Page 103 of Hits Different

He rushes forward and I meet him in the doorway, embracing him in the tightest hug I’ve ever given anyone. “Happy almost-birthday, Brandon”, I whisper in his ear.

He pulls away from me so that I can’t see his face. I’ve never seen him choked up before. Ever. “Did I do something?” When he turns back, his eyes are glistening. What he says swells and breaks my heart at the same time.

“You showed up”.

* * * *

Brandon tells me about his dad not showing, which was predictable. Then he tells me about Winston’s heel turn, which makes me want to blow things up. Brandon doesn’t go into too much detail, but whatever Winston’s said has my boyfriend rattled, and it pisses me off.

Luckily, I have the perfect distraction.

I reach into my backpack and fish out his card. “Happy Birthday”. He opens it, and blinks as a scrap of paper falls out. He unfolds it.

This is a very long password that no motherfucker except Rocky or Dodger will ever know.

“That’s our old password”, he says excitedly.

“Care for a trip down memory lane?” I dangle my car keys in-front of him.

I half expected a racoon to have made off with the picnic I had laid out for us. Birthday boy’s favourites. Mini cheeseburgers, pizza slices, potato chips and light beers. I can’t think of anywhere better to take Brandon than our old secret spot. Last time we were here was before his non-Graduation party.

Before he changed my world. Just like he’s been doing ever since.

Brandon’s grinning ear to ear. “This is fucking amazing”.

“I wanted to give you something that money can’t buy”. We settle down on the blanket. “And not just because I don’t have any money”.

“Do you remember when you introduced me to this place?” He jerks his thumb towards the now-dilapidated factory, with broken windowpanes and boarded-up doors. “You used to wait for your dad here. I wanted to find somewhere to kick a ball without getting yelled at”.

“It was the best part of my day”, I grin. I feel very free. And safe. I hold out my hand and he takes it straightaway. “We were last here right before Graduation”.

“I remember that afternoon. I was going to tell you that I liked you”, Brandon says softly. “I had it all worked out, but you were in your head about Millie, so I bottled it. I knew nothing would happen between us, but I wanted you to know”.

“It must have been torture. Being so close to me”. My lips twitch. “But unable to have me. I wish I’d have known”, I reach for him. “My life is so much better with you in it”. We start making out, easily falling into each other’s kisses. His hand runs down my chest, when he suddenly he stops.

“Uh, Di Rossi?” He raises an eyebrow, “Either you’re really pleased to see me, or…”

Busted. I slip a small silver cylindrical flask from my pocket. His eyes widen as I remove the cap, “You didn’t think I’d let tonight go by without a Fuckboy Sidewinder, did you?”

We spend most of the early summer evening lying curled up together on the grass. Talking. Kissing. Touching. Every time we break apart it only takes a second before I’m on him again.

“It was here I decided that I wanted to do MMA professionally”. My head curls against his chest. “I came one step closer to that today. Zara thinks she’s found me a fight. A proper one. Well, an amateur proper one. It’s two weeks away”.

“Holy shit”. His chest tightens beneath me.

“I know. It’s been one hell of a 48 hours”.

“Do you need to make weight?”

“Only a few pounds. I’d already been cutting for the fight that never happened. Whilst you’re enjoying the finest trappings that barbeque can buy, I’m opting for chicken and broccoli”.

He rolls over so we’re facing each other. “How does it feel?”

For a moment I don’t know how to answer that. “Good”, I say, “Just like I thought”.

“You’re sure?” I squeeze his hand, but something catches my eye. A glint of light, like a flash. I glance around but I can’t see anything. It was probably nothing. Headlights from a passing car, probably. “Parker?”

“Sorry, distracted. Where were we?”

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