Take Me Home (Revised)

Chapter Eighteen: Ely

She told me she loved me. Breilah June Thomas was mine. After all these years, I finally got my Brei.

I should've known she'd find out sooner or later, I mean come on. She's far from stupid. I couldn't stop kissing her for days after that. After she figured out where I ran off to, and ran all the way across town to find me, not that I mind that, she told me she was in love with me. I still couldn't believe it. Just like I couldn't believe when she told me she was finally moving out of that hole of a house. Not that I would've minded her staying with me at home, but Dana was the perfect person to take care of her. Especially now that Dana's pushed those documents through as fast as she has, there's no stopping her now!

"Hey, where does this go?" I asked, holding up a pink spotted bra above my head, prompting Brei to turn around. She laughed that mind-melting laugh again when she saw me wrap the undergarment around my head like that little blue Disney character she liked so much.

"Where do you think, dumbass?" She smarted, pulling the top drawer of her new dresser out for me to toss the bra into. Brei's new room was much bigger and nicer than her old one. Wallpaper actually stuck to the walls, windows threw sunlight into the city-themed room. The dresser had five drawers and a very intricate carving of her name in the jewelry box part that sat on top, courtesy of Dad. Brei had a full-blown walk-in closet now. Hangers with tons of new clothes, and even a few dresses, hung all nice and neat and organized inside. Brei had a real queen-sized bed with a real bed frame and memory-foam mattress. Colorful quilts and sheets beckoned me to throw myself onto it just to see how soft they were. I could not express how happy and relieved I was when Brei asked me to help move her into this place. Knowing that she was taken care of, and had an actual bedroom with an actual bed and windows, made me feel that much better about her being without me, not that I'm letting that happen too much, especially since she has to have this stupid breathing monitor on her wrist and isn't my neighbor anymore.

"Is that everything?" I wondered aloud, popping some bubble wrap between my fingertips. For someone who didn't have much to begin with, Brei had a lot of shit to pack, move, and unpack!

"Yes, that was the last box. You did good, baby." She chuckled, popping a few bubbles with her nails.

"Good, because I'm exhausted!" I exaggerated, throwing myself back onto her bed, which turned out to be very soft.

     "You are, are you?" She teased, straddling my legs with her own, tapping my nose, then tracing my freckles with her fingernails. I loved it when she did that. Made my skin crawl. In a good way of course.

     "Very. In fact, I think I deserve a reward for my services, don't you think?" I teased, tapping my cheek with my index finger, hoping to feel her press her soft lips against it.

"You're a nut, you know that?" Brei smiled, pecking my cheek briskly.

"What was that?" I blurted, rising up onto my elbows.

"What was what?" She replied, ending her tantalizing tracing and sitting up.

"That was the most pathetic kiss ever!" I sat the whole way up, and crossed my arms and stuck out my bottom lip in her signature pouty-face. Pouty-face is a two-way street!

"Oh really?" She grinned, standing up, cocking a hip out with a smirk.

     "Oh yeah. Did Jake kiss better than you?" I teased, joining her in a full standing position, though I, personally, wanted to stay on the bed. She playfully smacked my arm.

     "He was a great kisser!" She defended.

     "But I'm better, right? I just can't believe you actually dated that pizza-nub." I leaned up against the wall in my patented cool guy stance. She rested herself against my chest, facing away from me, hands on her hips.