simple dismissing

Ivy had always wondered if Brayden just completely forgot about her while he was away. And even though he was sitting right next to her admitting to having missed her, part of her still didn’t believe him. Or maybe the trust just wasn’t what it used to be between them. She lost her trail of thought as soon as her one of her favorite Brayden’s made an appearance. The one that could always cheer her up even when she didn’t ask for it. “Stop, I’m not drunk, you’re such an egghead.” Ivy grabbed another pillow and threw it at him before nestling onto his chest. “That was for throwing your dirty ass shoes around my room. Also a little bit for leaving me. But mostly the shoe thing,” Ivy whispered and followed it with a quiet giggle. She did a few kitten yawns and nodded, barely registering anything he was saying. “Yeah yeah, you can sleep in your ice cream, it’s okay, Mark.” She’d slurred all the words together out of sheer exhaustion. Not having realized her fatal error, she snuggled in closer, her mouth inches from his clavicle. “I wanna eat hot pockets off of you but like as a friend, you know. Like, I don’t know if you know this about me, but I love hot pockets. And you’re cute, you’re really cute, you’re my cute super platonic friend who I used to have the biggest crush on but like in eight grade because that was before you turned into a dummy head poopy head who never let me win at Mario Kart anymore. That’s so fun to say... PLA-TO-NIC.” Ivy was just babbling at this point but she quickly grew tired of her own voice and stopped. She repeated the word platonic a few times and ended up laughing quietly as she grew tired of holding her head up and it fell onto his neck.

“Couples fight, yeah but.. not over some douche that ignored his best friend for two years?” Brayden said casually, “Like.. I wouldn’t yell at you for not telling me that the douche of all douche’s is back.” He said to lighten up the mood. Maybe referring to himself as what he really was would bring back the old connection they shared, not the one he soiled when he told her he loves her – which Brayden often stayed up at night thinking about. He messed up when he said those words to her out of no where and on the night he decided to come back to Boston.He should have waited a few days but what would that change? There was no denying that after disappearing for two years, that the bond had been severed; Brayden should have spent his time working on fixing than further destroying it. Brayden brought his fingers up and plugged his ears with them when she began talking about her moments with Mark, jokingly he began to hum as she went on. He dropped his hands and began laughing, “Okay, okay Ivy I get it.” Rolling his eyes at her comment, he followed her line of sight and shrugged. “It’s like three centimeters long, you’re right. Nothing special.” He joked, smiling for the fact she bothered to look down. “I hate when you’re real with me though..” Brayden started but shut up when she let the words pool from her mouth. “It’s awkward yeah sure, like whoa you just popped out of the dead blue but I’m here and now and ..” He sucked in a long breath, pushing his feelings aside, pushing the need to close the space between them and forced a smile to his face. “I want my best friend back too. You know, nights where we’ll stay up watching movies and me passing out on you while you yell at me for drooling on your skin or something the next day.” He brought his arm up and around her, his hand lightly ran up and down her arm; if she fell asleep right here it would add to the purpose of going back to their friend stage. “I missed you too, you know?” His voice fell to a hushed whisper, “More than you’ll ever know..” He mumbled that bit to himself. “Anyways, does the little Ivsters need bed time?”

Brayden’s reminiscent words caused a slight grin on her face. Ivy wanted all the same things, she’d missed him more than anything, but there was a distance with them. A line they couldn’t cross anymore. Before he left they never had to worry about stolen glances and prolonged hugs, because there was no Mark of it all. She had to always be on guard around Brayden now and that was something she was having trouble coming to terms with. “Did you really?” She despised the insecurity in her voice but drunk Ivy had always had way less inhibition than sober Ivy. Looking up at him, she smiled faintly. “Brayden, I really don’t wanna be alone tonight.” She knew how selfish it was, basically asking him to stay with her, but she needed a friend and what better way was there to ease Brayden back into that position? She’d probably be passed out within the hour but having him there made her less sad right at that moment. “Please stay? Like.. Platonically.” Ivy pouted lightly and reached out a hand to fluff a pillow behind her, suggestively.

