This chapter.
THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!
It's TIIIMEEEEEEE!!!!
ENJOY BFFS
(I did a double update so be sure not to miss chapter twenty-two as well!)
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All her life, Tatum didn't take the jump.
Her friends were the fearless ones.
They were the ones to take the leap from rocks into water. They were the ones to not think twice about the free fall— of everything that could go wrong. They thrived on the adrenaline while she felt crippled by it. Two of her friends even jumped from a plane once. The thought of it alone nearly made Tatum sick to her stomach.
She always stayed where her feet could touch.
So, no Mom, if all her friends were jumping off a bridge, she would not jump too.
"What the hell did you do?"
Brady's voice boomed through the hallway as Tatum made her way out of her biology classroom. She closed her eyes, dreading this conversation. She turned around reluctantly, watching with no surprise as Brady stormed up to her. Hoisting her backup up on her shoulder, she gave him a pointed look. Other students glanced at them in question as they continued on their way. Tatum tried to ignore their stares, focusing on the infuriated hockey player in front of her.
Her voice was tight as she greeted him with, "Nice to see you too, Parker."
"You pulled me from the game?" Brady questioned, his voice only increasing in volume. "That has to be some kind of joke."
She bit the inside of her lip. Tatum knew that he wouldn't exactly react well to what she did. But she didn't have a choice. If he wanted to play in the playoffs, he had to take at least a week off. His knee needed it desperately. She was worried that one more hit would make the damage irreversible. Players on the other teams didn't seem to have any reservations against going after his knee. She had to make sure that he didn't play at all so she could prevent that.
"Excuse me for trying to keep you from causing permanent damage to your knee," Tatum quipped, gesturing loosely to his leg.
"I told you I was fine," Brady gritted out.
"And I don't believe you!" she shouted back. "Sitting out one game won't ruin the team."
He clenched his jaw harshly. "That wasn't your call."
She kissed her teeth, tilting her head. "Actually, it is my call to make. And I made it."
Brady shook his head furiously, taking a step forward. "Go to coach and tell him you changed your mind."
"No," Tatum denied simply, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know, he actually agreed with me. He thinks you need the week off."
"Oh, does he?" Brady questioned disbelievingly, a slight mocking sound in his voice. "Fine, I'll talk to him, then."
Brady stormed around her and Tatum turned, following him. "Go ahead. He'll tell you the same thing."
He paused in his step, facing her again. "God, you love this, don't you?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Love what?"
"Controlling everything," Brady spat at her. "I can't just miss a game, Hartley. Do you know how that effects my stats?"
"You know what will really affect your stats?"
"Oh, don't—"
"Needing a knee replacement before graduating college!"
"I can't do this," Brady grumbled out, waving his hand dismissively and continuing in the opposite direction. Tatum shook her head as she watched him go off.
It wasn't a decision she made lightly. But she had to put his health first. Tatum wasn't looking for him to get more injured than he already was. If he wasn't going to let her help him, then she didn't have a choice. Coach Mercer agreed with her after the previous game. He didn't want Brady to ruin his chances of playing in the professional league after college and he knew it would if this continued. If Brady hated her for it, then so be it.
Tatum could live with him walking away from her so long as he could actually walk away from her.
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Tatum tried really hard not to regret her decision as she watched the opposing team score again.
The crowd groaned in discontent, and though it was illogical, Tatum suddenly felt like every person in the stadium was glaring at her. At the very least, she knew a certain hockey player was glaring at her. That certain hockey player had tried everything to convince Coach Mercer that he could play, but the man didn't budge. Though, Tatum wouldn't be surprised if he was now regretting that decision.
The entire team was just off.
The hockey team was full of incredibly talented players. Several would probably play professionally. But they had a certain way of playing together that just worked. They knew how to play together after four years of learning how the others played. Brady was the team's captain, it didn't come as much of a surprise that the team was thrown when he didn't play.
Isaac skated around lazily as they reset from the goal. His head was ducked down and Tatum felt incredibly guilty. Theo looked furious and was shouting plays to the rest of the team as the temporary captain while Brady was out. The rest of the players shouted back, disputing the choice in plays. Coach Mercer, bless him, was doing his best to tame them all. But they were getting incredibly wound up by the scoreboard and it didn't seem like they were very used to losing.
Tatum winced as she glanced at the scoreboard, the point differential getting worse and worse. She dared to look over at Brady. He wasn't even watching the game. He just stared at his hands in front of him, his eyes looking slightly distant. Brady snapped out of his daze when the buzzer went off, glancing around like he was getting his bearings. When Tatum made eye contact with him, she gave him a beseeching look. For a moment, it seemed as if he might come talk to her. But then he was out of his seat and heading the complete opposite way from her.
Brady stormed out the team's area, not even sparing her a glance as he marched out of the rink. Tatum groaned in discontent before standing up from the bench and following him out. Pushing the doors open to the hallway, she called out to him, but he made no indication that he was planning on stopping.
Tatum felt a pang of hurt go through her. She didn't want this to be the end for her and Brady. She liked how things were going. In a way she couldn't explain, her life felt better with Brady in it. Losing him scared her in a way she didn't expect. If he truly thought that he could just walk out of her life that easily, then he didn't know Tatum. She wasn't letting him leave without some sort of fight.
Brady left the stadium, heading out to the parking lot.
