“That’s right! We’ll be living near each other once again. It can be just like old times! Isn’t that great?” Megan smiled, taking a bite off her toast happily.
Bradley and I looked at each other. I was sure that the same thought was crossing our minds. Just like old times? Well, that can’t possibly be great in any way.
My mom and Brad’s engaged in a conversation about all of their plans. They would freaking gossip every day, the whole day, I could sense this. I’d be seeing Simpson’s curly head way over our comfort zone. And with the recent events? I didn’t know what to say.
I bit my lower lip as his talk with James came back at my head. We really had a moment in that party, it doesn’t matter how drunk I was, which it wasn’t that much cause I remembered every little detail of last night. Safe and sound, except for the occasional headache.
What if there was something beyond the normal, usual jokes we had with each other? Could that be possible? I mean, I’ve seen it happen in soap operas, but those are soap operas, not real life. Cousins having a relationship? I agree with James, that’s just disgusting. I guess I’ll have to see what comes in our way from now on; it’ll be hard. That’s the only feeling I have right now. That it will be hard, it doesn’t matter if there’s only the attraction or if it develops into something else.
After breakfast, we left our grandma’s house. I’d miss her soft, warm hugs and her cooking, but we’d be back soon. The thought of how things could be different once we actually got back here frightened me.
*
“Get your butt to your aunt’s house, we’re helping them unpacking.” my mom entered my room and simply announced that.
“Are you kidding me?” I lifted my eyes from the computer to her face, showing my excitement emotions over doing that all over my expression.
“Your sarcastic face is not keeping you from coming with me, quit that.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
I rolled my eyes and got up against all of my wills. We arrived like 5 hours earlier and I wasn’t ready to look at Brad’s face again. But, if I didn’t go with my mom, she’d flip out and keep me away from my ways of having fun, aka, computer, tv and possibly books; yeah, she’d go that long. I stepped into the house that provided me the worst nightmares for so many years once again, the memories flooding back; Brad throwing me in the pool when I’d just took a shower AFTER being in the pool; Brad almost making me trip down the staircase; Brad… Brad… Brad…
“Fuck!” I exclaimed, nervous.
“Watch your mouth, young lady.”
Oh, there he was, the reason of my misery.
“Fuck you, specifically.” I pointed at him and headed towards the room my mom had gotten into.
“Why the bad mood?” he followed me. Great.
“Cause I’m remembering the bad cousin you used to be, and no doubt still is.”
“C’mon, Hell, I’ve changed!”
“You’ve changed, yeah right. And let me repeat, what’s up with the “hell” thing? I’m not sure I like it.”
He grabbed my wrist, turning me around and making me stare at him, “I’ve changed.” he said, softly. “And don’t I have freedom enough to call you anything I want?”
“First of all, you’re not in the US of A anymore, so quit the freedom talk. Second of all, I honestly doubt that you’ve changed.”
“I did! The only reason I threw the water on you that day was because you messed with me. I didn’t do anything wrong the entire weekend, I even helped you with the drunk thing!” he said, letting out a frustrated sigh.
