Winning Braden

08. The call

Braden Carter

"What? You serious?" I sat up from my bed at first I looked at my phone five seconds straight thinking I imagined the name on the screen.

But I wasn't imagining.

Veronica called me.

And she was asking for a ride.

Considering I'd tried my best persuading her to let me take her around but she always said no, 
and I never pushed my luck. At least she wasn't avoiding me.

It didn't register through my head that she hadn't even said where and I was already heading out my room,

Father sat in the dinning table coming home from his shift, I remembered we were supposed to watch the game today. Hawks were playing tonight and it was our tradition. I never missed it for anything.

"Don't wait up for me, I'm heading out"

"What?" His voice was baffled as I closed the door behind me.

Veronica lived just a few kilometres away, I'd held the urge to drive up to her so many times, knowing she'll hate me for it.

With the phone still against my ear I walked towards my car.

"I'm heading towards you,"

"I'm not at home,"

I was surprised, it was late and cloudy outside, "Where are you? And why didn't you call me earlier?" I entered my car, pushing the engine on.

"That's kind of the point, I don't know where I am."

Holding the bridge of my nose I couldn't help but chuckle painfully, "We need to talk about your orientation skills, you have an habit—" I broke off hearing her stifle, the noise so low that I knew something was wrong, and a panic rise inside me, "Veronica.. damn it, are you hurt? has something happened— why are you—"

"I shouldn't have called you but it was either that.... Or—"

I cursed pulling out of the parking lot driving, "You cannot be serious, the sensible thing you did was call me, now tell me what you see around you."

"Uh, a streetlight and a bench."

Not much to go by but I knew there was only one place in this town that had those thing, "Don't move,"

Fifteen minutes later I rolled by the gravel ground and saw her figure, a relief overcame me that I didn't even bother turning off the engine and got out of the car. Her shoulders sagged when she saw me and I strode towards her, "What in the world were you thinking? This is not some kind of place—" I reined myself back when I saw her tear strained cheeks the closer I came,

my breath got caught in my throat

"You came—I'm— I'm so glad to see you," her voice broke and I was frozen as she walked right into me, my arms immediately caging her in enveloping her into me.

I breathed her in holding her so close and rubbing circles on her back, feeling the tremor of emotions in her, "I'm here..." I murmured with my nose in her hair, she smelled of summer days.

We stayed like that for a while, me caressing her the tense line in her back, she letting me comfort her.

All of a sudden she broke away, "I'm sorry... I don't know— I'm just—"

"Hey, it's alright, you've had a shock." I held her back so she couldn't pull away fully, letting her breath and watch her breathing slowly turn normal.

She let me and when she did draw away I let her, she looked up at me and sighed, "You must think I'm a lunatic, gosh I'm starting to think I am one"

Caressing her hair I wondered how her hair could be so soft, like silk.

"Braden?"

"Yeah?" I mumbled my fingers following the line of her throat, caressing the ultra soft slender line of her neck, fuck her skin was so soft.

"Your staring and—- and friends don't touch each other this way—"

I clenched my jaw forcing myself to let her go, "Let's get you home,"

She snorted, "I don't want to go home..."

Damn it, I didn't want to be leave her company that quick either, I was saying that to keep my own control in check, "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know... you said you'd show me what this city has to offer..." She tilts her head to the side and her eyebrows quirks in challenge.

Fuck I wouldn't pass on the chance of having her for my self now that she called me.

"Oh I have a place in mind, you ready to buckle up?"

"Hell yeah"

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