How Did I Fall for You?

Walking towards baggage claim at LAX, Brynn had her sunglasses on her face even though the Los Angeles sun was fading. But as she headed to where she needed to pick up her bag, she saw a familiar face, it was the face that she had wanted to see ever so badly. The one person that she wanted to tell the most important thing that had happened to her, but she couldn't do it over the phone. Seeing him there, she couldn't help but let the smile over come her face as she sped her pace up a bit as he finally saw her and smiled back. The moment, she was wrapped in his arms, she dropped her bags and wrapped her arms around him. Brynn didn't want to let go of him, but at the same time she knew eventually she'd have to.

“I've missed you so much.” Brynn whispered into the side of his neck.

“I missed you too,” he told her as he let her go and picked up her carry-on while she picked up her purse. Lacing their fingers together they started walking over to the carousel where the luggage from her flight would be arriving at. “When do I get to find out if my girlfriend is going to be moving away from me?”

“I know you don't want me to go,” Brynn said as they stopped walking. Brayden pulled her in closer to his body. “But I also know you won't ask me to stay if I get accepted.”

“I won't ask you to give up your dream because we are on different coasts,” Brayden said dropping his head into her neck. Placing soft kisses on her neck he smiled when he heard the soft moan come from Brynn who wrapped her arms around his waist. “But I will tell you right this right now. I won't let you go without a fight.”

Moving her head, she looked into his eyes but did not smile. “Am I worth the fight?”

“To me, you are.”

Laying her head on his shoulder, Brynn could feel the tears coming on, but she held them back before they could fall down her face. “Can we just go back to your place? I don't want to see my brother just yet.”

“Did you tell him you were coming home today?”

“No,” Brynn said. “I found out some things in New York and I'm not ready to face my brother about them just yet. But I guess if you don't want me over I can find a hotel room and stay there for the night.”

“You know, the hotel idea isn't a bad thought. You and me alone in a hotel to catch up on the time you’ve been gone.”

“I see my luggage.” Brynn said as she moved away to grab it off the conveyer belt. After grabbing it by the handle, she walked over to Brayden and set it down so she could pull the handle up. Rolling her eyes as Brayden took the handle in one hand and laced their fingers together with his free one.

As they made their way to Kyle's truck, Brynn smiled as Brayden put her stuff into the backseat of the truck before closing the door and kissing her the way he wanted to the moment he saw her, but held back because of the people that were around them. After their lips separated, Brynn looked up into his eyes. “I think we should really talk.”

“Do you wanna go get food or just head back to my place and hang out?”

“Let's just go back to your place.” Brynn said as she opened the door to the passenger seat.

As soon as they were out of the parking lot of the airport, Brynn watched as Brayden bounced his head to the music. Biting down on her lip, she let out a long sigh before leaning forward and pushing the volume button in so that the music stopped. “Don't like Kyle's choice of music?”

“I'm sorry,” Brynn said as she turned her gaze to look at the traffic outside of her window. “I never meant to do what I did.”

“Brynn...is there something you wanna tell me?” Brayden asked, worried that there was more to what happened then what he initially thought.

“I've seen those tv shows where they meet someone they didn't even know existed, but for it to actually apply to my life, well I just never saw that happening,” Brynn said as she wiped the tears that were threatening to fall. “I just couldn't believe I was never told, I mean I'm old enough to know about this. He shouldn't have kept it a secret from me, especially not for this long.”

“Brynn, what are you talking about?”

“Andrew has been lying to me,” Brynn told him. “And I'm sorry for my lack of communication while in New York, but finding out everything was not what I expected for this trip. Not by a long shot.”

“What happened?”

“Everything was fine and then when I was heading out from my audition I got approached by a detective from the New York police department.”

“What did you do?” Brayden asked as he merged into the traffic. “I mean, how long were you there before the police come after you?”

“Oh, aren't you the funny guy?” Brynn asked. “But it turns out this detective is my brother. Well half-brother. He's talked to Andrew, but never wanted to impose on my life.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I don't know. I had lunch with him once and then I focused what I was there for.”

“Have you called Andrew about it?” Brayden asked.

“No and if I'm honest, I don't know how to even start that conversation.”

“So are you avoiding it?”

“No,” Brynn said as she let out a long sigh. “I just don't know how to talk to him about it. And I can't do it when the boys are around.”

“When do you plan on doing it?” Brayden asked grabbing her free hand and lacing their fingers together. “Maybe you can have lunch or something and talk to him about it?”

“You mean if he'll sit down and actually talk to me.”

