My Best Friend's Brother (40 page)

"Oh my god." I gasped.

I literally got up and did a loud very embarrassing fan girl scream.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I squeal throwing myself at him, knocking him to the ground laughing.

He had is arms wrapped around my waist and I was laid on top of him. My skirt fanned out across his lower half.

"So you like it?" He laughed out.

“I freaking love it!” I exclaim covering his face in kisses.

Just then we both hear the door burst open and an angry and worried looking group of people enter. Including our siblings and his mom.

When Ricky saw I was laid on top of Nate. He rushed over and pulled me up.

“Why were you screaming?” Lanie asked me looking unsure.

“Did he hurt you?” my older brother growled glaring at Nate.

I punched his arm. “No.” I did my shuffle run in my oversized dress to the box still on the bed.

“Look, look, look” I again squeal holding up the framed jacket.

Heather’s eyes widen to the size of saucers. “No way."

"Yes way." I grin.

"Is that...?" Dean, another victim of Heather and mine's love of Dirty Dancing, asked.

"Yes." I nodded my head "He got me
the
jacket Patrick Swayze wore in the movie." I placed it on the bed and picked up the piece of paper.

"Look it even has a certificate of authenticity" I held in up to show them.

I didn't even notice Nate stand up until I felt his arms snake around my waist.

I shivered when I felt him place a single kiss. Matt noticed this and smirked.

Heather and the others were all too busy checking out my gift.

"This must have cost a bomb?" Ricky asked wide-eyed.

"She's worth it." Nate answered holding me tightly against him.

What Ricky did next surprised all of us. He walked over and hugged not only me but also Nate.

"I am glad it was you and not some loser at her school." He told Nate pulling back.

"I can see you care for her a lot."

"I do." I could feel Nate's eyes burning into me. He still had his arms around my waist. "I love her more than I ever thought was humanly possible."

Epilogue

My best friend’s brother loves me

Hope

The rest of the party went great. Heather was trying to convince me to remove the jacket from its casing. Where as Lanie was talking for at least an hour about weddings and babies until Nate's dad, Alan came over and saved us.

After that I spend time with various people, including Parker's friends.

From what Heather had told me about them I expected cold miserable people, but they were all really nice and friendly. So it turns out the girl Dean was dancing with was Parker's younger sister. She was fifteen, a year younger than Dean.

From what he told me, they swapped numbers and agreed to stay in touch. He said they were just friends, but I knew that look in his eye. I had seen it enough times. He liked her and I am pretty sure she liked him, despite the scar which he showed her and helped him move his hair into a style which helped cover it.

They were really cute together. I love him like my own brother. He deserves to be happy after everything that has happened to him recently.

Later that night Kira and many of the other guests gave me presents. Mostly clothing, DVD's and perfumes.

Lanie and Alan knew that I loved all things old and so gave me an antique silver hand mirror and comb.

Matt on the other hand got me a life size Robbie the rabbit stuffed toy. But it was because he knew it freaked out my brother.

Kira, Robbie and baby Auron give me a beautiful necklace with locket pendant. Inside was a photograph of me and baby Auron.

Not to mention they asked me and Ricky to be godparents.

"Really? Us?" Ricky asked her sounding as surprised as I looked.

"Of course. Who else would we ask?"

"What about Rob's brothers?" I asked my sister.

"We are not close to them." Her husband answered.

"And we have both discussed it and we both agreed we want you both to take care of our son if anything was to happen to us."

Robbie was great too. He and Kira had been together since they were thirteen, but had been friends since pre-school. They were each other's first and only. They had had many ups and downs over the years but who doesn't. I hope Nate and I will be like them in ten years time.

"I am glad mom and dad dumped us on both of you." I hugged them both. "You are the best parents anyone could ask for. Auron is a lucky child and I would love to be his godmother." I said pulling back from the hug and Ricky agreed with me.

Kira began to cry. "Thank you Hope." Robbie hugged his wife.

After that I thanked everyone for the presents and laughed as I watched Matt chased Ricky around with the toy.

The look on his face and Lanie's was comical, but for two very different reasons.

He wasn't afraid of anything else, just rabbits.

"I can just imagine her cooing 'Aren't they a lovely couple?'. That would be so funny." I thought out loud.

