cheater; tradley

thirty one

Cheater ((31))

Brad wakes up alone, his blond companion nowhere in sight. This doesn't worry him, though, and he takes his time to leave the warmth of the comforter, soon being attacked by the cold air. Stretching, he glances over at the clock. It's already 1:31 in the afternoon, and the curly-haired boy chuckles lightly before making his way to the kitchen.

"Afternoon," Tristan calls out as Brad enters the room.

"Good afternoon," the shorter boy hops onto one of the kitchen stools, taking immediate notice of his friends attire. "You're ready for the day. When did you get up?"

"Like, around ten," Tris nods, and a tense atmosphere appears. "I was going to go see Jules today."

"Yeah?" Brad questions carefully. "Talk to her yet?"

"I messaged her and asked her to meet me at the café around eight, since I kinda needed some time to prepare before actually talking to her. I wanted to know if you'd like to come get lunch with me and hang out before I go."

"Yeah, definitely," Bradley grins cheekily, spinning his chair to properly face his friend.

This makes Tristan smile a bit, but it slowly fades away and a look of dread covers his face instead. "Ah, shit. I am really not looking forward to confronting her."

"It'll be alright," the twenty-year-old assures him, the air becoming serious, not a trace of playfulness. "I promise you, Tris. Everything will be alright."

"I...I want to believe that. But it's hard, you know. I was with her for so long; she was always there for me to fall back on. She was my number one, my best friend for years. And now it's all going to be thrown away because I can't deal with the fact that she likes another guy?"

"No, no," Shaking his head, Brad steps over to the upset blond. "You know you can't look at it like that. First of all, you know for a fact it's not your fault. And second, you cannot be with someone who doesn't want you and only you unless you're okay with it, which I know you're not. You want someone who can love you without wanting to be with someone else, and you know she can't give that to you. That is not your fault, Tris, okay? It's not."

A defeated sigh exits Tristan's mouth. "Yeah, I know. You're right, as always. Thank you. I'm just...scared. Of the outcome. Of being alone."

"You know you'll never be alone. I'll be here always. You know that, right?" Brad says this honestly, and it's so sincere that Tris finds himself nodding. "Good. Do you want me to come with you to meet her?"

"You don't have to..?" Tristan murmurs, though he indeed hopes to have someone next to him during the whole thing.

"I know I don't have to. But do you want me to?"

"It's up to you."

"Just answer me this," Brad stares straight into his eyes, hoping for a genuine answer. "Do you want me there with you today?"

There's a small pause, and then comes his reply, spoken softly. "Yes."

"Then it's settled. Give me ten minutes to get ready and then we can head out."

-

Brad is the one who drives. Tristan is shaking slightly, and he's too nervous to concentrate on one thing, so Bradley had taken over the wheel. To meet with Jules, they're headed to the same café that they'd always been going to, the one where the first huge fight with Jules had taken place, and it's doesn't take too long to get there. When they do, the curly-haired boy has to coax the blond out of the car.

"Tris, you know you need to talk to her. C'mon."

The inside of the café is the same as always. It's not crowded, which makes Tristan a little less uneasy, but he still avoids eye contact with any human in the room rather than Brad. The pair see that the girl they're meeting with hadn't arrived yet, so they find a table, a tall one with high stools for chairs. They sit side-by-side, leaving a spot open for Jules across from her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend.