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wildflowerrambles · 6 years

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Cheater

Author’s Note: Hello readers! This is my first ever post! I hope to do a ‘Meet the Author’ post in the near future, but I just wanted to get some content out and see the response it gets. I hope you enjoy!

Song Inspiration: Cheater by The Vamps Pairing: Brad x Reader Word Count: 9,572 Warnings: drinking, sexual references, cheating

“Brad, let me in!” she whispered louder from outside the door. I laughed as I leaned against the door, watching the knob twist back and forth.

“Nah, I think I’ll just leave you out there.”

“You know exactly how that’ll end.”

And I did. Truly did.

He would eventually come out from his apartment and find her standing outside my door. But she wouldn’t be expecting what would happen next – a girl to walk out after him, a girl that isn’t her. That’s part of the reason I wouldn’t let her in my apartment just yet, not simply for the pleasure of joking with her. They were always loud, her boyfriend and the girl he was cheating on her with. I could hear them through my bedroom walls when I was trying to go to bed and I could hear them right now.

She had grown quiet outside my door and my neighbors had finally gotten quiet too. I opened the door and she must have been leaning against it because she stumbled in past the door mat and bumped into me, stabilizing herself by placing her hand against my chest. My hands shot up in defense.

“Whoa now.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she smirked and walked on past me into the living room.

She was one of my best friends. She had been since grade school. For a brief moment, we even thought we might be roommates in this very apartment. That dream was short lived when she started university and met the guy living in the complex next to mine.

He had attended one of the rivalry schools across town. She didn’t know him or his reputation and fell almost instantly. He was charming. I couldn’t blame her.

I dropped subtle hints about the things i had heard people say about the guy. His charm apparently worked on lots of other ladies too and they had no hesitation of following him back to his place. They had been seeing each other a few weeks and had finally convinced me to meet the guy. For a moment in the beginning I thought maybe people just liked to start rumors about an attractive guy whom they were inferior to. I was convinced. He was alright.

One night I was lounging around when I heard some obvious noise coming through the walls. I joked the next day, making a comment about how she and her boyfriend needed to keep the volume to a minimum. She was quick to draw her eyebrows together in confusion. After that, I knew that she wasn’t the one he had been banging against a headboard a few nights a week.

Nothing else was spoken about my comment. In fact, she didn’t speak to me for quite a while after that. I assumed I had upset her with my remark and she was ignoring me for her dead end boyfriend. Come to find out, she had asked him about what was going on and he kindly suggested that she shouldn’t be hanging out with other males, even just a friend. A few more weeks passed and one evening I opened my door to her familiar, shining face. ‘He may seemingly get what he wants, but he can’t tell me who I can and cannot be friends with, especially you,’ she had told me. So we kept our friendship somewhat hidden from him. I didn’t think it was too sneaky, to be truthful. We lived next to each other. But he had no idea or really didn’t care. It still bothered me, though, that he was sleeping with someone else and she still put up with him.

“Romantic comedy or suspense?” she stood next to the coffee table, a movie in each hand. I leaned against the door frame, crossing my arms as I narrowed in on the choices.

“Is neither an option?” I asked. She sighed, rolling her eyes and tossing the cases on the couch. I smirked. She made her way into the kitchen, grabbing two plates from the cabinet. I shuffled in slowly behind her, wondering how to tread lightly across the information that was eating me away. I grabbed two glasses from the other cabinet and fixed us each a drink. She grinned as I handed one to her and whispered a small ‘thank you.’ I was about to wipe that grin off her face and I hated myself for that.

“You know what’s-her-name is probably at Drew’s place right now,” I started.

She continued fixing plates, not looking up as she spoke, “Alexis is her name, I believe.”

“I saw her car in the parking lot.”

She was about to start getting aggravating. I knew she would. I had tried to drop hints for a little while now but she didn’t seem to be phased.

“They’re friends.”

“Right,” I said sarcastically. She turned around rather swiftly and made eye contact with me for the first time.

“We’re friends,” she said, “And we aren’t sleeping together.”

“That wasn’t my point,” I took my plate, thanking her before I made my way to the living room, “But while we’re on the topic, we also don’t make an alarming amount of noise. And not just any noise but screaming and the occasion piece of furniture hitting the walls.”

She made her way into the living room shortly after me. She sat her plate of food on the coffee table and picked up a comedy to watch. She knew me well.

The movie started and not much else was said regarding our conversation. She didn’t want to talk about it. I knew that. But I also wanted her to deal with it.

My eyes fluttered open as I slowly realized I had fallen asleep on the couch. The clock on the wall indicated that it was sometime between 2 and 3am. My eyes were still foggy with sleep and I didn’t stare long enough to figure out exactly what time it was. My arm was stiff when I tried to move it. I had apparently fallen asleep with it on the arm of the couch. I felt an extra weight against my hip and looked over to find that she had fallen asleep with her head resting against me. The television was still on but the movie had ended probably hours ago.