"That would be great, especially if everyone heard her." Nate was hunched over in a fit of laughter. I couldn't help but laugh more at the sight.

The party slowly began to wind down and because there were only a few days left before they had to return to college. Ricky and Kira agreed that Nate could stay over. She even agreed to let him stay in my room. Ricky wasn't happy about this, but I was eighteen so Kira said it was all right.

She had to basically force my brother from staying in the room with us.

"You looked perfect tonight." Nate whispered softly as we lied in my bed, he was holding me against him.

"You looked good too." I said sleepily. My eyes started to slowly close. Nate must have thought I was asleep because I heard him whisper to me, "I love you so much." While his fingers were stroking my cheek.

"I can never lose you. You are my forever." I wanted to say something back. Maybe let him know I felt the same, but it was too late. I felt tiredness take over me and before long I was asleep.

The next morning I woke up to an empty bed. I looked around my room and then the bathroom. Nothing.

Not bothering to change out of my pj's I made my way down the stairs, feeling depressed thinking he had just left without a word.

Arriving in the kitchen I was surprised, but happy to see Nate with a frying pan in his hand and Kira stood beside him.

"What are you doing?"

Both their heads quickly turn to me and smiled.

"Morning Sweet Pea."

"Morning Honey." They both said at the same time.

"What are you doing up?" Nate asked me.

I looked at him suspiciously. "I thought you had left. I couldn't sleep anymore." I told him honestly.

He walked over, gave me a quick kiss and hug.

"I would never leave you like that." He told me softly, before returning to pan.

"So, what are you doing?" I walk over to where they are stood.

I noticed a slightly blush appear on his cheeks. "Making you breakfast in bed."

"Awww baby." I cooed. I couldn't help it, he is just so sweet sometimes.

"I didn't know you could cook?" I asked standing behind him and linking my arms around his waist.

"He can't." Kira cut in "That is why I am helping him."

After being ordered to take a seat, Nate placed a large plate of my favorite blueberry and vanilla pancakes in front of me. He also made some for himself and Kira. Robbie was already at work and Ricky still in bed.

"Mmmm." I moaned taking a bite. "My favorite."

"I know." He answered eating his own and watching me.

"How? Did you tell him?" I asked my sister.

She shook her head and we both looked to Nate.

"Well?" We looked at him expectantly.

"I..." He looked down at his plate nervously as he spoke. "I know everything you like."

If anyone else said that I would be creeped out.

"You used to love them. You would always ask mom to make them." He remembered.

"And I seemed remember you hating them." I said smirking.

"Urm... I never really hated them." Kira was watching our exchange as if it was one of her daytime soap opera's.

"I just liked winding you up." his cheeks reddened "You were... are adorable when you are annoyed or angry."

"Let me get this straight..." I sounded annoyed but wasn't really. "You would pester and tease me just because you thought I was adorable when annoyed at you?"

He took a minute to answer and when he did it was only "Maybe" in a very low whisper.

"But I never ever meant to hurt you." He said now looking at me "I love you. I always have."

I couldn't help but wear a huge grin. Two months ago I was hoping never to see him again, despite how much I both loved, yet disliked him for bullying me.

I would have never guessed he had felt that way about me. But now I think back I see it.

All the times I caught him staring. The times he would sit next to me and refuse to go away. When he would frown when I cried or hurt myself.

Not to mention a lot of other little things. But I was so young I didn't understand. I thought he was doing most of it to annoy me or because he hated me.

But now I know different. He was just a little boy who wanted my attention.

"I love you too Nate."

Kira swooned and kept telling me how lucky I was and how much Nate worshipped me.

She didn't need to tell me, I already knew.

We ate in comfortable silence and once we had all finished Nate reached over and placed a small velvet box in front of me.

All I could do was stare at the box.

He leaned forwards and pushed it closer to me.

"Open it."

I did as he asked and was surprised to see a ring inside, but not just any kind of ring.

"I know we haven't been together long enough to get engaged and also you are probably not ready for that.

But I wanted to show you how much I love you" Taking the ring from the box, he took my left hand in his and slipped it on my ring finger.

"This is a Claddagh ring, also known as a promise ring. It's meant to represent love, loyalty and friendship.

I wanted to give you this as a promise that even though we may be apart for a month or more at a time, I will forever be loyal to you. No one can compare to you or change the boundless amount of love I have for you.