Brylee put her coat on and picked up her purse, beyond glad she didn't have to take any work home with her over the break. The past two days seemed to go by as slow as ever, and now that it was finally after school on Tuesday, she could go home and be with James.
After their rendezvous on Saturday night, James told the brunette he couldn't wait until he got to spend the holiday with her. He was over at her house on Sunday night, too, but she wouldn't let him take control, because frankly, she had to get up the next morning at six o'clock.
Brylee hadn't forgotten about Lucy, they actually talked yesterday, and the blonde was extremely happy at the things she'd been told, and told her best friend to spend Christmas with James. They always had next year.
The brunette headed down the hallway, waving goodbye to one of her co-workers, then she went out the door and was greeted by crisp, cold air. She pulled her coat tighter around her before pulling her phone out of her purse.
She found James' name under her contacts, then hit call and pressed the phone to her ear as she walked to her car.
James was at his parents' house, and he was up in his old bedroom, laid out on his bed. He'd spent the past two days with his dad, and he told her what had happened with Brylee, minus the sleeping with her part, because his father would've brought up what had happened years ago with her.
He had come up here about an hour ago, after he and his parents had gotten back from going to lunch, in hopes of taking a nap, but his body wouldn't let him rest. He was too anxious to spend the next week and a half with Brylee. He had made plans to surprise her with, and he just prayed she would accept them.
He lay on his bed with his arm over his eyes, breathing slowly and trying to fall into sleep, when his phone vibrated violently next to him. He picked it up with his free hand, then glanced at the screen, smiling when he saw who it was.
"Hi beautiful," he said, and he practically heard her blush over the phone.
"Hi," Brylee said, now at her car and pulling out her keys. "Am I going to see you tonight?" She was almost positive she would be seeing James tonight, but she knew he'd been spending a lot of time with his dad since he'd been released from the hospital, so she thought maybe he'd just want to hang out at home.
"Yes you will," James answered, sitting up a little, bracing himself on his elbow. "Would you want to come over here?"
He was hesitant, but his parents wanted to see the brunette beauty again, and she had told James the other day she wanted to see his parents again. Back when they were teenagers, Brylee basically lived at their house, and was always coming along on family vacations and going to relative's houses and things like that.
She was like a daughter to Ruth and John, and then when James left for LA, Brylee simply disappeared from their lives, too. At first, she spent a lot of time with Ashley and over at their house since she was always alone, but once James broke things off, she was gone. And frankly, they missed her, and her smiling face and the sweet things they did for her.
So, when James told them yesterday about how he'd seen Brylee a few times and the two "went on a date" on Saturday night, they were ecstatic. Good things James said date and not sex. They probably would've been extremely concerned as to how that even happened. But either way, it didn't matter.
James finally had Brylee back.
Or-wait. Did he? Were they "together" again?
He'd have to ask her this later.
"I'd love to," Brylee said, smiling as she got into her car. She threw her bag onto the passenger seat, then started her car and turned the heat on.
"Really?" James asked.
"Yeah," the brunette said. "What time?"
"Five?"
"Sure," she said. "Tell them I'll bring them something."
James grinned and chuckled. She never showed up empty handed. "I will. See you later."
"See you," she said softly. Then, with a grin, she hung up the phone and headed home.
James got up off his bed, leaving his phone behind, then headed out of the room, adjusting the long sleeved shirt he was wearing. "Mom?" he called once he got to the foyer.
"Yes, sweetie?" he heard her say back, and he walked into the kitchen. She had a bunch of food sitting out on the counter, and he figured she was in the midst of making either dinner and baking cookies, or something of the like.
"Brylee's going to come over later," he told her, picking up a grape from the platter of fruit that sat in front of him and popping it in his mouth.
"She is?" Ruth asked, putting the knife down next to her on the counter. She couldn't have been happier about this. She loved that girl so much.
James nodded, and his mother clasped her hands together and looked up to the heavens. "Oh, how much my heart is aching right now," she said and her son became embarrassed. She was being so dramatic about something so simple.
"She'll be here around five," James said and his mother smiled and nodded back to him. Her son turned to leave, but then she figured this would be the right time to have a little chat with him.
"James," she said, sternly but lovingly.
"Hmm?" he said, turning to face her again and coming over to her side of the counter.
"Don't take this for granted," Ruth said. "God sent her back to you and you back to her for a reason. She needs you."
James swallowed. It was so eerie to have his mother tell him that, after everything Brylee had told him about Jake and about wanting to get out from his grasp.
"I think I need her more than she needs me," James admitted, looking down at the hardwood floor beneath his feet.
"Just promise me that you'll be honest with her," she said now. "I want this to work out for you, James."
The tall brunette had to smile at his mother and how much she cared for the relationship he had with Brylee. "I will. I'm not going to mess up my second chance."
"Good," Ruth said, satisfied with herself and her son. "Now go take a shower and put on something nice."
James laughed and nodded, then started to leave until his mother pointedly cleared her throat at him. "Love you mom," he said, kissing her cheek.
