The Beauty And The Bet

Chapter 22.

Rose's POV

"If my mum says anything about me, it's probably an attempt to try and embarrass me." Brad announced, shaking his head as we approached a gravel pathway leading to a front door.

"How will I know if she's lying?" I questioned with a challenging smirk.

"You know what mums are like." We both chuckled, nudging each other playfully as we arrived at our destination. Brad's house was of a considerable size. He unlocked the front door with his key, then held the door allowing me to squeeze past him.

"I'm home!" Brad's voice echoed throughout the house as he closed the door behind him.

"Oh Brad, i need to speak to you-" a voice called back instantly, matching a face to a voice a middle aged women who I assumed with Brad's mum appeared rushing towards him. She paused for a moment, staring at me with confused look. Her skin was light and her cheeks were rosy, her pink lips upturned into a smile as her eyes diverted over to Brad.

"Mum, this is Rose!" Brad introduced us, rambling his words as she envelopes him into a hug. "I invited Rose round as she'a helping me with English."

"Sure." His mum smiles widely, before turning towards me. "Call me Anne."

"It's nice to meet you Anne." I responded back shyly.

"So are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?" Anne exclaimed, shock holding her features. "You've done well for yourself Bradley-"

"No mum." He laughed lightly. "We're just very good friends, James's girlfriend is Rose's best friend." She frowned in disappointment, crossing her arms over her chest childishly.

"You have to start thinking for the future."  She warned him in advanced.

"It's a long way away." Brad sighed, his calm and causal tone slipping away slightly. "Can we not talk about the future right now?"

"Sooner or later, you'll have to learn to grow up." She suddenly spat out.

"Come on Rose, we better get revising ." Brad said, ignoring his mums comment and rushing me towards the staircase before another word left her mouth. Brad brought me to his room.

"Please tell me all mothers are like that? Promoting the idea that we should grow up quick to leave them in peace-" I shrugged in response and thought for a moment.

"My mum is too busy with Liam, I think she sometimes forgets I'm her actual daughter instead of Charley." I admitted truthfully which caused Brad to sigh with a nod. "I'm pretty much used to it."

"You shouldn't be and anyway how can she forget about a pretty face like you." Brad chuckled quietly which lead to my cheeks burning up.

"Yeah, well, we should probably get on with this English analysing." I said shyly and in embarrassment. Brad simply laughed at my embarrassment and ruffled my hair to increase it. The vibration of Brad's phone snapped him out of a trance. He pulled the device out of his school shirt pocket, letting his eyes fall over the message.

**********

Brad's POV

From James,

Am I £20 poorer yet? (;

I laughed at the text before diverting my eyes up to see Rose silently reading over the notes she had gathered.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Rose questioned curiously as I placed my phone to the side, properly concentrating on the work and the girl in front of my eyes.

"It was only James." I hummed in response. "He can wait for a bit-"

"You sound like Megan!" She giggled, flattering her eye lashes which were coated and defined.

To my surprise, the tutoring session with Rose went quite well despite me having more knowledge on the play than she knew - but it was fine, perfectly fine.

Rose packed away her revision guides and textbooks whilst I watched aimlessly, thinking of my next move.

"Right so." She coughed lightly. "Do you understand the play a bit better now?"

"Definitely." I said truthfully. "But I feel like we need to do this all again as I really enjoyed it."

"We have the Christmas break coming up." Rose reminded me. "Maybe then we could organise something, that's if you have time for me you may busy with the boys or Rachel."

"Ill always have time for you." I said quietly as I followed her down the staircase and out the front door. But before, she could walk out I paused infront making her back up against the door frame she to the proximity between us.

"Text me, whatever you want to organise something." She stuttered, looking away from me. Slowly, I rested two fingers of mine underneath her chin causing Rose to look up at me.

"I am really thankful though for you." I thanked again, closing the space between us as I softly pressed my lips against hers for a split second then moved away leaving the lingering taste.

"I should get going." Rose whispered, pressing her hands against my chest to move me out of her way slightly.

"Thank you!" I smirked watching her walk away in the distance.

"You like her." The familiar voice of mums spoke in my ear.

"What?" I repeated trying to act clueless as I turned around to see her standing in the hallway.

"She's a very nice girl." She added. "You would be a bigger fool than I thought you was not to like her."

"Maybe I do."