SLOW BURN

22. promise me

I groan but pull away from Josh then reach for my blouse and put it on before walking to the door.

"Sorry to interrupt," Savannah says glancing at Josh then she looks at me. "Brad is outside, Nat."

"What?" I gasp. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"I don't know but he looks angry."

"I'll deal with him," Josh says standing next to me.

"No, you're not." I whisper, facing him. "You can't let him see you, Josh. Please. The last thing I need is you two getting in a fight."

Josh clenches his jaw. "Natalie-"

"Promise me." I interrupt. "Don't come out."

He sighs obviously frustrated with my request but nods once.

"You can wait in my room," Savannah says quietly. "You should go before he comes." She tells me.

I sigh then walk out down the hall. He's waiting in the waiting area. It's so weird to see him when I can still feel the sensations of Josh's lips. I clear my throat and cross my arms on my chest. "Brad. What on earth are you doing here?"

He looks up at me and I watch his eyes scan my body. I'm not sure what he's looking for. "Is it true?" He asks angrily walking up to me. "Are you with somebody else already?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask trying to stay calm but my heart begins to beat hard against my chest. He can't possibly know right? No. How?

"A friend of mine called me last night. Tanner? He said he had seen you on the beach with someone yesterday."

Tanner. It takes me a moment to remember who he is. Oh right. He was the guy that hit me with the football yesterday. He did seem to recognize me from somewhere. If I would have paid more attention to his face, I would have recognized him as one of Brad's friends. Shit. Did he see Josh? Even if he did, he wouldn't know he is Brad's brother because he's never met him. Brad met Tanner a few years after high school. They don't really hang out anymore, at least that's what I thought. I hadn't seen him in years. I had forgotten about him.

Okay. I can deal with Brad knowing I was with someone. As long as he doesn't know who that someone is.

I roll my eyes. "Wow, you guys are worse than us girls."

Brad narrows his eyes at me and grabs my arm tightly. "So it's true then."

I yank my arm from his grasp. "So what if it is? I'm a single adult. I can see whoever I want."

Brad looks at me. "Who is he?" He looks down the hall. "Is he here?"

Before I know it, he's walking past me down the hall.

"Brad, wait!" I call after him but he's already going into my room.

I scan it quickly at the same time he does. I don't see any of Josh's things, thank God. Just a bed with messy sheets. The aftermath of my night with Josh.

Brad's hands turn into fists and for the first time, I fear that he's going to hurt me. He turns to glare at me. "I can't believe this."

"Can't believe what? You've been fucking girls from the moment we broke up."

He shakes his head. "You're mine."

"No, I'm not." I say, angrily. "We broke up months ago, Brad. You have no right to come all the way down here to accuse me of what? Moving on?"

He frowns and he suddenly looks sad. "Natalie, please. I love you."

I shake my head. "You have to find a way to get over me and move on, Brad. I can't help you anymore. I don't know how to tell you that there is no future between you and me."