Brayden felt like that one kid watching his parents fight while he was in the room witnessing it go down, except he wasn’t the kid in the room – one was the girl he was in love with and the other was an asshole insulting him as if Brayden wasn’t there. He leaned up against the wall by her door and watched the way Mark looked at Ivy, what did she see in him? He was broad, tall and had a jawline most girl would fawn over – yeah, that was that but he didn’t seem like the hype Ivy constantly threw in his face. This is Brayden? Every time the words pooled from the other male;s mouth, Brayden only dismissed every insult with a chuckle but they didn’t seem to hear. These two were captured in their own world of shouts and words that Brayden didn’t seem to understand. He didn’t understand the way Mark was talking to Ivy either, there wasn’t a level or hint of respect in his tone – unless Bray was imagining it, either way he didn’t like it. Anger bubbled in his chest every second that Mark went on talking to her, Brayden could move forward just a bit and bring his fist up and end it but he stayed there; silent as a cat as his brown eyes captured the scene. Why wasn’t Ivy fighting back? He turned his attention to her, why was she taking it in? Why wasn’t she defending years of moments shared between them from a guy who seemed to have walked out of a mens catalog? Brayden turned his attention to something else, his jaw clenched out of fear of opening his mouth and ruining their 'fight’. Though, part of him was a little ecstatic it was about him. Just as this all started, it ended with a small silence and Mark storming back him. Brayden wanted to grab him by the shirt and punch him straight in the jaw – he imagined it quite clearly too but instea shot the other boy a wide grin. “Nice to meet you! I’ll be sure to take you out some time!” Brayden shouted after him as he disappeared down the hall. “He seems like a good catch, Ivy.” Brayden closed the door after him and turned his attention to Ivy, no matter how done or annoyed she had been with him at that moment – he knew how to make that all go away. “You should have told me you were horny or something that you wanted to have sex with this dude. You know what they say about buff guys?” Brayden went on, walking over to her bed and taking a seat beside her, “They have the smallest dicks.” He teased, bumping his arm into hers. “They say it’s all the steroids and stuff but probably genetic. You never know.” He turned his face to meet hers, at the sight of her he smiled. 

As Mark left and Brayden closed the door behind him, Ivy couldn’t help but let out a sigh. But this time it was one of relief. As much as she wanted to be alone at that moment, there was a comfortable familiarity in having Brayden there. “It’s not like this all the time. Couples fight.” She tried to the best of her ability to  convince herself it was normal and to keep the coldness in her voice. But as much as she tried there was no denying that Brayden knew her perhaps better than she knew herself. That was the part that scared her. Because Ivy knew him too, but not the part of him that had convinced itself it was in love with her. However, as she sat there next to him listening to his adamant attempt at cheering her up, she couldn’t fight the smile on her face. “Okay, but you’re forgetting the fact that I already saw it. Multiple times.” Ivy paused, not wanting to make Brayden feel uncomfortable, she steered elsewhere. “Oh and what’s that other thing they say? Takes one to know one?” She looked down towards Brayden’s private parts in a gesturing way, immediately regretting it and frantically looking elsewhere upon realizing where the hell she was actually looking. After a few moments passed Ivy turned to face him as well. It was probably leftover liquid courage from the restaurant or she just really wanted to get it all out on  the line. “Can I be real with you for a minute? You don’t have to be real back, you can just make another not-so-clever remark, I don’t mind or care.” Ivy went ahead without the approval of Brayden. ”I’m sorry.. I’m not actually used to any of this yet. You being back, you being here all the time... You wanting more.” She yawned out of nowhere and decided to lean on Brayden’s shoulder so as to not fall asleep. “All the shirtless harassment aside... I miss my best friend,” Ivy whispered into the front part of his neck. Her breath probably smelled strongly of rum and she was probably sitting way too close to him but in that moment she probably didn’t care at all. It made her all warm inside, a warmness she’d only ever felt with him next to her.

