Page 87 of The Beginning and End of Everything
"Asshole."
"Seriously, though, you're missing out." He swipes the bottle of cider from me and takes a swig, shaking his head and squinting one eye like he's having a stroke. "Oh, God. That shit is like vinegar."
"Compliment the taste of rat, hmm?"
"No." He inhales and leans back on the bench. "You remember that time Connor drank a whole two-liter bottle of that on a dare?" He starts laughing, barely able to get the words out. "I thought he'd actually died. Andyoudared him."
"Look, I don't remember daring him..."
"If it had been anyone else, he would have said no, but he'd have walked on hot coals if you said it." He shakes his head, smiling.
"Bless him. Poor thing had to have his stomach pumped and everything."
"God did he bitch about it." Brandon rolls his eyes, but I can see the warm smile on his lips, the softness in his expression. I think he likes to remember the three of us growing up, the way we were before life became hard and cruel.
"Whywere we all friends, anyway?” I ask. “All we ever did was harass each other and get each other drunk.”
"Eh, you were the half-breed, I was the pikey, and Connor was fat. Who else was going to hang out with us?"
"True." I smile and lean my head against his shoulder. "Who'd have ever thought me and you would end up in London?"
"If there's one thing I've learned, poss, it's that no matter where you go in the world, the places don't mean shit. It's the people. I'm glad you found me. I'm just sorry you had to lose everything to do it." He closes the plastic kebab tub and gets up, tossing it in the trash. He turns to me and holds out his hand. "Ready to go home?"
I nod and take his hand.
Little things like tonight, they’re what make everything seem worth it. It's the way he makes me feel. The way he loves me, the “us” that has always swirled somewhere beneath the surface, that makes me know I would never let him walk away from me. No matter what.
* * *
When I wakethe next morning, the sun is much brighter than it should be for—I glance at the clock and sit straight up, then jump out of bed. "Shit!"
Brandon bolts up. "What!” He swipes his hand over his face before holding it to his chest. "Shit. Don't do that."
"I'm going to be late."
"So? No need to give me a coronary over it."
I dig through the piles of clean laundry I've yet to put away while Brandon rolls out of bed and staggers into the living room.
Once I’ve managed to make myself look halfway put together, I go to the kitchen. Brandon's standing at the counter, staring down at the box of two-day-old pizza. "Okay, you've got two choices here. Pizza or Coco Pops."
"I'm fine. Thanks, though."
He steps around the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Coffee. No whiskey." He flashes a smile, and I push up on my tiptoes to kiss him.
His hand snakes around my neck as he sweeps his tongue over my bottom lip. I fight the urge to part my lips, and I somehow manage to pull away from him. "I'm late."
"And I'm horny, babe. We all got our issues." He scrapes his teeth over his bottom lip in a way that just shouldn't be allowed.
"Well. Save it, and I'll handle you when I get back."
"Possum…"
He takes a step toward me, and I hold a finger up. "Don't."
His smile is full of dirty promises as he takes my hand and yanks me closer. His lips skim just below my ear. "Just call in sick," he whispers, his hot breath tickling my neck. "We'll have a sex day. It's like a snow day, only better."
I melt into him for a second, nearly caving. He nips at my ear, and I playfully shove him away.
