"Shay." He smiled at her until he spotted James. He face turned to an unreadable expression before he looked back to her.
James looked to Brad also and felt a big fat feeling of awkward.
"I'll see you later." He soon left the conversation and walked down her driveway, dodging a major bullet. Shay lurked outside a fews seconds before walking up to Brad.
"Why are you outside?" She asked, wanting to avoid the obvious tension.
"Alex wouldn't let me in. She made me wait out here."
"How long have you been waiting out here, exactly?"
"Not that long." He lied. He had been waiting here for an hour at most.
"Well, come inside." She unlocked the door and ushered him in. She knew Alex didn't like him, but she didn't think it was to this extent.
"Hey." Alex said as she walked into the kitchen in her usual work clothes. She didn't even acknowledge Brad.
"Do you not like him because of Evan?" She asked quickly, she didn't want Brad asking questions. She just needed to know.
"What are you talking about?"
"Why you don't like," She tilted her head in Brad's direction, hoping she'd get it.
"Well, yeah."
"oh." Was all Shay said.
"Oh?"
"Yeah." She nodded and went to walk to her bedroom. "I'm getting changed." She informed Brad, who followed behind her anyway.
"I really don't want to be left alone with her, and plus I need to talk to you."
"Brad, I had a really nice day. I don't want to fight."
"Shay, I don't want you mad at me,"
"I'm not mad." She shrugged and walked over to her clothes pile on the floor that has been building up over the past couple of days and searched for a clean shirt.
"You walked off the other day-"
"It wasn't you."
"It was what I did, wasn't it? What I tried to do?"
"Yes and no." She said and turned around once finding a shirt. She peeled the old one from her torso, causing Brad to turn around and replaced it with a pajama top.
"Shay, could we please just sit down and talk?" He was getting more frustrated by the minute.
Shay obeyed and sat down on her bed, Brad following.
"I'm sorry I tried to kiss you in front of James."
She nodded and chewed the inside of her cheek. Brad looked confused and felt defeated at her answer. Maybe she wasn't serious about wanting a relationship?
He sighed heavily and stood up from the bed, heading to the door.
"You'vejustbeenwithsomanygirlsandIdon'tknowwhethertobecautiousorbotheredbyit."
"What?" He turned, but didn't sit back down.
"Please don't make me say it again." She desperately wanted to reach for a pillow and suffocate herself with it.
"Shay,"
"How do I know your serious?"
"I am." He tried to assure her. "If I wanted any other girl I would be trying to get her right now, but I'm here with you. Does that not say anything?" She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling as he sat down.
"But we've fought more times than we've actually been together."
"I don't care." He shook his head.
"Brad, I don't want a relationship like that."
"A relationship?" He smiled and she envied his ability to change a conversation from a serious one to a happy one.
"Shit." She said wide eyed. "Not what I meant."
"Let's just promise no more fighting then."
"Brad." She frowned. "I'm serious."
"So am I." He argued back.
"Fine." She bought into his game and turned to completely face him on the bed.
"No more fighting." She held out her pinky for him to shake. He linked his to hers.
"No more PDA." He added and she scoffed. "When unnecessary." He added cheekily. They squeezed pinkies together.
"No more getting shitty about James." He took a few seconds to squeeze, but did. He hadn't planned on bringing him up. He had already caused too many problems.
"No more jealousy."
They both unlocked their fingers after squeezing and sat in silence.
"So what now?"
"I'm not too sure." She said.
"A relationship?" He said in a joking tone and she slapped him on the arm.
"Not funny."
"You're the experienced one, what happens now?" Brad was the one to push Shay this time.
"Not too sure. I've never liked a girl this much before,"
"Brad!" She reached for a pillow and threw it at him. She didn't like it when he said cheesy things like that to her. She didn't know how to repsond.
"Should we eat?" She asked and he nodded before shaking his head. "Alex is probably at work, don't worry."
She grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen. To Brad's dismay, Alex was still there.
"Bradley." She smirked at him. He hated it when people used his full name. He nodded in her direction and she went back to ignoring him.
"You two all chumy again?" She asked and motioned to their interlocked hands.
"Alex." Shay warned and pulled her hand away before Brad grabbed it back.
"Necessary." He said under his breath.
"It's okay." Alex said not looking at them, her focus was on her phone. "He knows the deal."
"Alex, you can't be serious."
"If you want what happened with Evan to happen again, be my guest." She stood up, locked her phone and shoved it in her back pocket.
"I'm going to get drunk." She grabbed her bag from the bench and stalked out of the room but not before yelling an 'I love you!' to Shay.
"I thought you said she was going to work?" Brad whispered.
"She is. She's a bartender."
After their microwaved dinners, Shay snuggled up to Brad on the couch as they watched television to make time go faster.
"Shay, who's Evan?"
Her heat rate sped up and Brad felt it. "Just some guy I used to know."
"Did he hurt you?"
She didn't want Bard to know what happened. She didn't want his pity or him to think that that was the reason she took so long to be his. So instead of answering, she just nodded, closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I like you." She said as she began feeling tired. Even though she couldn't see him, Brad smiled like a mad man. She had admitted to liking him before, but not like this. Not to his face while they were alone.
He kissed the top of her head.
"Ditto."
She grunted and hit him with her eyes still closed. Before Shay felt as if she were to fall asleep at any moment, she made Brad promise one last thing.
"Brad?" She asked up at him.
"Mmmh?" He hummed.
"No more making promises you can't keep." She fell asleep before she heard him answer, but by the slight squeeze felt on her pinky, she had an idea as to what it might be.
