“James, I’m leaving you.” Lillian said, still staring after Brayden.

They heard something crash in Brayden’s room, followed by obscure silence.

“What?” James snapped his head to Lillian.

Lillian turned to meet his eyes slowly. Tears still building up there, despite how right she knew she was.

“We’re breaking up.” She repeated.

“Why?” James roared. “Did that fucking prick get in your pants and fill your head with lies about a relationship with him? He is a slut Lillian, and you know it.” James snarled.

Lillian just nodded knowingly and met James’ eyes again.

“We’re breaking up because you don’t respect me anymore. You don’t respect my time, or my patience. You treat me as a second thought, consistently second to your career, and your new friends. All our friends keep asking me why I’m still with you, when clearly you aren’t putting in equal effort anymore. Some of them have been asking for even longer, when you stopped putting in the work you won me over with. You’re constantly drinking if you’re not working, which is gross, and a lot of other things, including the bedroom.” Lillian’s voice steadily rising.

She panted and shook from the anger suddenly boiling her blood.

“Of course you come second to my career. You always knew that you would.” He growled back.

The tears spilled over at those words with a choked sob.

“You’re right, I always thought you’d change, or you didn’t really mean it. I was wrong for having faith in you for so long.” Her words weepy.

James made a noise of disgust and threw his keys on the counter.

“You can’t start over. There is no way he marries you within your insane life timeline if he even bothers to stick around.” He snapped in her face.

“Well, you were never going to do it either, so who cares.” She snapped back.

James was in her face now, and all she could think about was how when Brayden stood over her like this, she was never afraid like she was right now. She stood her ground and set her jaw, starring James right back in the face.

“Get. Out.” He snarled.

Like some cue, Brayden’s door shot open b-lining for James’ room to start gathering Lillian’s things. Grabbing a beer box out of the corner as he went, noting James’ drinking problem for the first time properly, he flew straight to the conjoined bathroom.

James’ fury rose tenfold realizing Brayden had been listening so closely.

“You fucked him didn’t you.” His voice low and deadly.

“No, I didn’t.” Lillian stood tall.

“Lying whore.” He snarled.

Before any more words could be said, Brayden’s voice summoned Lillian.

“Look in the bathroom and see if I missed anything.” He murmured, throwing a couple more things of hers he found in the box and into her bag.

Lillian triple checked the bathroom and bedroom following Brayden's initial sweep.

“My canvas.” Pointing at the art hung on James’s wall, of her ass print in neon purple paint on a black canvas.

Brayden snatched it off the wall quickly.

“Grab your bag, let’s go.” He whispered steadily.

Carrying her box of things and her canvas, He stepped out of the room first, coming face to face with James.

“I’ll take her home.” Was all he said, sidestepping him and gesturing Lillian to grab his truck keys.

In less than 5 minutes of James snapping those words at her, Brayden had Lillian out of that apartment, and into the elevator.

She was silent, with tears steadily running down her face. Brayden watched her hesitantly but opted not to say anything just yet. Packed in his truck, hoisted up and buckled in, he drove her home in silence. Her tears and mute state persisted the whole drive. Not until after he unloaded and put away all her belongings, minus the canvas in the back of his truck, did he finally turn to her. Gently he wrapped his arms around her and cooed gently, “You’ve totally thrown my schedule off.” With gentle circles rubbed into her back.

“I know that was part of the plan.” She whispered, looking up at him with a meek smile, before the sobs started to rack her shoulders.

He shushed and calmed her gently for a while before she finally pulled away from him. Wiping her tears away and taking a last steadying breath.

“I can’t believe I just did that.” She chuckled tearily.

“Neither can I.” He agreed solemnly. “You never mentioned anything about the bedroom to me?” Brayden inquired gently.

“He stopped trying after that first fight you two had about me. I didn’t want you to feel responsible.” Lillian shrugged.

Brayden opened and closed with mouth a couple times, gapping like a fish on land.

“What scum.” He decided on, pulling Lillian back in close.

“Hey, that New Years kiss, was that your winners kiss?” Lillian inquired softly.

“Well, yes, I had planned on it being my victory kiss. However, you’ve thrown the whole schedule out the window so what does it matter now.” Brayden shrugged and smiled warmly at her.

“Can I cash it in now, and you can pretend on New Year’s?”

“You know, I don’t see why not.” Brayden flashed her his flirtiest smile.

He gently gripped her chin in one hand and tilted her head back, leaning in until their breath mingled.

“Can I kiss you, Lillian?” He breathed against her lips.

“Yes.”