the bet → brad simpson | ✓

25

I was awoken by my alarm two days after we had landed, feeling less jet lagged than the day before, at eight in the morning to meet with my parents in Starbucks in two hours.

Strolling down the stairs, I notice Brad already cooking breakfast—pancakes and syrup—and he turns his head over his shoulder to see me.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," he smiles at me as I take a seat at the breakfast bar. "How was your sleep?"

"I've had better nights," I admit. "I'm just nervous about today." It was my first time seeing my mom and dad in over two months and I was beyond nervous of what was going to happen.

"I can always come with you?" Brad offers and quickly continues before I can decline it. "I mean, that way you'd have some moral support and I can pay for your drink too. It's a win-win situation."

"You'd probably come if I said no anyway," I humour as he puts a pancake on the stack of two he had already made, pouring some syrup and sliding it over to me. "We set off in an hour and a half, so if you're not ready, I'll leave without you."

He doesn't reply as he continues to make pancakes for himself, and eventually he's sat next to me.

"Nat's gone back to her college campus," he informs me. "And my mom and dad are at work."

"On a Saturday?" I say through a mouthful of pancake.

He rolls his eyes, "unless today's not Saturday—yes, on a Saturday. They have loads of shit to work on that they missed during the holidays."

I nod and finish my food before I leave to get changed into some clean clothes and I attempt to tame my hair. By the time I was completely ready, Brad was also walking out of his room with his phone in his hand.

"Are you ready to go?" He asks, looking up to me, and I nod. "Tristan's gonna drop us off since he's going to town to meet James and Connor."

"Were you not invited to meet with them?" I ask as I walk behind Brad down the stairs and outside. I notice that Tristan's car was no where in sight, but Brad doesn't really care as he locks the door and we step down from the patio outside and down the path.

"Yeah I was invited," he answers my question, his eyebrows drawing together. "I just cancelled my plans and decided to go with you instead."

Guilt immediately rises in my throat—I didn't realise I was stopping Brad from hanging out with his friends and I felt bad that he cancelled his plans to come with me.

"You should go with them," I say, trying not to notice the confusion that swept over Brad's face.

"Do you not want me there?" He asks and I'm about to open my mouth to reply before he continues. "Heck, who am I kidding—of course you want me there."

"But—"

"Oh look, Tristan's here." He says, interrupting me from arguing with him. I look to the road and Tristan is pulling onto the sidewalk with his Range Rovers.

I roll my eyes; of course. Rich kids.

Brad opens the back door for me and I climb into the sleek, black car. Brad gets into the front seat, fastening his seat belt as he tells Tristan where we need to go.

"Don't Tristan and James live near each other?" I ask, looking out the window to see Brad's home pass by as Tristan pulls off the sidewalk and onto the road, driving forward.

"Yeah," Tristan replied. "You're probably wondering why we're not in the same car, right?" I nod. "I'm always late so he just drives himself down and picks up Connor, even though Connor lives about forty minutes from our house."