Without speaking I took his hand and guided him to my room. I would show him he was the only one in my thoughts, and later I would tell him I was ready to let his brother go.
Twenty-One
"You okay?" Brian asked as I climbed into the car.
"Fine," I answered.
"Right." He smirked and started the ignition. He knew why I was so silent.
We'd spent every second we were free together in the weeks following my move. His schedule was more chaotic than mine now that football practices had been knocked up in intensity and I was no longer working. Most days I dragged my sketchpad down to the stadium to draw while he practiced. During breaks he would run up the stadium steps to see me. Sometimes it was for a drink or a kiss. Other times it was to tell me something I'd missed on the field. He was determined to make me a football pro before the season started. His teammates had razzed him about it at first but they soon got over my presence and made sure to add their two cents to my growing knowledge on the sport.
Our evenings were spent eating out or holed up in my apartment watching movies since his roommates were now back on campus. Classes started in a week and the campus was noticeably more crowded. When I wasn't with Brian or watching him practice, I was with Mac, who was living in an apartment with Bentley not far off campus. I was surprised at first that her parents didn't balk at the arrangement, or more accurately, I was surprised Mac herself didn't balk. There was a time when she'd made it clear that school came before relationships. As far as she'd been convinced, love could wait. Love had obviously decided to intervene. Regardless of her living arrangements, I was glad to have her so close. Our new friendship was layered and deeper than our old one had been. It felt real. We'd gotten into the habit of driving to Zach's together and including him in our new relationship. At times it was awkward as we stumbled over memories, but most times we were learning how to be friends again.
All three of us shared a mutual apprehension for Mom's party, where I was currently headed. We talked about it intensively, not sure it would go off as smoothly as Mom thought it would. Mac was more optimistic than Zach and me and talked down most of our pessimistic comments.
I didn't confess to either of them that most of my nerves stemmed from the significance of the party for Brian and me. We'd managed to keep our relationship from our parents but had agreed we'd let everyone in on our secret today. I wasn't all that worried about my own parents, but I was terrified of what his would think.
"It's going to be fine," Brian said, reaching over to pat my hand.
"How do you know what I'm t
hinking?" I asked as he pulled onto my parents' street.
"Please. You've been worried about this party for weeks. I promise no one is going to care."
"Your parents—"
"Love you. They always have, Kat. That never changed. They'll love you even more when they know how important you are to me."
I shook my head. I felt he was being blindly optimistic.
"Too late now," he teased, pulling in the grass in front of the house since the circular driveway was already filled with cars.
"Not too late yet. We haven't been spotted yet."
"Wrong." He laughed as my parents' front door opened.
"Oh sheesh, was she lurking at the window waiting?" I asked, spotting Mom framed in the doorway.
"Looks like it," he said, completely relaxed as he opened his car door.
I gripped the handle of my own door for a moment before reluctantly opening it. "No guts, no glory," I muttered to myself, watching as a wide smile spread across Mom's face when she saw Brian reach for my hand. I let out a breath. Okay, maybe I could do this.
"Kat." Mom greeted me halfway up the walk and gave me a big hug. "Brian, how nice to see you with Kat," she said, releasing me to give him a hug also. I bit back a groan. I was pretty sure she couldn't have been more obvious if she tried. "Dave, Kat and Brian are here together," she sang out into the house as we stepped in. All conversation in the room stopped as everyone turned to look at Brian and me. Obviously I'd been wrong, she could be more obvious. I tugged at my hand, trying to get it out of Brian's before anyone could notice, but he held it fast.
I looked up to plead with him, but his eyes spoke volumes. "No guts, no glory." He murmured my previous sentiment as his arm slid around my waist. All fight went out of me. I relaxed against his side. He was right.
My eyes scanned the room for his parents, hoping they'd understand. After a moment my eyes finally found his mom's. The smile on her face showed he'd been right all along. Looking around I saw no one seemed to have a problem with the fact that Brian had his arm around my waist, including Zach. I'd spent the last few months persecuting us, all in preparation for this meeting, and in the end no one cared. Not a single person in the room looked at us with judgment.
"Told you," Brian gloated as his mom wrapped me in a tight hug.
"Kat, it's so nice to see you," she whispered in my ear, giving me a tight squeeze. Moisture filled my eyes. Waves of familiarity assaulted my senses. I'd forced myself to believe I didn't need all of this or even deserve it. Wrapped in her arms at that very moment I felt like I'd finally come home.
After she released me I was passed from one set of arms to another. People I hadn't seen in two years crowded in to see me. All the anger I'd been expecting for abandoning them was as absent as the judgment had been.
"You okay?" Brian asked after I'd been hugged for the last time. He eyed me, clearly gauging my reaction to all the attention.
I laughed with exhilaration. It felt good to be home. "I'm good," I answered.