Just One Kiss

by Amelia Whitmore

  I nod, knowing that she means it. “Thanks,” I whisper gruffly as the door chimes.

  We look up to see Carlos, whose nose is red and puffy, and Brayden walking in. Ro passes by Brayden to get to her boyfriend. “Jackass,” she growls at him before making it to Carlos.

  Brayden looks at me, shocked. I bite my lip. “She’s less than thrilled about our new arrangement,” I explain.

  “What’s not to be thrilled about?” he asks.

  I groan, knowing he shouldn’t have asked that. Ro is like a territorial mama bear about me sometimes.

  “You’re just using my best friend and it’s sick,” Ro nearly yells at him. I see Brayden’s eyes widen as Ro continues, “Anna deserves the fu—” She glances toward the back and growls, “freaking world, and you telling her that you guys could be ‘friends with feelings’ is like telling her that it’s fine for her to be completely insecure and afraid for the rest of her life. She needs people to push her past her comfort zone. Believe it or not, Anna’s a big girl and can handle not being babied. I would know. And you’re just giving both of you an easy way out. It’s crap.”

  “I’m well aware that she deserves the world, but she’s not ready to be in a committed relationship yet. I’m not going to do anything that she doesn’t want and you better believe that every second I’m with her, I’m going to be pushing. Pushing, but not forcing. Some people clearly don’t know the difference,” he growls back. I move to stand between them.

  “Okay, guys, enough. First, this isn’t the place to be talking about this. Second, I can speak for myself. I don’t need you two arguing about something that I’ve already agreed to. Ro, I know you’re only worried for me, and I appreciate it more than you know, but I want this. Just how it is.”

  I turn to Brayden. “And Ro cares about me a lot. She doesn’t force me into anything.” It’s probably the first time that I’m actually irritated at Brayden for anything. I mean, I was a little bit for him not calling last week, but this is different. He was rude to my best friend and that’s not really okay with me.

  “Sorry,” they both mumble at the same time, both probably a little speechless at the fact that I stood up for myself for once.

  “Now, Carlos needs some tea or something, and then you’re taking him home and making sure he doesn’t leave for the rest of the day,” I tell Brayden before turning to make them some drinks. I barely talk to him before the guys leave. I say about ten words to Ro before we leave for the day too. It feels really weird to be so silent around her, but I feel really grumpy after their little spat.

  Back home, I’m lying in bed, my grumpiness increasing by the second as I can’t figure out one of the math equations on my homework. On top of that, I’m exhausted and feel sick. I knew what I was signing up for when I got the job, but I feel like I never sleep anymore. I’m either at school or working and, when I’m not doing either of those, I’m with Ro or Brayden. Next weekend is definitely going to be used for sleep.

  My phone rings and I bite my lip when I see who’s calling. It’s Brayden, but I’m not sure I want to answer. I let it go through to voicemail and turn back to my book. Not even ten seconds later, he’s calling back. Thinking that it might be important, I answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, how’s it goin’?” he asks.

  I stare at the open textbook in front of me. “Fine,” I lie. “You?”

  “I’m good. So, what are you doing right now?” he asks. Clearly this is a social call.

  I sigh. “Studying. Was there anything specific you called about?” It came out a little harsher than I intended it to.

  “Is everything okay?” he asks, sounding a little defensive.

  “Everything’s fine,” I grumble again. “What do you want?”

  “Look, I know that you’re mad at me for what I said to Ro, and I’m sorry, but I’m just trying to talk to you right now.” His soft tone makes me feel a little bad.

  “I’m not mad at you. I’m a little irritated at you both, but I’m not mad. On top of that, I’m horribly crabby and have a shit ton of studying to do. I haven’t truly slept in what feels like days, and I think I’m starting to come down with a cold. Furthermore, I’ve constantly got you in the back of my mind, distracting me. And I need to get this done before tomorrow,” I huff.

  “Sorry,” he mumbles.

  I sniffle and a cough leaves my chest before I say, “No, I’m sorry. I know how I get when I’m like this. I tend to treat the people who care about me like shit. It’s not your fault, it’s all mine. Can I please just call you tomorrow when I’m hopefully not as much of a bitch?”