I slipped off the couch carefully, replacing my warmth with a pillow. I switched off the television and carried dirty dishes to kitchen. I went back to the living room to grab my phone before heading upstairs to my bed. I pulled the blanket she was already wrapped up in closer to her face so she’d stay warm. Pausing about halfway up the stairs, I glanced back to the couch where she was asleep. It had been months since she’d fallen asleep here. She would most likely freak out when she woke up in the morning. Her first thought would be how it would look for her to be leaving my place in the morning. She would be concerned that Drew would catch her sneaking away or see her car in the parking lot. He didn’t deserve that much thought. He didn’t deserve how wonderful she was.

She was still asleep when I came downstairs the next morning. I rummaged the cabinets for breakfast options, coming to the conclusion that they were limited. I glanced to the clock on the wall. Knowing her, she’d sleep at least another 45 minutes. I decided to make waffles. She had bought me a waffle maker as a housewarming gift, but I really think it was for her own advantage. She liked waffles better than pancakes, a little crunch to go with the fluff.

As I poured the last of the batter onto the waffle maker, I heard shuffling in the living room and an ‘ahhh, crap’ shortly after that. She waddled into the kitchen, still wrapped in a blanket.

“Well good morning sunshine,” I said. She sat down at the bar as I slid a plate in front of her. “I made waffles.”

I’m not sure I’ll ever forget the look on her face. She stared at me for a little longer than usual. Her eyes looked sad but grateful. She wasn’t smiling, not quite frowning either. I couldn’t exactly explain it – disappointment laced with realization. I could tell by the way her gaze shifted from me to her plate and stayed for moment that she was in deep thought. I didn’t say anything for a while, allowing her time to collect whatever was going through her head. She grabbed the fork next to her plate and cut the first bite.

“Orange juice or coffee?” I asked.

“Mmm, orange juice please.”

I filled her glass and sat it next to her plate. She didn’t look up, scrolling through her phone at this point. I fixed myself a cup of coffee, grabbed my plate, and headed to the living room. I plopped down on the couch, scrolling through my own phone as I enjoyed breakfast. She needed to stay more often. I rarely ever made breakfast for myself.

I heard her place her dishes in the sink before making her way to the stairs. Almost to the top, she paused. I glanced up to see what was going on and made eye contact.

“I know he’s cheating on me,” she said, her eye contact slipping away. I waited for a moment, unsure of the direction this was about to go.

“Then why do you still put up with him?”

She shrugged and the silence grew for moment before she descended up the stairs.

[]

A few days passed and I hadn’t heard anything from her. It had been a crazy week of one important thing to the next. I stood in the silence of my doorway for several minutes after I’d gotten home. I kicked my shoes off at the door and tossed my keys on the coffee table about the time my phone starting buzzing in my pocket. Her name flashed across one of my favorite pictures of us. We had taken a secret adventure one day while her boyfriend was out of town. A few of my friends had tagged along and thankfully captured the moment in a photo. She had thrown herself on my back, her arms wrapped around my chest. I had reached up to steady her about that time, grasping her forearms. We had been hiking and were dripping with sweat, but none of us cared. My favorite aspect was the happiness plastered all over our faces. When she truly smiled, her gums would show and her eyes would crinkle out to the side. She didn’t always like it, but I loved it. I loved to see her truly happy. I wasn’t sure Drew had ever seen that side of her. I had seen it a million times.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” she sang from the other end, “What are you doing tonight?”

“Uhh, nothing. Why? What’s up?”

“Wanna go to karaoke with me?”

I grinned, shoving my free hand in the front pocket of my jeans. We had been on very few public outings together since we started keeping things quiet. Karaoke was really a joke. Everyone there was either really drunk or really old. That’s part of what made it fun though. There was no pressure to impress peers. People could just let loose and have fun.

“Can I drink?” I asked.

She chuckled like she was annoyed but I knew she was actually smiling, “Yes, you can drink.”

After about two drinks and a handful of songs, I sat back down across from her as she clapped enthusiastically. She always was my biggest fan. Ms. Darlene stopped me, my second biggest fan, came to our table as usual and told me to inform her when my record deal went through. She had to be in her late 80’s and came probably every Friday night.

She continued to smile across the table as Ms. Darlene walked away, rubbing her finger across the top of her glass of water. Her smile begin to fade though.

“I talked to Drew,” she started. I stared at her for a moment before sitting up straight in my seat, resting my arms on the table. I wasn’t drunk enough for this. “He didn’t really try to deny anything.”

“Did you-”

“No,” she answered, “We just talked. Not a whole bunch was said because he had to leave for work.”

I nodded. We were silent for a few minutes. She had turned her gaze back to someone singing before I spoke up again.

“Do you love him?” I asked.

She shook her head after a moment, “Have we been together long enough to know if we love each other?”

I laughed a bit, though I probably shouldn’t have, “You and I had been friends for about two weeks and I knew I loved you.” I took a sip of my drink as I watched her expression change. She looked up at me quickly, then back down to her glass. I hadn’t really filtered through what just fell out of my mouth before it happened. Nothing more was said and we both went back to watching people scream lyrics from liquid confidence.

[]

I was lounging on the couch, finishing up an episode on Netflix like any other typical Saturday night when I heard a knock on my door. I paused my show and headed to the door. Peeping through the hole, I saw her standing outside. Swiftly, I opened the door, wondering what she was doing here.

She let out a deep breath that she must have been holding for ages, “I broke up with him.”

