Thanks to: alexis, beAchbuMxX, Chris-n-Aaron's-gurl, kennedy, melodie568, and truluvnvrfrgotn for taking the time to read and review!
you-know? - Thank you so much for your comments and suggestion. I went back and read the beginning of the story and realized that you are 100% right, I didn't put nearly enough of Amanda's feelings in there along with Bradin's. I hope this chapter is better!
Warning: This chapter is rated a STRONG PG-13. I don't think it requires an R, but it deals with mature issues and situations.
Disclaimer: I don't own Summerland, or any of the characters featured in the show. I do own the plot and my own characters, but I don't own Pearl Harbor either. Go figure.
I See Your Face With Every Punch I Take
Jay looked confusedly at Amanda. "You . . . didn't get the abortion? You're still pregnant?"
"That's what I said," Amanda snapped. She regained some of the fiery spirit Bradin had come to know over the past two weeks.
Jay snapped his fingers together as the truth dawned on him. "That's what you're doing here. You told everybody you — well, you know — and then you took the money Carl sent you and planned on staying here until . . . until when, exactly? Did you think you had enough money to stay here until the baby was born? What about after?"
"I don't know, Jay. I don't know," Amanda repeated. She sunk down on the small bed and rested her head in her hands.
"Well, I do know. You're coming home with me." When Amanda looked up to protest, Jay held up a hand and sat down next to her. "Hear me out. I know that you want to have this baby. I know you want to stay in Playa Linda. You just let me worry about the Hunters, okay? Amanda?"
Amanda couldn't answer, she just nodded through her tears and hugged Jay closely. "Thank you, Jay. I love you."
"Ah, I love you too, Reeflet."
Bradin stood awkwardly by the door, bearing silent witness to the reunion of brother and sister. A few moments of hugging and Jay stood up. "I'll let you two talk while I go check you out of this hell hole."
Amanda nodded. Once Jay left, a strained silence lingered. "My name."
"Your name?"
"Why did you use it?" Bradin asked finally.
"Forget about it, it's just stupid — "
"Whatever it is, it's not stupid. I promise," Bradin urged.
Amanda smiled in an embarrassed way. "Fine. When I got here, I went to Brenn to make sure he thought I did what he wanted me to. Then, I came here. I was sort of . . . thinking about us the whole time. If there even is an 'us' to think about, I was thinking about you . . . and your name just popped out instead of my own. I like how it sounded."
Bradin couldn't find the words to reply to that. "Do you think you love me?"
Amanda turned her head away, avoiding the blunt question, and Bradin repeated, "Do you love me?"
"Yeah, Bradin. As unlikely as it sounds, I think I just might."
"Really? That's funny because . . . I just might love you too."
"What? You're crazy! You can't — "
"Can't what?" Bradin cut Amanda off. "Can't fall in love after two weeks? Can't fall in love with you? Don't do that to yourself . . . don't knock yourself down, Amanda."
"I'm just saying that you shouldn't have to have been brought into the middle of all this in the first place. You're only seventeen years old, how do you know you love me? What do you have this to compare to?"
"Oh, yeah? And what do you have me to compare to? Brenn?" Bradin countered.
"Fine, you win. But these are special circumstances. Don't say things now that you won't mean later," Amanda cautioned.
"I wasn't planning on it. We're both going to be graduating this year, I think I'm mature enough to understand what a commitment like this will mean."
"Sure about this?"
"Yes! Stop asking me!" Bradin shouted with a smile on his face.
Amanda smiled back. "Okay." She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you."
"Yeah, yeah, we just went through this. I love you, too," Bradin teased. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer.
"Woah, woah, woah! Not sure I'm liking this picture!" Jay had arrived again. He had his hand over his eyes, and was ready to walk right back out the door.
"Come on, Jay, don't overreact," Amanda whined.
"Whatever, just . . . just stop it." Even though Jay tried to sound reprimanding, he had a slight smile on his face which was just enough to let Amanda know he wasn't serious.