Brayden stuck the lollipop in his mouth and rolled it around as it met with his tongue. He took a moment to stare at this steroid filled macho man before answering. He opened his mouth to speak but decided to keep quiet and keep sucking on his candy stick. Brayden bit the candy and began to chew it all down until he was left with a white stick. He threw it behind him and shrugged, “Oh, oh I should be speaking. Okay, before you call the cops..” Brayden smiled, it wasn’t the usual smile he’d pull with Ivy – a grin filled with mischief and longing to take her under his spell, this one was as phony as ever. “I’m Brayden, Brayden the one and only best friend.” He pushed Mark out of the way and grabbed Ivy by the legs and dragged her out of bed. “Hiya bud, you didn’t tell him about me?” He said, flipping her over and picking her – no matter how much she fussed, which did a lot nowadays. He wrapped her arm around his waist and his own around her shoulder. “I’m her best friend and she’s mine. She may have mentioned that I moved away but that’s all a lie, I’ve been living under the stairs like harry potter. God, my parents neglect me so much.” He said, his voice wavering as if it were about to crack and he’d cry any second. He pushed Ivy back onto the bed and crossed his arms. “Sorry.. wait.. were you two going to have sex?!” He cupped his mouth and turned to Ivy, “Dude! You told me you were a virgin! What the fuck happened to our pact! Fuck, man .. can I join?” He asked coyly.

Ivy watched as Mark watched Brayden. This was the worst situation she could possibly think of being in. It didn’t help when Mark shot a very confused look at her as to say ‘This is Brayden?’. For a second, Ivy caught herself wanting Brayden to impress Mark for some reason. The second ended prematurely as she was pulled up from the bed and into somewhat of an unwilling sidehug. She wasn’t sure what to do so she just silenced the voice inside her head that Brayden’s arm around her felt like… Like it was supposed to never leave. Way before she could silence him or protest, she was manhandled onto the bed once more. Mark’s silence scared her to no end. It’s not like she’d done anything wrong… Right? She just hadn’t told him that her best friend was back, no biggie. Okay, biggie. Slightly biggie. But it was salvageable. It had to be. This was becoming about Brayden and how she’d never admit defeat to him. Ivy put her hand on her mouth as Brayden made the unreal proposition. It wasn’t shock as much as she was trying really hard not to laugh. The asshole made her laugh, there was no denying that. She tried desperately not to, though. After what seemed like years of silence Mark finally stopped looking at Brayden and turned to Ivy with a strange look on his face. “Are you kidding me? This is Brayden? This is the guy you spent months and months trying to get just a text from? This douche? And why is he saying all this shit? More importantly, why didn’t you tell me he was back? Ivy, what the fuck?” Ivy was torn. Did she defend her best friend of about twenty years who left her behind or did she leave him out in the cold again? Or was there a third option to just be done with boys and toss them out the window? Ignoring the Brayden of it all, she got up from the bed and hesitated for a few moments before speaking out. “Mark… I…” Ivy turned slightly so she could direct all of her attention towards Mark. “Those are a lot of questions and I’d really like to answer them. Just not here, okay? I’m so sorry.” She’d turned her head when she said ‘not here’ hoping Mark would catch her signal. “Not here? What does that even mean? You wanna talk about this at a fucking Dairy Queen?” He did not catch her signal. She sat back down and sighed heavily. She had just wanted to get home, have sex with Mark to forget about Brayden and get some damn pizza. But nothing was that simple since Brayden’s return. He was always in her damn room. “Amazing,” Ivy uttered and fell down on the bed, her feet still attached to the ground. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed once more. “Well, if you’re not gonna fuck me or take me to a Dairy Queen, I think you should just go.” She hated that Brayden was here for this. This seemed like the kind of thing he’d be throwing in her face until the day she died. But this was her and Mark. They fought about dumb stuff, spat profanities and made up a couple of days later with some dumb trinket or takeout food. It worked for them, so who cared what Brayden though? Ivy. Ivy cared what he thought. So much so that it was ridiculous. Right now, however, she just wanted him and his stupid face to be as far away as humanly possibly. She still hadn’t fully acknowledged his presence in the room yet. “Fine, fuck this, Ivy. Let me know when you’re ready to fucking act like a grown up.” Mark was heading towards the door and Ivy prayed to God that was the end of this. She’d not exactly treated it that well, but she was emotionally exhausted and that was all she had left in her.

