Impossibly Forever: Two Books in One (Impossibly Duology) (23 page)

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Moya

  
I was still finding it hard
to get over Branden playing hockey
again, deliberating whether or not he was really ready. On top of that, Vanessa
was still in her zone. She hadn’t replied to any of my texts since hearing that
Tobias kissed me, and by Friday, I figured she wasn’t going to drive back to
Berlin Heights with me. Oh well. I wanted to hang out with Branden before going
home anyway, since I had my final exam today.

  
He picked me up on campus and we drove downtown, where we had dinner then
stopped by Sound Box afterwards to chill for a while—the social club he’d
brought me to hours after kissing me for the first time. It was also the night
I realized more than ever that he was sick.

  
The place was packed tonight. We made it through a group of college kids
celebrating the end of their finals, and found a spot at the bar. Branden
quickly browsed the club, but there weren’t any empty chairs anywhere.

  
Locked out of Heaven reverberated through the tight crowd; people shouted so
they could hear each other. The overall atmosphere wasn’t as relaxing as that
time when we came here. Tonight, it was suffocating and more like a sweat fest.

  
“You wanna go?” Branden asked, pushing up to my ear. He probably read the
discomfort on my face.

  
“It’s too tight. We can go somewhere else.”

  
He brought his arm around my waist. “Anywhere else won’t be safe tonight. Too
much drinking, partying, you name it. But we can just go by the docks or
whatever; up to you.”

  
Nodding my agreement, he took my hand and led me towards the exit. When we
approached the doors, Tobias entered with his friends. They were just as brawny
as he was. An arrogant air radiated from their bodies.

  
Tobias glimpsed me as I went by him with Branden. Shit.

  
“Moya!
Hey!” he followed me outside.

  
Branden slowed and glanced back at Tobias, confused.

  
“I didn’t know you did clubs. Well, I guess even bookworms need a break
sometime.”  

  
I scoffed, “Whatever,” then nudged Branden to keep walking with me back to his
car. He seemed troubled by another guy calling my name. To make things worse,
Tobias jogged up and gripped me by the elbow.

  
Branden put a hand up in front of his chest, demanding, “Get your hand off
her!”

  
My heart rushed. I was both surprised and excited by his protectiveness.

  
Tobias obliged, an unreadable expression formed on his face as he eased away.
“Whoa, be cool.”          

  
“Let’s go,” I said to Branden, trying to stop the rising tension from
exploding.   

  
I heard Tobias snort behind us as we walked away. “Are you serious? This can’t
be the so-called boyfriend you dissed me for? He’s not even one of us.”

“What
did you say?” Branden spun and started back towards him. I hurried to stop him.

  
“Babe, don’t. He’s not worth it. Let’s just go, okay?”

His
jaw twitched; his veins bulged as if they were going to pop any moment. I
hadn’t seen Branden so enraged before.

  
Nervously, I pulled his hand, wanting for us to get to his car and drive away.
I was pissed at Tobias for his ignorant remarks. But I wasn’t going to let
Branden fight him. Not with his previous health scare.

  
Swallowing his pride, he turned and continued with me down the sidewalk to his
car.

  
Then as if to provoke him further, Tobias called out, “See, Moya. Your boy’s a
coward!”

  
Shit! There was nothing I could do after that.

  
Branden twirled and rushed past me. I hastened to stop him, but I was too late.
He lurched at Tobias, landing the first blow.

  
Spectators waiting by the club entrance roared in excitement instead of coming
to break up the fight. I placed my hands on top of my head, frustrated.

  
“Stop it!
Branden, stop!”
I yelled. They weren’t
listening to me at all.

  
I winced and peered away fast as Tobias gave him a punch to the face. Glancing
back to them, I realized it hadn’t thrown Branden off too much. He coughed a
bit,
then
charged Tobias again, knocking him over onto
the concrete.

  
The two rumbled, trying to overpower each other. Tobias pushed Branden hard. He
fell back onto his elbow, getting up in a flash.

  
Blood trickled from the corner of Tobias’ mouth. He spat some on the sidewalk
and shot to his feet as well.

  
“I’m gonna teach you for that,” he growled.

  
Branden taunted him. “Come on, then.”

  
Tobias stormed at him with clenched fists. Branden shifted fast and nailed him
with a right hook. Tobias dropped down to the sidewalk, nearly out cold, but
having no strength to get up again to continue the fight.

  
Branden heaved as he backed away from him and walked up to me. There was a
bruise on his face, and blood on his lips.

  
“Happy now?”
I hissed.

  
He still had an angry look in his eyes. Branden moved around me and went to
open the car door for me to get in.

  
The few people that were watching drifted back to whatever they were
preoccupied with before, seeing the fight was over. And I was happy to get out
of there before Tobias’ friends came looking for Branden when they realized
what had happened.

***

  
Branden sat on the edge of my bed and I pressed an icepack against his face.

  
“I can’t believe you fought him.”

  
“I wasn’t going to look bad in front of—”

  
“Don’t be silly,” I cut him off. “Branden, you could never look bad to me just
because you walked away from ignorance.”

