Page 7 of Fall of Us
“Andrew?”
I jumped when Brandon called my name. It wasn’t like I had a lot to be guilty of, other than jerking off in his bed. It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last if I had anything to say about it—because I wanted to change his mind about us.
Watching Brandon make the wrong choice over and over again was getting tiring. There was only so much I could take before I said enough was enough. I wanted him to be mine in every way. The problem was getting him over his stubborn streak about it.
“I’m in here,” I called from his bedroom. I was presentable now, having dug out a pair of sweats that I’d apparently stashed here after all. When he came into the room, I set the book I’d been reading on my lap and my heart did that fluttery thing it always did when he smiled at me.
Damn. It really was too bad that he was fresh from a breakup.
“Were you lazy all day?” he asked as he pulled his sweater over his head and went to his dresser to pull out a t-shirt. I watched in awe as he exposed all that creamy skin. My fingers itched to traildown the expanse of his chest, to familiarize myself with it more intimately.
“No,” I laughed. “If you remember, I got out today.”
Brandon’s cheeks turned rosy as he held the shirt half on-half off. He appeared lost in thought, then casually shrugged and concealed what I desired to see and touch. I never understood his need to cover up. Brandon had always been that way. Unlike the rest of us, he was shy about walking around shirtless. He didn’t need to be because he had an amazing body.
He sat next to me on the bed and picked the book up off my lap. Brandon studied the cover before setting it on the nightstand next to his bed. “I didn’t know that you liked cozy mysteries.”
Now it was my turn to shrug. “I don’t know. I’ll read just about anything. That was on your shelf and it looked good.”
My eyes zeroed in on how Brandon gnawed on that bottom lip of his. When he released it, it was slick with saliva and I wanted to lean forward and swipe my tongue across it, familiarize myself with his taste. When I looked up, that blush was back, and I knew he’d caught me watching him.
Brandon cleared his throat and stood from the bed. He quickly made for the doorway and called over his shoulder on the way. “I brought home a pizza from that place near the store. I know they’re a little pricey, but I swear it’s the best.” And just like that, he left the room.
I wanted to laugh. He was so easily flustered sometimes. I stood and stretched my arms over my head, letting my back pop a few times before following him into the other room. He stood in front of the pizza box at his kitchen island, setting out two plates.
“You didn’t need to do that.” I came up behind him and wrapped him in a hug. Brandon went completely rigid in my hold. I hated it when he tensed up because it wasn’t like him. We were always at ease with each other. It wasn’t unusual to be physically intimate, either. This was only a hug.
Brandon snorted a laugh. “I like treating you to nice things.”
I kissed the side of his head when he finally relaxed in my arms. We helped ourselves to slices of pepperoni pizza and sat on the couch in front of his TV. He turned it on and pulled up a streaming service to watch a movie. It was so simple, but it was us. I lived for these moments and hoped that I would never lose them, even if things changed.
Chapter 6
Brandon
Something... felt different.
I couldn’t place my finger on it, but the entire atmosphere in the apartment had changed when I got home last night. Seeing Andrew looking so at home in my bed had done something to change my perspective on things. It was no secret I wanted him there, felt he belonged, but couldn’t give in. I’d die if everything fell apart. Our friendship was too valuable to put it on the line.
After we’d finished our movie, Andrew stayed the night again, but in the morning, he finally went home. A part of me wished he never had to leave. It wouldn’t take much to convince him, but he had nothing here that belonged to him. And that was my fault. We’d discussed him having stuff there before, but after one boyfriend threw a fit when he found one of Andrew’s hoodies, it became a no-go. It felt like I wasn’t allowed to have other guy friends. Which was stupid. I somehow always picked guys who had trust issues.
Since my head was such a mess about it all, I made my way to Margaret’s, the restaurant where Chase, Daniel,and Shawn worked. The place was relatively empty between the lunch and dinner rushes, and I sat at a table to talk with Chase.
“What are you thinking about?”
Looking up at Chase, I sighed and offered a tight smile. “What else am I always thinking about?”
He was on a break, and maybe I should have stopped bothering him at work. But it was the only place where Nathan wouldn’t interfere. Was it wrong to ask him to hide this from his boyfriend? Maybe.
Chase leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. “I get it, but it’s only been two days since the last asshole exited the picture. My advice? Don’t jump into anything right away again. Give it some time. And I’ve already told you to give Andrew a chance.”
And hehadsaid that... a few times. Chase was team Andrew all the way. All my friends were.
I drummed my fingers against the tablecloth and stared at my friend. “I want to. God... I’m scared. I feel like it’s stupid at this point.”
Chase straightened and checked his watch before patting me on the shoulder. “I need to get back to work, but there’s a reason behind why you’re so scared. Again, take some time. Get your head on straight. Talk to him.”
I nodded. I could do that... If only my heart didn’t feel like it was trying to escape my chest every time I did.
