Brayden couldn’t keep his hands off her. He was never more than an arm’s reach away, when she passed by him, he would run a hand along her back or side. He consistently had an arm slung over her shoulder or was standing close behind her.

They had arrived at Joe’s New Years party together. No one had even asked where James was yet, but he was still trying to keep the touching casual.

Brayden knew she was getting suspicious of constantly turning around and finding him trailing her, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her mouth. Or her hair and eyes, or her ass in those jeans, he was hopeless. As the night drew on and Brayden drank more, he found his hands on the curve of her ass or fingers tucked under the hem of her shirt. He knew the way he held her hips against him or brushed her hair off her shoulder to admire her neck while she was talking to someone else wasn’t going unnoticed. Jealous glances shot at him from different men in the room, but whenever he’d catch someone watching Lillian, he could only find unfiltered happiness in their faces. He supposed he could deal with the jealousy and long as they were happy for her.

“You know,” Someone slung their arm over Brayden’s shoulder holding him still as Lillian walked away. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re happy for her. And I think I speak for most of us when I say we couldn’t hate you more.” Luke whispered in his ear.

Brayden turned to look at Luke more directly, so he’d maybe stop blurring so much and making Brayden sway.

“You hate me?” Brayden inquired a little defeated.

“As much as we hated Joe, or as much as those who knew Lillian and I were fooling around hated me. As much as we hated James, in the beginning.” Luke continued.

“Why?”

“Because you belong to her in a way we don’t. I’m a little worried we’re all extremely unwell. I mean, do you see any girls here that one of us brought ourselves? I think we might all die at her feet alone at this rate.”

“All of you…? You all love her that much?” Brayden raised an eyebrow.

“Ah Brayden you don’t even have a clue how much each of us love her. When Joe and Lillian broke up, it was for the better, but really it was for her better. Joe, he wasn’t in the same room as her for nearly two years. I – I don’t know how he recovered, or how he lives with the knowledge of what she feels like, let alone how he lives with knowing James, and probably you, know too.” Luke rambled.

“What about you?”

“Me? I have my moments with her. Making out in the back of her car is a favourite of mine, but I was always just a trial run. I think I was helping her pick James. I should have fought harder for her, or I could have at least shown her she was worth more than what James was offering in the end.”

“It wasn’t hard? After, I mean.”

“I was so young. I convinced myself it was all a part of the verbal agreement we made, and that I never had the right to miss her anyway.” He mumbled quietly.

Brayden patted him on the back one time, throwing his arm over Luke’s shoulder as well.

“I’m going to marry her. And I think she would be really sad, if none of you ever found somebody, she loves you guys and wants you to be happy.” Brayden contemplated while his eyes followed Lillian through the crowd.

“You’re going to do it?” Luke said in a hard voice.

“Marry her? Yes.” Brayden nodded.

“Okay.” Luke nodded and relaxed, letting go of a long breath.

“I think knowing I’ll never have another chance, not to mention how obsessed you are. It all feels like a weight is off my chest. I think she’s finally out of my reach, and it’s okay.” Luke beamed over at Brayden dropping his arm and stepping away from him.

“It’s that easy?” Brayden asked.

“No and probably not for some of our more hopeless dudes but us originals - we will never not love her – but I think we’re all about to have our Joe moments and love her because we loved her, not because we’re all hopelessly pinning after her.” Luke started bouncing.

“This year is going to be… well, a new year.” Luke bounced through the crowd, grinning ear to ear.

He gestured to Brayden to go find Lillian again with a wink before he was out of sight.

Brayden stood a little dumbfounded where Luke left him. Maybe Luke should be worried they’re all a little unwell. Brayden had noticed how they never brought girls on their own, and somehow Lillian had found girls to come to Halloween anyway. Lillian appeared at his elbow, holding him steady where he swayed gently.

“Have you been trying to get these boys to date other girls for the last 6 years?” Brayden stared down at her quizzically.

Her laughter tinkled around him, like a pretty crystal wind chime! Brayden grinned, congratulating himself on naming the sound finally, instead of melon.

“Did you finally notice or did one of the boys have a revelation?” Lillian grinned freely.

“I told Luke I was going to marry you after he blabbed about how they were all going to die alone following you around and he had some kind of epiphany about not being alone anymore I think, and I realized somehow there is always girls at your guy’s parties without you actually having girlfriends and apparently none of them having any either.” Brayden whispered conspiratorially with her.

“Woah, a lot of revelations at once.” Lillian gasped playfully.

Brayden nodded wisely, playing a long with their bit.

“I’m just saying, I think Luke might talk to a girl that isn’t you tonight.” Brayden raised a brow, “are we jealous? You’ve had all the attention all these years, will you be able to cope with being normal again?” Brayden teased her.

Lillian looked sad for a second, scanning the room and finding all the familiar eyes already on her. She looked back at Brayden and all of what appeared to be grief left her eyes. Brayden smiled wide and tucked some of her hair behind her ear, looking down at her with all the love in the world.

“Brayden if you keep looking at me like that, I’m not sure I’ll ever even notice.” Lillian smiled back just as brightly.

“It’s okay, if you have to mourn them. I mean they’ve been following you around since you were 17. It’s probably a scary thought, how much your relationships are going to change.” Brayden murmured between them.

Lillian glanced away finding Luke across the room, sheepishly talking to a girl Brayden had seen at Halloween.