With his father gone on a business trip and his mother still in Rhode Island, Brayden laid flat on his stomach while flipping through a magazine, only to look at the perfectly photoshopped females. Though he had no idea why he was doing this, to pass time maybe, but with what had happened yesterday with Ivy – he didn’t want to bother her for today, play hard to get is what he wanted but how could he? His whole purpose for staying here instead of going back is to win her back from this so called ‘Mark’, who he sometimes believed to not exist. Brayden looked over his shoulder through the window where he spotted hers open. He threw the magazine to the side and rolled off his bed. He grabbed a pair of sneakers and slipped them on. He walked over to the window, only stopping to pick up a lollipop he happened to get from the bank earlier. He ripped off the wrapper and stuck the cherry flavored stick in his mouth. He climbed out of the window and took no time jumping down. He crossed the street to her house and stood under her window. He scratched his head and decided to go to her garage. He reached for the handle and lifted it open, he went inside to look for a ladder. The whole pipe climbing business was tiring and he swore that he could break his bones somehow, he wasn’t risking it. He grabbed a ladder buried far behind in the garage and walked outside with it. He closed the garage quickly and walked back over to her window. Brayden set up the ladder up against her window and looked up. He pulled the lollipop from his mouth and sighed before sticking it back in and walking up. He jumped through the window and landed on his feet, looking around – everything was familiar till a pair of green eyes were caught staring at him. “You’re not Ivy..” Brayden said, to pop the bubble of awkwardness being shared between them. “I mean, even if you are – you do make one hot guy, are those contacts you’re wearing?” Brayden continued, pulling the candy from his mouth and waving it around as he talked.

“You have chocolate on your cheek.” Ivy frowned at Mark and quickly tried to get it off. She’d been looking for the keys to her house in her purse when he told her this. Not to mention, they’d had dessert at the restaurant over an hour ago. She stopped looking for her keys and playfully hit him with her purse a few times. “Could’ve told me that sooner, you ass.” Mark gave her the kind of grin she was not pleased with at the moment. He raised a thumb to remove the chocolate from her cheek and Ivy couldn’t fight the smile on her lips. For a second she thought of Brayden which ultimately made her insides churn. Their touches were so different, as were the things she felt in their presences. Ivy felt she had to overcompensate with Mark since Brayden was back. Kiss him harder, laugh louder at his jokes, smile more. She felt she owed it to him. Finding her key, she turned it in the lock and opened the door a few inches. Instead of asking him to come in with her she put her hand behind his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. And that’s how they made their way upstairs. Ivy wasn’t even sure they had closed the front door. Her parents were at a bed and breakfast for the weekend, so they could be as loud as they wanted. But Ivy and Mark’s love was more of the silent kind. Mark frantically opened the door to Ivy’s bedroom and they tripped onto her bed. Things were getting hot and heavy and Ivy had her eyes closed when Mark stopped kissing her neck abruptly. You’re not Ivy she heard and thought the words were coming from Mark at first. “I... What?” Opening her eyes, she discovered Brayden to be in her room. Ivy’s eyes widened and nervously awaited Mark’s response. She’d maybe left out the tiny detail that was Bray’s return. Mark had gotten up, facing Brayden while Ivy buried her face in her hands on the bed. “No, I’m not. More importantly, who the hell are you?” Ivy listened as he spoke and felt this weird need for Mark to impress Brayden. “Okay, yeah, that’s a great story, you should probably tell me who you are before I call the police. I’m sure they’ll love to hear it.”

I love him. She had said, that Brayden scoffed at. He took himself back into the streets after she pulled away and shook his head. “Okay, fine you love him. Congratulations. I hope you know how much that means to him.” Brayden said flatly before turing around, “He’s in my living room, follow me if you want the damn dog.” He started down the road, walking closer to the sidewalk on the other side. He passed a few hours before arriving on his lawn. Brayden grabbed the shirt from the porch once he approached it and slipped it over his head. He walked up to the front door, not bothering to look back at Ivy. He stepped in and whistled to catch Raj’s attention. The dog came rushing forward, Brayden bent down and kissed the tops of his head before gathering himself and walking into the kitchen for a drink. He bent down and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and turned to the hall that seperated the living room from the kitchen, “Are you gonna take him or what?” He asked, taking a sip.