Amanda pulled away from Bradin and said, "Fine, it's safe."
"Good," Jay sighed dramatically in relief. "We need to book our tickets home."
Amanda groaned. "I'm not flying for the next twenty years."
"Come on, we might as well get the tickets at the airport. Still got any money left over from that check?" Jay asked.
"Oh, I've got plenty. He sent me way more than was necessary," Amanda said with an evil smirk.
"Sounds like a plan, then. Bradin and I just have to . . . run an errand real quick."
########
"Jay, are you sure this is a good idea?" Bradin asked apprehensively.
"Look, you don't have to get involved with this. I need to settle it once and for all, though, with or without you," Jay answered. "You can let us out here."
The cab driver nodded and took the money Jay handed him. Bradin watched as the yellow car drove away, feeling more unsure about their plan. He turned his gaze to the enormous mansion in front of him. It was easily four times the size of the beach house back in California, and it exuded an imposing aura of superiority. Jay sauntered up the front porch with ease, as well as noticeable anger. He rang the doorbell when Bradin joined him.
A housekeeper opened the wide oak door with a terse, "Hunter residence, may I help you?"
Jay pushed past her, Bradin following. "Carl, get your sorry ass out here right now!"
The housekeeper looked on in shock as Carl Hunter strode angrily into the foyer. He was a tall, ominous man in his mid-forties, with streaks of gray in his jet-black hair. His son soon followed, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to his father. Brenn's hair was more of a chestnut color, strikingly handsome when combined with his grey eyes. But upon closer scrutiny, those grey eyes revealed no hint of emotion, and were oddly hardened to the point of being callous.
"Hello, Brenn. Good to see you again," Jay said coldly, followed with a growl.
Brenn's eyes widened upon recognizing Jay. "J — Jay — "
"Stop stammering like a fool, Brenn. Kindly control yourself," Carl spoke in a frosty monotone. "I presume you're here about your sister?"
Jay nodded his head in Bradin's direction, and Bradin spoke: "Brenn, wanna come outside and have a little chat?"
Brenn remained motionless, but eventually complied to Bradin's statement and followed the boy outside. Once they were gone, Jay continued. "You're bloody right I'm here about Amanda." Without giving the older man another chance at speech, Jay launched himself at Carl. He caught him a hard blow on the chin first, then followed through with hits to Carl's stomach. It only took five minutes, with minor resistence from Carl, for Jay to have him pinned to the floor. "I want you to give me your word that Amanda and her baby will be supported financially. That's right," Jay went on, sensing Carl's puzzlement, "she didn't do what you told her to."
"Oh, my! Carl, shall I phone the police?" a high feminine voice with a British accent spoke from the top of a winding staircase.
"Yes, Carl . . . shall she phone the police?" Jay repeated, the threat evident in his voice.
"No," Carl grunted. "Don't, Francis."
Jay let him up. "Do I have your word?"
"Yes," said Carl reluctantly. "You have my word. She'll never have to worry about a penny for the rest of her life."
"Carl? Who are you talking about?" Francis moved down from the stairs.
"Never you mind, I'll tell you all about it later," dismissed Carl. He rubbed his jaw absently as Jay stormed back out the door.
Jay met Bradin coming from the back of the house. Once he stepped into the light, Jay realized that the younger boy had sustained a black eye and busted lip, but otherwise seemed to be in good shape. "I take it you had much the same argument with Brenn as I did with Carl?"
"Yeah," Bradin said, massaging his jaw. "But it looks like you managed to come out the better."
"Yeah, well, the good news is that Hunters agreed to support Amanda and the baby." At Bradin's appalled look, Jay said, "Only financially. I have no intention of ever letting her near this place again."
Bradin nodded in agreement as Jay flagged them down the third cab of the night, this one taking them back to the hotel to pick up Amanda and then all the way to the airport.
