Free Where I Need to Be by Kimberly Knight Page B

face, I will get
through anything life throws my way.   Pain is inevitable. Suffering
is optional   has become my motto, and Jason and I are very successful and
already looking to expand again.”
    “Do you know what happened to the guy?”
    “Nope, I haven’t seen him since the day his mommy and
daddy came to collect him from school.” Brandon laughed when he
said “mommy and daddy”; it made me feel a little better about his
story.
    “That is really sad. I am sorry you had to go through
that!”
    “It’s okay.  It’s made me stronger and if none
of that had happened, I might not have ever met you.” Brandon
leaned down to kiss me.  
    *~*~*
    It was getting late in the evening and all I wanted
was to stay in Brandon’s arms until Monday morning. I didn’t care
that I had a ton of laundry to do. I could put everything on hold
just to stay right where I was.
    “Babe?”   Did Brandon just call me
“Babe”?   This
was the first time he had said it in person. The only other time
was when I was drunk texting. I got butterflies in my stomach just
for the one simple word. 
    “Yeah?” I answered, my head resting on his chest.
    “Do you want to stay at my place tonight or here? If
you want to stay here, then I need to run home and pack an
overnight bag.”  He wanted to stay the night with me again? Of
course I wanted to stay with him, but I didn’t want to seem too
eager or clingy.  After all, it hadn’t even been a week.
    “I don’t care. Whatever you want to do is fine with
me.”
    “Well since I would have to go home anyway, why don’t
we just stay there?”
    “Ok, that sounds good.”
    “I’ll even drive you to work in the morning,” he
offered.  Like I really needed an incentive?
    “Well, twist my arm why don’t you.”
    And just like that Brandon pinned my hands under
me…

CHAPTER NINE
    It was the third morning in a row that I had woken up
in Brandon’s arms. Each time I prayed to myself that this was real.
I was starting to fall hard for him. In just a week he had made me
feel like I was the only person in the world. I was pretty sure I
was falling in love with him. 
    Brandon drove me to work as he promised and kissed me
thoroughly before I got out of the car.  As I walked into the
office humming to myself with a silly grin plastered on my face, I
thought to myself that I could definitely get used to this.
 After work, I met him at the gym and we worked out together
like we had the previous week. Then we went back to my place and I
cooked spaghetti and meatballs for both us and Ryan.  Brandon
surprised me by lending a hand and making the best garlic bread I
had ever tasted and Ryan contributed a tiramisu she had picked up
on her way home from work.  
    After dinner, we all lounged around
in the living room watching   The Voice . Ryan seemed to be over her depression of Max.
 However, she was still hanging out around the house a lot
when she wasn’t at work. I felt bad for flaunting my relationship
in front of her, but I was thankful that all three of us were
getting along really well.
    To my delight Brandon spent the night again, but the
next morning, I woke to an empty bed. An initial feeling of
disappointment ran through me until I saw his shirt hanging on my
desk chair. I walked out my room and saw Ryan in the kitchen
drinking her coffee.
    “Mornin’!,” she said brightly as I yawned sleepily,
rubbing my tired eyes. She was always a morning person, but I
usually needed some caffeine before I started to feel human again.
 Turning to the cabinet, she rummaged for another mug and then
poured some coffee.  “Here, you look like you need this.”
    “Gee thanks.”  I stuck my tongue out at her, but
gratefully accepted the steaming mug.  “Have you seen
Brandon?”
    “Oh yeah, I think he’s in the shower right now.”
    Oh really? This could be interesting.
    I hurried back to my room, trying not to spill my hot
coffee along the way.  Setting it down on my dresser,