  
He took the icepack out of my hand and turned his gaze to the carpet. “I don’t
like what he said…how he said it.”

  
I stood and walked over to the desk, sitting down on the chair. “I don’t
either. But Bran, you have to understand that we’re going to have crap to deal
with. People like Tobias are all over the place and some beliefs still exist
even today, regardless of how discriminating it is.”

  
“I know.”

  
“Really?
Because you can’t go
beating up every single person that says something like that to us.”

  
He peered up at me, his eyes looking as if he was pleased with himself. “It did
feel good though,” he grinned, “Kicking his ass. I wiped that smirk off his
face.”

  
Honestly, there was a part of me that felt like Tobias had it coming. He was
annoying as hell.

  
“Yeah, he deserved it for kissing me,” I accidentally let that part slip out
when really I wanted to leave it in my thoughts.

  
Branden jumped up, a furious expression on his face as he blurted out, “What!
He kissed you! When?
How?”

  
Hastily, I stood and touched his arms. “He did it against my will. Branden,
listen to me…”

  
He eased away from me and started for the door. “And you’re mad at me for
fighting him?” He reached for the doorknob, but then slowed and glanced back at
me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  
“There wasn’t anything to tell. He did it by force and I was just as disgusted
as you are.”

  
“Nothing to tell?” he creased his forehead, gazing at me with a questioning
look in his blue eyes. “Another guy kisses you and you kept it a secret from
me. What, do you have a thing for him or something?”

  
“No!” His remark aggravated the hell out of me. “I don’t have a thing for
anyone else besides you. And the reason why I didn’t tell you about the kiss is
because I knew you’d get upset over nothing.”

  
Considering my words, Branden settled down. He stepped closer to me and away
from the door. “I’m sorry. I just don’t like that another guy came that close
to you. It makes me—”

  
“Jealous?” I finished for him, folding my arms. I eyed him in a teasing way as
I said softly, “And there I was thinking you weren’t the jealous type.”

  
Branden reached out for me, taking me into his arms. “I can’t help it, Moya. I
love you so much I can’t stand the thought of another guy stealing you away;
touching you, kissing you. Now that I have you in my life, I don’t know how I
could ever live without you.”

  
His words set my entire body on fire. I’d never felt so wanted, needed. Lifting
my chin, I edged closer to his lips and whispered, “You’ll never lose me,
baby.”

  
Then we kissed, lightly, stopping when I touched his face where he had been
hit. Branden winced and dabbed his finger on the bruise. I led him back to my
bed to put the icepack on it.

  
As if seeing me for the first time, his eyes gleamed blissfully as he stared at
me. My heart thumped. I shivered at the sudden desire erupting inside.

  
Branden brushed away loose curls from over my eyes and rubbed his thumb across
my lips. I considered staying in the dorm for tonight, with him, instead of
driving back to Berlin Heights. Momma never liked me driving home late anyway.

  
While engrossed in thoughts of where the night could lead, I hadn’t noticed the
climate change taking place
outside.          

  
“Look,” said Branden.

  
I turned on the bed and peered out the window. It was snowing. Moving over on
the bed, I pulled the curtain away so we could see
better
.
Light flurries sprinkled from the sky, melting as soon as it reached the
ground.

  
“
Winter
is officially here now,” I murmured.

  
Branden came up next to me, slipping his arm around me. “Technically,
tomorrow’s the first day of winter. It’s still fall.”

  
I backed away from the window and laid down flat on my back with my head on the
pillow. He plopped down beside me, getting the icepack to keep against the side
of his face.

  
We stayed in silence for a while, listening to each other’s breathing, sharing
the same craving to get even closer. If our kisses were that good, that
immersing, I could only imagine what it would be like to feel Branden’s bare
skin on mine, to feel him inside me.

  
“Stay,” I whispered, gazing up at the concrete ceiling.

  
He rolled onto his side and stared at me as he replied, “You really want me
to?”

  
I looked back at him, instantly getting lost inside his piercing eyes. “I do.”

  
“You’re not driving home tonight?”

  
“No.”

  
“Your mom’s expecting you—”

  
“Branden, I love you. Stay.”

  
Getting the confirmation he needed, he eased over on top of me. Then he lowered
his mouth to mine, only to be disturbed by a rap at the door.

  
“Moya, it’s me.”

  
“Vanessa…” I answered, surprised, glancing up at Branden with wide eyes.

  
He climbed off the bed. I hurried to do the same and fixed my clothes and hair,
making sure there wasn’t any sign of us messing around even though we didn’t.

  
Vanessa pushed past me into the room the moment I opened the door. “Ms. Marie
said you were still in Harrington, so I figured you’d be here—oh…”

  
She placed her hands on her hips and leaned on one side, looking back and forth
from me to Branden, a sly look on her face.

  
“Ahem,” she cleared her throat and winked at me. “Sorry to interrupt.”

  
“Actually, Vanessa, I was heading out.”

  
“Oh, don’t let me chase you off,” she said.

  
“You’re not. I should get going before it’s too hard to drive in the snow.”
Branden walked over to me. “I’ll call you later,” he murmured, kissing me
sweetly before leaving.