########
Ava was pacing back and forth in the living room. It was early Monday evening, and the last she'd heard from Jay, he and Bradin had landed in Australia and were on their way to find Amanda.
"Ava. Darling. Sweetheart." Ava looked over at Susannah. Satisfied that she'd gotten her attention, Susannah snapped, "Sit your ass down and stop wearing a hole in the rug!"
"I can't help it, I'm worried!"
"Well, you're not the only one. I'm sure they're all fine," Susannah assured her.
"Are you still worried about Jay and Bradin?" asked Johnny as he came through the door, just home from the office.
"It's not only them, I'm worried about Amanda, too. She's got to be a wreck, you know what Joanna said when she called," Ava reminded them.
A few hours after the boys had left, Joanna had called from Dr. Trudy's office to check on Amanda and had inadvertently let it slip that Amanda hadn't gotten the abortion. She'd told Ava that Amanda was terribly upset when she left, and she had just wanted to make sure she got home okay.
"I'm sure they've found her by now," Johnny said. He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and sat down next to Susannah on the couch.
"How do — "
"Hey, guys."
Ava, Johnny, and Susannah froze for a second as Jay's voice was heard from the doorway. Then, all at once they broke out into speech:
"You didn't call — "
"Where's Amanda?"
"What happened to your face?"
Jay held up a hand. "I think you might want to hear the story from someone else. Come on, Amanda, they won't bite you."
The silent figure of Amanda walked through the door, closely followed by Bradin with a hand on the small of her back.
"Hi," Amanda said lamely. She really couldn't think of anything more appropriate.
"We have a lot to talk about," Jay said with a weary sigh.
Derrick was shuttled off to Martha's house, something that had proved to be invariably useful for the past weekend. Nikki insisted on being allowed to join the rest of the gang in the living room, along with Bradin, Amanda, Jay, Johnny, Ava, and Susannah.
"I didn't — "
"We know," Ava interrupted. "Joanna called from the office. Do you want to tell us what happened?"
Amanda ducked her head, but went on with the story. It took fifteen minutes for everyone to be filled in on the events. "Wow."
"Yeah, it's a lot to take in," Jay agreed. "But, point is: she's back to stay."
Susannah nodded slowly. "Know what we need right now?"
Ava caught on and smiled. "Girl's night!"
"Girl's night? That can't be a good thing . . . "
"Oh, you be quiet, Johnny," Ava scolded playfully. "It'll do us all some good. You guys go out and do whatever it is you do for a night, okay?"
"Sure, but not tonight, Ava. We're beat," Jay informed her.
"How does this weekend sound? Susannah, Nikki, Amanda, and I can stay in."
Saturday was deemed the best night for 'Girl's Night'. It was only 4:30 that Saturday morning, when Amanda returned to her room from the bathroom. She placed a hand against her stomach in a useless attempt to settle it. Her 'morning' sickness hadn't depleted, and plagued her not only in the morning, but all day and into the evening. "Ugh," she groaned. She lay gingerly back on her bed.
"You okay?"
Amanda started at Bradin's unexpected voice. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."
Bradin was silent for a moment, then left his bed and sat on the edge of Amanda's. She removed the arm draped across her eyes and smiled. "What are you doing?"
"Don't know. I just thought you wanted some company," Bradin answered with his quirky half-smile that Amanda loved. "Wanna go for a walk?"
"A walk?"
"Uh-huh."
"To where?"
"Just down the beach," Bradin convinced her. He reached down and grabbed Amanda's hand, pulling her out of bed.
"Okay."
The pre-dawn darkness was just starting to lessen, a stripe of pale orange stretched across the eastern sky. Amanda walked beside Bradin, a comforter wrapped around her pajama clad body. "So, where are you taking me?"
"Nowhere, really," Bradin answered.
"Oh, is that right?"
"That's right."
