Billie and Brandon: Unpredictable Circumstances

16

Billie heard feet approaching the door, and she was so tempted to cut and run that she had to momentarily grip the wall to keep her feet bolted to the floor. The lock of the apartment door unlatched, and she held her breath.

Alright. Here we go.

The door swung open to Brandon with a smile on his face, and Billie released the breath she had been holding, actually pretty glad that it had been Brandon to open the door.

"Oh thank god...I thought you were going to be your mom" Billie muttered, taking Brandon's hand when he reached out to tug her in. He took her school bag and set it down beside the door.

"I figured you'd rather have a familiar face greet you." Brandon turned around after shutting the door and setting the lock.

He took her in slowly, his gaze darkening the slightest bit. Then Brandon wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, his other hand tangling into her hair. Billie's breath caught from the look in his eyes.

"And I wanted to do this."

He leaned down and claimed her mouth in a sweet kiss, drawing out a soft groan from her lips. She didn't know what it was about Brandon, but he always managed to ignite a crazy fire in her that she couldn't ignore no matter how hard she tried. Billie clutched at his shoulder, her head growing light as he slowly drove her insane from the warmth of his mouth.

She'd needed this. It really helped eradicate some of the trepidation she'd been feeling.

And the someone cleared their throat loudly behind Billie before speaking in a somewhat New York accent.

"I asked you to get the door, Brandon. I don't recall asking you to makeout with our house guest right in front of it."

Brandon pulled away from Billie rather abruptly, his eyebrows lifting in surprise and muscles stiffening almost immediately. Billie glanced up at his face, staring at his mother somewhere behind Billie with a look of trepidation in his eyes. Billie couldn't see her, but from the tone of her voice, she knew exactly why Brandon looked so put off. There was ice cold frost in her voice.

An ice cold that reminded Billie of her own mother's disapproval right before she had kicked her out.

A fear gripped her heart.

"I'm sorry, Mom" Brandon said, his hold on Billie tightening the slightest bit.

"Where are your manners? I taught you better than that," His mother said, sounding peeved. "Well? introduce me, or you can eat outside in the cold."

Brandon let go of Billie, and she turned around to face his mother. The first thing Billie registered was that Mama Adams was a taller woman, her curly black hair done in braids. The second thing? The fact that she had her arms crossed in front of her chest and was wearing a bathrobe and house slippers. Billie wasn't sure what she had expected-maybe some expensive designer dress, some nice shoes and completely done makeup-but sure as hell knew a woman in a bathrobe was not it.

Billie swallowed thickly, already feeling herself grow nervous as Brandon's mother rose a brow. She took a small step back unconsciously and bumped into Brandon. He put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, though she wasn't sure if it was more to reassure her or himself.

"Mom, this is Billie O'Connell."

His mother eyed Billie for a second before her gaze settled on Billie's abdomen. Though her brown eyes weren't particularly expressing warmth, strangely, Billie didn't sense any disdain or disgust in her expression. Just an intrigued curiosity.

But Billie couldn't let her guard down. She had just been caught kissing Brandon. By his mother. She'd already made a terrible first impression on someone's parent, and she hadn't had to utter a word to do that. That had to be a new record.