Comfortable Chaos

Chapter 38

Andre
We're like an old couple...

Brandi and I lay in the bed. I'm about to drift off into a very peaceful sleep when I hear and feel something. She starts tossing and turning in bed. I roll over and look at her.

"No, no," she mumbles.

Great. She's dreaming. I put my hand on her shoulder and shake her.

"Brandi, Brandi."

I keep shaking, gently at first. Then I shake harder.

"Brandi!"

She snaps up in bed, sweating and breathing hard.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She leans over, picks up a bottle and takes a swig. Brandi's been tapping that bottle pretty hard lately. I don't remember her drinking so much.

"I'm fine," she says before laying back down. She rolls over and puts her arms around me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing. I just want to put my arms around you. Is that okay?"

"Um hmm." I turn toward her and move my hand under the covers in between her legs. I'm almost inside her underwear when she pushes my hand away. Damn. We're like an old couple lying here doing nothing. I might as well go back to sleep. I turn back around with my back toward Brandi.

"Do you love me?" she asks.

I sighed. "It's too late at night for this shit."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Why do you love me?"

I hate when women do this. What are they trying to prove? No matter what you say they're not gonna be happy with it. "Brandi, please. It's two o'clock in the morning."

"Why won't you answer my question?"

"I love you because you're a good person." There. That should be good enough. General.

"What makes me good?"

"You try to make others happy."

"Do I make you happy?"

"Yeah, you do."

"Then, why don't I feel like we're happy?"

"We've been through a lot. That's all but we're here. It'll be fine."

All I can do is reassure her. Truth be told I don't think we'll be together much longer but I should be able to hang in here little while, at least until I get the money she promised me. What can I say? Every relationship runs its course. And we've about run ours.