Brodie's car jolts, throwing me back onto the passenger seat as he begins speeding down the twisting, palm-tree-lined roads. I can hear my pulse beating inside my ears, my fingers trembling as my mind tries to grapple with the idea of my tattle-tell brother crossing paths with my new, secret boyfriend. Aiden may only be six, but he's one hell of a sleuth and an even better manipulator of using his findings to his advantage if it means scoring a new toy or video game from his older sister. I'm starting to think that maybe I could learn a thing or two from him.

"Left, right up here," I direct Brodie with a shaky voice and finger as I point to the three-way stop leading to my little brother's summer camp. My cheeks feel red hot, and the closer we get to the carline awaiting our arrival, the more I start to fidget in my seat.

The brown-eyed Marine beside me chuckles at my restless state, sarcastically teasing, "You're not nervous at all are you?"

"I'm shitting bricks, Maverick," I pathetically admit, overwhelmingly running my fingers through the tangled curls rushing down my shoulders. "What if he tells my Dad, Bro-"

"He's not going to tell your Dad, Lani," he interrupts me quickly.

"But what if he does?" I fire back challengingly.

"He won't. I'm just a friend, remember? We keep our stories straight and he won't suspect a thing. Boys and girls are capable of just being friends."

Keeping his hands on the steering wheel, he cuts his eyes over to me, his stare unintentionally lingering on my lips and trailing down to my chest. "Not if they look at each other like that, they can't," I abruptly reprimand him.

Biting his lip to stifle his rising smile, he forces his gaze away from me. "Sorry," he mutters out, cruising his car behind a silver minivan. "I mean, come on. It can't be that hard to convince a kindergartener, right?"

"You have no idea," I scoff, nervous laughter escaping my throat. "Six-year-olds are relentless. Especially ratty-haired, snaggletooth ones named Aiden." Turning in my seat and casting a serious glare Brodie's way, I remind him one last time," Eyes and hands to yourself. Got that, Maverick?"

Bringing his hand to his forehead, he throws me back a playful salute, nodding earnestly, "Aye, Aye, Sergeant Kahale."

"I'm serious, Brodie," I fail to say with a straight face, unable to keep myself from giggling at the ridiculous gesture.

"I am too," he smirks, "We've got too many more waves to catch for me to fuck this up. Don't you remember what I told you, Lani? I'm good at keeping secrets."

I can't help but smile as the words fall smoothly from his lips, the excitement and enticement of our confidential arrangement filling my veins with fire and making me feel a little more confident. My shoulders finally let up the tension they were holding the entire ride here. I take a deep breath in an attempt to rid myself of the anxiety I know is still lingering in my chest, but my moment of stillness doesn't last long enough because before I know it, Brodie's red Range Rover pulls up in front of the camp's main building. Chattering and laughter emanate from the mob of children waiting for their rides, and the sound makes the muscles in my body go rigid again as my eyes search for my little brother in the crowd.

"There he is," I find myself whispering as I catch sight of his black curls and golden skin. "Oh god," I mumble, feeling myself start to panic again as I dart my head over to Brodie, "This was a bad idea. Really bad idea. You know what, I'm gonna call Alana." My fingers fumble as I unfasten my seat belt, continuing to ramble, "She can pick us up and take me to my car-"

"Lani," Brodie calmly interjects.

"No, trust me," I cut him off, "This is a way better idea and Aiden will never even know that you were here and my Dad won't have to find out and-"

"Lani," he says again in a firmer tone, his voice forcing my eyes onto his as he nods past me to the outside of the car. "It might be a little too late for that."

My stomach drops, all hope leaving my body as I cut my gaze to the sidewalk outside of my window where Aiden is now standing.

With a devious grin spreading across his face, my three-and-a-half-foot brother leans into the open window of Brodie's car. "Well, well, well," he chimes out ruthlessly, barring his toothless smile as he focuses his sparkling brown eyes right past me to the speechless man behind the steering wheel. "Who do we have here?"

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Heyyy, buddyyy," I chime out weakly, forcing an exaggerated smile to my face, "This is my umm- my friend-"

"Do Momma and Daddy know about your friend?" He quips back, cutting me off.

"W-well, not exactly," I stutter to explain, causing a wicked glaze to start covering his eyes, "But-"

"But what?" He taunts with a smirk.

"Look, Aiden," I start to beg, feeling the inspecting eyes of the camp counselors pinned on Brodie's Range Rover, "Can you please just get in the freaking car and I can explain on the way?"

"Sure, I'll get in the car," he willingly agrees, shrugging his shoulders as he opens the rear door and starts to clamber up into the seat. "But just know, Momma and Daddy, are going to give you dirty lickens when they hear about this."

That's all my little brother has to say to shut me up because deep down I know there are no more words I can say to convince his stubborn butt not to tell our parents about the stranger who drove him home from summer camp today. Disappointment begins to set in as I contemplate the consequences that will come when they both find out, and turning forward in my seat, I reluctantly fasten my seat belt, fearing the rest of the ride home.

