Unavoidable Bond

by C Bradley

  No. Just no.

  “Hannah!” Brody shouts after me once he finds that I’m no longer at his side. We generally sprint the last hundred yards. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

  “Cramps! Terrible spastic cramps!” I groan loudly, before standing straight to make my way to the house.

  “I told you that we should’ve stretched more.”

  “No honey, period cramps. I think Auntie Flo has decided to ruin my birthday.” I push out my lower lip and slowly make my way to where Brody is standing on the porch, looking at me as if I’ve lost my mind.

  “Hannah,” he chuckles wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s go inside, so you take a soak in the garden tub. I’ll get a movie set up in the family room. Plans change all the time. Gotta roll with the flow.” The smirk he offers, after he so smugly mentions the flow, sends a bubble of laughter past my lips.

  “You are so funny, and thank you so much for everything.”

  I glance out of the bedroom window, overlooking the manicured flower garden and lawn, as I finish getting ready for the birthday dinner party that Brody has put together. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I’m not so good with those. So, after an hour of refusing to move, he caved and told me that he didn’t care if I wore cut-off sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt to dinner, but guests would be arriving within the hour.

  With my hair finished in large barrel curls, bouncing over my shoulders and cascading down my back, I pull the sundress I’d sat aside from the hanger and step into it. The cotton material is cut in a way that it hugs my chest, but it billows out from the rib cage to my mid-calf. It’s sapphire blue with watercolor varied streaks of purple, pink, and white throughout.

  I secure the necklace that Brody gifted me on my birthday last week and stare at my reflection. I almost had a coronary, when I opened the gift, because it appeared to be very similar to a ring box. My first thought was holy shit, he’s going to propose, and we’ve just moved in together. I’ve never had such a rush of panic in my life.

  “Hannah, guests are arriving,” Brody’s voice carries up the stairwell, sounding as loud as if he was just standing outside the closed door, but I know he’s not because just in the distance, I hear his voice greeting Micah and Addison.

  Quickly, I swipe some gloss on my lips, secure the oldest and most likely the priciest piece of jewelry around my wrist, and make my way downstairs. The house smells of grilled meats and fresh herbs. It’s a phenomenal scent. Brody must’ve opened the doors and windows that open to the back patio. My stomach grumbles at the first inhale.

  “Hannah, you look amazing!” Addison chirps, as she skips into the kitchen.

  “Thank you. What are you after?” I ask, when I see her move from cabinet to cabinet.

  “Oh, Brody needs the serving platter.” She says, as she continues to rummage through the kitchen.

  “It’s here.” Picking up the platter, I extend my arm for her to grasp it, but not before I notice her staring at my wrist. “Addison, is everything, okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry.” She shakes her head and grabs the platter. “Micah and Nina are in the back, too. Let’s go.”

  Once we’re all seated, I take a quick moment to thank God for my life, my friends, and for Brody. He’s quickly becoming my family. While it’s scary how fast it’s happening, it definitely fills my heart so full. Brody interrupts my thoughts, when his chair scrapes against the cement patio.

  “Hannah, never in a million years did I expect to consider settling down at the ripe age of twenty-seven, but baby, you’ve become my family. You’re the only person I want to wake up to every morning and go to bed with each night, and it’s my honor to celebrate your birthday tonight, even if it is a week later.” His eyes capture mine, promises simmering at the surface. “Happy twenty-sixth, baby.”

  “Happy birthday,” Nina gushes alongside Addison.

  I turn to my left offering a thank you, and I catch Micah’s weary gaze. What? I ask with a look, and he squints his eyes, as if asking if I know what I’m getting myself into. I simply offer a nod and smile, before turning back to Brody.

  Soon after we clean our plates clear, of the perfectly grilled steak and shrimp paired with fresh grilled vegetables and watermelon, Nina excuses herself. In a short time, she reappears with the most beautiful cake. It’s two tiers, and it’s wrapped in white buttercream with what appears to be sand, shells, and turquoise beads. It’s an edible version of the necklace around my neck.

