Finding Me (Love's Not Easy Series Book 1) (8 page)

“Why did you stop like that, Lexi?” Aimee asked, as she brushed snow off her pants.

Drew helped Lexi to her feet and she started cleaning her pants.

“Lexi!” Aimee shouted.

Lexi turned back to face the group and nodded for Aimee to look as well.

“What in the world is that girl wearing?” Aimee could not believe her eyes.

Lexi started laughing hysterically. “Look at her shoes…oh, my gosh, her shoes.”

Aimee took a closer look at the girl.  She was wearing a pair of very expensive, navy blue, suede boots with a three inch straight heel. The heels kept getting stuck in the snow, causing her to have to pull hard to raise her feet. She started yelling for Aiden as she fell backwards in the snow.

“Is that Ava?” Aimee could not stop looking at her.

LJ began laughing hard. “The one and only.”

Drew shook his head. “That girl has to be freezing.”

Lexi was laughing uncontrollably at the site of Aiden trying to help Ava up. “I am sure those skin tight, thin, white jeans and her stripped, sapphire blue sweater is not providing her very much warmth.”

Aimee took the hand LJ offered and began walking with him. “Oh, Lexi, I am sure that faux fur gilet will help keep her warm.”

Lexi stopped. “We need to get it together before we get any closer.”

LJ grinned. “As if she won’t know why you girls are laughing so hard.”

Aimee playfully hit LJ. “You are laughing too.”

Drew said he would take the lead on why they was laughing. When they approached, Piper and James looked at them. “Did you guys see why Jill and Jill here went tumbling down the hill?”

Aimee gave him a fake mad look. “Good cover.”

Lexi acted like it hurt her feelings to get him to pull her closer.

Once Aiden managed to get Ava up and calmed down, he took her back to the Lodge penthouse. LJ, James, and Drew offered to take the girls out for coffee. Colin met them with his girl of the week.

Aimee took a hot shower, as soon as she returned to the penthouse. The cold air was going to be torturous to her skin. She applied the special moisturizing lotion she bought for the trip; then, she dried her hair and straightened it. She had no clue how she had let Lexi talk her into this, but Aimee and LJ where joining Lexi and Drew for a double date.

Piper sat on her bed, looking at a magazine. Lexi came in with her towel wrapped around her head. “Aimee, we have dates tonight.”

Piper turned the page of her magazine. “My pep talk helped.”

The three girls was laughing when Ava stormed through the door. Her mere presence was an instant downer.

“Lexi! How could you laugh at me?” She was staring at Lexi.

“Oh, come on, Ava; if that had been any of us, you would have been the very first one to laugh.”

“Maybe. But I would also have been the first to…”

“Stop right there. We both know you would have been the last one to offer a helping hand.”

Ava looked around the room until she found Aimee applying her lip gloss. Aimee had on a pair of mid-rise, skinny, stretch jeans and her navy tank, not yet fully ready to go. “Where are you going?”

Lexi stood. “Not that it is any of your business, but Aimee and I have dates with Drew and LJ.”

“Good. Maybe that will keep you away from Aiden.”

“Excuse me?” Aimee turned to face her.

“You heard me. Back off of Aiden, little Miss American Girl.”

Aimee was trying her best not to listen to Ava as she ranted on and on. She was focused on controlling her temper. But, Ava was relentless. She just kept mouthing off demands to Aimee while, Aimee finished dressing. She took her navy and cream sweater off the bed and put it on. Then, took her matching scarf to put on. Ava was still carrying on, not that Aimee was listening to her much. However, her last sentence did it. “Get a new study partner, or else.”

Aimee stood, picked up her boots and purse, and walked toward the door. Lexi came right behind her. Just before exiting the door, Aimee turned toward Ava.

“Aiden has a mind of his own. He is more than capable of choosing who he can and cannot trust as friends and study partners. It is not my problem if you have trust issues or whatever you want to call it. So, Miss Thing, I will remain friends and study partners with Aiden, as long as he and I choose to remain so.” Aimee shut the door behind her.

When Aimee and Lexi made it down the stairs, Aiden was sitting in the telly area with LJ, James, and Drew. Lexi quickly filled him in on their run in with Ava, while Aimee slid on her boots. Aiden offered Aimee an apology.

“It’s not your fault, but she is steaming mad.” Aimee nodded toward the stairs as she took LJ’s arm.

The guys took them to one of the finest restaurants in the village. The food was very delightful, though LJ did tease Aimee about the first time he joined her at a dinner table. Aimee followed all the flirting tips she had been given.

Lexi commented on how it must be nice to have connections to get into Talippia’s. Even though Aimee could tell the comment was hurtful, LJ let it roll of his shoulder. Aimee smiled at him. “This is nice, but you really didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

LJ took Aimee by the hand. “I want our first date to be memorable.” Aimee was impressed.

After dinner, they went to see a theatrical ice show and then took a moonlight walk back to the penthouse. Aimee and LJ stopped for coffee, while Lexi and Drew went ahead. Aimee watched from the window of the coffee shop as Lexi and Drew walked away. He had his hand on her lower back as they were walking and talking. Lexi was laughing at what must be his jokes. Then, all of a sudden, he turned Lexi to face him, and they kissed for a long time.

Aimee turned her head, she didn’t want to spy on her friend. Aimee was nervous; LJ was on his way back with their coffee now. She had so many thoughts racing through her head. She tried to tell herself to relax.

She was certain that LJ would try to kiss her good night. He and Drew probably planned this part of the date as well. What was she doing? Her thoughts shifted back and forth from her fear of the walk home with LJ to Lexi kissing Drew. She barely knew him; and, now she was kissing him like that. No wonder the guys she dates are jerks. Aimee’s mind drifted to more frightful thoughts, what if Lexi goes back to Drew’s room? What if LJ expects her to join him in his private bedroom at the penthouse?