"Hey," Brodie whispers over, his voice low enough that only I can hear. "It's gonna be alright."

"Can you just get us back to my car?" I sigh, refusing to meet his eyes because already I can feel my throat starting to ache. I guess all secrets are bound to come to the light at some point, but I have to admit that this was one I wish could've been kept a little longer.

Forcing my eyes outside of the window, I hear him take a deep breath beside me as he switches the gear shift into drive. The car starts to roll down the black, yellow-lined asphalt, but just as we start to pick up speed, Brodie slams on the breaks, making the vehicle come to an abrupt stop.

"Hey, dude!" Aiden hollers at him, "You've got precious cargo in here!"

A foolish, widespread grin comes to Brodie's face as he twists in his seat and leans back to my brother, and asks, "You like ice cream, kid?"

Aiden squints his eyes at the random question, unsure of whether or not he should give the unfamiliar man driving us home an answer.

"Brodie," I mutter over with curiosity, "What are you-"

"Shhh," he hushes me with a wink, silencing me with his charm before I can get out another word. Turning his attention back to the child in the backseat, he asks again, "Well, do you or not?"

"Who doesn't like ice cream?" He fires back, his tone full of sass.

"Alright, then," Brodie blurts out confidently, straightening up in his seat as he starts driving down the road again. Swiftly, he informs me, "Lani, we've got a pit stop to make."

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea."

"Trust me, Lani," he assures me, cutting a playful and childlike stare in my direction and barring his boyish smile. "Can you do that?"

My stomach churns with butterflies, and I try my best to hide my blushing as I whisper back, "Don't let me down, Maverick."

"Never."

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Aiden eagerly climbs out of the back seat of Brodie's car as soon as we reach Punahele's Ice Cream Parlour, slamming the door shut and calling out to us from outside the vehicle, "Come on you two, we haven't got all day! I've got a date with Anabelle and Tom Nook this evening, so if we could hurry it up, that'd be great."

Brodie's mouth hangs open as he watches my little brother skip away towards the order window of the sweetshop, and I take advantage of his awestruck silence and our moment of privacy to affirm, "What did I tell you? Kindergarteners are ruthless."

"Ruthless doesn't cut it," he says with his eyes widened and his mouth still slightly agape, "That boy is a straight savage. And who the hell are Annabelle and Tom Nook?"

"The mayor and secretary of his island," I matter-of-factly inform. "He takes Animal Crossing very seriously."

Our eyes cut to Aiden, who's already licking the double-scooped ice cream cone in his hands. His eyes lock onto the two of us still sitting in the car, and after taking a huge bite against the pink-toned ice cream, he snaps at us impatiently.

Brodie chuckles at the sight, hopping out of the car fast as he playfully replies, "I'd say. You think ice cream will be enough to keep him quiet?"

"We can only hope," I mutter back, joining at his side as we start to make our way towards the six-year-old who practically holds the fate of our relationship in his tiny hands.

Aiden's mouth is covered in a layer of melted desert and he squints up to Brodie with an inspecting gaze, forcing him to speak with a single look.

"How is it, little man?" The handsome marine beside me asks as he hands a ten-dollar bill over to the cashier.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he replies defiantly, crossing his arms against his chest. "And I'll have you know, I'm not little. I'm six and four quarters and take a karate class on Thursdays."

"Aiden," I scold, "Be nice."

Brodie sends me an amused grin, gently waving me off and silently assuring me that my brother's bad attitude isn't offending him one bit. "Oh yeah? Is that so?" He challenges playfully, "Then what belt are you, huh?"

"White," Aiden says, tilting his chin up confidently and puffing out his chest. "And I've already earned my first stripe."

I have to choke back my laugh and I struggle to keep a straight face as Brodie continues, "Okay, I won't lie, that's pretty impressive, but I'm still not convinced..."

"Oh, come on!" Aiden whines, a frown coming to his face as he stomps his foot. "I'm telling the truth!"

"Then prove it," Brodie provokes, crossing his arms as he peers down to my brother. "Show me your best move."

"Fine," he scowls, brushing his unruly curls away from his eyes, "But I'm warning you, I'm pretty good." Pivoting on his heel, Aiden turns to me, offering his cone up to me to grab, "Lelani, hold this please."

I take it in my grip with an insincere worried expression, unable to resist the urge to join in on the teasing. "Aiden, I don't know. Someone could get hurt. Maybe this isn't a good idea..."

"Gosh, you sound like Momma," he says through his slight lisp, rolling his eyes. "I'm a professional, trust me."

"Okay, then," I sigh, easily giving in and discreetly taking a lick against his strawberry ice cream as I prepare myself for the entertainment that's about to unfold in front of me.

Without wasting another second, Aiden balls both of his hands into a tight fist, holding them firmly in front of his chest as he comes to a tall stance. "Kiai!" He shouts, startling Brodie and me both as he sends an abrupt air punch both of our ways. "Kiai!" His small voice yells again, his leg sending a forceful kick in the same direction.

