Chapter 4: Confessions and a little Adventure

"Bradin, I know you're upset about what you saw, and I can understand why, giving the circumstances, but I can't understand why you would be mad at me for kissing a guy," she started. He stared at her blankly, so se went on. "I'm sorry for kissing Tanner, given that you have bad history, but Bradin, will I have to be sorry every time I kiss someone else?" "I…" he didn't know what to say. "Bradin, you're a wonderful guy, and any girl would be lucky to have you, and you're the best friend anyone could have, but us, when us gets involved, I don't know how to feel, because I don't know you feel, and I can't do anything that would jeopardize our friendship and I don't want to embarrass myself." Bradin looked at her. She had just poured her heart out to him, and now she was looking at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "Well, say something," she cried.

He didn't say a single word, actions spoke louder then them after all. He lent over and planted a soft kiss on her lips. When he broke apart from her, he immediately looked at her face as her eyes slowly fluttered open. They looked straight at each other for a few minutes, Bradin wasn't sure if he was supposed to speak or not, but he didn't have to. "What did that mean," she asked breathlessly? "It means you shouldn't be embarrassed about anything," he spoke softly. She broke their eye contact and closed her eyes, breathing in a huge gulp of air, and letting it go before she spoke again. "Bradin, as much as I liked that," she started and Bradin smiled slightly, "I cant help but wonder why you did it?" His smile faded and he looked at her confused, "I did it because I wanted to." "B, haven't you ever wondered why I've never kissed you," she asked? Bradin thought about what she had just said and had to admit he had wondered for a while when they first started hanging out but had let it go. "You cant just kiss someone because you want to, you have to have a reason, and like I said before, you've never given me a reason to." Bradin grumbled and stood up, he was getting a little angry, "What are you talking about Ellie, I kissed you that's a freaking reason, what do you want me to do, spell it out for you, I LIKE YOU ELLIE, I do!" She ducked her head and looked around to see if anyone was watching them. "BRADIN," she hissed, "be quiet, there are people sleeping in this house." He scoffed. "God, I get that you like me, but how can I be sure that I'll be the only one that you do like," she scowled, trying to make him see. And suddenly he got it, she knew how he was, she knew the way he was with girls, and she knew about Piper and Sara, and she didn't want to get hurt, he felt terrible. "Bradin, I like guys like Tanner because I know what they're type is, I know that he's a suave talking type of guy, and as long as I know that, I can prepare myself, and I cant set myself up so he cant hurt me," the tears were flowing freely now, "but with you, I cant set my self up for anything, because on one hand, I know how your relationship side is, and from a girls point of view, its not good, but on the other hand, I know you, I know the wonderful person you are, and I know that we could be great together, but I cant be sure, and I cant talk that chance."

Bradin was fuming. "Ellie, how can you say that, I have never given you a reason to believe that I would hurt you in any way, sure I think Piper and Sara are pretty girls, and yah, they're cool, but so are you, and what we do together, the fun we have, I could never be that way with any one else, and you know it, you know what I think, I think you're scared, scared that you could actually be with a good guy, a guy that could be as good to you as you are to him." Ellie looked him in the eyes again, "Don't put this on me Bradin, this has nothing to do with what I'm afraid and not afraid of!" "Yes it does Ellie, it has everything to do with what your afraid of, what I'm afraid of, what we're afraid of, and you know it, I'll admit it, I'm afraid of relationships, sure, I'm a guy, commitment frightens all of us, and I can hide behind that, what can you hide behind?" She stared him down, and gave him a blank expression, as she slowly got up from her spot on the couch, "Nothing Bradin, I have nothing to hide behind, and I don't need anything to hide behind, I'm here, ready and waiting, come find me when you don't need to hide anything either." She grabbed her purse that she had set down on the small table by the door, and opened the door. "I think I'm gunna go home, but remember, ready and waiting," and with that she was gone, the door silently shutting behind her. Bradin breathed in, then out, got up, walked to the door and locked it, then heading up the stairs, careful not to wake Derrick up as he entered their room and hit his bed, not bothering to change, he just closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but his head was spinning and he felt like he was going to be sick. Finally he drifted off to sleep, not knowing what in the world he could do.

The next morning, well that same morning, but later, Bradin woke up to the feel of the warm sun on his face. He squinted and looked at his watch, which read 10:14. He rolled over and rubbed his eyes, yawned, stretched his hands over his head, then took off the close he had slept in and changed into a pair of black swim trunks with the Fox Racing symbol across the front outlined in red, and a red t-shirt, then went down stairs. He remembered that Ava was taking Nikki shopping, and he figured that Susannah was with them, but as he entered the living room area and expected Derrick to be watching Saturday morning cartoons, he saw Johnny and Jay looking at him dead on as if they had been waiting on him.

