Destined

Chapter 30

Calleigh's POV

I went to the office feeling cheerful and decided to plan something special for Brandon. Being with him yesterday when we visited the kids was an eye-opener for me. There was a lot about what Tim did in his last few days that I didn't know about and I had to discover it with Brandon. The foundation in itself was a revelation to me. 

There was also another matter running in my mind. It had something to do with a little boy named Isaac. He puts a huge grin on my face with just a thought of him. He had to be the brightest kid I'd ever met. Despite his illness, he remains tough and strong for his family. 

Sorting my mail mindlessly as all of my thoughts were with Brandon and Isaac, I noticed another envelope identical to what I got  a few months ago. It had Tim's handwriting. I tore the side and saw a letter that said:

"Dearest Calleigh,

I hope by now you have learned to let Brandon into your life and into your heart as well. I've seen the struggles that this man has been through and looking after a gorgeous girl is an easy task for him.  In our lives, between me and him, he's been through the worst and I know deep inside that leading him to you was the wisest decision that I've ever made in my life. You will know in the coming days why. Take your time in getting to know Brandon. He's a great guy and I know that he'll be someone that you can count on. I'll be watching you from a distance, baby girl. Know that I'll always love you. 

Your Tim"

Tears pooled in my eyes. Even on his deathbed, Tim still thought about me. He wanted to look after me and Brandon was his only way to do so. And if loving Brandon was something that Tim wants from me, then I won't stop myself from doing it. This was a huge relief on my part. I never had to feel guilty of falling for him because Tim has told me to let this broken man into my life. 

I'll love you right, Brand.

-------------------------- 

When I got home, Brandon was already there talking to Maggie in the kitchen. She was pulling the casserole out from the oven and I placed my bag on the counter. I wanted to be near Brandon because I missed him so much. 

"Hey babe," he greeted as he scooted near me and wrapped an arm around my waist with ease. 

I nuzzled into his neck and kissed it. Maggie was just laughing at us. She knew that I wasn't this showy with my feelings. When I was with Tim, we just ended up holding each other's hands in public. That's it. But with Brandon, all my shyness seemed to evaporate somewhere. 

"I missed you," I whispered.

"I missed you too. How was work?" he asked as he pecked my forehead.

I looked at him and smiled before surprising him by kissing him on the lips. "It was okay and not so boring. I thought about Isaac's party."

Brandon just stared at me with amused eyes. "I don't know where that came from but I might as well ask you about work more often if you keep on kissing me like that again."

We both laughed and got up to head out to the dining table to have dinner. Maggie was smiling the whole time as she ate and watched me and Brandon talk. It was a great night. I never felt this happier before and the sense of being free made me confident to show how much I loved Brandon without any reservations. 

The time for bed came. I wore one of Brandon's shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. He was surprised with what I wore when I came into his room. 

"I was looking for my shirt  and here you are walking in it," he teased. 

I laughed and crawled on the bed to lay beside him, wrapping an arm around his torso. He wrapped an arm around me as he brought me nearer to him  so that he could kiss me on my forehead. 

"I like sleeping here."

"I can tell. You get more than half of the bed space though" he snickered.

"I do not!" I answered. 

We stayed in that position for quite some time with him drawing patterns on my back with his fingers. It sent a shiver down my spine. His touch was warm against my skin. It evoked memories of what Tim and I used to share. 

But then there was something telling me that experiencing those things with Brandon is different. I can feel that this man's passion was smoldering and it scared me that I might not be able to match his. 

"What are you thinking babe?" he asked as silence drew between us. 

Instead of answering him, I sat up a bit and looked intently in his eyes. I then straddled him. He sat up and went on holding my waist. I bent lower so that our foreheads could meet. His eyes closed as he took my scent in. 

Opening his eyes and looking straight at me, desire clouding his orbs. I breathed heavily and ran my fingers through his hair and eventually kissed him on the lips with passion that I never thought I had. There was no word to describe how I felt at that moment. All I knew was that it was right. 

He broke the kiss first and held my face in his hands. Catching our breaths, I held onto him as if I feared that he might be taken away from me. 

"Are you sure about this, babe? I don't want to rush you."

I rained slow kisses all over his face until I settled a chaste one on the lips that I couldn't seem to get enough of. He was a drug that got me so heated up. 

"Yes, Brandon." Another kiss on his temples. I attempted to bite his earlobe playfully before telling him what I've been wanting to tell him the whole time. "Love me."