Aimee had to calm down. She needed to pray now. “
Dear God, please be with me and Lexi tonight. Help us to make the right choices. Amen
.”

LJ could tell Aimee was upset about something. She sat quietly while they drank their coffee. On the walk to the penthouse, when he took her hand, she stiffened like he had scared her.

“Aimee, are you ok?”

“Yeah, just tired.”

“It has been a long day.”

They continued to walk quietly and when they reached the penthouse door, LJ stopped and gently turned her to face him. “I had fun tonight.”

“Me too.” She answered in a low voice.

She shivered, if the door was outside, she would tell him it was the air; but, since they was on the top floor of the lodge, she couldn’t lie. LJ must have mistaken her shiver as some sort of body language flirt because he pulled her closer to him and went to kiss her. Aimee turned her head just as his lips reached her, causing him to kiss her on the cheek.

LJ didn’t say anything, he just opened the door for her. Aimee went straight upstairs. First, she was going to make sure Lexi came back safely. Second, she was going to make her and Piper pay for talking her into being someone she was not. Aimee felt so relieved to see Lexi talking with Piper. She went and took off her makeup and fell asleep while listening to Lexi talk about Drew.

The next morning, when they went to ski, Aimee was quiet and she kept to herself. When anyone asked what was wrong, she just told she was not feeling well. When they went to snowboard, Aimee watched for a while and then went back to the penthouse. She hated not telling Piper and Lexi what was wrong, but she couldn’t say anything in front of LJ, and there was no way she was letting Ava know what happened.

When the guys decided to drive to a nearby lake and do some ice fishing, the girls went shopping. Piper tried to get Aimee to go to a movie with them, but the last thing Aimee wanted was to spend any more time around Ava.

Aimee went to her room when they got back and took out her mom’s diary she had found at her dad’s over Christmas. Her mom’s name was scratched of the front of the diary. That was the first thing that Aimee thought was odd. The other was, she was not using anyone's last name when she wrote about them. In fact, she often used abbreviations for people, places, and events she wrote about. Trying to decipher her mom’s journals was definitely going to take a while.

She had been reading for over an hour. Not totally understanding what she read. A tap on the door brought her to reality.

“Come in.”

Colin stuck his head in the door. “Hey, Aimee.”

“Hey, come on in and sit.”

“You ok?” Colin sat on the edge of her bed.

“Yeah.” Aimee tried not to look at him.

“Really, because from where I am sitting you don’t look ok.”

“Well, I am. Why do you ask?”

“Lots of reasons, but mainly because I am concerned.”

“Oh, that’s sweet. Thank you for caring, Colin.” She grinned.

“Is LJ what’s wrong?”

“Yes and no, does that make sense?”

“Not really.”

“I am ashamed of myself and how I acted yesterday.”

“Yeah, you were definitely not yourself yesterday.”

“Thanks for noticing.” Aimee hit him.

“So, what happen yesterday? It was like you turned into Lexi.”

Aimee grinned. “I let Lexi and Piper talk me into being more of a flirt.”

“See, there is the problem. You let those two girls talk you into being something you are not. Let me take a guess, Lexi was teaching you her art of flirting.” Colin batted his eyes at her until she laughed.

Aimee laughed harder as Colin stood and twisted as he walked to the door and back, then pretended to flip his hair just before sitting back down. “Am I right, Aimee?”

“Something like that.” She shook her head at him.

“Ok, Aimee, here is the deal, you a great just as you are because you are the real deal. Don’t change into something you are not. To some guys, that can be a turn off.”

Aimee laughed. “I am getting love lessons from Colin.”

“Don’t tell anyone because I’ll deny it.”

“Deal. So why do you date so many girls?”

“Again, if this leaves this room, I will deny it. Because when I meet my real deal, I want to have all my wild days behind me. And I don’t want to be stuck like Aiden is. Ava is not his real deal, and if he doesn’t do something quick, he is going to be stuck.”

“Colin, is LJ mad?”

“Confused, but not mad. So get yourself all dolled up and come downstairs. Tonight we are having Colin and Aiden’s fish fry.”

Aimee laughed. “I hope it taste better than it smells.”

Colin grinned. “There is the Aimee I have come to love like a sister.”

Aimee decided she should, at the very least, make herself presentable. She took out her favorite hoodie and tank top with a pair of loose fitting jeans. She braided her hair in a side braid and lightly put on makeup; she didn’t want to make it look like she was trying.

Aimee joined Piper and Lexi at the table. Ava moved to the couch when Aimee sat down. “Ava, you didn’t have to move on my account.” Aimee decided to play nice. Ava started to say something, but Aiden stuck out his head from the kitchen area. Instead, she came back to the table.

LJ came out of the kitchen. “Aimee, can we talk?”

LJ directed Aimee out to the balcony so they could have some privacy. The small fire pit was lit, so they sat on the loveseat in front of it.

“Aimee, I am sorry for whatever I did yesterday to upset you.”

She turned sideways to face him. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then, what is with the silent treatment and staying in the room by yourself all day?”

“I need to apologize to you. Yesterday, I think I may have gave you the wrong impression about me.”

“You mean, when you were acting like Lexi?”

“Yeah. I know now that was a dumb thing to do. It is not who I am at all.”

“Good.  Because I want to get to know Aimee Pittman. Not Lexi Medine. But, if you keep acting like something you are not or staying to yourself for the next eight days, it is not going to happen.”

Aimee looked him in the face. “No more hiding. I want to start out by asking you something. You know I am a Christian right?”

“Yeah.”

“I told you the other day, I was mostly raised by my grandmother.”

“Yeah.”

“The thing is, I am old fashion, LJ. I love talking to you and getting to know you but…”