She ended up staying the night, briefly recapping the events with her now ex-boyfriend. Once she got everything off her chest, she didn’t say much. I don’t think she wanted to talk about it anymore. She had dealt with it. That’s all I had really wanted her to do. I glanced over to where she sat at the other end of the sofa, the television coloring her face various shades of blue and purple. I’m not sure why but I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. She looked peaceful for the first time in months, completely peaceful. I smiled to myself as I turned to face the television once again. She could finally move forward.

[]

Stretching my arms above my head, I dragged myself out of bed and down the stairs. The faint smell of bacon hit my nose when I reached the hallway. I grabbed a shirt off the chair, throwing it over my head and pulling it down my torso before following the scent to the kitchen.

“Are you making breakfast?” I asked, sitting down at the bar. She smiled, placing a plate in front of me.

“Bacon, eggs sunny side up, and two fluffy pancakes because you find three to be overwhelming.”

I grinned, eager to dig in. She rounded the corner to my side of the bar and I noticed that she was already dressed. She must have picked up on the confusion written on my face.

“I got called into work so I can’t stay and have breakfast with you.”

I stuck my bottom lip out, pouting. She disappeared into the living room, coming back with her shoes in her hands. She slipped them on quickly and grabbed the coffee mug off the counter.

“If you want to come back tonight, you’re welcome to. I’ll probably buy dinner and we can watch that thriller you mentioned the other day.”

She made her way to my side, wrapping her arms around my waist. I took her in with my free hand before sitting my fork down and fully embraced her. We hugged just about every time we saw each other, but some days I could tell she needed it more than others. I never got tired of being a source of comfort for her. She let out a deep sigh before stepping back.

“Sounds like a plan,” she smiled, giving me a fist bump, “See ya later.”

“Thank you for breakfast,” I yelled as she headed towards the door, “Have a great day!”

I heard my front door open a little after 6pm. I peeked my head around the opening to the kitchen and saw her placing her bag next to the door.

“Honey, you’re home!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air. I motioned for her to follow me back into the kitchen. “I picked up some Chinese, but…” I scurried to the oven, opening the door to peep inside, “I did buy cookie dough and make cookies so y’know. Effort.”

I noticed the brown paper bag she had brought in and was still holding on her hand. She placed it on the counter and took out a glass bottle.

“Is that wine?” I asked.

“I just want one glass,” she smirked, “You can keep the rest when I’m done if you want.”

I laughed, going to grab two glasses from the cabinet, “You can’t keep leaving stuff like that here. The guys have already questioned my masculinity.”

She rolled her eyes, filling the two glasses with the dark liquid.

The movie ended sometime around 9:30pm. I tapped her on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow me. I opened the door that led out to the tiny balcony of my apartment. There wasn’t much out here, just two plastic chairs and an old stool that often got used as a table. There was a strand of lights she had wrapped around the railing not long after I had moved in. We had only enjoyed being out here a few times before she started seeing Drew. Now it only got used if one of the guys came to visit and we sat outside playing guitar.

I plugged the lights into the outlet, the small bulbs illuminating the outdoor space. I sat on the ground, dangling my legs through the railing. She joined me, sitting in the same fashion. This really was quite a nice place to live. It sat up somewhat on a hill that overlooked the city. It was quiet, and tonight the weather was just right.

“I’m surprised these lights still work,” she broke the silence first.

I nodded in agreement, “They don’t get used often.”

It became silent again as we looked out over the scenery. I glanced over, taking a few sips of the drink in my hand. She was holding one leg against her, the other hanging over the edge. Her face was bare, the yellow light casting small silhouettes on her cheek. She turned to me about the same time I placed the glass bottle to my lips again.

“Question,” she said. I raised my eyebrows as a sign to continue. “What did you mean the other day when you said you knew you loved me after two weeks?”

I thought for a second, “I mean that...I would do just about anything for you. Not because I expect you to do things in return or to even say thank you. Simply because I want to see you happy and I care way more about that than, I don’t know, how you’re going to return the favor.”

“You think that’s the way that Drew was.”

“I think that Drew didn’t deserve you for a second. I…” I paused, taking a deep breath to collect my thoughts, “I think you are one of the most wonderful people I know. You’re brilliant. And talented. If there’s music playing, you’re going to dance regardless of where you might be or who could see you. Do you remember when I got really sick a few months ago? You stayed the whole weekend so you could take care of me. My mom wouldn’t even stay because of how contagious I probably was.” I laughed, “But you never thought twice about it. You sing at the top of your lungs during long car rides. And I don’t mean one or two songs. You sing the entire car ride.”

She grinned and let out a small chuckle.

“I don’t know how many times you cooked breakfast for the guy, or if you tailored to his need for only two pancakes. But I see the love that you give to people and he didn’t deserve that. I’m not sure anyone does.”

She sat quietly, resting her head against one of the metal bars. She probably had a million thoughts running through her mind right now. I finished my drink and stool up, pushing the door open slightly before pausing.

“Y’know, this breakup might not be as bad as you think,” I said.

“Why is that?” she asked.

“You still have a pretty rad best friend,” I said, smirking a little. The grin on her face grew and, if I wasn’t mistaken, a rosy glow brushed across her cheeks before she turned back to look out over the city.

