Romance Collision ✔

ღChapter Thirteen: Under One Condition

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Bea was pacing around her bedroom, wringing her hands together. Every few minutes she'd rush over to her window and peek outside before turning away to continue pacing again. She walked past her dresser mirror and then suddenly stepped back into the view of it.

She examined the summer dress with a horizontal purple and blue striped pattern she had put on after changing her outfit numerous times. Bea glanced through the mirror at the pile of the discarded outfits in the corner of the room she kicked over. She was too nervous to place them neatly back on their hangers in the closet or their spots in the drawers. 

Bea had settled for the dress she wore now with her brown sandals. She had reapplied her makeup and pinned half her hair up. 

Now Bea stared into the mirror and finally felt satisfied she was presentable enough for when Greg was to come over in---she looked at the red heart shaped alarm clock on her dresser---ten minutes to speak with her parents. Bea swallowed just thinking about what her father would say during the meeting the four of them would have in the living room.

But Bea had prepped Greg in the very short amount of time she had earlier that day.

The first thing Bea noticed when she had slid into her place next to Greg in the backseat of Garrett's car was the immense tension. Her bubbly air was suddenly being strangled as she kept glancing at each brother as she was reaching behind her to grab the seat belt. Clicking it into place, Bea turned to look at Greg. He was trying to be discreet about whatever it was that was so... odd.

Greg had glanced at her and she raised her brows, leaning her head forward to silently ask, 'What's going on?' But he just flashed her his charming smile, shaking his head silently to reassure her everything was okay. 

Bea lowered a brow, turning her blue eyes towards the brother in the driver's seat. 

Garrett was concentrating on turning the dial of the radio for a good station. He seemed to be the only who wasn't as awkward or tense as the other two. He had said 'hello' to her like he normally would with a small nod.

Bea then looked at Gabriel in the passenger seat. 

He was leaning against the car door with his shoulder resting against it and his eyes glaring at the dashboard in front of him. Every once in a few seconds, Bea noticed, he'd glance at Garrett who was still fidgeting with the radio.

Bea wasn't a very good reader when it came to body language, but it was clear enough, even for her, that something was off with the boys. She felt like if she even moved it would be enough to have Gabriel go off on her, Greg would squeak like a mouse, and Garrett would finally stop messing with the dial long enough to look at her like she was a puppy with a red clown nose and singing 'Old MacDonald'.

But she did want to know what was going on, especially because she had hoped to be giving helpful tips to Greg for when he met her parents, not sitting in awkward silence.

Garrett had pulled his attention from the radio and back to the road before he pulled out of his parking spot, driving towards the exit of the parking lot. 

Bea looked at Greg once more, him glancing at her with a sheepish smile before he reached over and squeezed her hand. She looked down and smiled for a moment. It was a wonderful distraction.

And oh, how she wanted him to lean over and ki---

Bea snapped her focus back, blinking a few times. Greg must have noticed because he sighed, grinning to himself. She shook her head slightly, pursing her mouth and shook her finger at him to scold him.