"Did you walk here?" Brad asked once Shay finished swallowing the chewed up food in her mouth.
"Mmm." She nodded and reached for her glass of water. She then slid her plate halfway across the table, silently offering Brad some with the wave of her hand.
He greedily snatched a few fries before starting up the conversation after waiting for Shay to finish her drink.
"I could drive you, you know, if you wanted." He casually asked . "If it's too soon, I get it, I totally do." He was trying not to sound as nervous as he felt. He had just barely made it good with Shay and god forbid he sure as hell didn't want to say the wrong thing.
"No." Shay shook her head and tugged at the napkin that she had scrunched in one hand. "I think a drive would be good."
"Cool." Brad smiled, he didn't know what to say and prayed to god he didn't sound like an idiot.
Brad soon helped Shay finish her meal and even paid for it. Shay didn't want him to claiming that it'd annoy her, but Brad knew that it would make her feel more special than pissed off. He did though restrain himself from grabbing her hand and opening the car door for her as he knew how she felt about being treated in that way, how uncomfortable it made her feel. Well maybe not the hand holding, but he didn't want to push his luck.
Once they got in the car Brad turned the heater on but not the stereo, he knew that they needed to talk. He drove out of the parking lot and waited for Shay to talk. When nothing was heard he turned to find her head pressed against the window and her eyes closed.
"Shay." He quietly whispered, she didn't fall asleep on him did she?
"I'm awake." She said quickly but quietly as she removed her head from the window. "Sorry, I've had a long day."
"We don't have to talk tonight if you're tired, maybe another time." Brad gave Shay a small smile before returning his attention back to the road.
"No." Shay shook her head again. "No use in avoiding it. We'll always find a way back to each other."
"Yeah, okay." He breathed out and slowly parked the car in her driveway. The drive went quicker than expected, maybe since the route to Shay's house has become so familiar.
"James." Shay said.
"James?"
"We need to stop arguing about him." She bluntly explained. "And you can't ask me to stop being his friend or to avoid him because it isn't fair." she quickly added before Brad could speak.
"Okay." Brad surprised them both by saying.
"Okay? It seriously can't be that easy." Shay scoffed and turned back to face Brad.
"As long as there's nothing more than friendship going on, then I'll learn to live with him being your friend."
"Good." Shay smiled even though she felt guilty. Even though her and James were just friends, they had a more than friendly encounter not to long ago that she wasn't sure she wanted to inform Brad about, especially since she had him here willing to compromise. "Is there anything you want? Like, for me to allow in compromise to you letting mine and James's friendship continue?"
Brad thought for a while. Even though he desperately didn't want them being friends, he knew deep down that he was the real lucky one. He knew that their friendship had nothing on what they have.
"No." He shook his head.
"Not anything?"
"Just that you promise to be with me- and only me. That's all I want."
"That's all I want." Shay blurted before covering her red face with her hands. Brad leaned over and removed the hands, wanting to say something cheesy.
"Don't hide," He teased. "You're so-"
"Brad." Shay groaned and tried to wriggle her hands out of his grasp.
"No," He said sternly. "This is my end of the deal. I'll stop all the pestering and jealously if you let me have the pleasure of saying cheesy things."
"You know I don't know what to say back or how to act." She pouted.