[]

It felt as if the phone had been ringing forever. Surely she couldn’t be busy. Classes had been out for at least 45 minutes and she normally didn’t have to be at work this early. After several more rings, her cheerful voice came through the phone.

“Hey stranger.”

“What’s up?” she asked.

“I believe the guys are all gonna drive down to James’ this weekend if you’d like join me. We’ll probably spend a day at the beach, see what’s going on down there.”

“Yeah, I’m in. That sounds like fun.”

“Well great,” I said, “Leave Friday afternoon and come back sometime Sunday?”

“Sounds like a plan,” she answered cheerfully.

[]

Friday afternoon finally rolled around. It had been a busy few weeks since we had really seen each other last. I spent the morning helping out at the family business and text her to just meet me at my parent’s house when she was finished with class. My sister was passing through the area and willingly agreed to give her a ride so she could leave her car at my place. They hadn’t seen each other in a while and I’m sure spent the whole ride over jabbering.

Her and Natalie had become friends almost as instantly as we had. My sister was a few years older but that didn’t seem to matter much. They had spent a good bit of time together before we moved off for university. Neither one of us moved far from the homes we grew up in, but it was enough to cause us to make a point to visit.

She waltzed in through the front door, immediately attacked with dog kisses from Jesse. She had never cared much for dogs, especially bigger ones, when we became friends. But Jesse had stolen her heart just as easily as the rest of us. Unfortunately, the apartment I was currently in didn��t allow pets.

“Ready to go?” I asked.

“You make a playlist?”

“Of course.”

She always said I made the best playlists for road trips. James lived about three and a half hours away. There was no way I wouldn’t make one.

We arrived at James’ around 6pm. The other boys hadn’t been there long. James greeted each of us before we even made it to the front door, openly embracing me and giving her a good ole side hug like always. Tristan was next. He was a classic side hugger, too. Connor finally popped around the corner and stopped in his tracks.

“Well hey!” he exclaimed, “Nobody told me you were coming.”

He went in for a full on frontal hug, squeezing her for a few seconds. Connor greeted me next, equally excited to wrap his arms around me. It really was a shame we didn’t all live closer. The distance gave us an excuse to travel, though.

“Oh, you brought Rex,” she pointed out. Connor joined her in the next room, showing off his lizard.

We stood around talking for a bit before freshening up and heading out to grab a bite to eat. Any time we came down to visit James, we went to the same place to eat the first night. It was locally owned and served the best burgers, in my opinion. Her and James always bonded over their minimal love for meat and would get some kind of veggie pizza, which was equally pretty good if I was honest. The atmosphere was what gave the place such a good reputation. It was laid back. Most of the seating was outdoors and they had live music on the weekends.

We hung out there for a few hours, heading back around 9:30pm. The four of us grabbed our instruments and headed outside. She went upstairs to take a shower. Tristan beat his hands against the box he was sitting on. The rest of us strum on our guitars until it turned into something we recognized and someone began singing. It was just a thing we did almost every time any of us were together. It’s what we enjoyed.

We left the doors open and at one point I saw her slip down the stairs and into the kitchen, her hair still damp. I could tell she was singing along when she passed back through the living room. She reappeared from the stairs again, this time with dry hair. She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. Her gaze caught mine and she smirked. I knew I had been looking at her too long by now, but I couldn’t force my eyes to look away.

Connor and Tristan made their way inside after a while and decided to play video games. She took Connor’s seat while me and James goofed off a little longer. Tristan could be heard in the background throwing a fit because he had lost in his battle against Connor. James eagerly went inside to take his place in pursuit to beat his friend.

“Did you make cookie dough?” I asked with pure enthusiasm as I entered the kitchen to see a mixing bowl sitting on the island.

“Of course. It wouldn’t be a proper get together if I didn’t.”

I went to the drawer to grab a spoon, getting myself a nice bite of dough. Connor had reluctantly given up his controller and she was now playing against James. She was terrible at video games. I couldn’t see her face as I leaned on the counter but I could tell by the empty threats she made that she was having a good time regardless. She knew deep down that I had partially invited her because she needed to get away from town and all that had happened recently. But I also knew that we enjoyed her company just as much.

Tristan ended up falling asleep on the couch. Connor and James went upstairs to his room to continue gaming. I joined them once she turned on the television and got engrossed in a movie. The clock read 1:32am when I decided to go back downstairs. I knew we’d be up fairly early to head to the beach in the morning and figured I should probably try to get some sleep. She had fallen asleep at some point in the large chair off to the corner of the room, the television still on. I walked through, turning off the kitchen light and heading quietly to get the remote from where she was laying. Reaching for it, I bumped her phone off the arm of the chair. Thankfully it wasn’t very loud and didn’t wake anyone. As I picked it up and sat it back on the chair, the screen lit up to reveal a message from Drew. Several actually.

I know it’s late and I also know you’re with Brad because your car is outside but anyway i’m sorry the past few weeks have really made me miss you and i realize what a jerk i was

Are you not gonna reply?

Maybe you’re asleep just text me when you get this and maybe we can meet tomorrow or something

I miss u i rlly do

He always was terrible at grammar.

