Baby Steps

30.

B A B Y   S T E P S

[CHAPTER THIRTY]

♡

I didn't question Brad about his night out the next day. He didn't mention it at all, not even when he picked up Arabella only after two hours after leaving her with me.

We sat in his room, watching trashy reality television and eating ice cream. Brad continued to eat his ice cream and seemed to find twirling the spoon in the desert more interesting than engaging any sort of conversation with me.

"Bradley." I spoke in a quiet voice. He blinked rapidly a few times before looking directly at me, releasing that he was in a daze. "Tired?" I laughed as he let out a yawn.

"Nights out aren't good for me." He took a deep breathe and admitted as his eyes slowly glared around the room.

"You're getting older by the minute, soon you'll be a granddad." I playfully joked. He grinned deliciously in return, shuffling his body closer to me.

"Don't remind me, I have to go through all that. Teenage girl dramas, boyfriend problems, periods!" He muttered to himself in annoyance before letting out a yawn. "But for now, I'm going to sleep."

"I can go so you can have peace." I offered in a helpful tone.

"Can you lay with me until we fall asleep?" He asked mischievously.

"Of course." I swallowed back. Sparks and delightful sentiments rushed through my body as we turned to face each other. "Are you really tired or just lazy?"

"Lazy!" He exhaled deeply. I let out a chuckle and brushed back his curls.

"That's good, I'm equally as lazy." I agreed as he frowned slightly.

"I don't get it." He started, engrossed in a thought. "We're perfect together, we aren't people who came together because of liking each other but we started off as friends. But you still want to go slow, I don't want to rush you into anything however I don't want to waste time."

"That's what I want to talk to you about." I giggled humourlessly. "When I said I didn't want to be together officially just yet, I was scared and you wasn't thinking straight. You were so consumed in the article written about us and wanting revenge, it felt like you were just using our relationship to spike people."

"Do you really think I'm like that?" He whispered in a raspy voice. The erratic rhythm of my heartbeat under went an irregular count as I shook my head.

"Not at all!" He cupped my part of my face in his free hand and carelessly traced his thumb over my cheek. The proximity between is so close that I could taste the mint from his deep breaths.

"Then is it you are trying to get at?" He said barely above a whisper. I bit my lip to resist the sudden urge of wanting to crash my lips against his.

"You know you said you want us to be official." I reminded him quietly.

"Yes-"

"I want us to be official too." I announced shyly. I opened my mouth as I feel as nobody could interrupt is but I am too soon to think, because just then the door bust open and in barged Nat.

"Brad, mum wants you downstairs!" She examined, ripping the comfort apart from us.

"Did you ask for permission to enter my room?" Brad snapped back before letting out a sigh.

"Nope, don't care either." She said smugly before showing me a friendly smile.

"You could of at least knocked." He rolled his eyes, standing up straight. "We were talking privately."

"I'm sure Sienna won't mind consuming the converstation after you've spoken to mum." She explained as I nodded my head in agreement.

Beep Beep.

"That's my phone!" Brad called reaching for the device, however Nat swatted his hand narrowing her eyes

"Go and see mum first!"

"I'll be back in five." He confirmed to me, pressing his lips lightly against my cheek before existing the room.

"What do you see in my brother?" Nat questioned curiously smiling, I returned a lopsided smile and sat myself up.

"I ask my brothers girlfriend the exact same question when I first met her." I giggled at the memory.

"He doesn't deserve near half as good of a person as you." She exaggerated. "But you seem to make him insanely as although I hate to admit this, it's very good to see!"

"And he makes me insanely happy." I reassured her, she didn't say anything more and left the room leaving me alone.

My eyes gazed over to Brad's phone. I wondered who texted him. Although, we aren't official I'm almost his girlfriend so I could have a cheeky look - like I did before. The screen flashed and the message appeared on the screen.

From Mils;
Thank you for last night, really enjoyed myself. We'll have to do it again sometime xx

"And I'm back, I hope you didn't miss me too much." I was suddenly startled by Brad's phone and instantly pushed the device away from me. His smile grew as he crouched down beside me again, wrapping his arms around my waist however this time I felt extremely uncomfortable - was he seeing another women?

I needed to find out!

"How was last night with the boys?" I asked emphasising the word 'boys'.

"Oh, yeah. Urm-" he paused and thought for a moment. "It was quite good, pretty quiet actually."

"For a Friday night, that's very strange." I said curiously, trying to figure out the truth tangled in his lies. "Who's idea was it to go out?"

"James." I coughed in suspicion at his answer. He raised his eye brow slightly in concerned and reached out to hand to touch my inner thigh. "Why the sudden questions about the boys and the night out? I thought we were talking about us-"

I shrugged in response. There was definitely something up.

A/N sorry for this short shit chapter