back patio door. A path opened for us through the crowd, and just as we stepped through the door, Clarissa called out. She sauntered up with two of my lemonades in her hand and a beer in her other. "Where are you going?"
Brady tucked me behind him. "Going for a walk. Why?"
Her eyes danced between the two of us, but she held her hand out and offered the drinks. "These are for your girl. She likes 'em."
"What? No. I don't think so…" Brady started until I snatched them away. His eyebrows went high.
Clarissa patted him on the chest. "She's a grown girl, Brady. Let her be a grown-up.”
"Yeah. I'm a grown-up. In fact, you know how grown up I am—"
"We're going to go." Brady rushed out and pulled me down the path. We went past some trees that blocked us from her view before we heard the door shut again.
"Her place is huge!" I exclaimed as I tripped. He caught me and righted me, but let go with a hand on the small of my back. I'd never admit it, but I loved when he touched me there. I felt safe and protected.
"You weren't kidding, huh?"
"Huh?"
"You said you were going to get drunk. You did."
It took a moment, but I realized that Brady was tense. His jaw was clenched and his shoulders tight. "Are you mad at me?" How could he be? This was his element. He always got drunk.
"No, you just said that…never mind. I didn't think you'd get drunk, Rayna. It's not something you do."
I drew up short. "Are you disappointed in me?" He had no place to be disappointed. He always went out partying. I got drunk once and he was disappointed?
"No. I'm not saying that…" But he was. I saw it in his eyes. His hand fell away.
"Oh no, buddy boy. You do not pull this. I didn't even want to come here, but I did—for you!"
"Well…"
"You're mad at me because I did something that I don't normally do. I don't understand you, Brady. I thought you wanted me to be friends with your friends. That was happening in there, kind of. Even Clarissa's being friendly. How can you—what is wrong with that? You can't have me come to a party and not enjoy myself. I can't be there JUST for you."
"That's not what I'm saying. Not at all." His eyes started to sparkle in anger.
"You wanted me to loosen up. You wanted me to come to the party. You want me…I don't know anymore. I don't know what you want. I can't make you happy. I'm tired of it. I don't fit in with this group. You know it and I wonder if you prefer it. Why'd you even bring me along?"
His fingers wrapped around my arm. "What are you talking about?"
I closed my mouth, but I already started. I might as well finish. "I think sometimes you're embarrassed by me because I'm not 'cool' enough to be your friend."
Brady threw his head back. "You're my best friend. How can you say that?"
"I'm not like Clarissa. I'm not beautiful. I'm not sexy. I can't…I can't be what I'm not, Brady."
He jerked me against him, but gentled immediately. Taking a deep breath, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Then he whispered as he bent to rest his forehead against mine, "You are my family, my best friend. I wouldn't be here without you, Rayray. I'd be in jail. And trust me; you are way hotter than Clarissa."
"Yeah, well…you have to say that. I can sic Viola on you and we both know who'll win."
Brady barked out a laugh and pulled me in for a hug. Relieved from the tension, I brought my hands up to his shoulders and hugged back.
"You're right. Your grandmother would give me an ass whooping. Let's hope it never comes to that."
Well, it would only come to that if Brady did something horrible, like get me pregnant—my eyes popped out and I gasped. Holy…
Brady leaned back. "What's wrong?"
I closed my mouth and shook my head. I didn't even want to think about it. But Brady hadn't used a condom. I overheard some girls talking about "pulling out," but he hadn't done that either. I wasn't stupid enough to think I could go to the doctor without Viola knowing. This was a small town. That meant…Brady
Brady tucked me behind him. "Going for a walk. Why?"
Her eyes danced between the two of us, but she held her hand out and offered the drinks. "These are for your girl. She likes 'em."
"What? No. I don't think so…" Brady started until I snatched them away. His eyebrows went high.
Clarissa patted him on the chest. "She's a grown girl, Brady. Let her be a grown-up.”
"Yeah. I'm a grown-up. In fact, you know how grown up I am—"
"We're going to go." Brady rushed out and pulled me down the path. We went past some trees that blocked us from her view before we heard the door shut again.
"Her place is huge!" I exclaimed as I tripped. He caught me and righted me, but let go with a hand on the small of my back. I'd never admit it, but I loved when he touched me there. I felt safe and protected.
"You weren't kidding, huh?"
"Huh?"
"You said you were going to get drunk. You did."
It took a moment, but I realized that Brady was tense. His jaw was clenched and his shoulders tight. "Are you mad at me?" How could he be? This was his element. He always got drunk.
"No, you just said that…never mind. I didn't think you'd get drunk, Rayna. It's not something you do."
I drew up short. "Are you disappointed in me?" He had no place to be disappointed. He always went out partying. I got drunk once and he was disappointed?
"No. I'm not saying that…" But he was. I saw it in his eyes. His hand fell away.
"Oh no, buddy boy. You do not pull this. I didn't even want to come here, but I did—for you!"
"Well…"
"You're mad at me because I did something that I don't normally do. I don't understand you, Brady. I thought you wanted me to be friends with your friends. That was happening in there, kind of. Even Clarissa's being friendly. How can you—what is wrong with that? You can't have me come to a party and not enjoy myself. I can't be there JUST for you."
"That's not what I'm saying. Not at all." His eyes started to sparkle in anger.
"You wanted me to loosen up. You wanted me to come to the party. You want me…I don't know anymore. I don't know what you want. I can't make you happy. I'm tired of it. I don't fit in with this group. You know it and I wonder if you prefer it. Why'd you even bring me along?"
His fingers wrapped around my arm. "What are you talking about?"
I closed my mouth, but I already started. I might as well finish. "I think sometimes you're embarrassed by me because I'm not 'cool' enough to be your friend."
Brady threw his head back. "You're my best friend. How can you say that?"
"I'm not like Clarissa. I'm not beautiful. I'm not sexy. I can't…I can't be what I'm not, Brady."
He jerked me against him, but gentled immediately. Taking a deep breath, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Then he whispered as he bent to rest his forehead against mine, "You are my family, my best friend. I wouldn't be here without you, Rayray. I'd be in jail. And trust me; you are way hotter than Clarissa."
"Yeah, well…you have to say that. I can sic Viola on you and we both know who'll win."
Brady barked out a laugh and pulled me in for a hug. Relieved from the tension, I brought my hands up to his shoulders and hugged back.
"You're right. Your grandmother would give me an ass whooping. Let's hope it never comes to that."
Well, it would only come to that if Brady did something horrible, like get me pregnant—my eyes popped out and I gasped. Holy…
Brady leaned back. "What's wrong?"
I closed my mouth and shook my head. I didn't even want to think about it. But Brady hadn't used a condom. I overheard some girls talking about "pulling out," but he hadn't done that either. I wasn't stupid enough to think I could go to the doctor without Viola knowing. This was a small town. That meant…Brady
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