Ivy’d obviously said too much. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? If she reassured Brayden of her love for Mark she hurt him. But if she failed to even mention Mark or stay in his embrace for too long she gave him hope. Ivy couldn’t help but wish there was some middle ground where no one got hurt. She followed him as they neared his house. Ivy didn’t really know why Brayden would keep her dog in his living room, but she realized it wasn’t the right time question it. She just nodded. There had been so many nights in her room where she’d looked at this door through her upstairs bedroom. Ivy hadn’t been this close to it in years. She stepped inside and smiled pleasantly at the sight of Raj. Possibly also at the sight of Raj with Brayden, but that’s a whole other thing, she reminded herself. Ivy bent down and hugged the dog for a few seconds. “You scared the hell out of me,” she whispered into its fur, not sure whether to thank or get super mad at Brayden. In some way, he deserved both. Ivy looked up at Brayden as he was clearly but not-so-clearly asking her to leave. It stung, really. This place used to be like a second home to her but now it contained nothing but empty memories and a boy with bad intentions.  “No, actually, I was planning on leaving him here,” she joked with a slightly too sarcastic tone of voice. “So, yeah, I should probably go. Thanks for...” Ivy didn’t actually know what to thank him for. He’d found Raj, yes, but not without purposely letting her worry for a while.  “... this.” She grabbed Raj by the collar and nodded at Brayden once more.

Brayden stopped walking. He paused to stare at her with with his mouth hanging and eyes slightly wide. “What.. what do I know about love?” He repeated. He took a step back and laughed, forced himself to laugh so hard that she would have to believe he lost his mind. “What the hell do i know about love?” He forgot about wanting to look for Raj for a moment and stepped on to the middle of the streets and looked up at the clear blue sky, “What do I know about love?!” He asked the skies, “I don’t know, really.” He whispered, pulling himself down and turning to look at her. “I know that when I’m with you that I want to kiss you and hold you and tell you things that have no meaning. Talk and talk till we’re talking about how the air around is warm.” He said, walking towards her. It was his turn. He took her hand and placed it over his chest, “Look me in the eyes and tell me you love him, not love like yeah. Like absolutely crazy in love with him because you can love him but you know I won’t stop till you’re mine Ivy.” Taking her hand, he slid it up his chest and grinned. “Tell me, straight to my face that you see him as the love of your life.” His voice dropped into an audible whisper. Taking her hand, he guided her arm around his neck while his other arm slid around her waist and pulled her in. He pressed his cheek against hers, “I know more about love than just seeing it as a word to throw around for sex.” He whispered up against her ear, lightly running his lips along it.

Ivy watched Brayden have what appeared to be a manic episode. She didn’t really know what to make of it. Had this been any other person she would have been scared, but it was Brayden and even when he was acting like this it didn’t scare her at all. It did slightly concern her, though. “Bray, what do you know about calming down?” Ivy took a few steps backwards now that Brayden was saying all these loving things again. Her control of the situation was gone the moment it began. There was no telling Brayden no. He’d completely dismissed Mark and any other argument Ivy had put out there. She found herself regretting having told him to stay. That’s probably where it all went wrong because she’d given him hope. And that same sense of hope was currently screwing her over as he guided their bodies together in a way Ivy had dreamed of for years. Ivy’s chest against Brayden’s. Her arms around his neck. Their cheeks touching. All of it made her head and heart spin in crazy circles. Ivy let him finish and just stood there for a few moments, not saying anything. His warm body against hers... It just made sense. Her fingers ‘accidentally’ made their way up the back of his neck and through his hair, caressing him gently. Brayden’s breath on her neck and hands around her waist were undeniable truths. Not only did she want to kiss him but... She stopped herself from arriving at the thought. There was no way the boy in front of her was going to give up now. Not after this. This part of him controlled part of her and Ivy despised that. The worst part was that he could most likely tell in the way her breath sounded right next to his ear. She slid her hands back down as his lips made contact with her again.  “I...” she started but lost the thought.  “I really think you need to get that shirt,” she remarked with an involuntary smile. She pulled out of his embrace abruptly and already missed his warmth the second she did.  “I love him,” she lied. At this point she wasn’t just trying to reassure Brayden anymore.  “It may no be the kind of love you think we could have, but it’s love. Who the hell cares what kind, ” she spoke gently, still standing dangerously close to him. “What I also love, is my dog. Who I, as you so sweetly reminded me, have been neglecting. So maybe I should, um, go find him.” Ivy pointed someplace random in an awkward manner. Brayden had, quite frankly, taken her mind elsewhere for a few moments. Ivy didn’t know whether that was a good thing or not... Yet.

