Falling In Love With My Best Friend (Watty Award 2011)

Chapter 20

© Copyright Nicole Nelson, 2011

Brandon's POV-

I arrived at my brother's one story brick house and walked right inside. I didn't see him much but he was still family and made it a point to tell me I didn't have to knock every chance he got. He and his wife were expecting me and were both sitting on the couch formally dressed watching my niece play with her dolls in the middle of the living room floor. They hear me enter the room and all three looked up.

"Uncle Brandon!" Cherish shouted, ditching the dolls to jump into my outstretched arms.

"Hey kiddo." I greeted her and spun her around in a giant hug before setting her back to her feet.

She seemed to get bigger every time I saw her. I really should come here more often, before long she would be a teenager and I would be wondering where the time had gone.

"Thanks so much for coming on such short notice!" My sister-in-law said, giving me a half hug and heading for the door.

"Anytime."

"I owe you one." My brother whispered for only me to hear as he smacked my shoulders and followed his wife to the door.

"See you around 2." My brother called to me from the open doorway. "And be good for your uncle Brandon, sweetie." He told his daughter as he softly shut the door.

They deserved this time alone and I was glad I made the choice to watch my niece. Cherish grabbed her dolls off the floor and plopped next to me on the couch.

"Uncle Brandon you get to be Ken and I will be Barbie, okay?"

"Okay." I agreed, not knowing the first thing about playing with a little girl and her dolls but I took the one she handed me, apparently 'Ken', and plastered on an eager face. This was going to be a long night.

 After Ken and Barbie were married and bought a house Cherish decided she wanted to watch cartoons. She dug through her Disney collection and decided on Cinderella, handing it to me. I put the DVD on and sat back with her on the couch. She layed down next to me and before the movie ended she was fast asleep. I flipped through the channels trying to decide what to watch that didn't have any princesses falling in love with princes involved.

Just as I turned the TV on MTV's New Year's Eve special, my phone began chiming loudly on the coffee table indicating I had a text message. I jumped up and grabbed the phone, turning it on silent before it woke up Cherish. I nervously glanced at her and thanked my lucky stars when she simply scrunched her eyebrows slightly and fell back in her deep sleep.

I looked down at my phone when I was sure she hadn't woken up and saw that the text was from Todd. I opened the picture he sent me and my heart started galloping like it always did when I saw Gracie. However, upon closer inspection I saw the drink in her hand and a dazed look on her face.

What the hell is going on? I immediately replied, demanding the explanation he didn't send with the picture.

As a hint of anxiety began to spread through me waiting for his response my phone buzzed.

Kristys worried about her. Shes been dancing and drinking since she got here. Thought u might wanna know.

No, I didn't want to know that. Now I was wondering what had possessed her to drink tonight when she had never shown an interest in it before. What had made her even go to this party with Paul at all. I foolishly thought after I kissed her she would feel what I had been feeling but that didn't seem to be the case since she had gone out to a party with him.