live and let go

braden stanton. 22 years old. aurora, utah.

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca felt a slow change in the atmosphere around she and Braden. It intensified majorly, making her heart pound and her lips get dry. She really hoped Braden couldn’t hear her heartbeat. She didn’t want him to know how nervous and excited his presence was making her. Quickly, she licked her lips but kept her large brown eyes locked with his. Then she noticed something. He was leaning in. He was going to kiss her. 

"I-Uh…" she breathed out, normal words not wanting to form. Why was he going to kiss her? What happened to just being friends? Did he like her? Would he kiss her again sometime? What would this mean after the kiss? She placed a hand on his chest to push him away but the strength never came. Then she noticed another thing. 

She wanted to kiss him. 

She wanted to tangle her fingers in his hair and kiss him and have that perfect mix of cologne and Braden on her for days. And when he softly whispered her name, he was so close she was almost positive his lips brushed her own. And under her palm, she could feel the pounding of his heart as well. He was nervous. 

"Have a nice night," the cheery worker smiled as their ferris wheel car came to a halt. The desiring aura surrounding them shattered like a piece of glass. With that, Braden was leading her from the car with an annoyed ‘thank you’ being shot at the worker. She realized how tensed and annoyed he suddenly was and it made her feel bad. 

So she gently snuggled up to his arm, smiling up at him. “That was fun,” she murmured up at the boy who had just tried to kiss her moments before. 

[bradenstanton]

"Yeah," he smiled, "That really was. It's been ages since I've ridden on a ferris wheel." Braden couldn't stand being angry anymore with Rebecca curled up next to him, even though he really did want to to shoot eye-daggers into the forehead of the ferris wheel operator. The warmth between them was surprisingly comfortable despite the heat of the July air and all Braden wanted to do was bring her closer to him.

So he did. And he honestly didn't care what else was going on around him because, god, he had such an amazing girl in his arms. A girl that was noticeably reluctant to getting herself attached to him and he didn't want her to rush into anything she didn't want to, but to have her just in his proximity the way she was was enough for now.

Glancing above him, the town clock lit up and he saw that it was just eight minutes short of midnight and anyone that's been in Aurora long enough knew that was when the fireworks went off. Braden's favorite part. "Come on. I know a great place we can stand to get a better view of the fireworks."

[forgetfoerver-blog]

[bradenstanton]

[umaspen]

Rebecca smiled softly as Braden looked down at the picture of her and Penelope. She silently wished that if there could be some way to have Penelope and Braden here at the same time, that it would happen. “Believe me, we were," she murmured, softly to the boy beside her. She watched his with careful brown eyes as he gently held her tiny picture in his fingers. It was so small in comparison to Braden’s large hands. She almost giggled at the sight of it.

When Braden handed back the picture, Rebecca refolded it and tucked it in her shoe again. “I’ve never shown that to anyone before," she admitted, nervously. She glanced over at him, her chocolatey brown eyes staring worriedly at him. She didn’t want him to feel like she was being too intimate or moving too fast. She definitely didn’t want him to think that.

[bradenstanton]

For some reason, it felt like everything had changed in that moment. The winds blew in a different direction, the earth switched it's rotation, and the sun was going to rise in the middle of the night. To have that intimate moment shared with Braden and only Braden made him feel special like she didn't trust anyone else with that type of information so close to her. It made him think differently about their situation and how he should handle it. He was obviously attracted to the brunette beside him, but Braden was afraid that moving too fast or too quickly could harm any kind of relationship they could have in the future. Whether it were friendship, or something of the more passionate category. But now, all he wanted to do was to tuck a few fallen, dark brown tresses behind her ear and press his lips against hers, knowing that they must be as soft as they looked.

