your body is a weapon → brad simpson | ✓

seventy three

It was an overwhelming feeling of joy, surprise and bewilderment as the words tumbled out of Aiden's mouth so casually.

"Are you serious?" I ask in disbelief, holding on tighter to Brad's hand in hope. "This isn't a joke, right? It's not a way of getting back at Brad?"

"Of course I'm serious," Aiden says honestly. "I know that you two belong together and I know that I can't keep you both apart. And after thinking about yesterday, I know there's other people out there for me that will happily take your place."

"You mean Luna?"

"Yeah," Aiden nods. "She's agreed to it already, since she knows how bad you and Brad belong together."

I smile, glancing up at Brad who's looking at Aiden with a small frown. I wonder what's on his mind.

"I just want to apologise," Aiden sighs, his eyes trained directly on to me. "Because I've put you through Hell and back because of this engagement, and it's not been easy on either of you."

"We appreciate the apology," I say on Brad's behalf, because I know he'll still be annoyed at Aiden because of the engagement.

Aiden departs from us not long after and Brad and I are stood in the middle of the empty street. He takes a moment to register that Aiden's gone before pulling me in for a tight hug.

We don't need to say anything, there's no words to describe how happy we are. After everything we've been through, all we wanted was the freedom that other people have in relationships. We wanted to be able to hug or kiss each other whenever we wanted without restrictions and now we have that now, finally.

"I'm not gonna let you go," Brad says, somehow holding on to me tighter than before. I think his words have more than one meaning.

"I don't want you to," I breathe out, my arms wrapped around his broad torso. I'm not sure how long we're stood there for but it feels like forever.

He's the first to pull away as his phone begins to ring. He sighs, picking up the phone with one hand while the other grabs on to my hand.

He walks us away from the dreaded wedding dress shop and in the direction of the car park.

"What do you want?" Brad asks down the phone and I know that it's one of the boys that's called him. There's a moments pause as they reply. "I'm out with Jamie, why?"

There's another pause. I look down the road to see if any cars are coming before we cross the road safely.

"He's what?" Brad spits out in disbelief. "Why?!" Pause. "Yeah, I'll be there soon. I'm gonna kill him."

He ends the call and shoves it in his pocket, a sour look on his face. I look over to him in confusion.

"I've got to go to my house," he says as he pulls me closer to him, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"James is what's wrong," Brad says with his jaw set. "The silly bastard is having sex with some girl in my bedroom!"

I let out an amused laugh. Of course James would do something as strange as that.

+

It turns out James used Brad's bed to have sex with a blonde girl who I didn't get the name of. He claimed it was because Brad's bedroom is 'cleaner' and therefore 'sexier' than his own bedroom. It's fair to say the girl was very embarrassed when Brad barged in on them, despite my protests to at least let them finish.

"I was so close!" James whines as he sits at the kitchen stool. Tristan and Connor had joined us downstairs. "That's the first girl I've had over for ages."

"That's why he nearly finished so fast," Tristan comments, earning a deadly glare off of James.

"You could've done it in your own bedroom!" Brad argues. He's stood on the other side of the kitchen counter, making a cup of tea for him and I. We're yet to break the news of the engagement to the boys.

"I already said that I didn't want to! She'd judge me because it's so messy."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind if your floor is messy considering that you're fucking her on your bed," Brad defends himself.

"He serves a point," Connor adds and James lets out a huff, giving up.

I look over to Brad, smiling as he hands me the cup of tea. "Are we going to tell them?" I ask quietly.

"Tell us what?" Connor asks, listening into our conversation. Brad looks over to me and nods with a smile before inhaling sharply, ready to announce the news.

"Well, we actually have some news—,"

"You're running away from Aiden and changing your identities?" James conspires. "Or are you planning on taking Aiden down and becoming the new gang leader?"

Brad rolls his eyes at his friend. "No, you imbecile. Let me finish what I'm saying and maybe you'll find out."

I link my fingers with his, not for any particular reason except that I love the feeling and hate the absence of his touch.

James purses his lips, silently apologising to Brad before slumping back on the stool he's sat on.

"While we were out shopping for dresses, we met up with Aiden," Brad begins. "And he asked to talk to us and long story short, the engagement has been called off."

Brad squeezes my hand, anticipating their reaction. They all look at each other in surprise before James jumps off of his stool and runs over, dragging us into a hug.

"Oh my god! This is amazing news!" He cheers down our ears and a string of laughs escape my mouth as he pulls away. "Does this mean you two are official finally?"

I move my arms away from James and Brad's hand clasps mine. I'm not sure how to answer James' question, if I'm honest.

"We'll get there," Brad speaks up and I look up to him with a small smile. "But you guys will be the first to know when we are official."

"I'm so happy for you both," Connor smiles over to us from across the kitchen island as James jumps up and down before sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Me too," Tristan says. "Now, we don't have to worry about buying a stupid suit for the wedding. I can't believe he was going to put it on Brad's birthday!"

"Let's not remind me," Brad grumbles, pulling me closer to him and kissing my temple. "You'll need to get your stuff from his house, we can do that whenever."

"If I'm honest, I can't be bothered," I sigh. It's only two in the afternoon but I'm exhausted from trying on dresses and the new news that got broken to us. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan," Brad says, his arms wrapping around me from behind and swaying us side to side slightly.

"Can you guys save it for the bedroom?" James scrunches up his nose and I let out a small laugh as Brad sticks his middle finger up at him, I'm sure he's rolling his eyes.

"Shut up," Brad scoffs, pressing a kiss to my neck defiantly but I push him off of me with a laugh.

"They have a point," I say, grabbing his hand gently and rubbing my hand over his. "I bet it's gross seeing us kiss."

"Exactly!" James says. "We love seeing you happy but we don't want to see you having sex."

"Then we'll go get a room," Brad says, pulling me towards him and slinging his arm over my shoulder. "See you in a bit, boys."

"Use protection!" James yells after us.

edited.