Marie's Path

Chapter 36

Her heart felt like it could burst. All these feelings she didn't know she was capable of having, were flowing through her body. Marie snickered, flowing was too mild a word, it was more like a deluge. She knew without a doubt that these feelings were genuinely from her heart, and more importantly, her soul. 

Marie leaned against the kitchen counter gazing out the window as sudsy water filled the sink. She couldn't get her mind off the night before.

"You liked it, didn't you?" Brandon asked grinning as he put the kickstand down on his  motorcycle.

Marie could only nod, not being able to keep the smile off of her face as she held onto his shoulder and swung her leg over the bike. Standing next to the bike, she felt adrenaline fueled and hyper aware. She had never in her life felt that sense of total freedom. She couldn't wait to do it again. And feeling his hard abs beneath her fingertips was an added bonus.

Brandon laughed at her expression. He took a loose strand of her hair guiding it behind her ear. "It's not called 'in the wind' for nothing."

"Do...do you think I could learn?" Marie gushed out as Brandon got off his bike.

He looked at her in surprise. "To ride?"

She nodded enthusiastically staring at the motorcycle.

"Of course. I've got a little Honda you can start out on. You can even use it to get your license, and someday, I could build you your own custom bike." He put an arm across her shoulders as they walked up to the house. "Damn, I think you'd look sexy riding decked out in leather," he added with a wink.

Marie laughed. "Hey, maybe we could have a sidecar on it for Chase."

"Okay, now that'd be just weird," he said laughing as he reached for the door but paused. "Have you ever surfed?"

Marie pulled the tie out of her hair and bit her bottom lip. "Uh, no."

Brandon gave her a cocky grin and moved in closer. "I happen to be an excellent surfer. I'll take you. It's another rush you wouldn't be able to get enough of."

She blinked, her cheeks tinting. "I...can't swim very well. I hadn't swam since I was little," she whispered looking down at the ground. It was like a lifetime ago when her mother took her and Sang for swimming lessons. It was fun and one of the best times she could remember as a kid. But suddenly it ended. And life as they knew it was never the same again.  

He'd gotten quiet and had a pained look on his face. Reaching out for her hand he pulled her to the steps. "Sit down," he said softly reaching for his phone when he sat down.

Marie watched him sending a text and laying the phone on the steps.

He looked at her and winced. "They're all waiting inside. After my little announcement in the kitchen earlier and after you left, we decided to move things along." He glanced at her and quickly looked away. "We're idiots, doing just what we said we wouldn't do. It's always been like this, and maybe this time we didn't think things through. I'm a bastard."

Her heart dropped and all she felt was dread. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he had to say. With a sense of foreboding she sucked in air. "I don't understand. Did you change your mind about me? You said you -."

Brandon put his hands on her shoulders, leaned in brushing his lips against hers. "Shh," he whispered to her softly. "That's not it at all. Not even close." He kissed her lightly again. And kept his hands firmly on her shoulders until she calmed enough.

Marie stared at him blankly. After a moment, she breathed deep and punched him in the arm. "Don't ever do that again. God!" She leaned forward on the steps resting her head in her hands. "Just tell me what's bugging you."