Braden wouldn't dare look away from her hazel orbs, so full of melancholy and a longing for something nostalgic, the thought of any painful memories even broke his heart. Gulping and glancing back and forth between her eyes and her lips, Braden sighed and tugged his bottom lip between his teeth. "I'm glad that... you were able to share that with me." The twenty-two year old tightened the grip around her fingers just slightly, sliding his hand up her arm and to her shoulder. Running on instinct and Braden still had no clue what he was doing. Her hair in the moonlight just looks so incredible and they were on a ferris wheel. It felt right. The aroma of cherry blossoms filled the air as he continued to lean in closer to her. And closer and closer. His heart was thumping immensely against his chest, drowning out the noise of the chattering crowd below them. "Rebecca," he softly whispered above those lips he's wondered about since the night they played Go Fish. So close and he just might...

"Have a nice night!" Braden snapped away from what could have happened to the young man just a few years older than him operating the machinery. They were now at the very bottom and people were unloading and leaving the ferris wheel. Time had gone by too fast. Narrowing his eyes, he never thought there could be worse timing. "Thank you," he muttered and pushed himself off the metal seat, Rebecca's fingers still entangled in his.

[thishorans]

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca pulled her lower lip into her mouth again, not afraid of hiding her weakness from Braden anymore. She sort-of agreed with him. She had another question but carefully tucked it into her mind for later. “Yeah.." she murmured, a small smile forming on her pink lips. “Second chances are a really good thing. I like them a lot better than first impressions," she sighed, looking up at the stars and then down at their connected hands. Rebecca could be honest and say how she feels about things around Braden. With her past boyfriends, she had to be the stupid and silent arm-candy and watch as he flirted with other women. But with Braden, she could have rather deep and meaningful conversations. And his attention had been on her alone all night- something she hadn’t experienced in at least 3 years.

Rebecca looked over at Braden, a small half-smile on her lips. “I want to show you something," she grinned, letting go of Braden’s large hand and leaning down to her high-top Converse. She pulled the top of the shoe away from her ankle and pulled out a small folded picture. She sat back up and unfolded the small picture. It was the most recent picture that she had of her sister and herself. They had gone to the beach together that day. It was the best day of Rebecca’s life. “This is my sister and I," she whispered, holding the picture so Braden could see. This was the only thing Rebecca had from home and it was the most special thing she had. 

[bradenstanton]

Braden was lost looking up at the stars, but his mind was somewhere else, a place where Braden's and Rebecca's hands weren't ever separated. Braden still couldn't believe that someone like her was sitting at the top of a ferris wheel right now. She pulled him back from his thoughts and his eyes met with a picture of Rebecca and another girl. He raised an eyebrow at the mystery person when Rebecca finally explained that she was her sister. It was then that Braden thought that she was extremely lucky to have other family members, but it was so confusing how she didn't want to talk about them. Braden had only his grandma and he practically bragged about her all the time. Instead of question this decision, he genuinely smiled and gently took the photo away from her, holding it delicately in his fingers. "You guys look really happy."

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh at Braden as his face suddenly morphed into utter confusion. “You’re so oblivious, Braden," she laughed, tilting her head back in pure entertainment. “Are all boys like this," she chuckled, calming down and shaking her head. SHe rolled her eyes and let out one last soft laugh. “I dunno. I’ve never really been into football players. I like guys who tell me stories about greek mythology," she shrugged, her face not showing any hints that she was talking about Braden. “You know, Poseidon and all that," she grinned, looking at the boy beside her.

Rebecca was quiet for a minute before turning her body to Braden and looking directly into his eyes. “Braden.." she started, a curious look on her face, " Do you believe in letting people have second chances?" She knew this question was slightly off-topic, but she wondered that about Braden. She broke the eye contact to look down and gently lace their fingers together again. “Like, if someone completely screwed up- like to the max- at life, and it affected you and such.. Would you still talk to them and forgive them," she explained, quietly.

[bradenstanton]

Braden was sure that his cheeks were now red as a freshly blossomed rose when the brunette beside him described the type of guy that she liked. He wanted to play it dumb, like he didn't know what she was talking about because just a mere minute ago he was retelling his favorite tale of Perseus rescuing Andromeda of an inevitable death. Even though the Rebecca attempted to play the whole entire conversation cool, Braden searched her face for any reluctant giveaways that she was speaking about him. A short and nervous laugh abruptly bubbled up from his throat, closing a fist on it so another burst of bashful giggles wouldn't escape. "That's interesting then. Now I know what I should study up on." He picked another piece of cotton candy and pushed it past is lips, winking at Rebecca in the process.

