*** Me

Leanda

After a few seconds Craig went around me to leave. He stopped in front of the man I had started to fall for. Craig glared at him and then he was gone.
After staring after him for like a minute, I looked up into Broden's face. He was looking into my eyes so they locked together right away. We stood like that for a few minutes, just staring into each other's eyes. Broden lifted his right hand and started to caress my left cheek. I pressed my cheek into his palm. He took a step toward me so that there was just a few inches between us. He then put his left arm around my waist and pulled me toward him. It felt like we were made for each other. As if on impulse I felt my arms go around his neck. My fingers found wisps of his hair and they grabbed on like his hair was the only thing keeping me alive.
I didn't need to drag his head toward me since he was already bending down. His eyes were still locked with mine. I was almost certain I knew what he was thinking. As his lips got closer to mine my eyelids started to flutter closed.
"Um. Sorry." I heard a voice say. Broden froze. I looked up at him with an apologetic look in my eyes. I then looked over his shoulder and saw Craig.
"I thought you were gone." I said coldly, wanting to get back to what I was doing before I was interrupted.
"I was, Le. I was just wondering if you'll be at Fe's tomorrow." Craig said while looking from me to the still frozen Broden and back again.
"I should be." I said. he should he should hear from my voice what I wanted. He should hear, Now, go away. I'm busy with something else.
"Ok. See ya around Le." Craig said. Some kind of emotion fleeted across his face before he composed it. He then went to his car and drove away.
"Finally. We are finally and truly alone." I said as I watched Broden straighten up. He then took a step back.
"Yes we are." Broden said with an evil twinkle in his eyes.
"Would you like to come in? We won't have anymore interruptions." I said with hope in my voice.
"What about your parents?" Broden asked. Clearly hoping that they weren't here.
I took his hand and started to lead him to my room. "They're not here. They're still in Maine. Even if they were, they wouldn't bother me and who I have over." I said excited.
When I got to my room I didn't let go of Broden's hand. Instead I pulled him over to my bed. I crawled onto it. When we were seated we were across from each other. After a little while Broden threaded his fingers with mine.
"I know that we talked a few hours ago but I had to see you. Ever since I met you I can't stop thinking about you. So. Will you go on a date with me?" Broden said, still gazing into my eyes. For the second time since we met I felt like he could see right to my soul. Like he could see what my heart wanted before I even knew.
I smiled at Broden and then threw my arms around his neck. I then whispered in his ear. "Yes, yes, yes. I would love to."
Broden's arms automatically went around me. He then pulled me into his lap. We sat like that for a long time. Broden was the first to pull away.
"I should go. If I stay, neither of us will get much sleep." Broden said.
I got off of Broden's lap. I stood up and then reached for his hand. "Well then, follow me. I'll show you how to get to my room. Keep your eyes open 'cause it's a little difficult." I then took him through the maze. When we got through to the other side he pulled me into a hug. Oh how natural it felt against Broden.
Broden bent his head down so his left cheek was against mine. He then whispered in my ear. "Thanks for everything. I'm glad I've met you." Broden lifted his head and looked at the shrubs. He then turned his head back so our cheeks were against each other again. "Now I know how to get to your personal door. I'll see you tomorrow." Broden stepped back and then lifted my left hand to his mouth. His lips grazed my knuckles. His eyes still gazed into mine. He then turned and walked to his car and drove away. I watched him go until I couldn't see him anymore. and then went through the maze back to my room.

