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CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
"Brad, can I use your phone? Luisa took all of my stuff." Brad hands it to me and I call my mum, only for it to go to voicemail. I tell her to ring it as soon as she gets it.
"Did she pick up?" Brad asks as people push past the pair and out of the house.
"No, uh, I told her to ring me when she hears it," I smile and when everyone has filtered out, it's just me and him.
He pours two drinks and offers me one but I decline it politely. I look around the room, taking in the surroundings. There's bottles everywhere and a guitar in the corner of the room, shoved between the wall and a sofa.
"A guitar, huh?" I walk over to it and pick it up. "Do you sing to all your girls before you hook up with them?"
He chuckles, "Only the special ones."
"Oh, yeah?" I laugh, raising an eyebrow. "What do you sing?"
"Maybe you'll have to find out." He winks and sits down opposite me.
"What about this," I cough and sit the guitar on my lap. "I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my. . ." I pause, thinking of the right word. "Toes."
He chuckles again and takes a sip of his beer, "Please, continue."
I smile, and place my fingers on the right frets. "And love is all around me and so the feeling grows."
"Yeah," he rolls his eyes playfully.
"Was that it? No? No.." I pause. "Then it's more like: It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart without saying a word, you can light up the dark."
I notice him sit up properly, his eyes not leaving me.
"With a little rapping," I wink and he shakes his head. "No? Really? Now I know it, Bradley, I know it. I know: I know whatchu playing, other than girls."
He laughs and budges closer towards me. Before he can say anything, his phone begins buzzing in his pocket. He pulls it out and reads the screen.
"It's for you," he hands it to me and I read it before taking it and answering.
"Hello, mom."
"Hi! Sweetheart! I'm so sorry I can't pick you up. I took some strong meds to get me to sleep and your dad's got a late shift at work and I don't know what time he's leaving. Can you get a ride home or take the bus?" My mother's tired voice speaks through the phone and I sigh.
"Um, yeah, I guess," I play with my hair and she wishes me goodbye before ending the call. I hand him back the phone.
"What did she say?" Brad asks as he slides his phone back in his pocket again.
"She told me I could stay here," I lie and he nods. I bite my lip and he stands up, pulling me up a moment later.
"Lets go to bed," he mumbles tiredly and I nod, following him into his room. He sorts out the bedsheets and gives me an awkward smile. "I can sleep on the couch or something."
"Oh, no. This works, right?" I smile and start walking towards the bed. "Just stick to your side of the bed, alright?"
I climb under the sheets and he shoots me a sloppy grin, "It's my bed, so technically both sides are mine."
"No, that's not how it works here, Bradley," I say and grab two pillows. "This may be a shocker to you, but there's sides of the bed. This is your side and this is my side. I suggest we make a border: you stay on this side of the pillows and don't invade my personal space or anything."
He just laughs and pulls off his trousers, "Are you sleeping with all your clothes on?"
"Yes."
He just shrugs and pulls off his shirt before climbing into his side of the bed. I turn over and sigh.
"What do you want for breakfast tomorrow morning?" He asks randomly.
"I'm not going to be eating breakfast here, Bradley."
"Eggs and bacon? Great." He ignores me comment and rolls over.
"You are the biggest cliché I have ever met."
"But you like me for it."
"No, no I don't," I deny his statement and he chuckles.
"Yes, you do. You like me." He grins before his phone dings. I turn around to see him reaching for it.
"Who is it? Someone else for you to get into a fight with?" I tease him and he rolls his eyes, grinning at his phone.
"It's a message from your mom," he replies. "Saying she's too tired to stay up to wait for you any longer and wonders when you're coming home."
I bite my lip: busted.
"I'll reply: she's too keen on me that she failed to get away," he types in his phone.
"Excuse me?! No, you're not writing that!" I say and lunge for his phone.
"Hey! Get off of my side of the bed." He puts his arm up to stop me from getting the phone. "Can you please get over on your side."
"Can I. . ?" I laugh and he pushes me away.
"That is your side of the bed, and this is your side," he sorts out the pillows and puts his phone down on the bedside table.
I lay back down and Brad rolls over looking at me and I look over his face.
"How did you get that bruise?" I ask and place my fingers over it carefully, not to hurt him.
"I got into a fight," he shrugs with a small laugh and I roll my eyes.
"Why?"
"Someone said something and it annoyed me," he said.
"What did they say?" I press and he sighs, facing away from me. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"They called you a whore. I punched them and there was a huge fight. Nothing big." He replies a moment later and I freeze. He got in a fight over me?
"I-I'm sorry," I say and he rolls back over, looking at me.
"I'd do it ten times over for you." He places a hand on my cheek and budges closer, the pillows being the only thing in between us. "Mollie, can I kiss you?"
I pause, surprised. He wants to kiss me? No words escape my mouth and instead I just nod, and he edges in closer, his lips lightly on mine.
His other hand placed itself on my waist and tugged my slightly closer and my hands made their way up to their neck.
Our lips move, sloppy. There was so much emotion: love, lust, anger. He pulls away before anything else happens. My lips tingle at his departure.
"Goodnight," he whispers and I smile, briefly pressing my lips to his before turning around.