Braden gazed up at the dark night sky, searching for more constellations that he could share. Not that he would ever admit that it was to impress Rebecca, of course now, but his hunt was put on hold when he heard her whisper his name. And wow, if that wasn't the sweetest sound he's ever heard then he had to be lying to himself. Locking eyes with her, envelopes in one another's attention was becoming such a natural thing for them to do but each and every time Braden still felt like he could lose himself in her hazel orbs. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her as she began her question. Second chances were funny because Braden has never been in a situation where he had to think about that. Nothing ever happened in Aurora that has caused so much drama that would change his life. He's accepted apologies. Little things. Burning the cake. Forgetting to save a seat during lunch and getting an answer wrong when he was tutoring others. But never so much that he never wanted to speak to him. There was one time during his freshman year that would contest to his experience. Sleeping with someone because all his other guy friends had done it already wasn't the best way to lose his virginity and not talking to the girl the next day was also not one of his better choices. It took the girl two years to look him in the eye again and to accept his sincere apology. And that was when he and Bridgette began dating. "Well, I'd want to help that person somehow. Or least provide them with something, with someone that cares, you know? Everyone has something wish they could change. Of course I believe in second chances." He spoke softly. The feeling of their fingers together was comforting and reassuring, like they could talk to each other anything with just a simple gesture of their hands. "Otherwise how else can we learn from our mistakes? We can't fix the past, but that's what makes us better people. I don't think there's anything one can do that would make me not want to ever speak to them again. But if that person hurts my family or repeatedly does the same thing over and over again, it'd be really hard to forgive them."

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca sighed, a small smile still on her lips. “Yeah. Sara seems like she’s taken quite a liking to you," she nodded, winking at him. She giggled and looked up into the night sky. Bright stars sparkled on the royal blue canvas. Rebecca tried to focus on finding some constellations, but with Braden’s eyes set on her, she could barely keep her stare on anything for long. “Yeah. Kevin’s cute," she murmured under her breath, finally catching sight of the big dipper.

Rebecca couldn’t help but chuckle as Braden apologized for his actions. “Braden, it’s okay. You don’t need to worry," she laughed, softly, shaking her head. “Here’s a lesson I learned at a very young age; Think of your own life and what you do and experience. And there are people living 10 times worse than you," Rebecca informed him, quietly. “Not everyone has an amazing home life, unfortunately," she sighed. “If I could change anything.." she trailed off.

[bradenstanton]

Braden's face mimicked all the features of a confused expression when Rebecca made a comment about Sara. He knew that he and Sara were really close, but he only saw the girl as a good friend, maybe even as a younger sister, never anything more than platonic. The mention of Kevin and the fact that Rebecca found him cute made a tiny part of him boil up inside. He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, rubbing the back of his neck and thinking about the pair of them possibly getting into a relationship with one another. "Kevin's cool. I mean, if you find, uh, football players cool." It made sense. She was a gorgeous girl and he was the quarterback of their high school football team. If they had gotten together, it wouldn't be a surprise to most. Though, Braden would be a slight bit disappointed.

He listened intently to the piece of advice and nodded his head as she continued to speak. The sadness mixed with the spark in her eyes told Braden that she really believed what she was saying. "I suppose you're right, but I wouldn't change anything about you," he acknowledged with a small shrug of the shoulder. He wanted to badly to ask her what she meant with the last statement she spoke, but he didn't to push it again. In time, he told himself. Following Rebecca's gaze, a small smile appeared on Braden's face as he remembered a story that he read when he was a young boy.