They walked in a comfortable silence for a little while, until Bradin stopped. Amanda followed suit, looking up at him in confusion. They were not too far from the beach house, it was slightly visible from where they stood. Bradin started treading into the water, and motioned for Amanda to do the same. She shed the comforter, leaving it behind on the sand as she warily followed Bradin out into the ocean. Bradin stopped a few yards out and climbed onto one of the massive rocks, pulling Amanda up when she reached him.
"What are we doing here?" Amanda whispered.
"You'll see."
"Brad — "
"Shh," Bradin silenced her with a finger against her lips. He sat down, and pulled Amanda beside him to sit between his outstretched legs. She leaned her head back against Bradin's chest and closed her eyes.
"This is nice."
Bradin reached out and fingered a tendril of her long blonde hair. "Yeah . . . it is."
They were completely silent for a few minutes. "Look," Bradin finally pointed toward the horizon, which they were facing perfectly.
The sun was making its entrance. Amanda watched in awe as it rose above the sea, lighting the water with red and orange light. It continued rising until it was completely visible, just a red-orange ball sitting above the water. Bradin looked down at Amanda, her face turned golden with the new light. She smiled back up at him. "You brought me here to see the sunrise."
"Yup."
Amanda turned around and straddled Bradin, her legs wrapped around his waist. "It's beautiful."
"I was just thinking the same thing."
"I love you," Amanda whispered hoarsely.
Bradin wrapped his arms around her and drew Amanda even closer. "I love you, too."
########
Nikki watched Bradin and Amanda come back from the rocks through the kitchen window. It was early for her to be awake, but she couldn't sleep. She observed knowingly as Bradin stopped Amanda and kissed her good and long before they got to the house. Nikki knew that Bradin deserved the happiness Amanda brought him more than anybody, especially after all he'd gone through with Sarah. For some odd reason, Nikki had never warmed up to Sarah the way she had to Amanda right away. She turned away from the window as she heard the door. "Morning, guys."
Bradin and Amanda jumped at the sound of her voice. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I might ask you the same," Nikki retorted.
"We were watching the sunrise," Bradin explained.
"Oh." Nikki smiled at the two before her. "Well, I guess I'll go back to bed and leave you guys alone." She trudged up the stairs to her room, but not before glancing back at Bradin and Amanda. She was glad that Bradin had finally found someone like Amanda, someone who would do anything and everything for him. Someone who loved him like he needed to be loved. "Oh, Bradin?" she called from the stairs. "Do you guys mind if Cameron joins you tonight? We were supposed to go to the movies, but — "
"That's fine, Nik," Bradin cut her off.
"Okay."
Amanda watched as the younger girl left. "She really likes Cameron, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, maybe a little too much," Bradin grumbled.
"I think it's sweet that you're so protective of her," Amanda said. Bradin just muttered something under his breath in response and flipped the television on, laying down on the couch. Amanda lay next to him, and Bradin threw an arm around her shoulder. They remained that way for an hour, both of them eventually drifting off.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Jay whispered. He and Johnny had wandered into the kitchen for breakfast, and it was Jay who spotted the two teenagers sleeping on the couch.
Johnny followed his gaze, and gasped in mock surprise. "Bradin and Amanda . . . who would have thought?"
Jay smothered a laugh as the two moved stealthily toward the couch, each holding a wooden spoon and pot lid. Johnny mouthed, "Three . . . two . . . one!"
The clatter startled Bradin out of his sleep. He made to roll over, but instead found himself on the hard wooden floor of the living room. "What the . . . "
Amanda had shot up and was now glaring at the two men. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Just giving you a wake up call," Jay responded innocently.
"It was all his idea," Johnny pointed to Jay, who opened his mouth in disagreement.
Bradin stood up and rubbed his shoulder. "Thanks," he mumbled sarcastically.
"Any time." Johnny smiled.
"What is going on down here?" A disgruntled Susannah was making her way down the stairs.
"Nothing," Bradin said quickly.
The subject was dropped as breakfast was prepared. Amanda excused herself, not able to take the smell of bacon frying in the pan. Meat of any kind was yet another thing she couldn't tolerate.
