Dad’s so over the moon to hear his best friend is finally coming to town, it’s enough for him to forget about even scolding me for not telling him Brandon called.
But he didn’t call. And why is Brandon being so secretive?
A surprise visit’s one thing, but the way he’s looking at me? The way he’s making me feel is giving my crush on the man a run for its money.
“When ya coming out?” My dad asks all his attention on Brandon.
“Uh…. Tomorrow. In the morning,” Brandon says quickly after thinking for a moment, shifting his eyes from my dad back to me.
“Tomorrow?” My dad groans but then chuckles. “Some notice might’ve been good, but hell, it’ll be good to see ya, buddy.”
“Listen. I’ve got something booked I can’t put off tomorrow, maybe May could pick you up?” Dad suggests, craning his neck toward me.
I hear a strange sound somewhere behind me, but itisme.
A kind of mewing sound that I know Brandon catches, making him smile wider.
“Sounds perfect,” he says before I even have time to think about it.
“Sweetie?” My dad asks, tilting his head. Looking a little sheepish now that he’s spoken for me without even asking if I’m free.
But I can only watch as the room starts to jump up and down, moving in time with the furious pumping of my head as I nod.
“Of course!” I practically squeal, sounding like I know what I’m doing. As if I really did know Brandon was coming.
“Perfect!” Dad sighs, and after promising him again that they’ll have plenty of time to catch up, he ends his conversation, vowing to see his best friend tomorrow.
“I’ll be there in the morning,” Brandon says in his trademark deep voice, making sure he locks eyes on me one last time before he goes.
“I’ll text you my flight’s ETA when I have it, Steve, and you might just be seeing a lot more of me too from now on,” he adds cryptically before ending the call.
Dad gives me a quizzing look, and I can only shrug. I assure him I really have no idea what Brandon means because I don’t.
The idea of seeing Brandon again, though. Seeing ‘a lot more’ of Brandon is enough to make my knees weak, and I have to excuse myself to go to my room.
I need to change my underwear first before I get lost in sorting through my meager wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear for tomorrow.
As nervous as it all makes me and as confused as I am about how Brandon feels about me, tomorrow can’t come fast enough.
And I forgot to tell Dad about the house next door being sold too.
CHAPTERTWO
Brandon
I can’t believe it's been almost six months since I saw May last. It’s definitely been the longest six months of my life.
The day she graduated, that was the first time I’d seen May in person for over three years before that, and Jesus, it was really like seeing her for the first time.
Like, she really is all grown up now.
Anadult.
Biologically too, not just her age.
I wanted to be there, though. I had to be for my buddy Steve as well as for May.
Seeing his little girl all grown up and about to head out into the wide world with her diploma.