  “Wow, it’s beautiful,” I gasp, my eyes mist, when I look to my right to find Brody staring at me.

  “You are,” he whispers, capturing my hand in his to bring it to his lips.

  “I meant the cake, handsome.”

  “Hannah, I’ll do anything to see that smile on your face.” Placing my hand on his thigh, after kissing my knuckles, he absentmindedly spins my bracelet, as everyone sings, “Happy Birthday.”

  Lifting one end of the bookcase, I kick the magic mover pads underneath the bottom, and begin pulling it across the room to its new location on the wall near the picture window. Catching my foot under the bookcase, a few items fall off the bottom shelf, landing on the floor. A few seconds later, a curious Hannah rounds the corner.

  “Hey, babe. What are you breaking this time?” She smirks, while leaning against the wall, watching my every move.

  “I haven’t broken anything yet, but the night is still young, baby.” Peering from behind the bookcase, I shoot her a quick wink, before dropping down to retrieve the items that fell off during the move, including a few photo albums and a pair of bookends that held them in place on the shelf.

  “Oh, are those baby Brody pics?” Hannah’s face lights up, as she reaches her hand out. “Lemme see!”

  Passing her a photo album, we plop down on the sofa and begin flipping through the pages of memories. My parents wedding. My mother’s pregnancies. Baby photos of Nina and myself. Nudging Hannah and arching a brow, I jest, “Look how cute I was as a baby. Doesn’t it make you want one?”

  Shock and surprise flash simultaneously over her features, as she glances from the pictures back to my face. “I-uh... I’d love to have one someday. Just not right this second.”

  Placing my hand on her thigh, I give it a quick squeeze. “Relax, Hannah. I’m not asking you to have a baby right now. One day at a time, beautiful.”

  My reassurance seems to appease her, and she starts flipping through the pages of the album again, stopping when she reaches the family vacation section of the memory book.

  She quietly studies the pictures for a few seconds, and then turns her head towards me with a puzzled look. “Brody, this is Kure Beach. It’s the same beach where Micah’s house is located. How come you didn’t mention that you’ve vacationed there before?”

  “Hmm, I knew it felt familiar while we were there, but I didn’t recognize the area. We haven’t been there in almost a decade. Small world, huh?” Dismissing the similarity, I shrug my shoulders and continue to peruse another collection of photos, as Hannah continues to study the photographs.

  “The house you stayed in is it a few houses down from Micah’s?” Hannah questions.

  “Yeah, I think so. My parents rented it a few times from one of their business associates. It’s a gorgeous place. My mom loved the beach. It was her favorite place, and my dad always made sure that we stayed right on the water.” I recount, as something in the picture she points to catches my sight.

  “Hannah, your bracelet…” My voice trails off, before looking at her wrists and seeing she’s no longer wearing it. “Where’s the bracelet you wore to dinner?”

  “It’s in my jewelry box. Why, what’s wrong?” She asks, staring at me in confusion.

  My gaze is pulled back to the photo. “Would you go grab it, please. It’s just so similar to, huh...” My voice trails off for a minute. “Where did you say you got it?”

  “I-I uh… I think I got it, when I was like fourteen or fifteen. It was a summer over at the James’ place.” Sh
e sits nervously wringing her hands on her lap, the photos long forgotten.

  “Hannah, look,” my voice is just above a whisper, as I try to capture her attention. “This is my mom. You’ve seen pictures of her before. Hell, I’m sure you’ve even met her at some point, but this is her the day she lost her bracelet somewhere between here and the beach house.”

  Hannah’s face blanches, as she stares at the photo. Her mouth opens just to shut again, and her head tilts down, as she stares at the family portrait. Dad, Mom, Nina, and I are sitting at a round table, squeezing together with our hands piled on top of each other. My dad’s hand on the bottom, then my hand, followed by Nina’s, and my mom’s hand on top. It’s an exact demonstration of our family.

  My parent’s life revolved around us kids. My mom was the glue that held us all together, as dad steadied us as the foundation. We’d just given her a bracelet of sapphire beads and Swarovski crystals that intricately wrapped around her delicate wrist at lunch. I remember her crying, when we told her that she was the glue that binds us together.