And she’s not even home, ya goob, I thought to myself. But he did know that she was with me and probably even thought that she was at my place which brought me an odd sense of satisfaction.

I gathered the blankets from the back of the coach and the sleeping bag in the hall closet, making myself a place to sleep in the living room. I didn’t really know why seeing those messages bothered me so much. I turned over, pulling the blankets up and tried to just not think about it.

[]

We all made our way out of the house the next morning, slowly but surely. We decided on taking the bus down to the beach. It would save us the chaos of driving. Connor and I were the first ones down, leaning against his vehicle parked outside. My hair was still wet from showering, a bandana tied around in an attempt to contain my curly mop. I scrolled through my phone to try and distract my mind that was still way too curious about the messages I’d seen last night.

James was the next one down and she shortly followed after him. Her wavy locks were pushed back by a pair of sunglasses. She’d thrown a gray tank top and loose pair of shorts over her swimsuit, a light sweater tied around her waist. The straps of a backpack hung from each shoulder, a cup of coffee and granola bar in one hand and in the other was her phone. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, she looked up and made eye contact with me for the first time this morning.

Tristan was the last one out of the house, double checking to make sure the door was locked per James’ instruction. The bus arrived momentarily and we all settled in near the back. She sat quietly next to me for a little while, eating her breakfast.

“Drew messaged me last night,” she spoke softly, almost as if she didn’t want anyone around to hear.

“Yeah?”

Play it cool, Brad. Play it cool.

“He misses me and blah blah blah,” she rolled her eyes, “I haven’t reached out to him in weeks. Honestly, I think the last time I had anything to do with him was the day we broke up. I just deleted the messages and didn’t respond.”

I felt a wave of relief pass through me when those words left her mouth. She tossed her phone into her bag, but I caught a glimpse of her screen just before it vanished and I felt a different sense of satisfaction. It was the same picture that popped up every time she called me, the one I adored so much. I smirked as I looked out the window, wondering if she enjoyed it as much as I did.

The beach was still fairly calm and uncrowded when we arrived. We claimed our spot for the day and it took all of two seconds for the boy’s shirts to come off and them jet off toward the water. She was bent over rummaging through her bag and stood up at the same time my shirt hit the ground next to her towel. I watched her eyes scan me real fast before fixating on the sunscreen bottle in her hand.

There was something different in the look she had just given me. She had seen me shirtless probably hundreds of times. She had seen all of us shirtless, even most of us in our boxers. But the way her eyes flickered across my exposed torso was a look I’d never seen her give me before.

The guys and I easily became wrapped up in a game of tossing the ball back and forth, each of us completely soaked within minutes. The beach had become a little more populated by now. She had joined Connor in a game of football (soccer).

“Rubbish!” he yelled.

I chuckled. Her football skills were about as good as her video gaming skills. She wore the sunglasses previously on top of her head, her hair flowing just over her shoulders as she ran down the beach after the ball. I wasn’t sure why I made the mental note, but she was wearing a bikini I had never seen before. It was a dusty pink color that flattered her skin tone. Making my way out of the water, I jogged up the shore, capturing her in my arms before she could reach the ball. She screamed and laughed all at once, the two of us spinning from all the momentum I had gained.

The day passed quicker than we had hoped. Sand castles were built, James was buried in the sand and turned into a mermaid - boobs and all. We sang along to the music some people a few yards down from us had blasting. All five of us singing obnoxiously was quite a sound, I imagine. We also had our fair share of basking in the sun and walking through the waves. A few of us might have even fallen asleep at one point.

We packed up our things and headed to the town that followed the coastline. We slipped into the little pub that was close by, music radiating through the place.

I watched from the bar as she swayed to the music playing through the speakers. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were rosy from the sun she had soaked up earlier, her hair pushed back again by her sunglasses. She carried on casual conversation with James who sat next to her. Suddenly the patio was filled with the tune of Ed Sheeran’s “Barcelona.” Her and James burst into singing, Connor joining them soon after. I couldn’t hear them from where I was standing but I could imagine what it sounded like.

I bounced my way back through the outside crowd, plopping down in her lap as the second verse started. I used my bottle as a microphone as I sang right at her.

“Get up, up on the dance floor, move, it’s a Saturday night,”

I leaned in, resting my forehead against hers until our noses touched. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been in her face before. We frequently invaded each other’s personal space. But I wasn’t usually this relaxed about it, especially with so many people around. The drinks I had could certainly take credit for that.

“I fell in love with the sparkle in the moonlight reflected in your beautiful eyes, I guess that is destiny doing it right,”

She didn’t seem uncomfortable though. Her mouth formed into a teethy grin, her eyes fluttering almost shut. I shot up from my seat as the next lyrics started, dramatically offering her my hand.

“And dance like they do in the Mediterranean, spin you around again and again,”

I did as the song suggested, spinning her twice with my free hand.

“You’re like something God has sent me, I want you baby, solamante,”

I stepped away from her at this point and roamed over to Tristan.

“You and I, we’re flying in an aeroplane tonight,”

I stuck my hands out like the wings of a plain and swayed around. She and the rest of the guys joined me, improving dance moves as the song continued on.