"Do you see that constellation up there?" He questioned, pointing his finger to the sky. "Have you heard the story of Andromeda and her evil mother Cassiopeia?" The Ferris wheel began to rotate again and soon they were moving toward the highest peak of the carnival rise. "Cassiopeia believed that she was the most beautiful woman in the world and her brothers Zeus and Poseidon were deeply offended," he added dramatics to his story as he clutched his heart as if he were in dear emotional pain. "Because they creates sea nymphs and they were supposed to be completely gorgeous. Cassiopeia wouldn't take back her conceited comments so the gods told her that she had to sacrifice her daughter, Andromeda, as well."

From time to time Braden would glance back and forth between the sky and Rebecca to watch her reactions as he told his story. And the sight of how the dim light coming from the stars of the dark night gracing upon Rebecca's skin shouldn't have been as breathtaking as it really was. It took him a few seconds to remember that he was in the middle of retelling a Greek legend. "They chained Andromeda to a rock for the sea monster to come after her. But heroic Perseus came to save the day. He flew in on his winged sandals after he defeated Medusa and pulled out the head to turn the horrible sea monster into stone. Later, he claimed Andromeda as his bride. The typical tale of the prince saving the beautiful princess from her evil parents." Braden chuckled and smiled cheekily, a little satisfied with his storytelling.

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca sighed. Was now the appropriate time to tell Braden all about her horrible family? She asked herself that question about a hundred times before answering. “Braden, I am not going to talk about my family with you. I’m sorry, but I just can’t," she replied, shaking her head as the ride started moving. She sighed and forced herself to return to perfection. “So you’ve known Bridgette and all of them for a pretty long time, huh," she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rebecca had one long-lasting friend in school. A little girl named Ireland Monroe. They grew up together and knew most of each other’s secrets. Ireland never knew about Rebecca’s dad. Never. Ireland moved to New York in freshmen year, leaving Rebecca alone for the rest of high school. “They seem to really like you," she murmured, a small and genuine smile playing on her pink lips. She gently pinched off another piece of cotton candy and popped it into her mouth, grinning at the boy beside her.

[bradenstanton]

Braden was at a loss of words at the refusal to share just the slightest bit of detail about her family. He was willing to share something personal with her and he just wanted to know more about her, how she became the great person he had gotten to know. If she didn't want to let him in then he wasn't going to force her. Braden's jaw tightened as Rebecca quickly changed the subject but masked it over by his typical Braden-like smile. "Oh yeah. They're all so great. I knew Sara first, because she moved to Aurora before the seventh grade. I know Kevin because of his dad and Mark was an unlikely friend, but I used to tutor him in high school." He shrugged at the descriptions of how he had met them as if it wasn't that big of a deal. Braden called them all his friends, but he never talked to them about the personal things or much of anything remotely intelligent and educational. They all just hung out and labeled them as their own group.

Braden watched Rebecca's reactions as they were on the Ferris wheel, making him smile. "I'm sorry if I was prying too much into your life." He bowed his head in slight shame of his natural curiosity and want to get to know her better. "I just thought that if you turned out so incredible, then the rest of your family must be too."

[suturemd]

Visit Original Link

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca scoffed a little at his comment about his brother. “Braden, I get it if you don’t understand, but divorces hurt. I would know," she muttered, trying her best to stay calm and not snap at him. She couldn’t help but remember when her Mom filed a divorce on her father. The memories were extremely vague, but the feeling of never seeing one of your parents is hard. They are your parent, after all. Braden had apparently never experienced that. 

Rebecca forced a smile on her face as Braden’s lit up. She stayed silent, using all of her willpower not to become angry with him. She knew that if she said anything, it would hurt Braden’s feelings and she definitely didn’t want that. “There’s really no family to talk about," she sighed, shaking her head. But as soon as she said that, Braden became distracted by the ride. Rebecca took a deep breath and stepped into the seat, watching as Braden climbed in beside her.

