Winding Roads (BWWM)

Chapter Two

Daxton

How could she not say two words to me the entire night. How could she act as if I was her enemy? Brielle was the one who broke it off with me. She ended it. Not me. Her. I hate that she still gets under my skin. The truth of the matter is, we grew up together—like before birth—there was never any doubt that I'd love anyone but her for the rest of my life. Standing here, in my parents' backyard—which is two acres of land shared with her family home's backyard—you'd never know we were once inseparable and in love.

"Dax, you ready hon? If you want, Mikey could set your family up with his cleaning service. They're really good and they'd be here in like three hours tops." Heather says to me with her hand covering her cellphone. I say that we're all good, the job's almost done anyway. In my peripheral vision, I can see Brie roll her eyes and scoff as she stacks another chair.

"Daxton, sweetheart" my mother calls from the glass door of the kitchen that leads to the patio.

"Yes, mom?" I grunt, why can't everyone just leave me to brood in peace. I clasps down another table and hand it off to one of the cater-waiters.

"Take your whore home. Brie, honey please come inside. Leave that to the men, you'll ruin your beautiful gown. Vanny, make her come inside!" My mom turns to Brielle's mother Vanessa. My mom always has a fit when she doesn't get her way, she's been pretty good tonight though. Even with Heather's many attempts to ruin the night.

"Whore? Daxton, it's definitely time for me to go. I forgot what it was like being around your family; talk about a throwback" Heather snickers

I thank her for coming and offer to walk her to her car. I had forgot that we drove here together, she gives me a sympathetic look and tells me that Mike's on his way to pick her up. Which is great because all my attention is redirected towards Brielle; her long beautiful thick, dark curls bounce around her as she makes her way to the house. She looks gorgeous in the lace, maroon bridesmaids dress. It compliments her rich nutmeg complexion, sweet and spicy like her. Can't say the curve of her butt in the fitted dress hurts my view either.

"Open bar's still going, Dax!" Kolton calls to me once we finish.

On my way to join the guys at the bar—which is really just my father's bar in his den, where he hides away from my mother—I can hear the girls giggling and talking about the wedding. Specifically, about how of all the couples each of us had in high school, no one thought Genevieve and Johnny would last. They bickered and broke up like every other week. They've even cheated on each other; they had a bad relationship. I've had to put John in his place a few times. They really changed once we all graduated. They broke up at the beginning of senior year and didn't get back together until two years ago.

I guess they were blessed, not many people can grow together and separately like that. Brielle and I couldn't, or at least she didn't believe we could. Growing up, the two of us bickered all the time. In fact, some of my favorite pass time was annoying her; when we dated we rarely ever disagreed. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but you get my point.

"Dude, you've got to stop moping around! You two have been over for almost five years. You've whored around a lot since then, right? You can't honestly still be hurting" Caden jokingly claps a hand over my shoulder and hands me a beer.

"They were heavy, Cade, and you know it" Kolton defends me. "But, my guy, you do have to stop this. First you were angry for four years, now you're just sad—in every sense of the word." So much for his defense.

"Talk to her," my sensible, rational little brother Dalton says.

"I don't know, Dalt. If it were Brooklyn and me, I'd hate her forever. She broke up with him out of nowhere, with no explanation. Then dropped off the face of the Earth. As if their relationship didn't consist of more than just dating. They were best friends since the womb!" I whence from the memory, but my oblivious brother doesn't stop there. "I mean she avoided him like the plague! Took some fancy upstate office job and didn't even come home to visit her family...for five years! I mean jeez, what'd ya do to her, Dax. Not to mention, she brought a date with her today."

I'm concentrating on resisting the urge to punch him when Brooklyn enters the den. All of us exclaim "Brookie!" at the same time.

"Hey boys! Declan, babe, ready to go? I have my last final in the morning" Brooklyn, so sweet and innocent. What is she doing with my brother? Then again, people said the same thing about Brielle and my relationship. Brooklyn's complexation is a lighter brown, a beauty mark on the right side if her upper lip, and lighter brown eyes than her sister.

"Yeah, Brook, he's ready. Take him, please" I sigh, getting up to hug her and leave the den. There are way too many therapists in there. I step outside on the front porch just in time to see Brielle say goodbye to her date for the night. Great. Grabbing my car keys, I walk down the long drive way to where I parked my car.

"Daxton," a soft voice calls to me. I turn and to my surprise, it's Brielle. "Don't call me Cheese, like ever again in life."

Scrounging up my face, equally from confusion and disgust, "I'm the only one who has the right to call you that, actually. I'm the one who gave you the nickname Brie Cheese."

"You lost that right, Dax—"

"You know what," shaking my head and raising my arms in defeat. "You win, Brielle. I don't know what I've done to hurt you so badly, but clearly you want me out of your life for good. Wish granted. We're dead to each other. From now on."

"No, Daxton that's not what I wanted. It's what you wanted!" she snaps.

"What are you talking about?" I shift in my uncomfortable shoes.

"Ugh! I should have never had a drink tonight. I knew I was going to see you and I knew it would hurt. I just didn't think it'd hurt this badly; thought I'd make it through the night at least." I hear her sob a little, and out of instinct, I step closer to her. When she backs away, stumbling in her heels, I retreat. "Daxton, you have been a part of my life since I was born—a huge part of it. I didn't know who I was without you, and that scared me. All I wanted...what I needed, was for you to be my friend while I rediscovered myself.

"We were already going to separate colleges, and that alone scared me to death! All the beautiful girls around you and... I just needed to find myself . I told you that and you told me I never meant anything to you. That you never loved me... that I was—"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait a minute, Brielle, I never said that. I could never say that." This time I make my way to her, no matter how she reacts, she needs me right now.

"You did, Daxton" she says gasping through sobs.

Smirking at a little hiccup that escaped her—just like when she'd drink back then, "Actually, Cheese, I said you never loved me. You didn't give me an explanation, you just started pulling away. When I'd ask you what was bothering you, you'd lash out at me. This is the first time I've ever heard you explain why, and you're drunk."

"I still hate you" she says, finally softening in my arms. Sighing, from the disappointment of finally having this conversation and she'll be too hungover to remember it. I scoop her up into my arms and carry her, two acres, to the Jameson house and tuck her into her old bed. It'd been years since I'd been in here and I still remember it like it was yesterday. It still smells like my Cheese. It's still pink and frilly from when we were children, her stuffed animals take up an entire row on her white book shelf. It used to be more, but in the eighth grade, she felt as though she should look more like a teenager.

Her wooden desk and hot pink desk lamp still in the corner, looks a lot smaller now that we're grown. Her whimpers draw my attention back to the bed, where she's struggling to take off her heels and dress. I take off her heels and help her out of the dress, then gently kiss her forehead before leaving. Vanessa and Theo are probably already on their way back home since Bryson, Braylen and Blake are home too. Benson's away at some special football camp for at least another week. Just to be safe, after making sure to lock the door behind me, I text Theo that she's home safely. I take in the room and Brielle one last time before leaving.