Love & War | Brad Simpson ✔️

27. "Relationship purgatory?"

Brad chuckles to himself, "if I'd have known that this was all it took to soften you up, I'd have given you a bacon and sausage butty earlier"

We sit quietly for a few moments as we both tuck in and enjoy our food.

"Tris called me" I tell him.

"Yeah, he called me after he called you" Brad explains, "making sure I was looking after you"

"I don't need looking after"

"No, you don't" he smiles, "so what's the plan for today then?"

"I was hoping to go to my mum's" I suggest, "I can get a change of clothes and there's probably some of Tris's clothes at home too for you to borrow if you want them"

"Okay" he nods, "sounds like a plan"

Once we've finished our breakfast, Brad drives us to my mum's cafe so that I can get the house key from her. As we walk into the shop, I notice that it's pretty quiet, just a man in a suit sat in the corner, sipping a coffee and tapping away at a laptop. But then again, it's barely 10 am and customers are usually few and far between at this time.

Brittany is stood behind the counter, picking at her nails but I just ignore her and make my way to the back of the shop with Brad in tow.

I find my mother in there whisking up a bowl of cake batter. As I enter, she looks up and notices me for the first time, a look of confusion crosses her face.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, walking over to pull me into a hug.

"Gemma was in a car accident" I inform her, "she's okay and everything, just a few injuries, but I had to come see her"

"Oh dear, well, you send her my love, okay?" she says, before she clocks Brad stood in the doorway behind me, "you know, for someone who you claim to not like, you sure do seem to spend a lot of time with Brad"

I roll my eyes whilst I hear Brad snicker to himself from behind me.

"She just can't keep herself away from me, Claire," He says, the smirk clear in his voice.

"Yeah, in your wet dreams" I scoff, scowling at him.

"Alright, you two, out of my kitchen," my mum says, putting her hands on my shoulders, twisting me around and walking me towards the door.

"Wait! I need a house key" I interrupt her, turning back to face her, "I wanna get a change of clothes"

"Fine" she sighs as she walks over to her desk, "but you'll have to bring it back"

"I will" I promise her as she hands me the key. She picks up an empty cake box from nearby and hands that to me as well, "you two pick yourselves out some cakes from the counter"

"Thank you, Claire" Brad smiles sweetly at her. I scowl at him.

"Eugh, you're such an arselicker" I mutter

"Well, she might be my mother-in-law one day" he smirks, giving my mum a sly wink. I stare at him incredulously.

"You did not just say that out loud" I scoff, pushing past him to get back into the cafe. He just laughs at me, "anyway, you're assuming that if you proposed, I would say yes"