[bradenstanton]

Braden pulled down the metal bar meant to hold them both in the ferris wheel seat, tapping the palms of his hands excitedly on it. A creak in the metal and soon it was up and rotating them to let the next couple on. He looked over to Rebecca who didn't appear to be as enthusiastic as he was to be on the ride. His beaming smile slowly faltered into just a tiny one. He carefully grabbed her hand and rubbed the pad of his thumb over her knuckles. "But clearly there's gotta be something to talk about. You said something about a divorce?" 

Braden's parents have been together ever since he was born and he never saw his dad's side of the family except for his grandmother, so he didn't have the chance to get to know the dark days of his father's past. Sometimes he wanted to try, but other times he would tell himself that if his brother didn't want to try, then maybe it was best if they remained strangers. When Braden didn't get a response from Rebecca for a minute or two, he tightened their embrace and locked their fingers together, holding a reassuring smile. "You can tell me. You know I'll listen."

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca sighed and shook her head. “My family is anything but amazing, Braden," she muttered, shaking her head. She wished silently that she would never have to tell Braden all that has happened with her family. It would be a nightmare. She knew that once she told him, he wouldn’t look at her as the innocent girl at the carnival anymore. Or the scared girl on the side of the road. She would be the broken girl that no one could possibly want. 

"That’s really sad," Rebecca murmured, tightening her hand with his. “Do you wish you could talk to him? He is your brother, after all," she said, softly. She didn’t know how Braden was with his family. She hadn’t met any of them except his Grandma. He seemed to really love her, so she instantly assumed that’s how he was with the rest of his family. But she knew that wasn’t always true. “I’m totally up for it," she nodded, grinning.

[bradenstanton]

Braden pursed his lips and shook his head. "Nah, not really. I didn't need him before so I don't need him now. I think he's mad because our dad left his mom for mine." It didn't matter to Braden whether his so-called brother chose to ignore the rest of his family because of something that happened over two decades ago. The only family he had left was his grandmother and he was sure that she was the only one that mattered. Until Rebecca came around. In the short amount of time he had, he ended up caring about her more than he thought he could.

Braden smiled so wide someone could have thought that his cheeks were sore. "Great," he grinned, staring up at the Ferris wheel one more. He pulled on Rebecca's hand and got in line for the ride. Luckily, current passengers were exiting and it was soon to be their turn to get on. He popped another bite of cotton candy in his mouth, the link fluff quickly dissolving as it remained on his tongue. "Tell me more about your family." He asked, taking steps little by little as they were inching toward the front of the line. Before he could get a chance to receive an answer, it was their turn to sit on the metal seat. "Awesome!" He exclaimed. "Let's go." He held her hand and brought her to their seat and helped Rebecca in.

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

When they were offered the cotton candy, Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh at all the memories and just the irony of the situation. After Braden bought the stuff, Rebecca pinched a bit off and popped it into her mouth. How was she going to describe her sister. “Well, for starters, her name is Penelope. She’s 22. She loves to party more than anything. She looks exactly like my Mom. She’s my best friend," Rebecca murmured, smiling a little at all the memories she had of her sister. 

"I’m guessing you don’t have any siblings," she questioned, raising an eyebrow at Braden. “I don’t know much about you either, Braden," she reminded him, sighing. Then the huge ferris wheel came into view. She looked up at it in awe. “Wow," she breathed out. Bright lights were dotted across the pieces of metal that held up the small seats. She saw a few couple sitting in the seats, kissing and smiled warmly.

[bradenstanton]

Braden noticed how Rebecca's face lit up as she talked about her sister and it made him want to know even more about her family, a subject they haven't touched much on since she arrived in Aurora. He pinched off more of the cotton candy and set it on his tongue, letting the sweetness melt on his taste buds. "She sounds amazing," he told her in response. "Just like you." He tilted his head and shrugged, laughing softly. "You must come from a pretty amazing family. 

Braden shook his head. "No, no siblings. Well, none that I'm close to. I have an older half-brother, named Nathan. He's like ten years my senior and he never comes by to visit so I don't really talk to him." Despite his family situation, Braden smiled about it and left it alone. He searched to see what Rebecca was so amazed by when he heard the giggles of passengers that were on the ferris wheel. He nodded up the machine and raised his eyebrows. "You up for it?"