  “Sure. Talk to you later,” he mutters before hanging up on me.

  I bite my lip and close my eyes. Opening up a new text, I send I’m sorry. I really don’t mean to take this out on you.

  A few minutes later my phone vibrates and an impersonal No prob. appears on the screen. I frown but decide it’s better to get back to work.

  ***

  I woke up this morning with the worst sore throat I’ve ever had in my entire life. It felt like somebody was sticking a knife in my neck, especially when I tried to talk or drink or eat. My mom took one look down my throat and sent me to the doctor’s office.

  After having a scarily long Q-tip gag me for what felt like ten minutes, I waited in the little room for another half an hour. As it turns out, I’ve got strep throat. I used to get it as a child, but in kindergarten one of my bouts turned into a staph infection. The doctors decided not to risk it again, so once I recuperated, I got my tonsils taken out and haven’t gotten it again since. Now I know why I don’t remember being sick when I was little; I must have repressed the pain.

  I sleep all day, only waking up once to take my medicine. Around five o’clock, my ringing phone wakes me again. “Hello?” Between the sore throat and sleepy voice, I sound like the walking dead

  “Anna?” a worried-sounding Brayden asks.

  “Hi,” I croak.

  “Holy shit, Cutie, you sound awful.”

  “Gee. Thanks for that,” I say sarcastically.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  “Kind of,” I shrug.

  “Kind of?”

  “Well I’m not dying, but it feels like it,” I explain, my eyes already drooping.

  “Is there anybody there taking care of you?”

  “I think so.” I try to think if anybody had woken me up for any reason.

  “You think so?” He sounds doubtful.

  “Why are you repeating me?” I ask groggily.

  He chuckles. “Do you want me to come take care of you?”

  “God no, I don’t want anybody seeing me like this, especially you.”

  He laughs. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Brayden, no,” I whine, burying my head into my pillow.

  “Yup.” He sounds highly amused and completely determined.

  I hang up and fall back asleep.

  ***

  I’m nudged out of my dark abyss by somebody shaking me lightly. “Ughhh,” I grumble, slightly confused about why it hurts so badly to live. Then I remember that I’m sick.

  “Anna . . .” A deep voice coaxes me out of my sleep.

  “Hmm?” I refuse to open eyes.

  “Wake up, sweetie, I have something for you.” The hand shaking me starts to rub my arm.

  “What?” I recognize the voice, but I can’t place it. As soon as he chuckles, I know who it is. How did Brayden get in my room?

  My eyes shoot open and I look at him, shocked. “What are you doing in here?” I ask groggily.

  He smiles. “I told you I was coming to take care of you. I meant it.”

  “What? When did you tell me that?” I ask, super confused.

  He looks amused. “When we were on the phone.”

  I look doubtfully at my cell phone, “When?”

  “About an hour ago, check the received calls if you don’t believe me.” I shake my head and rub my eyes before sitting up an
d resting against my cushioned headboard, offering Brayden an empty area to sit on my bed.

  “Nice room you got here,” he says thoughtfully, sitting in front of me.

  I nod and pull my purple crochet blanket up to my chin, feeling cold. Brayden sees me shiver and places his cool hand on my forehead. “You’re running a fever.” He frowns.

  I shrug, checking the time. It’s time for another pill. I’m supposed to take three a day for ten days. I take one of the horse pills and my bottled water from my nightstand. Swallowing that pill is possibly the most painful thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. I squeeze my eyes shut and tear up just a little, feeling like I just tore my throat open. When I open my eyes again, I see Brayden looking really worried for me. I give him a half smile. “I’m fine.” He raises an eyebrow, clearly letting me know he’s calling my bluff.

  “Anyway, I brought you some broth,” he says, taking out a Tupperware container of a clear brown liquid.

  I shake my head. “No thanks.”

  “You have to eat something,” he says softly.

  I shake my head again. “It hurts to swallow.”