  “It was Mother’s Day weekend. I remember running down the beach with balloons and blue lilies, because even after my dad had sent me to the store to get them, I had forgot them in the car.” Looking into Hannah’s eyes, I see the mist gathering and threatening to spill over.

  “Huh,” Hannah mutters, as a lone tear treks down her cheek.

  “What’s wrong?” Leaning forward, I place the photo album on the coffee table and grab her hand, pulling her towards me, but she pulls away and shakes her head.

  “Brody, this is so bizarre. I found this on the beach just at the ocean line of the James’ property. It was so beautiful; I couldn’t believe someone wouldn’t be looking for it.” Hannah takes a steadying breath to still the quivering of her voice. “You’re the guy. You’re the guy I ran into on the shore line.”

  “You remember me? When I was coming back from the car?” I ask in confusion.

  “Yeah, I was having a rough day. I had taken off to walk. Wow, how small of a world this is. I dreamt of you,” her cheeks blush, as she looks away, before her rambling takes over.

  “I tried to find the owner. I filed a lost item’s report with the local police department that evening, after I found it.” Wiping the fallen tear, she stares at me apologetically and stunned by the chance passing in history. “Ninety days passed, and they told me no one had claimed it, so it had become my property. I’m sorry, Brody. I didn’t know. I clearly didn’t connect the dots back then, but I never forgot the boy on the shore line. I can’t even recall the rest of that weekend. Just a tall guy with stormy gray eyes, and a charming, yet ornery smile on his face.”

  “Hannah, you misunderstand me. I’m not upset with you.” Cupping her cheek, I swipe my thumb to clear the stream of tears now free falling down her face.

  “I remember my mom telling us not to worry. She hadn’t even contemplated reporting the bracelet lost because she said that she had enough happiness in her life, and she wanted to share some of it with whomever found the bracelet. She thought that finding the bracelet would make someone else happy.”

  Hannah presses her face into my hand and closes her eyes, as I continue to speak.

  “In some roundabout way, my mother brought us together. You’ve been wearing her bracelet for years, and I believe that she would have wanted you to have it, knowing how happy you’ve made her son. She lost the bracelet, and you found it. Finding it brought you happiness, and well, you’ve brought me happiness.”

  “Nina was right. You’ve got it bad,” she says with a smile, her tone noticeably softer.

  “Nothing about us is bad, baby. I love you, Hannah.”

  She leans in, pressing her lips against mine, and her voice is barely above a whisper, “And I you, Brody Lucas.”

  Her eyes open slowly, as she pulls away, and I notice a honey tone, that I’ve never noticed before, in her usual cocoa eyes.

  Thump, thump.

  Thump, thump, thump.

  My heart begins crashing against my chest wall, desire flowing through my veins, and heat pooling at the apex of my thighs. After the discovery of our connected past, it’s as if something shifted. My uncertainties seem to have evaporated one by one, as we looked through photo albums.

  “Hannah,” Brody mumbles against the crook of my neck. “Where’d ya go, baby?”

  “Hmm. I’m here.” I smile. Slowly, I loop my arms up and around his neck, fusing our bodies together. “Make love to me, Brody. Take me to bed.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice, baby.”

  The slow and steady sweep of his lips against mine sends goose bumps to each square inch of my skin. I open my mouth, allowing our tongues to mingle, and further enhance our connection. Brody begins to walk me backwards through the room and across the hall, our mouths never separating, until the back of my legs hit our bed.

  “Up,” his hands fist the material of my dress at my waist, and he begins tugging it upwards and over my head. “So much better,” he growls and palms my now naked breasts in his calloused hands.

  “Gah,” I cry out in frustration, when his belt buckle doesn’t budge, as I try to undo it.

  “Bed, Hannah. On the bed. Now.”