“Why wouldn't he?” Brayden asked as he pulled into the parking lot of his place. “He is your brother.”

“Who knows me better than most people. He can read me and he'll avoid everything until we get into a huge fight.”

“So stay here until you are ready to face him. The guys won't mind, but I will warn you, they will ask you to cook.”

“How is that any different from when I am over here?” Brynn asked as she undid the seatbelt.

Before she could reach over for the handle to get out of Kyle's truck, Brayden reached over and grabbed her hand. When she turned and looked at him, he leaned over and kissed her. As soon as it ended, they both had smiles on their faces. “You needed that.”

Laughing, Brynn grabbed her bag as she got out of the truck and Brayden followed suit. Walking around to the other side, he grabbed his girlfriend around the waist as she was going to get her suitcase from the backseat. “I think I can get my suitcase Bray. I had to carry it with me in New York and after you dropped me off at the airport.”

Grabbing the suitcase, he closed the door and set the alarm on the vehicle before grabbing Brynn's hand and heading to the stairs to go inside the apartment. “Well I'm here and I feel like carrying it.”

Brynn stopped when they reached the door to the apartment. “I didn't get the part.”

Looking at his girlfriend's sad expression, Brayden set the suitcase down and wrapped her in his arms. “Are you sure?” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Brynn sighed. “I knew the day of the call back.”

“How do you feel about it?”

“I wanted it because it would have been great for my career.”

“I sense a but coming.” Brayden said.

“But it would mean being away from you for a long period of time,” Brynn said. “And I don't want that.”

“I don't want that either.” Brayden said as he unlocked the door.

As they walked in, all they heard was silence. “So everyone went out?”

“It looks that way.” Brayden laughed.

“I'm actually glad,” Brynn said. “I didn't want to share you.”

“Kyle left you something.” Brayden said handing her the note and the box it sat on.

Ballerina Brynn,

Welcome home. We'll be gone until tomorrow afternoon. We figured that the two of you need time together. Enjoy yourselves. I even bought a gift. Enjoy yourselves.

Kyle

Looking down at the box in her hand, Brynn couldn't help but roll her eyes. “Maybe we should wait until we talk about something.”

Brayden walked over to the door to his bedroom and put her suitcase inside. Brynn wasn't sure why he just walked to the bedroom, but she followed him and closed the door behind her. Although they were alone in the apartment, it was a habit for her to close the door after walking inside of the bedroom. “So is this where you tell me why you ignored me while you were away and then tell me that you met someone in New York?”

Dropping her purse to the floor, Brynn walked over to the bed where was laying down after kicking his shoes off. Slipping out of her own shoes, she crawled onto the bed and laid next to him with her head on his chest. “I'm probably going to scare you out of my life by telling you this, but it needs to be said. I'm falling in love with you.”

“That's the big thing you wanted to talk about?” Brayden asked as he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. “Well I guess I should tell you I feel the exact same way. You should move in here.”

“I was actually thinking that you should move into the guest house with me. I'll have to run it by Ellie, but I don't think she'd have a problem with it.”

“It would be just like having our own place, but with your brother able to come and go as he pleases.”

“Ellie would give me the last key to the guest house. She is the one that likes the fact that you make me happy.”

“You make me happy too.”

It was a week before Brynn caught Ellie alone and able to sit down and actually run the idea of her boyfriend moving in with her.

“New York changed you.”

“Not as much as Brayden has,” Brynn smiled as she thought about her boyfriend who was currently at practice with his teammates. “So there is something that I wanna talk to you about.”

“Sounds serious,” Ellie smiled as she sat at the kitchen table. “Tell me what's on your mind.”

“Brayden and I feel like we are both ready to take our relationship further.”

“And by that you mean?”

“We want to move in together,” Brynn said. “And I was hoping that it would be okay if we lived in the guest house together.”

“Absolutely not!”

Both Ellie and Brynn looked at the voice that had spoken. This wasn't how either of them wanted to tell Andrew.

“Andrew....” Brynn started.

“No! You can live in the guest house, but not him!” Andrew yelled.

“You are being a dick for no reason. You don't have one reason not to like him.” Brynn said as she stood up.

“All he wants is in your pants,” Andrew said. “It's always the same. Once he gets tired of you, he'll leave.”

“Then why hasn't he left yet? Maybe it's because you are wrong and Brayden isn't like the hockey player you think he is,” Brynn said. “But fine, he won't move in.”

“Really?” Ellie and Andrew asked.

“Yeah,” Brynn said nodding her head. “I'll just move out. If my boyfriend can't live here with me, then I guess we'll move into our own apartment.”