“We’re going somewhere where the sun is shining bright Just close your eyes and let’s pretend we’re dancing in the streets in Barcelona,”

The song finally faded into another one, something slower. We made eye contact as she sneaked down the steps of the patio. She smirked, giving me a small signal to come tag along. The other boys were too engrossed in slow dancing with each other to pay me much attention. Goobs.

She had untied the sweater around her waist and pulled it over her torso. The temperature had dropped quite a few degrees since the sun had set. The breeze had slowed down too, blowing just enough to keep the hair out of your face. She hurried through the sand, climbing into one of the hammocks they had hanging along the shore. I approached her a few seconds later, laying down in the hammock next to her. She pulled my head to her chest and began running her fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in the sound of my surroundings. The faint tune of music from the pub, the waves crashing against the shore, her sighing. I glanced up after I heard her sigh and she smiled.

“Thank you for inviting me to join you this weekend, to join all of you.”

“Any time. You know that.”

“I also know that the invite was to get me away from everything,” she paused, “And I really appreciate it. I needed to get away.”

She hadn’t talked much about things after she broke up with Drew. I probably wasn’t the first person she wanted to share her feelings with, but at the same time I didn’t entirely know how she was handling things.

“How are you?” I was hesitant, but I asked anyway.

“I’m good, actually. I wasn’t totally caught off guard to be completely honest. There were signs, but I just wasn’t ready to deal with it.” She knew I wanted more information than that. She also knew that she would end up telling me because I was a little drunk and might not think anything about it in the morning. She had stopped playing with my hair by now and was staring up at the stars. “I wasn’t heartbroken because of him. Because I thought I had lost someone or something so wonderful because clearly I wasn’t. But I was hurt because he made me feel like I wasn’t enough. What do you expect though from someone who only wants one thing.”

She sat up now, wrapping her arms around her knees. She rested her chin against her arms.

“Wait, you didn’t…?”

She shook her head. I sat up next to her.

“When we were sitting on your porch that night and you said all those things to me.. I was quiet, which I know probably alarmed a little bit,” she shrugged, “I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t get it in my head that anyone could think highly of me.”

She spoke up again before I had the opportunity to say anything.

“But.. I’ve had a great day with the four most wonderful and goofy guys,” she chuckled and I laughed along with her.

It broke my heart that someone could cause her to think so little of herself. I peered over at her as she watched the waves hitting the shore before returning to sea. The moonlight reflected off the water and the blue of her eyes. She was equally wonderful and I just wish she could see that.

She caught me staring and I moved my head to rest on her shoulder. She rested her head on top of mine. The moment didn’t last long before three little drunks came running through the sand and flung themselves into the hammock with us.

[]

I could hear noise before I ever opened my eyes. I could also smell food. I opened my eyes slowly, rolling over to remember that I was sleeping in James’ living room floor. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I could feel the slightest pain run through my temples.

I could see just over the couch into the kitchen. Her and James were bouncing around the kitchen, singing into spoons.

Connor was the first of the guys that she met. James was second. They clicked almost instantly. We often joked that they were the two peas in the pod. James was the most level-headed of us all, so she often went to him for advice. They also had similar eating habits and were basically the same people.

I fell back onto my pillow, the pain in my head pounding a little more. Connor appeared from upstairs, clearly not ready to be awake either. He walked slowly to the kitchen in only sweatpants and socks. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair as he sat down at the table.

Connor was the first friend she was introduced to because he lived close by and attended the same college as us for a little while. He encouraged her rebellion. They bonded over their love for tattoos, piercings, and alternative music. When he lived closer, they would often meet up while they waited for me to get out of class.

She emerged from the kitchen, peering over the back of the couch.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she said. She began to shake Tristan lightly by the shoulder, repeating his name in an attempt to wake him up. He didn’t budge much. I stood up and made my way to the couch where Tristan was asleep. I fell down on top of him, poking his cheeks with my index finger. She joined in and began poking him on his side. Tristan groaned, fidgeting underneath my grasp.

Tristan was the last of the guys that she met. They had a really laid back relationship. She would always play video games with him and talk about nonsense. Their dynamic was charming because of how tiny she was compared to his tall, lanky self.

“You guys can come eat breakfast whenever you would like,” James said.

Those seemed to be the magic words because Tristan was ready to get up, wiggling frantically as I wrapped my arms tighter around him.

She and James had prepared a wonderful breakfast for all of us. There were eggs, scrambled and sunny side up. Bacon. Sausage. French toast. Waffles. An assortment of fruit. Orange juice, coffee, and milk. We each fixed our plates and sat together at the tiny table in James’ kitchen.

We lounged around for a little while longer before gathering our things and packing up to hit the road back to our homes. We were going to be the first to head back because the weather near us was shaping up to look pretty nasty.

She and Tristan had come up with a cheesy handshake they did when they said goodbye.

“Gosh, I’m going to miss you guys,” she said, throwing her arms around Connor’s neck. They swayed back and forth for a moment before she headed to the door. James stood in the doorway, hugging me close to him.

“I’m going to miss having you guys, especially little bear,” James was referring to me, squeezing me a little tighter. She rolled her eyes with a smile and James extended his arm to bring her in for a hug too.