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca smiled at the group of Braden’s friends before they walked away. They seemed to be nice people. The girls seemed pretty attached, though. Like they had a part of Braden that she herself would never see. They had seen him grow up after all. When asked how it went, Rebecca nodded and smiled. “Yeah. They all seem really nice," she grinned, showing her teeth. She looked away from Braden and looked around the carnival. 

The colorful lights showed all over town, putting a dim glow on the faces of the residents. When she felt Braden’s hand drop and lace their fingers together, she didn’t mention it or pull away. She simply kept their hands closely together. “My sister and I used to come to carnivals like this when we were younger," she murmured, letting Braden see a small part of her past. “We’d come and run around until midnight. We’d steal cotton candy when the vender wasn’t looking," she chuckled, looking down and shaking her head.

[bradenstanton]

"Sister?" Braden grinned and looked at Rebecca, his eyes lit with curiosity. "I didn't know you had a sister. Then again, I don't know much about you." And I want to know so much more, is what he wanted to say to her. Braden wanted to tell her everything, but he was afraid that she was going to back away and be afraid herself. He felt like he needed to tiptoe around his feelings if he wanted to keep Rebecca in his life just a little while longer.

"You guys sound so mischievous." He joked, chuckling softly as he did. Just like a clockwork, a cotton candy vendor held out a bag in front of his as Braden tried to walk by. It was bittersweet when he broke from their handhold to take out his wallet and paid the man two dollars for the delicacy. He kept the plastic between them to offer the cotton candy and pinch a bit off for himself. "Tell me more about your sister."

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca watched silently as the blond one tightly hugged Braden. She cocked an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. Probably the clingy ex. Rebecca had never been the jealous type. She still wasn’t, Especially because Braden was not her boyfriend. She had no reason to be jealous. But she couldn’t help but feel triumphant when Braden pulled away from the girl and rewound his arm around her own waist. She pulled her lip into her mouth to hold back the laugh that was daring to bubble out of her.

She listened intently as Braden listed off each of their names, giving a smile to each of them. “It’s really cool to meet you guys," she nodded, giving a big smile. When Kevin started explaining how they all knew each other, Sara butted in that she’d known Braden longer. Rebecca suddenly felt nervous that she had only known Braden for a short while, while they had known him as far back as middle school. But to be perfect, you had to at least pretend to be confident. Which is exactly the act she kept up. Confidence is key.

But as Braden started listing off the activities for the night, Rebecca felt the tenseness start drifting away. And when Braden mentioned the ferris wheel and looked down at her, smiling, she couldn’t help but return the gesture. She smiled up at Braden, happy to be here with him. “That sounds really great," she murmured, her smile growing. Then she remembered it wasn’t just the two of them, like usual. They had other people surrounding them, causing Rebecca to look down at her shoes in slight embarrassment. 

[bradenstanton]

Braden felt a wave of accomplishment when the entire introduction thing went down without any problems, but he couldn't help but to feel Bridgette's eyes boring into his forehead. He chose to leave it alone since the only person that actually mattered was smiling and happy. He had to pry his eyes off of her to look at the other four people around them. "We'll see you guys later, yeah?" He waved goodbye to his friends and strode away with Rebecca still in his arms.

"That went well, don't you think so?" He looked to the brunette with an expecting smile, hoping that she was going to agree. Everyone was out tonight, at different booths and rides and even watching a few people that spontaneously decided to perform in the main part of the town square, but luckily the town was just big enough to walk around in easily without bumping into too many people. To walk more comfortably, Braden lowered his hand to intertwine their fingers together, wondering if this affectionate gesture was too much for Rebecca. He didn't want her to close herself off again.

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca grinned and looked up at Braden as she took his large hand in hers. “Oh yeah. He’s really great. And he looks really good tonight," she nodded, looking up at Braden. As Braden opened the door for her, she stepped out and into the warm July night. It felt like some amazing dream she would unfortunately have to wake up from in the morning. Like she would wake up and be in bed back at home. She never wanted to wake up there again. As those thoughts shoved their way into her mind, she forcefully ignored them. Tonight, she had to be perfect. The people of Aurora had to love her. She would be even more insecure if they didn’t.