"I think the kid's gonna be a vegetarian."
Amanda looked around the backyard and spotted Bradin leaning against the house. "Seems like it," she agreed.
"You want crackers or anything?"
"Nah, I'll be fine," Amanda answered. "Would you mind if we went for another walk? I can still smell breakfast."
Bradin laughed. "I'll go tell Aunt Ava where we'll be."
He returned with a blanket and a backpack slung across his shoulder. Amanda raised an eyebrow at him. "Planning on something?'
"Just come on."
Bradin led her in the opposite direction from that morning for a little while. "I seem to remember something of this sort. You're certainly full of surprises today."
Bradin smiled at Amanda, but kept walking. "Okay, go in there." He pointed toward the opening of a small cave set back in the rocks.
"Are you mental? Something's going to attack me!"
"I'm not mental. Just trust me," Bradin urged.
"Fine, but if I get eaten by a . . . a coyote or something — "
Bradin laughed loudly at Amanda's worries. "A coyote?"
"Well, it was the first thing that came to mind."
Despite her misgivings, Amanda ventured further into the opening. She realized that it was a nice little niche, a place where one could come to get away and relax. It was the perfect size for the two of them to roam around comfortably, but still small enough to be considered cozy. Turning around, Amanda realized that Bradin had spread the blanket on the ground and was taking a bottle of ginger ale and a package of saltines from his bag.
"I've prepared a feast," Bradin joked.
Amanda stopped her exploring to walk over beside him. "Thank you, Bradin." She leaned forward to kiss him, but he stopped her.
"For what?"
"For . . . everything," Amanda clarified. She kissed the bruise that had flowered along his cheekbone lightly. As soon as Jay told her that he and Bradin needed to run an 'errand', she'd known exactly where they were going and what they planned on doing once they got there.
"Look, you don't have to — "
Amanda cut him off, now kissing his lips intensely. Bradin responded by placing his hands on her hips and bringing her closer. A couple minutes later, Bradin moved his hands upward from her hips, inching up underneath her shirt. Amanda shivered as the cool flesh of his hands came into contact with that of her warm stomach, just slightly hardened with pregnancy. She threaded her own hands through his thick, sandy-blonde hair as he continued his explorations. Suddenly, she pulled away. "Bradin, I — " Though she had been the one to initiate contact, Amanda found that she became inexplicably afraid once Bradin started pulling her shirt up and over her head.
Immediately, Bradin backed away. "Did I hurt you?"
Amanda sighed and tugged her shirt back down to cover her stomach. "You didn't do anything I didn't want you to."
"Then what's wrong?"
"Look . . . I've only had — er, experience with Brenn and it wasn't all that pleasant. I just don't think it's a good time for us to be doing this," Amanda explained quietly, though Bradin could sense that she didn't really mean it.
"Are you just saying that because you think I'm not ready for this kind of commitment?" Bradin asked with a grin.
Amanda coughed, slightly unnerved at how Bradin had seen straight through her. Before she could answer, he said, "I thought so."
"But you're not. "
"Don't tell me what I'm not ready for, Amanda. I'm ready to do this with you, and if you think I can't handle this kind of — "
Amanda listened as he continued his sentence, but she was really staring carefully into Bradin's green eyes, trying to ascertain if what he was saying was the truth. Fully satisfied that he was being entirely truthful, Amanda grabbed the neck of his shirt and pulled his lips to hers in a sultry kiss. Bradin had no time to do much else than kiss her back, this time sure that they would finally be together in the way that he wanted them to be.
########
"Bradin. Bradin," Amanda repeated, louder this time.
Bradin lifted his head from where he'd been nibbling the spot between her neck and shoulder. "What?"
"We have to go back." Amanda smiled at the look of irritation that crossed his features. "Sorry."
"Do we have to go now?"