Nasty weather was almost an understatement. It had rained the majority of our drive home, the intensity picking up as we got closer. Thunder crashed and lightening lit up the sky as we reached my apartment. I gathered my things quickly from the backseat before darting up the steps to my doorstep. She was still trying to get her bags from the trunk when thunder boomed again.

“Just come in,” I yelled down to her.

“But my things are still in the car.”

“It’s fine. We can worry about them later.”

She managed to grab a bag she had in the backseat and bolted towards the house. We were both soaked by now. She dropped her bag in the floor as I shut the door to the craziness outside. I grabbed two towels from the laundry room and handed one to her. We tried to dry off as much water as we could before proceeding through the house.

“There’s no way you’re driving back to your place in this. You can just stay here tonight,” I said as I made my way to the stairs. She followed me up the stairs to my room. I knew most of her clothes were in her main suitcase which hadn’t made it inside. I rummaged through my dresser, looking for something she could borrow.

“Here,” I said, tossing her one of my hoodies. She had found a pair of shorts in her bag downstairs.

I took off my wet clothes and tossed them in the laundry basket just inside the bathroom. She was giving me that look again, the one I had seen when I took my shirt off at the beach. I made my way back across the room to grab some dry clothes.

“You’re welcome to shower first,” she said, “You’ll be quicker than me.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded, hugging my sweatshirt closer to her body.

I was in and out within five minutes and handed the bathroom over to her. She showered rather quickly herself. She walked through, using the towel to soak up some of the moisture in her hair. The sleeves of my hoodie had been rolled up to accommodate her tiny frame.

I was already in bed, scrolling through my phone. She switched off the light and headed downstairs after telling me goodnight. I switched off the lamp next to my bed shortly after that and put my phone on the bedside table. A few minutes after I had rolled over and closed my eyes, I heard my door creak open and a small light shine through the room. She stopped at the end of my bed.

“Can I sleep in here tonight?” she asked shyly. I had seen the look on her face before when the weather would get stormy.

“Of course,” I threw the covers back and scooted to the side.

She would tense every time thunder sounded. I ran my fingers lightly through her hair, something that would put her to sleep at any given time of the day. The room suddenly lit up like it was the middle of the day and a loud burst sounded through the room. Without thinking, my arms found their way around her and pulled her close to my chest. Her hands gripped onto mine, her eyes shutting tightly. Once she opened them again, we realized that the power had gone out and became aware of our current position.

I grabbed the flashlight from the bedside drawer I happened to have. We made our way downstairs in search of lighting sources. I realized quickly that I had a serious lack of flashlights and candles. I heard some clashing coming from the kitchen and peeked around the corner to see that some pots and pans had fallen out of a cabinet and hit the ground. She grinned sheepishly, holding up an unopened pack of candles.

We lit the candles and placed them throughout the living room area. Oddly enough, it was kind of romantic other than the torrential downpour going on outside. We had hoped that the weather would slack up a little, but we had been sitting in my living room for a few hours now and it was still going steady. She glanced at the clock on the wall which caused me to do the same. It was close 2am.

We were both incredibly tired, but I knew she wouldn’t fall asleep. She had dozed off a few times but it never lasted more than about ten minutes or so. Eventually I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.

The next time I opened my eyes, I could see a faint patch of light coming through the curtains. I blinked a few times to clear my vision and looked to the clock on the wall. The hand ticked at just past 8am. I panicked for a second because it was now Monday morning and I knew she had class. She was asleep at the other end of the couch, curled under a blanket. I moved cautiously before tapping her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes very slowly.

“It’s after 8,” I said. She made a face and tossed the blanket back over her head. I chuckled and made my way to the kitchen. I heard her shuffle about and head up the stairs.

I sat down on the couch, having a bowl of cereal before she came back down. She had gathered her things from upstairs and went to put them in her bag. Finishing my breakfast, I sat my empty bowl in the sink before heading to the laundry room where she was at. She was folding the clothes from last night that were in the dryer. She moved rather slowly, lacking the usual bit of energy she had.

“You should be well rested,” she glanced at me through her peripherals, grinning, “You snored the remainder of the night away.”

I pushed her by the shoulder and she stumbled to the side. She tossed the shirt in her hands in my face. I twisted the shirt in between my hands, acting like I was going to pop her with it. She held her hands in front of her in protest. As I inched closer, she backed farther into the corner. She tried darting past me to escape but I grabbed her in my arms, spinning her around until her back was pushed against the washing machine. My arms rested on either side of her. She stared up at me, the smile still present on her face from where she’d been laughing. The moment dragged on a little longer than necessary until she reached up to tickle me. I instinctively brought my arms in and she took the opportunity to free herself.

I helped her transfer her luggage from my car to hers. It was still pretty gloomy outside. Thankfully, though, the rain was gone. She gathered her things from inside, leaning against a half open door.

“I’m probably going to go home and sleep until I have to get ready for work. Three hours was not enough for me,” she shut her eyes as she spoke and I could tell just how heavy they were.

“I don’t blame you,” my hand found its way to the door. She stood up straight now. We were dangerously close, as we had been earlier. And again, we had already been looking at each other for a little too long by now.

“Be careful,” my voice had suddenly become quiet.

And then it happened.

Her lips met mine.