  He gives me a sad smile. “I know, but for you to get better, you need to eat something. Just a few sips is all I’m asking. It’s warm.” The last part is said like a bribe.

  I scowl. “I don’t want any.”

  “Please, Annie? For me? I want to see you healthy.” The look he gives me is so pleading that I have to nod my head at him.

  “Only a couple, though,” I warn.

  Smiling, he carefully opens the container and takes a spoon out of the bag he has with him. As he dips the spoon in, I say “I’m not a child, Bray, you don’t need to feed me.”

  “I know, but I want to. Now shut up and drink this,” he says before moving the spoon to my mouth. The soup is warm, but not too hot, and nearly slides down my throat by itself, with minimal pain. I sigh, relieved.

  “More?” he asks.

  I nod, suddenly feeling like I could drink it all. After around ten more spoonfuls, I shake my head. “That’s way more than a couple. Thank you.”

  As he’s packing the soup container back into the bag he brought it in, I stand up. “Whoa, where are you going?” he asks, reaching out for me like I’m about to run away.

  “I have to pee,” I tell him bluntly, beyond the point of caring if he thinks I’m girly enough or not.

  In the bathroom, my reflection makes me grimace a little bit. My messy bun is definitely messy, with hair sticking up everywhere. I’ve still got sleep lines on my face from where my pillow’s fabric was bunched against my skin, there are dark circles under my eyes, and my complexion is even paler than usual. My lips look chalky and my nose is red enough to reference Rudolph.

  Sighing, I head back to my bedroom, only to see Brayden lying on the opposite side of my bed. “What are you doing?” I ask from the doorway.

  “Come here,” he says, opening my sheets for me.

  I warily climb in bed, welcoming the warmth he’s radiating. Without thinking, I quickly snuggle up to his side, trying to absorb his heat. My head is resting on his chest and, before I know it, I’m out like a light.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Returning the Favor

  After sleeping for who knows how long, I wake up to my bed dipping as a weight lowers onto it behind me. Groggily, I twist to see who’s joined me and am surprised to see Brayden smiling sheepishly.

  “Brayden?” I whisper.

  “Hey,” he whispers back.

  Slowly, I start to remember what happened yesterday, little bits and pieces coming to me rapidly.

  “Thanks for the soup,” I grumble, burying my face in my pillow.

  I feel Brayden’s chuckle as it shakes the bed. “Anytime.”

  I look at my clock and my eyes bulge when I see that it’s four. Seeing as it’s pretty light in my bedroom, I don’t think it’s in the morning. “How long have I been asleep?” I ask.

  “About twenty hours. That’s not including the five minutes total it’s taken for you to swallow your pills or go to the bathroom. Those hardly count since you slept through them,” he says with a smirk.

  I feel myself blushing. “Bathroom?”

  “Yeah, well, I’d carry you there and your mom would help you with the rest, then I’d carry you back,” he explained casually.

  “Oh god,” I groan, hating myself for being such a heavy sleeper. “Have you been here that entire time?” I ask.

  He nods. “Yeah, I took the day off work.”

  “Brayden! Don’t get me wrong, that’s the sweetest thing ever, but you shouldn’t have done that. Plus, I’m contagious. You could be getting strep as we speak,” I grumble.

  “Calm down, Hon,” he says, brushing hair off my forehead. “Hmm, you’re still kind of warm. Do you want anything to drink or eat?” he asks, sneakily distracting me from my argument.

  I shake my head, not wanting him to do anything else for me. He gives me a knowing look and hops off the bed. Within five minutes, he’s back with some tea and a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Once again, Brayden feeds me, despite my protests.

  “I’m not a toddler!” I moan.

  “I know that,” he says simply before dipping the spoon in the bowl and moving it toward my lips. I sigh and open my mouth, figuring it’ll be easiest if I don’t fight. He might start making airplane noises.

  “Good girl,” he says teasingly. I shoot him a glare and watch as his smirk grows.

  After a few bites, I begin yawning. “Is it weird that I’m tired again?” I ask, taking another bite.

  “No, not really,” he answers. “I think this is mostly a mixture of exhaustion before getting sick and fatigue from actually being ill. When I called and you snapped at me, I could tell that you needed some sleep.”