  I spring into action, quickly hopping onto the bed, and crawl to the center of the mattress. My chest heaves with anticipation, as I watch Brody pull his shirt up and over his head, using his left hand simultaneously, unbuckling his belt, and the fly of his jeans. A devious grin tugs at the corners of his mouth, as I sweep my eyes up and down his body that is now covered in just royal blue boxer briefs.

  “Seriously, come on!” I groan in agony, causing his grin to turn into a megawatt smile.

  He grabs his thick cock through his briefs and chuckles, “What do you want, Hannah?”

  “I want you to fuck me hard, and then I want you to make love to me, until we pass out from sheer exhaustion!” I allow my knees to fall to the sides, putting myself on display.

  “Fuck me,” Brody growls, as he quickly pushes his boxer briefs down, crawling up my body.

  He pauses at my calves, taking time to lavish my legs with open mouth kisses, slowly making his way to the apex of my thighs. I’m dripping wet with want, as he buries his face into my sex devouring me, as if he is a starved man and only I can alleviate his hunger.

  After applying the perfect amount of pressure to my clit, Brody’s tongue plunges in and out of me, until I cry out in ecstasy, refusing to hold back, and giving him all of me. Panting and covered in a sheen of sweat, I tug on his short hair, until his mouth crushes against mine.

  “Now for the fucking.” A wicked smile dances across his face, as he looks down at me, his gray eyes hooded with desire.

  “Ah!” I scream, as his shaft impales my wanton sex. My walls instinctively clamp down, spasming once he’s fully seated. “Every. Damn. Time.”

  Without allowing me to catch my breath, he begins thrusting into me with carnal desire, fast, and hard. Our mouths swallowing each other’s moans and groans, as we near climax.

  “Hannah,” Brody shouts into the crook of my neck, following my shuttering orgasm. “Every. Damn. Time.” He echoes my earlier sentiment.

  “Hannah, shut the alarm off!” Brody growls from behind me, nudging me with his knees.

  “It’s the doorbell not the alarm.” I yawn, burying my head into my pillow.

  “Who the hell is here? It’s Saturday. Oh shit, Nina.” He jackknifes into a sitting position; I look over my shoulder to see the sheet pooled at his hips and smirk.

  “No brunch, please. I just want to sleep,” I grumble, before sinking back into my pillow.

  “You sleep, baby. I’m gonna greet her.” His words muffled by his yawn make me smile.

  I pry open my left eye, spying the clock that now reads an hour later and decide to get out of bed. Nina comes over for Saturday brunch every two weeks like clockwork, since their parents passed. I’ve not asked, but I have a feeling that this was a tradition
she shared with their parents.

  Freshly showered, I pull my hair into a messy bun on top of my head and quickly dress in my black yoga pants and a neon green tank top over my black sports bra. The smell of bacon, seasoned potatoes sizzling on the griddle, and eggs assault my nose in the most delicious way. As if on cue, my stomach comes to life and growls loudly.

  “There she is!” Nina’s smile greets me, as I traipse into the kitchen.

  “Hey, Nina. Good morning. Breakfast smells... mmm so good.” I make my way to the Keurig and pop in the Starbucks house blend cup and press the start button.

  “Yeah it does,” a deep and unfamiliar voice concurs.

  “Whoa,” I yelp. “Who the fuck are you?”

  “Oh, Han this is Christopher Jackson, my um friend.” She introduces the tall, very muscly, man and giggles. “CJ this is my future sister-in-law, Hannah.” Nina’s overly chipper voice startles me, causing me to jar my hip into the corner of the island.

  “Uh, hi,” I offer to the still new to me stranger, CJ. I’m applying pressure to my hip, when Brody rounds the corner. “Hi, babe,” I acknowledge his entry just in time to take in his annoyed eye roll.

  “I see you’ve met Jackass,” Brody’s monotone voice brings a smile to my face. “What’s wrong with your hip?” He inquires, while watching my ministration to the affected area.

  “I checked it on the island.”

  “Jesus,” he mutters, lifting my tank top. The skin is already starting to bruise. “Babe, you gotta be more careful. Last week it was your arm at work, and now, your hip. You are gonna start looking like a battered woman.”