"What's up guys," he asked, "where's Derrick?" "We sent him over to play with Martha at her house, " Johnny said. "Why," Bradin was confused? "Because, WE are taking YOU out for a guys day, all this girl drama isn't healthy for you, you need some guy time," Jay explained as he and Johnny stood up. "So grab yourself something to eat and put on some shoes and lets go," Johnny said. Bradin just nodded, still sort of confused, as he did what he was told. He figured Aunt Ava had told them what had happened, or they had woken up and heard he and Ellie last or something, but he hadn't spent much guy time with Johnny and Jay lately so he didn't object. As he reentered the living room, Johnny and Jay were standing around waiting for him. "Ready," Johnny asked? "Yah, were are we going," Bradin asked? Johnny and Jay smirked. "The question is, where AREN'T we going," Jay smirked more as he pushed him out the house, Johnny following them, as they jumped into Johnny's car.

As Johnny revved it up from the drivers seat, Bradin was getting curious, "So, what are we really doing today?" "Don't you worry about it mate, just sit back, relax, and have some fun today," Jay said from the passengers side, as he handed Bradin a pair of black sun glasses, before putting his own on himself, as did Johnny. Bradin just looked at the glasses for a second, shrugged, put them on, and relaxed back in his seat.

For two hours the boys drove around to different places, doing different things. They played a game of mini-golf at this awesome place Bradin had never seen before, walked around middle of town wear all the coolest shops were, and Bradin bought a few new things, but as he bought them he couldn't help but think about the girls that were running around in his mind. He bought a new shell necklace, and it reminded him of the one that Sara wore when they were together the night before she had stopped talking to him for the rest of the summer, the night she tried to make him choose between her and Ellie. He a graphic t-shirt, that said 'Everything's Bigger in the South' which reminded him first of Kansas, then of Piper and her big brown eyes and he thought that maybe the shirt had been made just to taunt him. And he had bought the coolest trucker hat, that said Quicksilver and he remembered the time that he and Ellie had gone 'hat shopping' on her request. They had tried on every hat in Playa Linda it seemed, he had thought that going shopping solely for hats was kind of weird, but laughed when the two had asked Aunt Ava and Susannah about it and they all looked at Bradin like he had two heads as they said with a straight face, "Is there any other kind of way to buy hats?" As he looked at the hat he ran his thumb over the brim of it and remembered, he smiled a little at the memory, but frowned when he thought about who it was about, and the situation they were in. but smiled again when Jay called his name sporting the weirdest, ugliest, thing he had ever seen on his head and he and Johnny made fun of him.

They stopped at a cool outside restaurant for lunch before they were headed to the beach front for the remainder of the day. As they were exiting they heard someone call Jay's name. "Jay," the sweet voice called and Bradin knew who it was the minute he heard it and tensed, but Jay and Johnny didn't and they turned around to see who it was. Ellie had been walking around with her closest girl friend Larissa and spotted the back of Jay's head by the 'Blue Lagoon' as they came out the gates surrounding it, but as the people he was with turned around she regretted it immediately. Her smiled suddenly was gone as she stared at Bradin for a second as Jay and Johnny walked up to her sort of awkwardly, Bradin two steps behind them. She woke herself up from her stupor after a second and smiled again. "Jay, Johnny, hey," she said sweetly, then more quietly to Bradin, "Bradin." He didn't look at her from behind the men's shoulders, he was really consumed by the sidewalk beneath him. "Hey El, what's up," Jay said awkwardly. "Nothin much, just um, shopping with my friend Larissa," she pointed to the normally quiet girl. Larissa was behind her, trying her best not to explode in a fit of laughter. Ellie had told her what had happened with her and Bradin and she found it hilarious that they were standing here now, in this situation, everything was awkward. Ellie introduced her to the two men, Bradin knew her already of course, and she mumbled a 'hey' but straightened out when she caught the glare Ellie was giving them.

"Well um, it was good seeing you again Ellie, always a pleasure, and it was nice meeting you Larissa, but we should get going," Jay said, trying to make an excuse to leave the horrible situation. "Yah," the girls shook their heads vigorously. Johnny said goodbye too but an idea popped into his head, "We were just headed to the beach, maybe you could join us later?" Everyone looked at him like he was nuts. He just looked at Ellie, laughing so hard on the inside it hurt. "Um, y-yah, sure we will, were are you guys gunna be," Larissa spoke up, understanding what Johnny was doing. "The normal spot, Ellie knows where it is, don't you El," Johnny asked? "Yah, I do," she grumbled, still in disbelief, what were they trying to get at? "Alright then, we'll be expecting you, don't stand us up," Johnny joked. "We'll be there," Larissa agreed and ushered Ellie off. When the girls were out of ear shot Bradin freaked. "JOHNNY," his eyes grew wide, "What the heck were you thinking?" "Nothing, just inviting your best friend and her friend to the beach," he played dumb, and he started to walk off, Jay smiled and walked after him, Bradin followed. "Are you crazy, why would you do that," he shrieked? "Because, she's your best friend, and you guys were gunna talk eventually, I just gave you a friendly little push," he smiled. "I'm gunna kill you," Bradin half yelled, as he jumped on Johnny's back, making him stagger a few feet. Johnny and Jay remained smiling, and they all headed off to the beach.

Okay, so there's another chapter for you. Next chapter will start off with that night at the beach. Will Larissa end up dragging Ellie to the beach? What will happen between her and Bradin?