***

I walked into Felishseha's house and heard banging coming from the kitchen. I walked over to the kitchen and stood in the doorway. Felishseha was frantically moving around the room, getting ready for tonight. I stood there watching until she turned around and saw me.
"You're here. Good. You can help me." Felishseha said as she walked toward me. She gave me a hug.
"Ok." I said as we broke apart. "Where's your staff? Where're the cooks and servers?"
Felishseha walked back to the counter and started to rummage around again. "I gave them the day off."
I followed her to the counter and stared to help her. I had no idea what I was doing. "Why? You don't like working."
"I don't know. I thought that they could use the day off. I also thought I could try the kitchen." She frowned. "I found out I'm not very good at it."
I looked around the kitchen. It was messy. There was food and dishes all over the counters. "I can see. You're just not used to being by yourself. I'm here now and I am. So, what are we making?"
"Oh, I don't know. What's simple to make and good to have at a party?" Felishseha asked while looking at me hopefully.
"Well. There are pea salad , macaroni salad, potato salad, beans, hotdogs, hamburgers, and cheeseburgers."
For the next hour or two we made everything I could think of that was simple.
When we were finishing up, Gideon, Broden, Allen and Layla walked in.
"Good, There are the three strong men I had in mind." I said. I got three sets of eyes looking at me like I was crazy. "Don't look at me like that. Felishseha and I could use your strength with all the food we made." Everyone looked around the kitchen. Every bit of the counter space was full of dishes of food.
Broden walked over to me and gave me a hug. He leaned back and looked into my eyes. "No cook? No servers?" He asked. I shook my head. "For rich girls, that's good."
"Yeah. Well, I have no idea what to do in the kitchen. If it wasn't for Leanda tis wouldn't have happened." Felishseha confessed. Everyone turned toward me. Watching for a reaction.
I blushed. I couldn't believe she did that. I was hoping to keep it a secret.
"It's not uncommon for a girl to cook for herself, even if she's rich." I said, trying to hide my uneasiness. "I also happen to enjoy cooking." I looked up into Broden's eyes. They had taken on a certain softness that I never seen a guy look at me with, but Craig.
As if my mind had conjured him, he appeared in my doorway. His face hardened as he looked at me and Broden. I then noticed that there was a green eyed, redhead next to him. I reluctantly extracted myself from Broden's embrace and walked over to Craig. I threw my arms around his neck and was rewarded when his went around my waist.
"Craig, it's so nice to see you. I'm glad you finally arrived." I stepped back and gestured around the room. "We could use as many hands as possible."
"Nice, Leanda. That's a lot of food. Are you showing off one of your many talents?" Craig replied. I blushed I quickly looked over at Broden to see if he heard what Craig said. He was looking at me. He heard. Oh, crap. Why? Why was this happening to me?
"No. I'm not showing off. If Felishseha hadn't given her staff the day off this wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have shown her how to make some simple yet good food." I said with a bite in my voice. I picked up some of he food and went outside. I was getting so mad that I could scream. After I set the containers on the table Broden walked through the door. He set his load down and walked over to me. He drew me into his arms. I started to relax.
"There. There. Let it out. I can tell you don't like people to know some things about you, unless you tell them." I realized I was crying. Broden became my rock, my knight in shining armor.
As Broden was comforting me, everyone else came outside. I could tell that the green eyed, redhead was fascinated with Craig. He was saying something and she was hanging on to his every word. Craig started to look around. When his eyes landed on Broden and me, they stopped twinkling and took on a hardness. He started to come toward us.
"Leanda. I wanted you to meet someone. This is DeAnna Lynn Smmer. DeAnna Lynn this is my life-long, best friend Leanda Rosen." Craig said the last part while glaring at Broden. Since Broden and I weren't hugging anymore and I wasn't yet one hundred percent, Broden had his hands on my shoulders. He was staying close so if I needed to I can turn toward him again.
I looked over to DeAnna Lynn. I saw that she only had eyes for Craig. I got the feeling that tonight wasn't when she met him. She had to have known him for a long time to have that look in her eyes. She was head-over-heels for him. She was insane about him. She was probably so insane about him that he was all that she thought about.
Just to be nice I said, "Nice to meet you DeAnna Lynn." I turned around to face Broden. "Do you have your swim trunks? I feel like swimming."
Broden smiled. He took my hand and we started to walk away. We went to change into our swim suits. When we got back outside we dove into the pool. We started to swim around each other.
"How do you know Craig?" Broden suddenly asked after a few minutes.
"Like he said, we are life-long, best friends. I met him when I turned two. He was three. Ever since then we went every where together. When it was time to get into school I got into Brookside Private School and he got into the brother school. Everyone thought that we would get together but that never happened. I thought of him as a brother. Sorry. I'm blabbering."
"That's fine. I find it cute, just as I find you beautiful." He reached over and caressed my cheek.
"You do? Wow. No guy has ever said that to me before." I started to blush.
"Really? Then ever other guy was stupid. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever met."
"Oh, stop. You're going to make me start crying again." I brushed at my eyes. They were starting to swell up, I was that happy.
"Are they happy or sad tears? I hope they are happy ones."
"They are happy tears. So, why do you and Craig hate each other?"
Broden looked away from me with a sad expression on his face. "I don't think I should say. But...?"
"Come on. Please?" I put on my best pleading look.
"But. I will. He's my stepbrother..."
"Your stepbrother? The many years that I have known him and he never told me."
"He didn't want anyone to know. Back to what I was saying. He's my stepbrother. My mom married his dad a few years ago, back when I was still in high school. I don't really like him because when his dad married my mom my status of only child changed. I don't get what I wanted anymore and I don't have my mom to myself anymore. He also gets me in trouble with his dad more often than not. I only came home during the summer because of that. Now that I met you that may have changed."
I moved in and gave Broden a hug. "I'm so sorry. I hope everything changes now. I hope to see you more often than during the summer. Too bad you didn't come around until now. We would have known more about each other. I didn't even know that you existed."
"I know. I'm regretting that choice of mine. I'm beginning to wish I did. If you want me o stay around, I will. I did know that you existed. Gideon told me. Every year that I didn't come with him, he would tell me about you until I couldn't take it. He would keep me up at night and fill my ear. Everything he told me was good. He was right about you. I found out that you are everything and more he said."
We started to lean toward each other. As our lips got closer and closer my eyelids started to close. The next thing I knew someone had jumped in to the pool, splashing us with water.
"CANNON BALL!"
I looked over and saw that it was Craig. That's the second time he stopped Broden and me from kissing- second time in two days.
Music filled the poolside. It took me a few seconds to recognize the band. They were one of my favorite bands. If it wasn't for Felishseha I wouldn't even know them.
"Felishseha!" I looked around until I spotted her. She was just walking away from the studio center. "You got the new One Direction CD? That's amazing! Can I borrow it tonight?" I said while climbing out of the pool and walking toward her.
"Yes. You can borrow it. It's really cool." Felishseha said while climbing into her floating chair.
Broden came up behind me just as Little Things was coming on. As we started to slow dance I looked over to Craig. He was glaring at us. I had no idea what his problem was. The more I did with Broden, the more Craig acted weird.