Bradin woke up at around ten the following morning. He was so sick of hearing the same things from the adults in the house he was in. he knew that he wouldn't hear the last of it. The fight the previous day wasn't his fault. He didn't even know that Tanner was in town. He was supposed to be at college five hours away.
He picked up his phone and called Kaitlin's number. Her cell phone was off. It was unlike her. He got out of bed, washed up, dressed, and headed over to her house. He knocked on the door and waited there for a minute or so until the door finally opened.
"Hey," Lauren said.
"Hi. Is your sister home? Her cell phone is off," he said.
"Yeah she's here. Janice gave her the day off after yesterday. She's still sleeping though. She's been asleep for over thirteen hours. What happened to you?"
"I got beat up," he said, "Can you do me a favor and tell her to call my cell phone when she's up? It doesn't have to be right away."
"Yeah. I'll do that."
"Thank you," he said before turning and walking away.
Three hours after he left, Kaitlin woke up. It was one o'clock. "Oh fuck," she groaned. She heard her door open. She looked to find her mother walking in.
"You're up," she said.
"Unfortunately," Kaitlin said.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like shit," Kaitlin responded, "I need more sleep but I can't sleep anymore."
"Bradin came over because your phone was off. He told Lauren to tell you to call him when you wake up and it doesn't have to be right away."
"Thanks, ma," she said placing her head back on her pillow and closing her eyes.
"He looked pretty beat up, according to your sister," her mother told her.
Kaitlin got out of bed and showered. Once she got back to her room, she picked up her cell phone and called Bradin.
"Hello?" she heard.
"Hi," she said as she looked for sandals to wear.
"Hey baby!" he said excitedly, "How are you doing?"
"I am still dead tired after fifteen hours of sleep. How are you doing?"
"I'm in so much pain," he said, "These stitches are killing me. What are you up to?"
"I was about to go for a walk."
"Need company?" he asked.
She smiled and said, "I could use some. Do you know anybody that would want to come?"
"Yeah. I do."
"Okay, then," she said, "Tell them to meet me outside in five minutes. I have to find my sandals."
"All right," he said.
The two hung up. Kaitlin finally found her sandals and put them on. She headed out to the beach from the back of her house and saw Bradin standing there. She smiled. Her smile disappeared when she got closer and saw his face.
"Oh my god," she said running up to him.
"It's nothing really," he said taking her hands.
He had a bruised eye, and stitches over his other eye and on his hand.
"This is nothing?" she asked. "Now I feel more than shit for not being there for you yesterday."
"Baby, don't worry," he said, "I would have rather had you stay there and work because the sooner you get the hours done, the more time we can spend together."
"No matter what you say, I will still feel bad," she said.
He kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you, too. Still want to go for a walk?"
"Of course," he said taking her hand in his.
"Why did Tanner beat you?" she asked.
"I guess he wanted revenge on me. When I first moved here, I liked my surfing instructor. She went out with him and he wanted more than what he was getting. I followed them to a party and got beat there too but I stood up for her until Jay came along."
"Oh," she said.
"And then you came along and I fell in love."
"Why did you add that part in there?"
"Isn't that why you said 'oh'?" he asked, "Because I said I liked my surfing instructor?"
"No," she said.
"Oh," he said. She laughed and shook her head. "What?" he asked.
"You're amazing," she said.
He smiled as they arrived near the boardwalk. "Do you remember this place?" he asked.
"The boardwalk? Of course," she said.
"I meant this place," he said leading her up to the edge of the boardwalk. She looked at him with confusion. "It was the week that you and I first met and we just came from having a great day with each other. We walked on here and I asked you what makes you happy."
"And, I told you Playa Linda. Then I asked you the same question. You said it wasn't a 'what'. It was more of a 'whom'. You began to describe the girl. As you described her, you-"
"Leaned in and kissed you," he said as he leaned in and kissed her, "And, our first kiss happened. And then Jay and Erika came and you left making me sad. I followed you home, stopped you from closing your door-"
"Came inside my house, and begged me to try to handle a relationship with you that I thought wouldn't last because of distance," she said, "And here we are. Almost two years later and we're happily in love."
"You bet," he said.
"I'm happy that you literally followed me into my house and begged me to try this with you."
"You better be," he said jokingly, "I'm happy, too. I want to watch a movie."
"Theater or at home?" she asked.
"Your house," he said, "I don't think I can stand my house much anymore."