Page 86 of Adrift Without You
Pulling him a little closer, I place a kiss atop his head. “It’s what I wanted and hoped for. Especially when we were living together with Tiff and Ethan. But no, I never thought I could be that lucky. I didn’t think a happily ever after was on the cards for us, no matter how much I wanted it. What about you?”
“No, I didn’t think I could escape Bruce for long. I knew he’d never let me be happy. Never letusbe happy.” Bren pauses, fingers tracing figure eights on my chest before continuing. “Some mornings when I wake up before you, I watch you sleep because I can’t believe how happy I am.”
“And you stroke my hair,” I say, reaching down and giving his bum a squeeze.
“What the fuck, Davies?” Bren props himself up onto an elbow so he can look at me, feigning irritation, until he breaks into a smile. “So you’re just lyin’ there pretendin’ to be asleep while I stare at you?”
I grin back at him. “Well, I like it when you stroke my hair and I don’t want you to stop, so I just keep my eyes closed.”
“Yeah? You like it when I do this?” Bren’s fingertips delicately thread through my hair as he brushes it back from my forehead.
I can’t believe how much I love this man. Just as I can’t believe thatthisBren, this gentle, soft version of him, was hiding—no,trapped—inside as a boy. “You’re so beautiful, Bren.” I pull him down, connecting our lips, then open for him, moaning as our tongues meet. He pulls away just as I’m about to roll on top and take things further.
“I got somethin’ done today.”
The quiver in Bren’s voice has me sitting up. “What babe?”
Bren pulls his T-shirt over his head, and my eyes are immediately drawn to the clear tape on his upper chest. To the place where my name had been erased and is now there once again.
My breath hitches at the sight. “Bren, you didn’t have—”
“I did,” he says firmly. “From the moment I removed your name I never really felt complete. Ky, you’ve had my heart since I was a boy.”
I pull him to me, kissing him hard, my emotions running away with me. Damn I love this man.
Bren breaks the kiss and jumps to his feet. “Come on, let’s take a swim”.
We discard our clothing and run naked towards the water. It’s the end of summer, so the water is warm, and yet it still takes me by surprise. Laughing loudly like carefree teenagers and with fingers entwined, our bodies topple into the water. When I surface, it’s to Bren’s beaming smile, his skin aglow in the moonlight. I grab him roughly, kissing him deeply as he wraps his legs around my waist.
We spend about twenty minutes swimming, making out, goofing off and making out some more before we head back to shore. After towelling off, we find some more driftwood to build the fire back up, glad for the warmth. I grab a beer for us to share and pull Bren between my legs, so he can lean back against my chest and watch the water.
“Happy anniversary, babe,” I whisper against his ear.
Bren tilts his head back for a kiss, then murmurs against my lips, “Happy anniversary. I love you.”
“Thanks for planning this. It feels like a full circle moment, for sure. Getting this second chance is more than I deserve. You know, I was so lost, so adrift without you, for all those years we were apart.”
Bren shuffles forward out of my arms. “Come on, let’s take a walk.”
“Now?” I say, a little irked. I was about to make my move. That’s the second time he’s put the brakes on tonight.
Bren pulls his shirt back on, then chucks me mine. “It’s gettin’ cold,” he says, riffling through his bag.
“What are you looking for?”
“Just checkin’ where I put my phone.”
Bren’s right, it is getting chilly, so I slip back into my shirt too, then we set off down the beach towards the Frankston Pier. I realise we must be almost at the exact spot where Bren first kissed me on the lips twenty-three years ago, and I wonder if he remembers it as clearly as I do.
He stops, pulling on my hand to halt me. When I face Bren, his face is filled with apprehension, and I notice his palm is clammy.
“Are you feeling okay?” I ask, bringing my hand up to cup his cheek.
“Do you think we were standin’ right about here when we first kissed?”
I smile, looking around then back to Bren. “Pretty close, I’d say. I guess we should kiss again, shouldn’t we?”
I don’t wait for the answer, I just move in, gently connecting our lips, kissing him slow and sweet until my knees feel weak.