  I bite my lip, still feeling bad about speaking to him like that. “I’m really sorry about that. I was just taking my frustrations out on you. You didn’t deserve that at all.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I mean, I finally got to sleep with you, didn’t I?” I gasp and slap his shoulder.

  “Brayden!”

  “Anna!” he gasps back, grinning.

  “Don’t make it sound so dirty!” I demand.

  “You’re the one who took it there. Maybe it’s just what you really want . . .” he trails off, waggling his eyebrows at me with playful curiosity.

  “No, shut up,” I huff, looking down at my hands.

  He laughs at me and offers me the cup of tea. Once I’ve finished drinking it, I move back down the bed until I’m lying down again. Brayden sets the tray aside and lies down too. Naturally, I rest my head on his chest, a position I’m fairly certain I’ve spent the majority of the past day in.

  “So, what have you been doing for the past day?” I ask.

  “Well, your mom and I have been talking a lot. I think she likes me,” he says, grinning widely.

  “Shock me,” I say sarcastically. “Everybody likes you.”

  “Not true,” he says, shaking his head. “You didn’t like me at first, I could tell.”

  I bite my lip but can’t stop grinning. “I liked you more than you probably realize. That’s why I tried to avoid you. Whenever I see somebody attractive, I avoid them at all costs. I figure that eye contact would let them know what I’m thinking,” I admit, blushing.

  “You dog!” he says playfully, sounding like a woman who’d just heard the latest scandal. “To think, all this time I’ve been chasing you, and you wanted me all along.” He shakes his head. “Can’t say I’m surprised, though.”

  I slap his chest. “Okay, first, I didn’t want you like that. I just found you attractive. There are plenty of people that I’ve seen who got the same reaction, even worse,” I tell him adamantly. Before I can continue to my second point, he interrupts.

  “Yeah? Who?” I can’t tell if I sense doubt or jealousy.

  I blush and smile impishly. “Well, there was this one guy at the Dairy Queen drive-through win
dow. I totally saw him before I pulled up and he was so hot, I swear to god, I’m still trying not to giggle over it.” The giddy tone in my voice helps prove it. “He had tattoos and piercings and, Lena later told me, bright green eyes and a gorgeous smile. But when I drove up to him, I wouldn’t look at him, even when I handed over the money. He must have thought I was the rudest person in the world, but I couldn’t help it! He was just so sexy,” I explain, still blushing about it.

  When I look back up at Brayden, he’s got a half-amused, half-irritated look on his face. “What’s wrong?” I ask, thinking he’d be laughing with me.

  “Was he hotter than me?” As soon as the words leave his mouth, my giggles burst free. Jealousy.

  “I can’t really compare you two,” I assure him once I’ve controlled myself.

  “Why not?” he pouts.

  “Because you’re completely different.”

  “So?”

  “So, each of you brings something different to the equation,” I say.

  “Like what?” He’s apparently determined to know.

  “Well, for one, I’ve always been a sucker for tattoos and piercings. I swear, a sleeve tattoo is the sexiest thing a guy can have. Plus, I love green eyes. They seem so exotic. But that’s all I know about him. Then there’s you. You’re completely gorgeous in a different way, and beautiful too. You’ve got your tanned skin, even though it’s November. Your smile constantly makes my knees weak, though I think you do that on purpose. I love the hats you wear, and I love how your hair flips out at the ends when you’re not wearing one. You make me laugh too. I’ve never been this happy before. You’re the sweetest person I know and you make me feel so special all the time. You’ve got an amazing family who are so loving to everybody they meet. You kiss me like it’s the one thing you were put on earth to do. And, you’ve got a real job. Tattoo guy works at a fast food chain. Nothing says unattractive like an adult working behind the counter at a restaurant.”

  “You really think all that stuff about me?” he asks softly.

  I smile and nod, feeling a light blush come to my cheeks. “Absolutely. You’re the best person I know, Brayden. He may have one or two things I like, but you have so much more. That’s why it was never a competition.”