It's Always Been Briar

Chapter 20.

'Oh, so we are in a relationship now, are we?!' I tease.

The twinkle in her eye says it all. 'I hope so.'

I put my food down and I grab her face between my hands. She has nacho cheese on her lip and it makes this moment even better. 'Darlin, will you be mine and only mine? Will you be my girlfriend?'

Her eyes start to get watery and my heart starts to accelerate. Fuck, does she not want this? Is this not what she meant? I feel like I'm ready, is she not ready?

'Yes, River. I'd love to be your girlfriend.' She finally says as a single tear rolls down her face. I swipe it away with my thumb and let out a sigh of relief. I look at her with confusion.

'I'm just so happy. I never thought in a million years I'd get to call you mine.' She whispers.

'I'm all yours, Briar. Until the rest of forever. It's always been you, darlin.'

She laughs a little bit and I capture her lips in a very nice kiss. Then before I let go of her, I lick the cheese off her lip.

'Yum.'

She is mortified! And it's hilarious, I can't stop laughing. Finally, after she calms down a little she says. 'Did you just ask me to be your girlfriend with cheese on my face?!'

'Yep.' I smile at her. Finally, she starts laughing.

I can't believe I have a girlfriend. I mean me, of all people. But even more, I can't believe that Briar Ann Kensington is all mine.

'I've never been a real boyfriend before. So you are gonna have to bear with me sometimes because I have no idea what I'm doing.'

She looks at me. 'I think you're already a wonderful boyfriend.' That makes me smile.

We get back to eat our food. Just enjoying the time being with each other. I finish drinking my water and Briar asks me. 'Did you really lay out Chase for what is happening with him and Lenyx?'

I nod. 'Yeah, I sure did. He deserves more than getting blasted off the stool in the kitchen and punched a couple of times. He is being a complete asshole and I won't let him hurt Lenny. She didn't do anything wrong and she doesn't deserve how he treated her when she needed him most.'

Briar is smiling from ear to ear. 'And you think you won't be a good boyfriend when you act like that for your friends. It's so fucking sexy how much you protect those you care about.'

'Oh yeah?' I ask and she nods her head.

'I'll remember that. How did you know I laid out Chase?'

'I called Lenny after you left my apartment and she had just left yours. So I invited her over to talk. I needed to talk to her because she knows the real you. And to talk about everything Lenny has been going through.

She knows the real River and not many girls do. I'm not close with the sisters, so it didn't feel right asking them. I mean the guys know you but could they really give me relationship advice?'

She shakes her head.

'I needed to talk about how I was feeling with someone who would tell me the truth. She told me that the way you acted when she told you I have always been interested in you.' She takes a deep breath and looks me straight in the eye.

'She said that is what sealed the deal for her and that I would be throwing away the best part of my life if I didn't take this chance. I know that this is not going to be easy. We are going to have issues with girls. We are going to have issues with game schedules. We are going to have issues with our careers. But I don't care. I will fight and do whatever I have to do so we can get through every obstacle.