Suddenly, Braden voice broke her from her thoughts. “I-Uh.. Yeah. It’s great," she whispered, nodding. Then her eyes took notice of the people roaming around on the sidewalks and such. Lots of people Rebecca wasn’t familiar with. It took everything in her to not bite her lip. If she kept doing it so much, she was sure Braden would notice and suddenly be aware every single time she was nervous. She wouldn’t want that. She relished in the feeling of being strong. Soon, he was leading her through town and through the crowd of people. Eventually, Rebecca noticed Braden was leading her to a small group of 4 people. One of them was huge, one was kind of nerdier looking, one was gorgeous, and the other was entirely normal in Rebecca’s eyes. 

Then she felt Braden’s arm around her waist. She took a deep breath and pretended like he had done this multiple times. As they approached the group, Rebecca gave a small smile. She felt the angry glare of the blond one, the curious look from the normal one, and confused looks from the two guys. She looked over and made eye contact with the tall guy. He instantly looked down at the ground, but she looked away. She looked up at Braden as he introduced her. Then she looked back at the group. “Hi," she smiled, not really knowing much else to say.

[bradenstanton]

Braden removed his arm from Rebecca's waist for a brief moment as he greeted his guy friends with the handshake then the slap on the back and his girl friends with a simple hug, but as he went in for Bridgette's hug her embrace was tighter than usual since their break-up and he couldn't seem to escape from her clutches. "Alright, B. You can let go now." He heard the blonde reluctantly groan in his ear and Braden did his best to hid the lack of comfort in his forced smile.

He snaked his hand around Rebecca once again and held her tight against him. "Rebecca, this is Kevin, Mark, Sara, and Bridgette." He waved his hand to the respective people as he spoke their names. They all pulled smiles and waved to the girl in his arms. "Mark's dad is the one that owns the clothing store," he noted to Rebecca.

"We all met in high school and-," Kevin began to tell her which was interrupted by Sara who loudly had to mention that she and Braden met when they were in junior high. Braden look at Sara who didn't even want to look at him, which he quickly shook off. 

"Rebecca and I were going to just walk around, play some games maybe. Ride the ferris wheel." There was something about the ferris wheel that made Braden's face light up even more as he thought about sitting in it with her. "Does that sound good?" He was so excited about spending time with her, he didn't even want to try to hide it in front of anyone else, not that he ever would.

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca looked at Lucille from over Braden’s shoulder as his eyes roamed her body. She saw Lucille give her a little smirk and a wink. Rebecca stifled a giggle by pulling her lower lip into her mouth, chewing lightly. It was a minute or two before Braden’s eyes met hers again. All she could do was smile as Braden looked over her. She just barely heard his breathing pick up. Knowing that she still somehow had this affect on him, made her heart lift and soar and flip. Braden was someone she wanted to be desired by. And there were very few people she felt that way about. 

"No. I won’t throw anything at you," she giggled, her cheeks burning as she looked down at the floor. She looked up at him through her eyelashes when he complimented her. “Thank you," she murmured, her cheeks probably turning an even darker shade of red. She hated blushing. But she knew there was going to be a lot of that tonight. Just the sight of Braden in a button-up made her want to blush for eternity. “Are we going to this carnival or what," she jokingly asked him, smirking. “This really cool guy got me some dress for it. I dunno, I’d feel bad if I didn’t wear it," she murmured, playfully.

[bradenstanton]

"Oh, yeah!" He exclaimed once Rebecca reminded him that there was some place they needed to be. Braden felt so lucky to have Rebecca to accompany him at the carnival and show everyone that they were going together. Not even as a couple, but just… together. “We can definitely go now." He turned to the woman behind him and kissed his grandmother on his cheek goodbye. "We'll see you over there, alright? Good luck with the contest." Braden took a deep breath and did his best not to fall over while he made his way to Rebecca’s side. “So this cool guy. I’d like to meet him one day. He must be pretty awesome if he got a gorgeous girl like you to wear a new dress." He could feel his face getting hot, his cheeks matching the rosy color on Rebecca's. "Shall we?" He extended his hand in a mocking bow and led them to the door, on their way out of the house.

