I've included a picture of what I've imagined Samantha to look like. Enjoy!
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He can hear her, he can he wants and he doesn't want to. She's whispering into his ear sweet, sweet words. He wants to be happy he does. "Friday night, you and me." she says.
"Samantha, I can't I told you my mom needs help cleaning up the garage and painting the upstairs bathroom. I won't be back till Saturday."
"Get your dad to help her."
"Samantha, my dad's in Texas."
"Oh, right you told me that. What's going on with you? You're acting weird!"
"I'm going to need you to define weird in this context for me." Brayden said as he stood up grabbing his empty coffee mug and putting it in the sink.
"Well, I mean all of a sudden you're busy every friday night! You have a late shift, you have these massive migraines even though I know what I want to do would help them."
"No, that's not true. Sex wouldn't fix them."
"And how would you know? You haven't had it with me yet! So you wouldn't know."
"Whatever." Brayden looked at the calendar. "You know you haven't changed the month on the calendar."
"I haven't?"
"Nah, I'll do it for you. Hey, when was the last time we saw Liberty?"
"It's been weeks, tomorrow's July 1st. Don't you see her at work? That's enough of Liberty you need anyway."
"We don't..really talk there are a lot more customers now."
"Yeah, she's just avoiding you. But she doesn't need you, she has Steven or something."
"What?"
"Oh my god, they're dating. Haven't you looked at her Instagram?"
"So she's calling him her boyfriend now?"
"Yes, how many times do I have to tell you?" Brayden's heart stopped like it had that night he saw Liberty and Steven at the club. He looked at the stove clock, it read 3:00. Liberty would still be working at the restaurant. He grabbed his jacket and rushed out the door, not thinking about what Samantha would say when he got back.
Traffic was backed up enough that Brayden got to the restaurant at 3:30 when it's a normal 15 minute drive. Brayden slammed the door shut and pushed the gate open with so much force. He saw liberty taking orders and felt something that was so different than what he felt towards anyone else. Was this a crush? He suddenly realized what it was, he stopped breathing for a split second. He was so angry, but he felt foolish. How was he going to play off this..this crush and not come off as needy by telling her to break up with Steven for him? If he did that he would make it seem way to obvious. "Liberty!"
"Oh, hey Brayden. What are you doing here? I thought your shift ended at 1."
"No, I came back because I need to talk to you." The customers at the table next to them stared with wide eyes. "But maybe some where more private." Brayden pulled Liberty away.
"Brayden, I can't now my shift's not over yet." Brayden looked up and saw that Steven was parked right behind his car. He realized that he didn't have to be angry with her, just turn her feelings around.
"Um, do you wanna catch up tonight? At 8?"
"Well, I had plans--"
"Yeah,"
"--With Steven. Um, is Samantha going to be there?"
"No, she has work."
"Can I bring Steven? We were supposed to do stuff together tonight?"
"NO. Well, i mean we're going as friends. And I don't thing Steven and I are exactly friends.."
"Yeah, I see." Liberty said as she put the close to falling apart menus into the bin. "My shift's over in a few hours, maybe you could do some extra work, help me out?" Brayden was never happier to say yes. Spending time with Liberty, being near her was all he could ask for.
Liberty pushes the back door open as she hangs up her apron. "We're gonna have to stop at my house so I can change. You might have to meet my grandparents." Liberty utters as she opens a gum wrapper.
"That's fine, our reservation's at 7 anyway."
"Cool, thanks you're the best." Brayden looked at his phone as Liberty started to pull out. 6:05 it read. He thought over how he what he was going to do, how he was going to act around her. Liberty pulled into the driveway of a blue and yellow beach house. All the lights were on, and Brayden could see faces of an older couple in the living room. He looked up a floor, and saw a room with pink walls. He assumed it was Liberty's and he smiled a little. "I'll be right back, wait here."
Liberty opened to door to the house and Brayden watched as the elderly couple welcomed Liberty with love. Maybe that's what Brayden wanted, he wanted to grow old with Liberty. He watched as she smiled that beautiful smile of hers. And then the door was closed.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Woah!" Brayden sat up, he had been trying to ignore Samantha's texts. Samantha was asking him where he was and Brayden didn't have the energy to deal with her drama, he wanted to focus on Liberty.
