CHAPTER NINE – BRUISE

Stella felt more alive than ever. Her hair billowed behind her like a triumphant flag in a gentle breeze. One of the best things about riding a speedbike was that even at lower speeds, it was exhilarating. Brandon, she noticed, wasn't pushing the speed limit, and she wished she could tell him to. Her voice, however, was lost in the wind, and she decided to hold back. She was riding with Brandon, and she was holding onto him tightly. Feeling him beneath her touch sent shivers through her. She gulped, realizing this was further than she had anticipated. She had imagined talking first, then more conversations, texting, maybe a meet-up, another meet-up, and then... well, then riding and hugging and everything! What they had was not exactly hugging though. He was helping her stay steady. She hadn't planned for a close hug like this. Her crop top didn't help either; his touch was direct on her waist. Skin touching skin. Did this contact affect him the way it affected her?

"You have to turn to the left after," she managed to say, though her words were lost to the wind. Brandon caught the information anyway. "You okay back there?" he asked. Just as she was about to respond, she spotted one of her teachers crossing the road. 'Oh no,' she thought. Instinctively, she hid herself behind Brandon, a rather simple task since she was sitting behind him. She tightened her grip on him and pressed her face into his back, thinking, 'She definitely can't see me now!' Unbeknownst to Stella, her actions left Brandon stunned. 'Did she just... hug me?' he wondered, realizing he had missed the turn Stella had mentioned. Aisha and Nabu had already taken it. 'I need to stop,' he decided, pulling up next to an abandoned-looking building.

Stella, noticing they had stopped, lifted her head from Brandon's back and looked at him. "What happened?" she asked.

Brandon cleared his throat before speaking, "I don't know, why did you do that?" His voice was devoid of any emotion, leaving Stella puzzled. 'What is he talking about?' she wondered. "Ehm... what did I do?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion. He was still facing away from her, so she spoke to his back.

"The hug," he stated plainly.

Stella couldn't make sense of Brandon's current demeanor. Was he angry, sad, happy, nervous, or something else entirely? She wasn't sure. There was an odd flatness to his tone. Deciding she needed to address this, she got off the bike and stood in front of him. Brandon didn't expect Stella to just get up, he thought she was leaving so he cursed under his breath for acting so strange in front of her for a fucking hug. Stella looked at Brandon leaving both of them surprised, not like it would've change anything but Brandon thought the height difference can make her uncomfortable so he got up from the bike and stand in front of Stella himself. 'Okay,' thought Stella, 'How am I supposed to talk now exactly?' She cleared her throat to regain her composure. "Hug?" she repeated Brandon's earlier statement, this time as a question. Before Brandon could reply, realization struck Stella.

'Oh, you stupid face! I hate how quickly you react to things without thinking them through,' she berated herself. "I'm so sorry. You misunderstood me. I was trying to hide so my teacher wouldn't see me," she explained.

Brandon felt a pang of disappointment at her explanation. It wasn't what he had expected at all. "I see," was all he managed.

Stella wiped her slightly sweaty hands on her pants, trying to diffuse the awkwardness. She didn't want to make things any more complicated. Although she felt the urge to apologize again, Brandon's stoic expression signaled her not to. Stella studied him intently, admiring his broad shoulders, emerald eyes, and strong arms. What truly captivated her, though, were his hands. She had a habit of scrutinizing a person's hands—it was her way of evaluating their character. But with Brandon, there was no need for such scrutiny. He was, without a doubt, the most handsome man she had ever met. The care he showed her was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, especially from a guy. She was too hesitant to study his face, from his lips to his cheekbones. She gulped, a warmth spreading within her.

Brandon's gaze remained intense, torn between the desire to protect Stella and the fear that she deserved someone better than him. He couldn't shake the anger boiling inside him toward the Andros riders. Mike had crossed a line for the second time that day, attempting to harm Riven and then brazenly coming to Red Fountain to confess his deeds. Brandon knew, of course. Those fools had never been subtle in their actions. He had sensed that day that Riven should not be alone. But he hadn't acted only after his instincts. What had really confirmed Riven's danger was the fact that Mike had been sending Brandon not-so-subtle signals all day. 'He's an idiot for not researching who he's dealing with,' Brandon thought. 'But he'll get what he deserves.'