"Afraid so, hon." Bradin rolled off of Amanda and hastily pulled on his surfing trunks and tee-shirt. Amanda looked around, then spotted her clothes laying on a rock nearby. She slipped on the frayed jean shorts and orange tee-shirt, rearranging her hair into a haphazard ponytail. She followed Bradin back to the beach house, and didn't fail to notice that the sun was high in the sky now.
Apparently, Bradin seemed to be following her train of thought. "How are we going to explain where we've been all morning?"
"I don't know about you, Westerly, but I've been out swimming since 6:30 this morning," Amanda teased.
"Oh, really? Where have I been?"
"Now that is up to you."
It didn't take the two long to reach the house, where they were met with silence. "Where is everybody?"
"Well, Erika and Jay are probably at the shop. Johnny and Aunt Ava are more than likely chaperoning another of Derrick's dates, I know Nikki's at Cameron's, and Susannah is . . . God knows where," Bradin explained.
"Makes sense," Amanda agreed.
"So, why did you make us come back here now?"
Amanda laughed at the frustration lacing Bradin's voice. "Aren't you worn out already?"
Bradin blushed. "No, I'm not."
"Well, tonight's supposed to be girl's night so you're out of luck." Amanda stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "But there's always tomorrow . . . "
"Susannah? Hello? Anybody?" Bradin suddenly called loudly. Nobody answered, so he rushed at Amanda and playfully scooped her into his arms. "No one's home."
"How very observant of you."
"Shut up." Bradin kissed Amanda, which indeed shut her up.
########
Johnny, Jay, Bradin, Cameron, and Derrick were crowded into Jay's tiny boathouse later that night. "We might as well go down to the boardwalk, we're gonna suffocate in here," Jay suggested.
"Good idea," agreed Johnny, ushering the boys out and down the beach.
Bradin, Johnny and Jay walked in the background, with Cameron and Derrick ahead chatting animatedly about baseball. "Jay," Bradin began. "Can I talk to you about something without the possibility of getting murdered?"
"Sure, Bray. You can talk to me about anything . . . as long as it doesn't involve you and Amanda taking your relationship to the next level. If you know what I mean." When all he was met with was a staunch silence, Jay exploded. "You didn't! Not after everything that's happened!"
Johnny grabbed hold of the Australian's shoulders, but Jay shrugged away from his grasp. He reared his arm back and let loose with a hard punch to Bradin's left cheek. Now he'd have a matching set of bruises.
"Jay!" Johnny exclaimed. "The kid said he didn't want to get murdered!"
Derrick and Cameron had stopped walking and were watching the scene in horror. Jay was silent. "Bradin — " Bradin quickly backed away. "I'm not gonna hit you again. It's the first reaction that comes to mind when you talk about my baby sister in that way. What would you do if I told you Nikki and Cameron were 'taking things to the next level'?"
"We're not!" Cameron squeaked pitifully.
"I know you're not, I'm just making a point," Jay said.
Bradin thought about that. "You're right, I'd do what you just did. Point taken . . . but you're not gonna hit me again are you?"
Jay laughed at the fear in Bradin's voice. "Nah, not unless you give me a reason to."
"I won't. I love her, Jay. I really love her," Bradin confessed.
"You'd better love her," Jay warned. "Because if I get wind that you hurt her in any way — "
"I won't," Bradin cut him off. "I would never."
"Good."
"Hey, guys, I have an idea . . . "
########
Meanwhile, Ava, Susannah, Erika, Amanda, and Nikki were sprawled around the living room, tissues littering any available surface. The rolling end credits of Pearl Harbor played and Ava got up to flip off the television.
"That's . . . the saddest movie . . . I've ever . . . seen," Amanda managed to get out in between sobs. Out of all five women, she was the worst, due mostly to hormones.
"Oh, honey, I feel your pain," Susannah sympathized. "That little boy looks just like his dead father."
"Come on girls, pull yourselves together . . . you can do it," Nikki encouraged.
"Coming from the one who went through a whole box of tissues?" Erika teased.
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for the war heroes."
