She's known Brandon her whole life - he's her best friend's brother after all. She's kept her distance because, well... everything about him screams danger and she's been pretty successful at keeping her attraction for him at bay. That's until the d...
"Huh?" With a crumbled heart I veered my eyes from Branden to the source where the high-pitched male voice was coming from.
"This party, I mean!" He gestured with his glass. "Marie never disappoints!" He exclaimed, awkwardly cheerful. I tried to place his roundish face, but as much as I tried, I couldn't remember
where I had seen this plump, jolly man. "Oh, right..." I involuntarily glanced back to the spot where Branden had been standing minutes ago, but he had vanished.
I downed my cup of beer, perilously attempting to anesthetize the whirlwind of emotions running rampant within my chest.
"You don't remember me, do you?" He inquired, emphatically. I had momentarily forgotten his presence, and so smiled apologetically at him. "Forgive me, but I don't." I answered, fidgeting with my helix piercing.
"We danced to that one Sia song about two years ago. My name is Josh?" He leaned in as if trying to retain my easily-diverted attention.
"Who the fuck cares?" My heart stopped when I heard him speak. Branden was standing behind Josh. His lean, graceful appearance made the unfortunate guy look even shorter and bulkier than he already was.
Josh looked up at him, astonished. His content disposition turning robotic and apprehensive. His demeanor almost reminded me of that of a mouse cornered by a feral cat - that feral cat being my best friend's imposing brother.
"I apologize, I didn't know s-she was not..." He started to say, but Branden was no longer addressing him in the least. Instead, his powerful focal point was relentlessly directed at me.
"Get lost." He hissed at Josh flatly, his eyes still burning a hole through me.
Josh swiftly slithered from between us, his freckled face several shades paler. I lifted my chin, feigning immunity to Branden's intimidating methods, and took a step forward.
His steel grip around my arm stopped me in my tracks.
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"You are not avoiding me tonight." He assured me, with hints of pain in his tone.
"You don't tell me what to do..." I snarled back at him. "If you think I'm going to obey you blindly like poor Josh just did, you are going to be sadly disappointed, Branden."
"When it comes to disappointment, trust me, you've already outdone yourself." He retorted, releasing my arm. His menacing features softened as he spoke. My heart ached like never before when I watched the dejection mirrored in his blaringly green eyes.
"Why are you even insisting so much on 'us'?" I turned, ready to walk away, but I found myself unable to.
"Are you really going to make me say it, Tatiana?" He rolled his eyes. "I'm in..." He began, but I started to shake my head in denial.