“That’s Cara, I’ve been inviting her to parties for years, she told me if Luke didn’t finally man up by the end of this year she wouldn’t be coming around anymore.” Lukes eyes glanced up meeting Lillian’s, in a bright and excited grin. “I’ve been trying to set them up for so long, she’d be good for him, and I knew he liked her, I just could never convince him to lock in. You said, what 4 - 5 words? And changed everything for them.” Lillian glanced back at Brayden and loosed a sigh of relief.

“I value my relationships with them a lot, but not more than I value them actually being happy. It’s bittersweet, it’s stupid but I feel like I’ve been taking care of them for so long, and they’re finally ready to take care of themselves.” She smiled up at him with misty eyes.

“I think they’ve just been a bunch of men, waiting to make sure somebody stepped up to take care of you, to love you.” Brayden countered.

“Let’s call it a joint effort in growth this evening and just celebrate the New Year.” Lillian rolled her eyes threading her fingers through his.

Brayden grinned down at her and pressed his forehead against hers trying to stop himself from his continued swaying.

“I simply am so unwilling to stand up straight right now, holy shit.” Brayden mumbled with a smile.

“You going to make it?” A little concern in her voice."I just really want to be inside you right now, but I’m stuck keeping my hands and such to myself.” Brayden feigned a pout before dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

Lillian was blushing fiercely, and Brayden just laughed.

“Well, that isn’t helping me at all.” He smiled. “Want to go on a mission with me to perhaps find a water I can drink fast enough so I can still do the New Years shot?” Brayden grinned down at her again.

“Yeah, let’s go find you some water before people hear the insane things coming out of your mouth.” Lillian teased, pulling him towards the kitchen."Are you really a heavy hitter cuz I was under the impression we were going drink for drink. And I’m about 3 times your size.” Brayden mumbled, happily following her, with one hand on her waist.

“It’s a gift and a curse.” She remarked over her shoulder. “I’m actually seeing 2 of you right now.” Lillian winked.

“No! You can hide white girl wasted?” He whispered in shock.

“Shush! It’s my little secret.” She smiled, letting him see haze in her eyes briefly.

“Marry me?” He sighed.

“Very funny.” She rolled her eyes, locating them both a water.

Brayden watched the way she greedily drank her water, the way the cold brought down the colour in her cheeks and her eyes got clearer. Brayden followed suit, drinking his water down deeply.

“1 minute!” Someone cried out and was echoed back.

“Oh no, I have to find them.” Lillian’s head whipped around nervously.

“Over here!” Brayden heard Joe call out, locating him over the crowd.

“I got you.” He whispered to Lillian, guiding her through the people until he made it to the clear space around Joe.

They were all there: Joe, Nathan, Luke, Jasmine, and Naz. Even Kat had made an appearance, and their other friends, Cole and Nick.

“Ready?” Joe shouted over the din, a TV somewhere started counting down, the chant rolling through the house.

Luke passed them both a shot quickly with a wink, lifting his own with everyone else. Brayden and Lillian followed suit. All her friends were smiling at them, some grinning ear to ear, some more bittersweet, but every shot tilted in Lillians direction. Brayden threaded their hands together and smiled down at her.

“3… 2… 1… Happy New Year!”

The whole house roared. Shots and drinks disappeared in seconds. Brayden felt the blood pumping in his ears and the roar of the people around them fade to nothing when he turned to face her.

“Happy New Year.” He whispered.

He tilted her chin back with one hand, and pulled her closer to him with his other, finding bare skin on her waist and back. He closed the distance between their lips with a rush. His tongue swept across her lower lip instantly. Brayden had been aching to do this all night. He forced her head back further, devouring her taste. She tasted like tequila and something sweet. He pondered for a moment before he felt her tongue slide across his own. The hand on her waist snaked into her hair, earning an eager sound from her.

He hardly noticed the movement happening around him, hands patted his back and shoulders, and victory cheers echoed around him.

He was lost in the feel of her. Lillian’s hands were spread wide across his chest before they ascended into his hair. Her fingers pulling and tugging at the strands, bringing him closer to her still. His whole body curved into and around her. The feeling of her teeth sucking and pulling on his own desperately.

It wasn’t until someone finally smacked them both hard on the arm that they finally broke apart. When Brayden looked up people were still drinking and celebrating, when he spotted the oven clock it read 12:01. He felt like he had been kissing her for an eternity. When he looked back down at her, Lillian’s lips were a little swollen and kissed, but her smile was genuine and dazzling.

“Happy New Year.” She whispered back.

Brayden couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her again briefly, and right as Brayden went to whisper something dirty to her under his breath she was being swept away, in a wave of sweeping arms. Some of them embraced her briefly, kissing her temple or forehead, others lifted her into excited hugs before handing her to the next set of arms.

Jasmine appeared to his right, elbowed him smartly in the side, enough for Brayden to jump away, and smiled. Naz turned up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, whispering quickly in Jasmine’s ear, before she darted off to smack a wet kiss on Lillian’s cheek.

Brayden turned to Naz at the same time he turned to him. Naz smiled knowingly, waiting for Brayden to speak first.

“Where do you buy engagement rings?” Was the only thing Brayden said to him, grinning at Lillian across the room now.

“I’ll send you some links, and get Jasmine started on the undercover work for inspiration rings.” Naz quickly strategized.

“Great.” Brayden nodded, still watching Lillian.

“Congratulations.” Naz smiled, holding out his hand.

Brayden looked down at Naz’s hand and shook it and Naz patted his arm.

“Thanks.” Brayden smiled back.