"Okay, okay, now that we're over this pitiful sadness, who wants ice cream?" Ava called from the kitchen.
Susannah, Erika, Amanda and Nikki raised their hands. "I was asking for help."
Erika chuckled, then went to help Ava bring bowls of chocolate ice cream back into the living room. "So, Amanda, how are things going with Kansas?"
Amanda frowned in confusion at Erika's question. "Kansas?"
"Bradin."
"Oh!"
Though no actual announcement had been made, everyone who had eyes knew that Bradin and Amanda were together. "Things are going fine. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering."
Conversation turned to Amanda's pregnancy when Nikki asked, "Do you think you're having a boy or a girl?"
"A girl," Amanda said after speculating on it for a couple seconds.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Well, I've never been more emotional or weepy in my entire life. Girls are like that, so it only makes sense," explained Amanda.
"I bet you're having a boy," Ava argued. "Do you have any names picked out yet?"
"Nothing definite. I sort of like Ryder for a boy, or Bridget for a girl."
"Ooo, I love the name Ryder," Nikki spoke up. "Will you let me babysit when it's born?"
"Of course," Amanda said with a sigh of relief. "I was wondering when you were going to ask."
Before they had a chance to talk any longer, the back door burst open and Johnny flew in, slipping on the wood floor in his haste. "Come outside, quick you guys, hurry!"
"What happened?" Ava asked worriedly as everyone rushed out into the backyard.
"Oh, my . . . "
While the girls were inside weeping over Pearl Harbor, it seemed that the boys had taken matters into their own hands. Candles lit the entire backyard with a soft glow, illuminating extra lounge chairs scattered around with blankets draped over them. A cooler filled with ice held wine (for the legal adults) and grape juice with several glasses. Johnny walked over to a stereo near the back door and pressed play, then strolled casually up to Ava, extending his hand. "Wanna dance?"
She nodded in consent.
Amanda looked around and noticed Ava and Johnny dancing, Erika and Jay, Nikki and Cameron, as well as Susannah and Derrick. Knowing what was coming, she looked around for Bradin and spotted him leaning casually against the wall of the house. With a smile on her face, she went to him. "Who's mastermind was this?"
"Believe it or not, it was Cameron's."
"Nikki's lucky to have someone like him," Amanda remarked.
"Not considering robbing the cradle now, are you?"
Amanda smacked Bradin lightly in reproach, and only then saw the bruise he now sported on his left cheek. "What happened to you now?"
"Ah, it's nothing," Bradin downplayed it, turning his head away.
"Come on, let's go get you some ice," Amanda insisted. She took his hand and led him inside to the freezer, where she took out some ice cubes and wrapped them in a washcloth. She finished and found Bradin perched on the counter, watching her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"With that sexy, I want to bang you kind of face."
Bradin laughed. "You think my 'I want to bang you' face is sexy?"
"Mmm-hmm," Amanda said. Bradin hopped off the counter and over to her. "Now put this ice on your cheek before it swells. And let me guess what happened: you told Jay about us."
"Good guess."
"I can't believe he punched you, though. He's so dramatic." Amanda reached up and placed the ice on Bradin's cheek. He winced and pulled away. "I'm sorry." She kissed the new bruise on his cheek.
"Wanna go back to the cave?"
"We'll be missed," Amanda cautioned. "Besides, I'm tired. I don't feel like walking there."
"What if you didn't have to walk, will you come?"
"I guess . . . "
Bradin turned around so his back was facing her. "Get on."
"What?"
"Get on. What, they don't have piggy-back rides in Australia or something?" Bradin asked.
"No, we ride kangaroos, not pigs," Amanda said with a roll of her eyes. She jumped up on Bradin and secured her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck.
"Uh . . . problem . . . can't breathe . . . " Bradin choked out in a strained voice.
Amanda loosened the death-grip she had around his neck. "Ready? We'll sneak out the front."
Bradin carried her all the way to the cave, where they spent the rest of the night making love.