I tiptoed down the stairs so no one would hear me leave. When I opened the front door, the wind was strong, dry leaves flying everywhere. I saw Brandon near the edge of the driveway. He was wearing a jacket and had his hood up; I could barely see his face, just a few strands of blond hair falling near his eyes, swaying in the wind.
I walked toward him."Hey," he said, giving me a quick hug."Brandon, what's going on? I can't stay long. My dad can't see us here."He took my hand and said, "Let's go over there."
To the bench. I followed him, and we sat on one of the benches in the garden. We were huddled up against the cold. I stayed silent.
"Mia, are you and Chad dating?" he asked."We're getting to know each other. My dad doesn't approve of me dating right now," I answered.
He took a deep breath."So, if he did approve...?"I gestured toward him. "Did you come here just for that?"
He stood up."Mia, when I met you that night at my dad's restaurant, I felt there was something different about you, something I didn't see in other girls around here. I thought you'd give us a chance to get to know each other better. But you avoid me every chance you get. It really hurts."
I stayed quiet for a few seconds, then stood up to face him. Brandon took my hand—his was so cold. He lifted it to his face and gave it a soft kiss. My heart sped up; he seemed so sincere, so gentle.
But I pulled my hand away and said, "Brandon, you're a good guy. We can be friends."
He brushed his fingers across my cheek and said, "If friendship is all you have for me right now, I'll take it. But just know, Mia, I'm not giving up."
I looked into those blue eyes that seemed so mysterious. Then he leaned closer, as if he was about to kiss me, but I turned away.
That's when we heard a noise. When I looked toward the front door, it was Adam. He stared at me with disdain.
"Brandon, I have to go. We'll talk later," I said."Okay, but go quickly," he replied. Then I heard him murmur, "Good night."
Adam walked into the living room, and I slipped in right behind him, closing the door."Mia, what was that guy doing here at this hour?" he asked.
I tried to explain, but he went on,"He's bad news. How could you""I didn't do anything!" I cut him off."Just being that close to him, alone, at night... I'm sure Chad wouldn't like that.""Shut up, Adam!" I snapped, furious. "You're judging me without knowing anything."
He said, "Do I need to know more? Mia..." He took a deep breath. "You judge your dad for cheating on your mom, but looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
The moment I heard that, anger boiled inside me. He was accusing me of cheating on Chad."Shut up, Adam! Who are you to talk about me?"
He shot back, "You're dating Emma, but you keep Jhenna on standby. Why keep her close—texting, playing games online just in case things with Emma go south?"
He glared at me."You don't know anything about Jhenna. She needs..." He paused. "And no, I don't owe you an explanation."
He turned and walked toward the bedrooms. I followed him. Adam went into the room he was staying in and slammed the door. I did the same.
I lay on my bed, but I couldn't fall asleep. I was furious with Adam; I didn't want to see him ever again. He'd been so cruel to me.
Brandon sent me a good-night message. I kept thinking about the way he'd held my hand. I didn't want to believe it, but I was, yes, drawn to him... even though my heart belonged to Chad.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds, trying to calm my heart that still raced from Brandon's presence. That soft kiss, the touch of his hands it all felt too real to be just friendship. But I needed to keep my feelings under control.
The silence filled the room, and with it came a strange feeling, as if something was about to change. A cold breeze slipped through the half-open window, making the curtains dance and reminding me that the night still held secrets I couldn't fully understand.
I looked at my phone: a new message from Brandon. Just two words flashed on the screen—"Sleep well." My heart smiled, and at the same time, it ached. What I felt for him was confusing, intense... but my heart already had another name Chad.
I sighed and lay down again, but sleep wouldn't come easily. Images of that night blended with memories of Adam his harsh look, his sharp words still echoing in my mind. I decided to go to his room. I didn't want us to stay mad at each other.
As I walked slowly down the hall, I remembered when I was five years old. I still used a pacifier, and my parents decided it was time to stop. My dad tied it to a balloon, and it floated away. I watched it drift higher into the blue sky until I couldn't see it anymore. I wanted it back. I started to cry and ran to my room, slamming the door and yelling, "I never want to talk to you again!"
I sat in front of the closed door and cried. I heard my dad say, "Calm down, Cami, she'll settle down soon."
Eventually, I fell asleep there. When I woke up, my grandpa was carrying me to bed. I looked at him, and he said, "Sweetheart, it's nighttime. Are you going to sleep without giving your parents a kiss?"
I stayed quiet, and he added, "Never go to sleep angry at the people you love. Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Appreciate their presence today."
He tickled me and said, "Go on, run!"
I ran to them, showered them with kisses, and felt how precious it is to have the people you love close by. A few years later, my dad wouldn't be there for a goodnight kiss anymore—and now, I have my dad, but not my mom.
I opened Adam's door; he was still awake. He sat up on the bed and said, "I was about to go to you."
I smiled and sat near his feet."I'm sorry," he said. "I think I got jealous of Chad and felt weird."I laughed. "It's okay. I'm sorry too.""It's fine," he said.
Then I asked what he'd been about to say about Jhenna. He took a deep breath and said something about her. I teased, "Adam Miller, keeping secrets with Jhenna? Wait till Emma finds out."
He replied, "I'm serious. It's complicated. We're just friends. She's a good girl.""Okay," I said. "Even though I'm curious, I understand."He added, "Don't say anything to Emma. She'll want to know, and I'm not ready to tell her."
I got the message. I looked into his eyes; it was clear the topic bothered him. I gave him a goodnight kiss and left. When I closed the door, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
But when I got back to my room and lay down, I started to think. Something inside me whispered that this wouldn't be the last time all of this tangled together.
And somehow, I knew the morning would bring light, warm coffee, and familiar hugs, but also new choices, new confrontations, and feelings I could no longer ignore. After all, I wasn't a child anymore. The older we get, the harder it becomes to deal with everyday struggles, with our emotions and our hearts.