"Woah what?"
"Y-you look great!" Brayden looked Liberty up and down. Her tawny colored hair was out instead of it's usual ponytail, she was wearing a teal dress and jeweled sandals. She had done her makeup and that was why he thought she had taken so long. Why would she take so long if she only thought of him as a friend? Did she have some sort of feelings for him?
Bleep.
"You want me to get that?" Liberty asked.
"Yeah, if you don't mind." Brayden was trying to get him self out of the traffic jam. It read 6:50 on the dashboard. "The GPS said that restaurant should be only 10 mins away." He scrunched up his eyes and Liberty giggled. "What!?"
"Nothing," she continued to giggle. "It's just the way you scrunch up your eyes like that, it looks funny. Also, Samantha says 'You better get over here or imma beat your ass'? What"
"Oh great, give it to me." Brayden stopped the car in front of the restaurant.
Brayden!! 6:00
BRAYDEN WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU? 6:05
Ok,i know you might be mad but you shouldn't be that angry, I didn't do anything a least to my knowledge so maybe you should just get over here so we can talk about it? 6:30
You better get over here or imma beat your ass 6:50
BRAYDEN OH MY GOD, YOU FORGOT DIDN'T YOU? WE PLANNED FOR TONIGHT I TOLD YOU TONIGHT Now
"What's going on?" Liberty asked, sounding worried.
"It's just Samantha, I got mad at her so I left. I don't have a lot of friends but I'd rather make friends so instead of what I usually do I decided to ask you out- i mean I asked you to catch up so i can have some friends to lean on, ya know?"
"I totally get it, why don't we just go in get dinner and catch up?"
"Sounds great." Brayden turned his phone on silent.
The clinking of glasses and silverware surrounds Liberty and Brayden. Liberty wonders why Brayden really asked her to dinner. She could feel the feelings she had for him at the beginning of the summer. Somehow they got into the conversation of tattoos and Brayden would start pulling up pieces of clothing. He had a little bird tattoo behind his ear, his parent's name around his ankle. Liberty chimed in with how she was dying to get a tattoo that read 'Be Free' along her shoulder. "Well, you know it's like my name. Liberty, to be free." Brayden started to play around his his ear piercing and they got into the topic of ear piercings. "Well, anyway how long are you staying in North Beach?"
"Hopefully till the end of August." Liberty takes a sip from her Lime tea.
"What do you go back to? College?"
"Yeah, two more years and I'm thinking I just want to move back here to grad school." beep "Oh I think that's Steven. He's probably wondering if he can come over." Brayden rolled his eyes at Steven's name. Liberty was itching to answer but she wanted to see where she and Brayden where going to go.
"Check please? Hey, Liberty let's go for a walk in the park. It's just across the street."
"Yeah," She hit the ignore button and followed Brayden out.
The sun is setting and Liberty and Brayden find a bench right underneath the sunset. He wants to hold her hand, but restrains himself in hopes that he won't blow it. "Wow Brayden!" They had a spot where the stars just peek in from the treetops. Brayden was ready, he was going to jump into the deep end of love with Liberty.
"Liberty, I wanna talk to you about something."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Well, I think I'm falling for you..or whatever they call it --"
"Excuse me?"
"I-I think I love you, Liberty"
"Oh," Liberty bites her lip. "I don't think I-I...I love you the way you love me. You're an amazing guy, Brayden. Really. you're an amazing friend. But I-I'm with Steven."
"Right, I should have known."
"You're my friend, Brayden. You implied that you are my friend. And you have SAMANTHA! What the hell are you doing falling in love with me?" Liberty stands up. "I think we need some time apart, I'm going to encourage you to focus on Samantha. So, I'll see you at work but I'm not speaking to you. Go home back to the girl you really love." Brayden blew it, and he knew it. This wasn't the time he wanted. He wanted the time to be apart from Samantha, maybe. And be with Liberty instead.
"Fine! I wasn't asking you to say you love me back, but you telling me to spend some time apart from you isn't go to change anything about how I'm feeling."
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Note: Hey guys! I'm starting a new story -- the title will be a surprise -- And i hope that all of you will be excited to read it. I'm looking forward to writing it, but the first part will be up after ALL of Perfect For Me is finished.
Love,
xox Lucy ♡