"Love you too, sweetheart."
As Brylee drove to James' house at 4.50, she almost had trouble keeping her hands from shaking. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous. It wasn't like this was the first time she was meeting James' parents. She didn't think they hated her now or anything, but it had been eight years.
Something could've changed.
Once she got home, she went straight to her kitchen and made a batch of cookies to take with her to James' house. Then when they were cooling, she went upstairs and took a shower, then contemplated what the hell she should wear. After about twenty minutes of pondering, she decided a nice dress and stockings would be a good, safe choice.
Then she put on some make-up and curled her hair a little, not able to stop herself from dolling up a bit more than usual. She felt as though she had to make a good impression.
She pulled into his driveway, then grabbed her purse and the Christmas-y bowl she'd put the cookies in, then opened the door and stepped out into the cold. She took a deep breath as she walked up the few steps to the front door, then rang the doorbell.
She remembered when she was a teen, they always told her not to knock because no one would ever hear it. But then after a while of dating James, she could just walk in, the door was always unlocked, but now she couldn't do that.
She had manners.
"James, can you get that?" Ruth called from the kitchen, hoping James would hear her. She was finishing up making dinner, and John was sitting in the living room, still a bit weak from being in the hospital for a few good weeks, so she didn't want to bother him.
"I could've gotten it," John said from his place on the couch.
Ruth rolled her eyes. "You stay there," she said seriously, and James heard his parents talking as he came down the stairs, smiling at them.
He went over to the door, pulling on his button down, then opened it to see Brylee standing on the porch, the small, dim light making her face glow. She smiled at James, and he smiled back. "Hi," he said.
"Hi," she said, smiling up to him as he gestured for her to come in. He took the bowl from her, and she went over to the coat rack in the corner and slid off her pea coat. She hung it up, then hung her purse with it, then smoothed down the bottom of her dress. When she turned around, she caught James watching her.
He looked away and she laughed at him, taking her bowl back as she looked up to his beautiful face. "You look gorgeous," he said, wrapping an arm around her thin waist.
"It's not too much?" she asked.
She wore a black, long sleeved dress that was tight on the bottom, then there was another layer of fabric overtop that was see through. She also wore black lace stockings and a pair of black peep toe high heels.
"It's perfect," James assured her, then kissed her gently. He was second guessing himself before, not totally sure if he could just kiss her whenever, but when he felt her kiss him back, he knew he'd made the right choice.
He pulled away, then led her to the kitchen, a hand on the small of her back. "Mom," James said when they entered the room, and Ruth turned around from the stove. She gasped, then hurried over to the two of them, holding her arms out.
"Brylee!" she squealed, hugging the brunette. Brylee smiled, and hugged her back. "Oh my word, you're absolutely beautiful!"
"Thank you," she said, her face flushing. "I brought these for you and Mr. John." She wasn't totally sure if she was supposed to just call him John like she used to, but for now, she felt as though sticking mister in front of it would do.
"Oh, sweetheart, you didn't have to bring anything!" Ruth said, placing the bowl on the counter.
John appeared a moment later, and Brylee smiled at him. "Well look at you," he said, hugging her. She hugged him back, and closed her eyes for a moment at the realization that these two people were practically her parents.
Oh god, she was so close to sobbing right now.
"And no need to call me mister. Please don't. It makes me feel old," John added, smiling at the brunette.
"Got it," she said. "How have you been feeling?" she asked as an afterthought once Ruth went over to the stove to check on whatever was boiling.
"Pretty good," John said, sitting down at the island. "It's a little hard to stand for too long, but other than that, life is great."
He glanced at his son, who had his eyes focused on Brylee's face as she looked at John as he spoke to her. Then she looked over, and James grinned at her, checking her out a bit, and Brylee grinned back, blushing.
Oh yeah, John so knew what was going on between them.
"This isn't weird for you, is it?" James asked Brylee a few minutes later when they were up in his room. He just wanted to talk to her, and didn't want to do it downstairs, so he brought her up here.
"No, not at all," Brylee answered, touching the edge of his dresser. He sat on his bed, and she was looking around his room, where absolutely nothing had changed.
"I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable," he told her, leaning back on his hands.
"I could never," she said, turning to look at him. "I love your parents."
"They love you too."
She laughed a little, then went over and stood in front of him, before sighing. She played with his bangs, and he watched her adoringly, his hands resting on her thighs right below the bottom of her dress.
"I've missed them," Brylee admitted, looking down at James.
"I bet they have too. You were like a daughter to them."
She smiled, then leaned down and kissed him tenderly, her hands on his neck. He bit at her lip and she opened her mouth for him, giggling when she felt his hands moving up her thighs. He pulled her closer, his hands under her dress now and gripping her thighs, almost to the point of groping her ass, and she moaned softly against his mouth.
"Dinner's ready!" they heard Ruth yell from downstairs, and they pulled away from each other, their lips making a soft sound.
"We'll have to finish this later," James said, breathless and Brylee smirked.
"I guess you have a reason to come over now."