His thoughts abruptly shifted back to Stella. Mike had laid hands on her, and Brandon knew it hadn't been gently. His gaze dropped to her arm, now marked with a bruise. He inhaled deeply, determined not to let his anger frighten Stella. He clenched his fists, raising his eyes to her. Who wasn't looking at him but was scanning his body? Brandon could have smiled at that if not for the fact that Stella had been hurt and had suffered a panic attack because of him.

"You should apply some ice to that bruise when you get home," he suggested.

Stella, still somewhat detached from reality, immediately lowered her head to inspect her arm. She hadn't quite registered the pain until Brandon pointed it out. "Perfect," she sighed sadly. She knew it was a temporary mark, but she disliked any blemish on her skin. Who wouldn't? Especially if there was a chance her parents might see it. 'They'd have to be home for that to happen,' she mused.

Brandon watched her with a heavy heart. He felt the same helplessness he'd experienced when he witnessed Stella's panic attack and tears. 'My hands will be bloodied tonight,' he thought. That bastard would serve as his punching bag, or maybe his piñata.

"Don't worry, you'll never see any of them again," Brandon assured her.

Stella gazed at Brandon, her cheeks beginning to flush. She was seventeen, after all. She had always believed that the lines of a "bad boy" wouldn't affect her. But now, she just wanted to cry and nod her head in agreement with Brandon. She knew this was likely the last time she would see him. She couldn't be with a guy she knew would bring her harm. She wanted safety and security. It wouldn't matter to feel safe if she got hurt in the process. No, that wasn't how it worked. Her parents may have been frequently absent due to work and meetings, but they always ensured Stella was safe and content.

Clearing her throat, she spoke up, "I think we should go. Aisha might think we took a different route home. I don't want her to worry about me more than she did today."

Brandon accepted her words with a nod. "Let's go," he said, and both of them mounted the bike, heading toward home.

After their arrival at Stella's house, Aisha rushed straight to her friend, her voice laced with concern. "We thought something happened to you!" she chided them both. "Where were you two?" she asked, her eyes flitting between Stella and Brandon. Stella's gaze, however, was fixed on her front door. Something seemed off. She knew her door intimately, but now it felt different. Furrowing her brows, she began to approach it. "What is it?" she mumbled to herself, her words audible to everyone.

"What?" asked Aisha, mirroring Stella's confusion. "Something with the door," Stella explained. "It feels kind of different, don't you think?" she inquired. Aisha turned to examine her friend's door. "I don't know," she replied, scrutinizing it. "The color seems the same."

Moving toward the door, Brandon stopped Stella. "If you think there's something, there must be," he said, without waiting for her response. He approached the house, with Nabu following closely behind. Aisha turned back to Stella, inquiring about their whereabouts, but also keeping an eye on the boys. "I'll tell you later," Stella replied. As the boys inspected the door, Stella realized that if there was anything amiss, only she would notice. It was her home, her door. She approached to take a look herself. "Please let me," she said when she reached them. Brandon regarded her with a careful gaze, a silent tiger poised for action. He had assured to check the door for her, but Stella didn't listen. This time, he couldn't help but smile. Stella examined the door and realized that it wasn't the door itself, but rather what was on it. Fatigue weighed on her from the day's events. 'And now I can't even think straight,' she chastised herself.

"There's a decoration on the door that wasn't there before," Stella explained.

Aisha, who had followed Stella immediately, asked with confusion, "Your parents are home?"

Stella shook her head. "They won't be back before Thanksgiving," she said, though she immediately regretted sharing so much about herself in front of two strangers. Stella felt a pang of heaviness for treating Brandon as a stranger, but he was, wasn't he? She knew nothing about him. Plus, they also knew where she lived now.