For emphasis, he repeats the moves once more and when he's finally finished Brodie starts to clap his hands. "My, my, my," he sings out over his applause, "You do know karate after all, huh, kid?"

This makes Aiden smile and he snatches his ice cream cone out of my hands as he spits out, "Told ya'! I could show you the moves sometime? Only if you want me to."

Bending his knees, Brodie drops himself down to Aiden's level, offering him knuckles. "That'd be awesome, little man." My brother glares at the nickname, and he quickly corrects himself, "Bossman, I mean."

"Bossman," he repeats, grinning cheesily and finally allowing his fist to meet with Brodie's, "I like that. What was your name again?"

Brodie's stare searches mine for an answer, both of us taken by surprise by the simple, but complicated question given our circumstances. Hesitantly, he stutters out, "Umm, my name- my name, it's umm-"

"Maverick," I quickly finish for him. "His name is Maverick, buddy."

"Maverick like that movie Daddy always likes to watch? Top Gun?"

"Yeah," I answer back weakly, afraid that this will only give Aiden more reason to reveal my secret relationship to Dad. "Just like that..."

Brodie looks me over carefully, clearly seeing my worry start to come to the surface again. In an effort to distract me from my anxious thoughts, he changes the subject and asks my little brother, "What flavor did you end up getting, Bossman?"

"Strawberry," he informs, smacking his lips together. Aiden takes another bite into his ice cream, a look of disgust suddenly crossing his face as he dramatically spits out a piece of actual strawberry onto the pavement.

"Gross, Aiden! You're disgusting. Why get strawberry ice cream every time if you don't even like to eat the strawberries with it?"

"I don't like the way they feel in my mouth," he argues back.

Brodie laughs, "Lani, I've got to take his side of this one."

I dart my head over to him, sending him a testing glare, "Don't you dare, Maverick!"

Throwing his hands up, he defends himself, "Ice cream is about the taste, not the texture, Lelani!"

"Exactly," Aiden joins in, grinning up to Brodie with admiration, "What he said!"

"So now you're both turning against me, huh?" I tease, dramatically rolling my eyes and starting to walk away.

"Lelani Kahale," an alluring voice calls after me from behind, "Don't you walk away from us! You're just mad because deep down you know we're right."

"Unbelievable," I shake my head in refusal, trying my best to keep my smile hidden, "You really have turned to the dark side, haven't you?"

"Well, can you blame me?" He laughs, nodding down to the curly-headed boy at his side and buttering my little brother up even more.

Aiden sticks his tongue out at me, causing Brodie and me both to laugh. "Hey," he calls up, "I like you."

"I like you too, Bossman," Brodie chimes back, once more dropping down to the six-year-olds level.

"Are you going to be around more? I like when you're around."

"Hmm," he hums back, glancing my way before answering the question, "That depends."

"On what?" Aiden asks excitedly, dancing on his tiptoes.

"Are you good at keeping secrets, Bossman?"

"Yes! Yes! I'm the best at keeping secrets!"

That statement makes me scoff, and I accidentally blurt out smartly, "Ha! Yeah right!"

"Well, maybe not for you," Aiden scowls over to me, "But for Maverick, I am!"

"You hear that?" Brodie mocks me with a devilish smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "For Maverick he is."

I narrow my eyes at him, envious of the way he so effortlessly won Aiden over, but also admiring the playful and pure interaction he managed to create between the two of them.

Brodie brings his full attention back to my little brother, offering, "Let's make a deal, Bossman."

"Okay," Aiden eagerly agrees. "What?"

"You promise to keep me a secret, and I promise to come with Lelani every Tuesday to pick you up from camp and buy us all ice cream. How's that sound?"

"Deal!"

"Sweet," Brodie says, slapping his knees and bringing himself to his feet. "Now let's get you two back to the car, huh? You've got a date with Anabelle and Tom Nook, remember?"

"Oh, yeah!" Aiden says, sprinting to the car and quickly climbing himself into the backseat.

My breath hitches as Brodie pins his stare on me, locking his beautiful brown eyes onto mine as he starts to advance my way. "What about you, wild thing? Do we have a deal?"

"I don't know, Maverick," I tease, "Remember what happened the last time we tried to make a deal?"

"Oh, I remember, alright," he laughs, and I watch his tongue subtly trail against his lips as he looks at mine.

"Eyes to yourself, Brodie," I giggle. "There's a six-year-old tattle-tell watching us."

"Hey, love birds!" Aiden yells right on cue, with his head hanging out the window. "Hurry it up, won't you?"

"Sure thing, Bossman," Brodie chuckles. Taking one last moment for the two of us, he smiles back down on me, discreetly trailing his thumb against my cheek as he jokes, "Damn kindergartners."

His touch leaves my skin tingling, and while I know it can't stay, I sure the hell wish that it could.

Damn kindergartners.

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