"Brady, wait!" Tatum shouted, trying to catch up with him. When she broke into a run, she finally was able to step in front of him and stop him in his tracks.
"I don't wanna talk, Tatum," Brady told her firmly, huffing out in frustration.
"I had to pull you from the game!" she cried out, desperate for him to understand. "I'm sorry if it hurts your chances at going pro, but you can't go pro if you keep getting hurt."
"I know—"
"And I can't keep watching you in pain when I know I can stop it, okay?"
"Why does that matter, huh?"
"Brady, I care about you!" Tatum finally cried out loudly. "I'm trying so hard to help you but you... you never care about what I think!"
Brady narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to her. "You honestly believe that I don't care about what you think?"
Tatum blinked as he inched closer to her. "I... I don't know how I could think you do. Not when you do everything to try and prove me wrong."
"I'm pissed because this clearly was just professional to you, wasn't it? Just some way to help your career?" Brady questioned in a furious voice, throwing his arms out.
"Of course not," Tatum denied instantly, hurt that he would even think that. "But... why would that even matter? What would you care?"
He scoffed, raising his eyebrows at her. "Do you not see it? Do you seriously not see it?"
"See what?" Tatum cried out desperately. "I don't understand why you're being like this!"
Brady groaned, closing his eyes briefly before shouting, "Tatum, I fucking love you."
"Well, I love you!" Tatum exclaimed loudly before realizing what she just admitted. "Wait... what? You... what?"
He swallowed thickly, watching her intensely. "I love you."
That didn't make sense to Tatum. She wasn't the type of person people fell in love with. She wasn't hard-pressed for faults. She was keenly aware of them, in fact. Her temper and ambition weren't exactly a magnet for people. It didn't make any sense to her that anybody could be attracted to that. She had convinced herself for so long that no one could want her that is started to become her reality.
But someone did. And that someone was Brady. Brady Parker. He was... he was complicated. He was her best friend's brother. He was off-limits in ways that Tatum had never even considered. But god, she couldn't help but be drawn to him. Brady consumed her every thought. She was infatuated with him. She couldn't stop thinking about him. But to find out it was reciprocated didn't make sense to her. That didn't... it just didn't make sense.
"No... no, you don't," Tatum denied, taking a step back as she shook her head. "No, you don't. Don't say that if you don't mean it, okay?"
"I mean it," Brady said with more conviction than how he said his own name. "I love you, Tatum."
He loved her.
Brady loved her.
Tatum did her best to wrap her head around that.
"Then why do you..." Tatum trailed off, utterly confused but unable to find the words to ask why he was pushing her way. Luckily, he seemed to understand what she was trying to verbalize.
"Everything I've ever wanted has been for someone else," Brady explained, stepping forward and cupping her face tenderly. Her breath hitched as she found herself unable to tear her eyes from his. "I've never wanted anything just because I want it. Until you. I want you because I need you. I tried to ignore it because I can't just... have things for myself. But I- I can't keep ignoring it. I need you."
All her life, Tatum never took the jump.
And so finally, she took the jump.
Tatum lifted her hand and held his wrist gently, moving impossibly closer to him. "Then have me."
Brady's eyes darted down to her mouth once before he slammed his lips against hers. Tatum felt jolts of electricity soaring through her as she melted into his touch, a sensation she never felt before bursting inside of her. Like a single touch could light every nerve in her body on fire. He rubbed his thumbs against her cheeks, holding her face tenderly. He held her like she was something worth holding carefully. It was something she hadn't felt before. It was a stark contrast to how firmly his lips were pressed against her own.
She didn't want this to end. It was so perfect that she could stay here in this moment forever. With his lips against hers and his touch setting her ablaze, she could live a happy woman. But eventually, Tatum needed air. Reluctantly, she pulled back from Brady, looking up at him with wide eyes. He stared down at her, his hands still on her cheeks. After a couple of moments, Tatum leaned up, wanting to feel his lips on her once more. He pulled back, tilting his head to the side. Tatum gave him a questioning look, eyebrows furrowing together.
"I need to know if you feel the same way," Brady rasped, shaking his head. "I can't do this halfway with you, Tatum. You don't have to say it back, but I... I need to know you feel something for me."
Her mouth went dry. She stared at him carefully, dizzy as she tried to find the words. Tried to find how she felt. This was a new feeling for her. No one had ever made her feel this way. She never felt like this with anyone else. It was a feeling she wanted more of— no, she craved more of it.
"Tatum?" Brady asked in concern.
"Yes, okay? I love you," Tatum admitted breathlessly, terrified by saying the words out loud and admitting it to herself. "You... you infuriate me. Like no one I've ever met. But I can't stop thinking about you. I... I love you."
It was irreversible in a way that made her feel anew.
In a way that made her feel alive in a way she didn't know was possible.
Brady kissed her again and the world felt right. As they pulled apart, Tatum looked up at him and hoped he would understand the meaning behind her words. "I... I need you."
Brady's smirk was lopsided and smug as he told her, "Then take me, Hartley."
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!!!!!!!
IT HAPPENED FOLKS.
Tatum just yelling that she loves Brady without even realizing it because she'd be dead before she didn't just argue back immediately. Our girl does not have a filter!!!!
Brady finally having something for himself I'll cry right now. You'll understand why that's so important too in a couple of chapters <3
I'm excited to post tomorrow's chapter. After all, nothing quite says "Day after Thanksgiving" like a little spice, am I right?