DONE ✔️ (UNDER EDIT)

Chapter Twenty-One.

Chapter Twenty-One.
*******************

"I still can't believe you let him sign your cast, but you won't let me." River sulked.

"Let it go." Kimmy grumbled.

"I cannot!" He snapped, standing abruptly, loud enough to draw a few looks from around the bar.

"Sit your ass down." Jack said, grabbing his arm and yanking him back into his seat.

"Yes, Dad," River muttered, "But I'm not letting it go-"

"Get a few more drinks into you and you might." Landon said with a grin, sliding another beer toward him.

River took it and chugged nearly half in one go.

I shook my head, watching Jack immediately scold Landon, only for the two of them to team up and start giving Jack shit in return.

My attention drifted to Caleb, who was finishing the last fry from yet another basket, stacking it with the others on the table. Four empty baskets. I wondered how many more he planned on demolishing tonight.

"Another?"

I jumped slightly, turning to my left to find Brad beside me.

I melted back into his touch as his hand rested lightly on my back, subtle enough that no one else noticed.

Since our dinner three nights ago, we'd been... Keeping things quiet. And by quiet, I meant we hadn't seen each other at all, just texting.

Brad had followed through. Dinner, then ice cream. And he'd stuck to taking things slow. The kiss in the bathroom had been the only real moment we'd had that night.

We didn't even hold hands at dinner. No kissing, no lingering touches.

When he dropped me home, he even came up to my apartment. I thought maybe something would happen then, especially since Marie wasn't home, but no. He stayed a gentleman.

We sat on the couch, my legs across his lap, and he pulled out a Sharpie (God knows from where) and started drawing on my cast. When I tried to pull away, he held my leg steady and kept going.

By the time he was done, my cast was covered in small drawings. A dog, a tree, a tic-tac-toe board he insisted we play... It looked like a kid had gone wild on it.

He left after getting an emergency call from Landon, who needed a lift. Just stood at my door with his hands in his pockets, wished me goodnight, and that was it.

And now, three days later, he was here. His hand on my back.

And River was still pissed about the cast.

"How many more fries are you going to eat?" Jack asked Caleb, pulling me back to the present.

"Jesus, what are you, his dad?" Landon snorted, him and River laughing as they tried to outdrink each other.