"It's beautiful out, isn't it?" The evening was warm but had a light breeze, just the perfect weather for the town event. The stars were beginning to come out and light up their town, but he only noticed how they couldn't compare to Rebecca's hazel brown eyes. The noise of people chatting had gradually gotten louder the closer they got to the main part of town and knowing his friends, the loudest ones were already there. "Come on," he insisted. "There are a few people that I want you to meet." He hopped over to where he saw Kevin, Mark, Sara, and Bridgette. Kevin was tall, built like a football player. Mark was only a couple inches shorter and sported nice rectangular frames glasses. Braden has known Sara since middle school an always saw each other as close. And then there was Bridgette. Blonde, tall, the epitome of what most people thought of when they heard popular. They were really nice people most of the time. If you got on their good side, at least. "He wrapped his arm around Rebecca's waist once she caught up to him. "Hey, guys. This is my friend, Rebecca Lance. She's new in town and she's staying with me and grandma for a little while." Braden practically beamed as he introduced Rebecca, his teeth showing fully.

[bradenstanton]

But Then I Saw Fireworks || Becca&Braden

[umaspen]

Rebecca listened silently to Braden’s words from the other side of the door. She sunk down to the floor, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the door. She wanted to apologize, but she knew that would mend the feelings they were both trying to ignore. But when she heard him desperately murmur about the carnival, her heart sunk. She had slammed the door in his face. Such an un-Rebecca thing to do. She shook her head and stood up. She listened as his footsteps faded away before tightening the towel around herself and opening the door. 

She glanced around, making sure Braden was nowhere in sight before gently picking up the dress. She picked it up and closed the door, quietly. She looked at the dress and bit her lip. It was absolutely beautiful. She loved it. But she was still wary as to whether she would wear it or not. But she manned up and decided that this dress didn’t automatically make her Braden’s girlfriend. 

Once she got the dress on, she stood in front of the mirror and smiled. Her hair fell in it’s natural dark ringlets around her face. Her usually pale skin was a golden tan now after her days walking. She felt confident. After getting her hair dried and getting the dress on, it was almost time for the carnival to start. She took a deep breath and opened the door, walking down the stairs. As soon as she stepped into the kitchen, her eyes landed on Braden and how good he looked in a button-up shirt. 

"Hey," she murmured, walking up to him. She was sure she looked nervous, but tried her best to brush the feelings off.

[bradenstanton]

"I have no idea, 'ma. She just slammed it right in my face and I stood there like a frigging idiot." Braden had to explain what the big commotion was upstairs and all his grandmother did was click her tongue and shake her head. Even through all the confusion and distress he was feelings, he couldn't help but to chuckle at his grandma's sassiness. "She might not even go with me now." Braden almost lost all hope until he heard footsteps coming from behind him and saw a smirk growing from his grandmother's lips.

Braden slowly turned around, not knowing what to expect. Did she decide wear it or not and the moment where he'd get that answer was soon and it was killing him. Fully turned around, Braden fixated his gaze on her, his jaw dropping slightly at the sight of her in the dress. It was a perfect fit and he was so glad that he didn't give up on giving her the dress. It was a good thing that his grandma was in the room, otherwise he'd have to slap himself silly to break himself from his stare. She looked so amazing. It hugged her in all the right places and god, he wanted to set his hands on her hips just for a few moments. Suddenly, it felt like the room temperature raised about twenty degrees and he could feel his face getting flushed. It was incredible how he managed any sort of coherent speech. "You're not going to throw anything at me, are you?" He teased, softly laughing it almost came out as three simple breaths. "Jeez. You look so... jeez. Wow. You... You look so... stunning."