn’t know better, I’d say Maddy was wingmanning me. She was attached to the stroller like it was her job to speed push it through the mall five feet in front of me and Emma, and I swear she was doing it to give me alone time with her friend. Right now she was taking Chelsea to the bathroom to wash chocolate off her face while Emma and I tried out different bean bags.
Emma lolled her head to look at me. “Where would you put this thing if you got it?”
