Love's Change of Heart

Before he could finish his stance, Aidan snatched the yogurt bottle out of his hands, twisted the cap

open, and then handed it back to him.

"Thank you," Hogbunny said cheerily, then tipped his head back and drank the yogurt in silence.

Aidan watched him and asked, "Hey, brat, won't your family mind you coming out with a bunch of adults

like this?"

Having finished the yogurt, Hogbunny corrected the older man primly, "I'm not a brat. I'm ten. Haven't

you ever gone out with friends before when you were a kid, mister? Did your family keep you at home

most of the time?"

Aidan's lips pursed into a thin line.

On the other end of the campsite, Zoe added briquettes to the barbecue pit while glancing over her

shoulder to check on the kid. "I didn't think the brat would get along so well with President Pearson. Do

you think they've met their match?"

"Oh, so he was a cute guy before, and now he's just a brat?" Leanna teased.

Zoe shot her a look of mute despair. "Stop rubbing salt in my wound," she wailed. She had never

before found life so tiresome. "I'll drop him home right after this. I swear, the little con artist has

completely warped my sense of trust for people I meet on the Internet!"

Leanna countered, "Maybe there's been a misunderstanding. I think he's rather adorable, and his

manners are impeccable, too. Did you read too much into his messages?"

Zoe retorted aggravatedly, "That's not possible! He even sent me photos, remember? I wasn't reading

too much into anything! I give up on love. I've met countless douchebags in this lifetime to put me off

dating forever. Lying, cheating scumbags, and those with fish ponds, too... What are kids learning

these days at school? Does scumbag training start this young? Maybe I'm just not meant to find love. I

might as well join a convent!"

Leanna laughed and patted her friend's shoulder as she comforted, "Now, now, don't jump the gun. You

can mingle after the competition. There's a higher chance of you meeting the right guy if you just get

away from the Internet for long enough."

"Forget it," Zoe muttered grimly. "What am I if not a douchebag magnet? I should just accept my fate

and swear off men entirely."

At that moment, Leanna looked at the young couple laughing and bantering by the stream. She smiled

and mused wistfully, "It's nice to be young, huh?"

Zoe followed her line of sight and sighed in the most jaded way she could. "Yeah. I wouldn't have to

worry about meeting douchebags if I were their age."

That afternoon, the campers dug into their own packed lunches and snacks. When they were done, two

pairs of lovebirds decided to make their way to the flower field they had seen on the map. The

remaining campers either retreated into their tents to nap or huddled together by the stream, gazing out

at the woods.

Leanna sat next to Aidan as she asked quietly, "Are you bored, President Pearson?"

Aidan cast her a sideways glance and smiled, "Not when you're with me."

The corners of her lips curled upward as she stared at the glimmering surface of the water. After a

while, she said, "Sometimes when I get overwhelmed by work, hanging out with this bunch of kids

reminds me to take it easy."

"Kids? You're not that much older than them, you know," he pointed out in amusement.

She argued good-naturedly, "Yes, but I'm older than them nonetheless, even if by a few years. I treat

them the same way as I would with Louis. They're like my little sisters and brothers."

Aidan snaked an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, then murmured huskily, "I'm only a

couple of years older than you, but you called me mister."

She was rendered speechless by this.

While she was still stunned, Aidan leaned in and nibbled her earlobe playfully. "Hmm?" he teased.

Blood rushed to her cheeks at once as she gave him a weak push. "Watch yourself. There are people

here."

"Where?" Aidan asked, looking around to make his point.

The only other person here was the kid doing his homework with his back to them. Zoe appeared to

have skulked off somewhere else as well.

"We still can't," Leanna said as she used her hand to keep the distance between them.

"Can't what?" he asked as he chuckled roguishly.

She couldn't believe he was still teasing her when they were in the open. She ignored him, but when

she was about to get up, he pulled her back and said, "Okay, I'll stop. Just sit here with me, will you?"

He sounded tired. She looked at him for a moment and asked, "Have you been busy these days?"

He hummed in response, then explained slowly, "There's a lot of work to be done, and I'm going on a

business trip tomorrow."

"You never told me."

"I was going to, but then you decided to bring your whole workshop on a camping trip."

She quirked her lips. Well, I blame myself for this, she thought guiltily. She paused, then asked, "When

will you be back?"

"A week, if I'm lucky," Aidan answered. He wasn't worried about her safety, given that he had hired a

team of bodyguards to secretly keep watch over her during his absence. Still, there was something else

on his mind.

Leanna straightened up in his arms and pressed, "Are you okay? You've been acting strange today."

Aidan smirked. "How so?"

"For starters, I've rarely seen you so serious."

"So you like it when I'm not serious, then?"

Once again, Leanna had no reply.