Brayden took his hand back to his side and kept there, he rolled his eyes in annoyance at the mention of her so called boyfriend. He mimicked her words till she was done with the sentence he had little to no care about. “And let me get you a dictionary and look up two words don’t and care?” Brayden said in the same annoyed tone which she scolded him with. “Listen, Marky butt butt is no problem. It’s not like you really love him. I’m good.” He said, turned back to his house. “Yeah.. I could get a shirt.. but I could also go for some food. Do you see my dilemma?” He said over his shoulder, raising his voice in question. “No, I didn’t see Raj you idiot. If I did, he’d be here right now right here before your feet while he cuddles up against your leg or whatever the damn dog does nowadays.” Brayden lied. He took her by the arm and started dragging her down the sidewalk. “Maybe he ran by here, you know dogs – they like chasing cats and running when their owners are neglectful. He said, releasing his hold on her. “Are you neglecting Raj? Not nice, Ivy” He said disapprovingly, shaking his head left and right for effect. 

It’s not like you really love him. Ivy sincerely didn’t know how to react to these words. They were untrue, first of all. You don’t spend eight months with someone without loving them in some way. Ivy did love Mark, but it was a different kind of love than the one she felt for Brayden. It was safe and warm. Brayden... Brayden was a firestorm, he was passion and insecurity. He always left her wanting more of him. But that kind of love was toxic and did no good to anyone, she thought to herself in a convincing manner.  “What do you even know about love?,” she questioned as if out of nowhere.  “Actually, get food, get a shirt, get a life, I don’t really care.” She sighed as Brayden took her by the arm. She did care and that was the inexplicable inescapable truth.  “Neglect? Jesus Christ, Brayden, where do you even get off saying these things? Okay, shit, I might’ve forgotten to feed him once... But that’s totally beside the point. He’s my dog and I can’t find him and I really don’t have time for you being all cute with me or this shirt dilemma that’s obviously putting me in distress. So thanks for the help, jackass.” Ivy had managed to call him cute and a jackass in the same mess of a ramble and she really wanted to either hide under a rock for three years or look into the possibility of hiring a body guard.  “I really don’t need you for this, I can find him on my own,” she spoke naively.

Brayden waved again, even though she seemed to be stunned by the sight of him. He was doing something right if she was caught off guard by him. The smirk on his face had stayed even when she asked about her dog, he wasn’t going to give up Raj’s whereabouts that easy. He let go over the handle to the hose and watched the water slowly diminish to nothing. He then dropped it and looked left and right for cars before walking across the street. His sneakers made squeaky sounds that he wanted kick off and go barefoot, it was nice enough outside where his feet wouldn’t burn at the contact of blacktop. He sucked it up and continued walking to her. “What? Cat got your tongue? Or should I say dog?” He laughed, punching her shoulder jokingly once approaching her. He licked his lips slowly and cupped her cheek, “We’ll find him, okay? Don’t worry about the pup. Knowing daddy Bray is back, he’ll come running to me.” Brayden reassured, running his thumb down her cheek and over her lips. “I should get a shirt first though.” 

Don’t come over here, don’t come over here, don’t come over here. Ivy didn’t know why she did this chanting thing because it never seemed to actually work. Sure enough, a few seconds later Brayden made his damn way towards her. She tried hard not to smile over the squeaky sounds from his shoes. If this had been two years ago she would have called him a dork and he would have started a water hose fight with her. Thinking of the good old times while he was standing right in front of her seemed to suppress the smile fully. Also, the fact that the first words out of his mouth were a joke about her currently lost dog reassured her of his fuckboy status. “Fuck, Brayden, that’s not funny. I can’t find him.” She scowled at him defiantly. Ivy had to look at his stupid adorable face because if she looked down she’d have to realize and come to terms with how close she was to that naked torso of his. She was just about to bounce when Brayden, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, cupped her cheek. The element of surprise and the short jab of intensity she felt when Brayden touched her, caused her to not immediately remove his hand. “Please don’t refer to yourself as daddy Bray. Like... Ever,” she let out with a lot more resistance than she’d had the previous night. In her head she’d sounded resilient but when she actually spoke the words they were softer than intended. When his thumb reached her lip she pushed his hand away as an instant reflex.  “Or you could get a dictionary and look up the word boyfriend. Because I definitely and distinctively remember telling you I have one of those.” She looked down by accident and added, “But yeah, also a shirt. That would be a great idea...” Ivy didn’t want to seem too harsh or too soft and staying in the middle of those two extremes made her head spin. “So did you actually see Raj or are you just fucking around?” The family dog meant the world to her and if he got lost Ivy truly didn’t know what to do. 