"You live alone?" inquired Brandon. Stella was about to lie, but when she met his emerald eyes, the words tumbled out of her on their own. "Yeah, my parents work a lot."

Aisha must have sensed the need to step in, because she quickly added, "The girls and I are with her almost all the time, aren't we Stell?" she asked Stella, who nodded in agreement.

"Sure, the girls are with me all the time. You met Musa yesterday, we're really close. There's also Flora, Bloom, and Tecna," Stella explained. She didn't know why she was sharing so much about herself and her friends, but it was out there now. Brandon still watched Stella, uneasy about the idea that she had such a large house all to herself. No parents, no one to protect her. What if she had a panic attack at night? Did the girls really sleep over so often? And if so, how did Aisha not notice the difference with the door? And where did this decoration come from?

Brandon was looking at Stella so intensely Aisha thought she must interfere. Clearing her throat, Aisha thanked Nabu for the ride. "You're welcome, Aisha," Nabu replied, smiling. He didn't say anything since Brandon arrived, was just analyzing Brandon's behavior. On the other hand he quite liked Aisha. She had a character similar to his own.

"Yeah, thank you for the ride," Stella added, also directing her thanks to her ride. Brandon nodded, stepping a little closer to her. Suddenly, he asked, "Why did you come to Red Fountain today?" His question startled both girls. Aisha gulped, her gaze flickering between Stella and Nabu. Stella, realizing her friend wouldn't be much help, cleared her throat before speaking. "Well, I dropped something yesterday. Aisha was helping me find it," Stella said, moving closer to Brandon so he could see better what she was going to show him. She got excited for her lie she was about to tell and without thinking approached him on her tiptoes, forgetting that Brandon already had leaned closer earlier. Realizing she made the situation weird, tried to at least continue with her lie; "My necklace." She said while gulping, "I've lost my necklace but we found it." She was too close to him now; her heart seemed to scream at her. Stella felt her cheeks flush, a wave of heat engulfing her. 'What was I thinking?!' she berated herself. His breath danced over her face, carrying the faint scent of cigarettes and... Coffee? Stella loved coffee! Brandon's hands twitched, 'Is she testing my patience?' he thought. He couldn't hold on much longer to this torment. Was he supposed to not look at her lips or not kiss her? Did she really expect that? His hands were moving forward to at least touch her. But his friend came to his help just on time. Nabu cleared his throat loudly, prompting Aisha to spring into protective action. She grabbed Stella's arm and pulled her away from Brandon, determined to have a talk with her later. "Let's get inside, Stella. You need rest, remember?"

Before Stella could respond, Brandon interjected, "Careful with her arm." He hadn't meant for it to sound harsh or stern, but Aisha was holding Stella's bruised arm. Aisha glanced down, realizing what Brandon meant. "Oh my, Stell, I'm so sorry!" she apologized immediately. Stella reassured her, "It's okay. I didn't feel anything. I guess it's kind of numb."

"Don't forget to apply some ice," said Brandon, still as stoic as before. "Sure, yeah, of course. Thanks, both of you," Aisha responded, while Stella held the door open. Nabu nodded once more before making his way to his motorbike. The girls didn't invite the boys in, and the boys didn't expect to be invited. After all, the girls had only accepted the ride because they didn't have much of a choice.

"Bye, Brandon," Stella said. Aisha was looking at Nabu, while Stella and Brandon continued to lock eyes. Brandon's gaze was a mix of confusion, contemplation, and concern. Stella's look was bashful and tinged with disappointment. She knew this would be their last conversation. But what they had shared together was a sense of belonging. Brandon knew he would see her again, he was certain of it. But he worried about seeing her in the same circumstances she had faced today. 'No,' he resolved. 'She'll never see them again.'

"Take care, Stella," he said, his tone gentler than before, more akin to how he spoke to Aisha. Stella felt a shiver run down her spine. Bye, Brandon.