"What do you mean Bradin?" Erika tapped her fingers noiselessly on the counter, the shop was closing and Bradin waited to speak until the last costumer was out of the doors.
"I mean, that…I don't know if things are going to work out." He said softly not meeting her gaze.
"I don't know…what you are talking about, things have been fine…well obviously not I guess. But at least I thought." She looked at him hoping to get some clue as to what she did wrong.
"That's just it Erika…you don't think. You and Jay have been spending a lot of time together…and this is not the first time you"- Erika exploded voice rising to extreme limits at his words "You're right Bradin this isn't the first time. It's not the first time you have screwed yourself out of love because you are so god damn insecure."
Erika grabbed her purse of the counter and threw the strap over her shoulder carelessly. It slipped down to her forearm as she walked hurriedly out of the surf shop door, not even locking it, leaving Bradin by himself his mouth agape.
He slumped on the floor next to the counter and sighed.
He never thought he would lose Erika again, but…maybe she was right.
Every time it seemed to be really, REALLY good for them, he found something that she was doing wrong.
Was he subconsciously destroying their relationship? Was he just not ready for the strong committed partnership that Erika wanted?
Clearly there was something that they disagreed on, but the one thing that Bradin did agree with Erika on is that he screwed himself out of love.
Erika blared heavy rock music as she drove past the large stone sign that read "You are now leaving Playa Linda" She had to hold herself back from turning around
'He is just going to keep doing this to you' she thought 'He has to fix himself before we can ever move on.'
She wished her thoughts weren't accurate but they were. Their relationship was in Bradin's hands. Unfortunately his hands were throwing it out the window.
But she couldn't let that continue unless she wanted to be miserable forever.
It was her choice now, to move on, to do everything she could to get over him. And she would. She had to.
"Hey, Bradin…?" Aunt Ava said with a sweet sincere concern in her voice. "Is there something you want to talk about? Is it…Erika?" Bradin didn't look up from his plate, he just moved the potatoes around his plate in silence.
Ava took a slow sip of her water and smiled at Derrick. Derrick took this as his cue to exit the table. "I get it." He said trudging across the patio and shutting the door after he went inside. Nikki looked up from her plate just in time to see Aunt Ava nod her head towards the door. "Me? You want me to leave?" Nikki shook her head and took her plate and cup inside with her. The door clicked closed and left Ava and Bradin at the table eating. The clinking of silverware was the only sound for a few minutes before Ava spoke up. "Hey, you can talk to me; you're not too old for that Bradin…" She said with a soft chuckle. "I'm here for you." Bradin looked at her with a doubtful glare, and resumed eating.
"You know…sometimes…when you think it's really bad you just have to think, that it can't get any worse. It only gets better…" Bradin stood up and walked inside, never looking back. Ava sighed heavily and gathered the remaining plates and cups and took them inside. With Johnny on away on business, as well as Susanna, and Jay out with his buddies, Ava felt completely alone; which she was. Nikki had picked up the phone and was lost in a conversation with Cameron. Derrick fell asleep watching T.V. and Bradin wasn't seen nor heard after dinner. Ava sat eating chocolate ice cream and listening to her old records till she too fell asleep with the melting tub still in her lap.