“You’re going to take care of your chores today, right?” Brayden’s father’s voice came from down the hall outside Brayden’s room. Brayden was picking up the things he had thrown around last night. If his dad had come to see this, he’d be pelted with questions he wasn’t ready to answer. He left the most of the items on the floor and stepped out in a fresh pair of basketball shorts and a plan white t-shirt. He walked down the hall to meet his dad in his bedoroom. Leaning against the door frame, Brayden laughed and replied with, “Me? Chores? Yeah okay dad.” Brayden’s dad stared at him from his spot on the bed, “Okay fine, I’ll water the lawn or something. Be productive on our first day back.” With that said, his father smiled, “Close the door on your way out.” He told Bray as he fell against the mattress and wrapped himself in a comforter. Brayden cocked an eyebrow at him before obeying his wish. After telling his dad about what he’d do, Brayden went into their garage where all the mess of unpacked boxes lay, he rummaged through them for a hose of some sort. Once finding one, he walked out and hooked it up to a main water source and dragged it out to the front lawn. He lifted his shirt above over his head and threw it to the side, as far as he could throw it. He pressed the handle to get the water flowing, as soon as it did he began to hum and spread the water out evenly. Across the street he spotted Ivy’s parents stepping into their car and diving off, he frowned slightly when they hadn’t noticed him but that asn’t what caught him off guard. After they had drove off, he spotted the family dog running out of the open garage and out to the streets. Brayden whistled to catch the dogs attention. “Raj! Hey! Guess who’s back!?” Brayden called to get his further attention, he knew that Raj recognized his voice as the dog stoop up straight, pausing at the spot with his ears perked up. “Come here, come to me.” Brayden spoke again. The dog made his way across the street and over to Brayden. Brayden released the handle to cut off the water supply, he dropped the hose and opened his arms for the dog to rush to him. Raj came at full speed, he knocked Brayden back and attacked him with affectionate licks all over his face and neck. “Okay okay, chill. Chill, this is too much for me.” Brayden said, laughing too much from what was happening. He scratched behind the dogs ears and lifted the large animal into his arms and walked him into the house. “Be a good boy okay? I’ll get Ivy .. after I mess with her.”He said thoughtfully before closing the front door and leaving Raj to do whatever he pleases in his home. He stepped back outside in the warm air, with the sun shining down on his bare skin only to make him wanting to stay outside even more. He went back over tot he hose and began to water the front lawn again, he stuck his hand into the pocket of his shorts and looked up, spotting Ivy as she came out of her house – face frantic from wondering where her dog went. “Hello, gorgreous!” Brayden called, pulling his hand out and wiggling his fingers at her. “Sad mom and pops left without you? Me too.” He said, evidently smirking at the sight of her.

Brayden was shirtless, not wearing a shirt, half naked. She could probably say it in a million different ways but it wouldn’t make it any less true. And he’d still be standing right across the street from her, not wearing a damn shirt. Ivy got lost  in thought and forgot all about Raj for a split second. What was worse, was the fact that she was giving Brayden the satisfaction of her speechless lingering. So she ended it abruptly and looked everywhere but his eyes or his torso. “Have you seen Raj,” she questioned him, while devoting her full attention to a street lamp between their houses. God, why did he have to look that? Ivy had shouted it across the street, there was no way she’d voluntarily get within ten feet of a shirtless Brayden. “He, umm... Got out...” She had to look. It reminded her of being on the train and seeing someone cute so you had to look more than once.. Okay, maybe more than six times. Ivy kept her focus this time and thought about Raj. That seemed to calm her down just a bit but still rile her up because damn her dog was lost. But also, damn, this kid in front of her was no longer a kid. She figured she’d keep her distance and ignore anything he’d say that wasn’t about Raj but things never worked out as she planned when it came to Brayden. For someone who claimed to have her life together days ago, she sure had a lot of toxic thoughts running through her head. Like kissing this shirtless douche in front of her.