Her lips finally met mine. I had wanted to do this since about grade 11, but by then I was afraid we were too good of friends. That fear grew with each passing day. Before long, I simply pushed the thought to the back of my mind. I had been in and out of my share of relationships and I had watched her do the same. I had kissed girls and drawn things out longer than I should have, the whole nine yards. But when it came down to it, I looked forward to spending time with her more than anyone. And we were “just friends.”

My hand found the small of her back, drawing her body closer to mine. We broke apart after a few minutes, but man, I didn’t want to.

“I will,” she whispered before heading out the door.

[]

It had been about three months since the morning we kissed. Things seemed to fall into place after that, like they were meant to be just that way. It was lovely. She was lovely.

We had made another trip down to visit the boy’s. Summer was nearing its end and we were all dreading it. We would head back to our individual homes tomorrow morning. I pushed her against the wall of James’ bathroom. My hands roamed their way up her torso as my lips attacked hers frantically.

“They’re going to hear us,” she said between kisses.

“They’re all asleep.”

I closed the gap between us again before she could say anything else. I could feel her smirk into her kiss, nipping at my bottom lip. She pulled away, grabbing her toiletries as she darted out the entrance. She cast a mischievous look my way before disappearing around the corner. I hated when she got me all riled up and left me hanging, but in the best way possible.

I followed her downstairs where Connor and Rex were fast asleep. She tossed her things from the bathroom into her suitcase and I figured I should probably finish getting my things together as well. I walked out onto James’ patio once I was finished. It was well past midnight. The stars could be seen so clearly from where he lived and there was a light breeze blowing. The world seemed still and quiet. She joined me shortly after, snuggling next to me on the bench. My lips found her forehead, leaving a trail of butterfly kisses behind.

She sighed, “I don’t wanna go back.”

“Then let’s don’t.”

She picked her head up from where it had previously laid on my shoulder and drew her eyebrows together.

“Let’s not go back to that stupid apartment. Let’s start looking at new ones together,” I said, “I know you can’t stand that place and, to be honest, you don’t really like your roommates either. My lease is up at the end of the month and I was going to look anyway. I’d love for you to move in if that’s something you’re interested in.”

She took a few minutes to process through all I had just said.

She glanced up at me, “Are you sure?”

I nodded. I was so sure. She looked away again and was quiet for another minute. It was making me kind of nervous. She glanced up again but had the sweetest grin on her face.

“Then yes,” she nodded.

[]

“That’s all of the dishes, right? Pots, pans, the extra plates your mom gave you?”

She rushed around the kitchen in search of tape to seal yet another cardboard box. That was all my apartment was at the moment - cardboard boxes. We had finally found a new apartment and were excited to move in, but she was a stresser and all this packing wasn’t helping her. I grabber her up in my arms as she paced past me for the hundredth time this morning and it wasn’t even noon yet. I pressed my lips to the back of her neck. She knew what I was doing and didn’t even try to fight me.

“We will be moved in about four days,” I reassured her, “And with your neat tendencies and wonderful boyfriend, we’ll be unpacked and settled within a week.”

She rolled her eyes, but smirked as I continued leaving a trail of kisses on her neck and shoulder.

“You get to wake up to this every day,” I said.

“And three other boys for the next few days,” she reminded me with a chuckle. The boys were nice enough to come and help us move all our stuff. Our first night in our new apartment would include three other guys and a lizard, but she wasn’t even aggravated. She was thankful they were coming to lend a hand and looked forward to enjoying their company as usual.

She made her way through the maze of boxes and up the stairs. I followed shortly after, walking quietly as I reached my bedroom. She was folding a few clothing items from the past few days and shoving them into a bag. We couldn’t leave this apartment behind without a little farewell.

I took her by surprise, pushing her against the wall as I kissed her hard. Her lips moved against mine without any hesitation. My hands slipped under the hem of her shirt and laughter erupted from her lungs as my fingertips tickled her skin. She tangled her fingers in my curls, resting her forehead against mine.

“You know who’s probably home right now?” she whispered.

I knew exactly who she was referring to - my lovely neighbor.

“Shall we?” I asked. With a smirk, I grabbed her up and tossed her on the bed, one of the only remaining items in my room. We left no mystery, slamming the bed frame against the wall.

Afterwards, we made our way downstairs. She grabbed her things and headed out the door, needing to get to her apartment soon. I grabbed my cup of coffee off the counter and headed out behind her. I had grabbed my pants but my shirt was still somewhere to be found upstairs. We had planned this perfectly.

The apartment door next to mine opened as she turned around to face me. She was about to milk this and I was beyond okay with it. Her hands rested against my torso as she planted a kiss on my lips, lingering for just a moment. My hand found the small of her back and brought her closer.

“I’ll see you later,” she whispered just loud enough for Drew to hear. I placed one last peck on her forehead before she headed to her car.

I turned around to head back inside, greeted by the sight of an unsure Drew. His eyebrows had drawn together by now. Our plan had succeeded.

“You know what they say,” I said, taking a sip of my coffee, “Rise and grind.”

And with that, I went inside, a huge smirk on my face.

#wildflowerrambles #the vamps #brad simpson x reader #brad x reader #brad simpson imagine #the vamps imagine

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