Shotgun Pretty

Beautiful View

I heard someone knocking on the door. I didn't know if I should open it or not, no one needed to see me like the hot mess that I was at that moment. The person stopped and then knocked again.

"I'm in here, " I replied, wiping my nose on my sleeve, attractiveness at its best.

"Nor....are you okay?" The familiar voice asked. I turned around and unlocked the door to see Lauren standing there, concern in her big blue eyes.

She quickly shut and locked the bathroom door again, turning to engulf me in a big hug. "Girl, what's wrong? Brantley was sitting in the living room, and when you didn't come back out right away he said someone besides himself should check to make sure you were okay. Did he do something to you, cause if he did I will stomp his ass."

That forced a slight giggle out of me. I stepped back, sniffling. "No.... well...."

"What happened?"

"I was in his room getting warm clothes from him and the next thing I knew he was kissing me.... and I was kissing him back." I looked down, feeling defeated.

"Brantley Gilbert kisses you, and you cry because of it? It's Brantley Fuckin' Gilbert. What's the problem?" Lauren asked, a little confused.

"Because I let it happen. And Robbie...." I went to continue, but was cut short by Lauren's exasperated sigh.

"Robbie would want you to move on. He would want you to be happy. You have to free yourself from the burden of blaming yourself for the accident. It was his decision. He loved you, Nora. And he would want to let you go and move on..... please, for yourself, for your family, for me..... and for Brantley. I am fairly certain he has a little bit of a crush going on, and that's a big deal to him as well." Lauren was always good at giving me the serious advice and speaking the truth when I needed it the most. She was right. I needed to move on. Robbie would want me to be happy. He always told me 'the happiest girls are the prettiest girls, and you my darling, are the prettiest of them all.'

I wiped my nose again, but this time with a tissue off the marble sink. Lauren stood there looking at me, "You good now?"

"Yeah," I replied, "I'm gonna change in to these clothes he is so graciously letting me borrow and then I will be out."

"That's my girl." Lauren kissed the top of my head and went back out in to the living room to join the guys.

I peeled my wet jeans off and pulled on the black Nike sweatpants Brantley had given me. I did the same with my shirt as I replaced it with the wife beater and hoodie.

"Ahhhh, so much better." I sighed, walking out of the bathroom. I cautiously made my way down the hall to the living room, feeling a little embarassed by my breakdown. I scanned the big room. The only person left inside was Brantley sitting in the recliner, looking out the big ceiling to almost floor window. I walked quietly as not to startle him.

"It's beautiful." I said coming up along side of him, admiring the breathtaking view he had over the pond and serene woods.

He looked up at me and then back out at everyone in the yard pulling up chairs and starting a fire. The tension was palpable between us, you could cut it with a knife. I better apologize, I thought to myself. I placed my hand on the back of his chair, bracing myself just in case.

"Brantley.... I'm really..."

"It's fine. I understand. You should head outside before all the good spots around the fire are taken." He stood up, adjusting his silver rings, walking right past me back down to his room. I contemplated in that moment of silence on what to do. The old Nora would say oh well I tried and was shy about it. The newly found Nora the past few days was not going to sit by and watch him act like a baby, when I was clearly trying to apologize for what had happened. I assumed Lauren had told him and Kolby everything when she had left me to change in the bathroom. I turned abruptly and padded down the old wood floors after him.

I approached his doorway with caution, "Can I please come in?"

"Do whatever you want to do." He was lying on his back staring up at the ceiling fan spinning around slowly.

""Brantley, I am trying to apologize here. I didn't mean to scurry off to the bathroom so fast after you, you know, kissed me." I was standing next to his bed looking down at him, blushing at my newly found courage. "I was just overwhelmed by emotion."

"Nora, I said it was okay. I understand. You aren't over Robbie yet. It's cool. It's hard to lose someone you love. Going through it myself, being the one who everyone almost lost, I get it more than anyone else would." Brantley was propped up on his elbows, staring in to my eyes like he could feel exactly what I was feeling. I don't know if it was the fact that, for a moment, I felt connected to him in that way or if it was that he was looking so damn hot laying there, but I bent down and kissed him. His left hand immediately came up to caress my right cheek, causing him to lose balance. I fell half on top of him, giggling against his lips. He continued the kiss as he was now fully on his back, his arms reaching for my hips to pull me onto his lap. I obliged, slowly straddling his waist, leaning over deepening the kiss. His tongue once again danced along my burning lips. I parted them to let him in, his tongue plunging in to my mouth. Brantley kept going, like he couldn't get enough. I was starting to feel warm. I pulled back just enough to bring the black hoodie he lent me over my head. I tossed it on the floor beside the bed. He was looking up at me with those gorgeous green eyes of his. Now I know why girls go crazy for him.

"What?" I asked, my cheeks flush from both the intense make-out session we had going on and from suddenly becoming a little shy.

"You're more beautiful than the view out my living room window." He replied after a few seconds of silence, grabbing my face again to capture me in another sweet kiss.

oh man, Nora is one lucky girl if I do say so myself! Hope you are all enjoying this, and thank you to those who have voted and left commenst!!! :) more to come soon