Bradley James

by C. E. Wilson

  Bradley glared at Alex. “We need to get this straight right now. Do not lust after my man. You will be finding another place to stay. I won’t put up with you hitting on Cade.”

  “I’m not going to hit on him, but you have to admit he is hot. I can look, but I promise that is all I’ll do. Anyway, the way he looks at you says a lot. He’s into you for sure.”

  “We’re into each other. We’re happy and want to stay that way. I trust him, and I know he’ll tell you the same thing. I’m his, and he’s mine.”

  Alex said, “Can I look at my room and bathroom. I need to see what I need to get.”

  Bradley led him to the bedroom and then to the bathroom so he could see what he needed. Alex asked, “What about dishes and pots and pans?”

  “You can look in the kitchen. We have all that unless you want a specific pan, to make something in. Other than that, we have a brand-new set of pans and dishes too.”

  “If neither one of you cook, why do you have pots and pans?”

  “Our mothers decided to shop for us. Need I say more?”

  “Nope that about takes care of it.”

  Alex took out his phone and made a shopping list on it. Then he asked about where he would put his groceries, and Bradley pointed out the cupboard that they had cleaned out for him and the shelf in the refrigerator they had emptied for Alex.

  Alex made a few more notes on the phone, and then he left to go do some shopping and then get his clothes from the dorm room.

  Chapter 16

  When Cade came home, Bradley was pacing. Cade came into the apartment and put his arms around Bradley and kissed him. He pulled back and looked at Bradley. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

  “Alex is what’s wrong. Talking about your body and you’re so hot. I told him that he needed to stop lusting after my man. I don’t like that Cade. I told him several times that you were mine and I was yours, but he doesn’t seem to understand that.”

  “Honey you know that I love you and I sure wouldn’t trade you for that. You don’t have a thing to worry about. I would not go with Alex. He isn’t my type. Bradley James is my type.”

  “You need to tell that troll that then. Oh, he gave me the check but didn’t make it out to anyone. I didn’t know who to make it out to either.”

  “Make it out to you. We said we would use that for extra groceries if we need that and you’re in charge of groceries since your dad is paying for them. So just put into your account. If you need anything else besides groceries, then use that.”

  “If you need anything, then you can get it too. I’ll withdrawal whatever you need. Just let me know.”

  “If we don’t need to use it after four years, we should have enough to rent a house and live on it until we get jobs. I sure don’t want to live away from you for the time to find a job and get a place to live. Let’s just use that for that then. I don’t think we will need many groceries as much as we have now. I know we don’t need snacks for four years.”

  “Honestly, I don’t even want to look at snacks for the next four years. I’m afraid to go home during the holidays. You know our moms are going to be shopping again. Where are we going to put anymore?”

  “We will only take one of the trucks home. I guess yours since you have the bed cover. That way we can tell them we don’t have the room to take it all. I know both are going to shop and we will have a bunch to bring home, but with just one truck they can only expect us to take some of it.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I don’t know where we are going to stay. I want to stay with you and sleep in the same bed. I guess we can stay one night with my family and then next with yours or the other way around. Will your parents have a fit about me sleeping in bed with you at their house?”

  “If they do, we will stay at your house. I don’t think they will, though. They know we are sleeping together now.”

  Bradley mumbled. “Yeah, that’s all we’re doing.”

  Cade said, “What was that, babe?”

  “Nothing dear.”

  Cade raised a brow at Bradley.

  Bradley said, “When do you start football practice?”

  “Tomorrow all day. Are you going to come and watch practice?”

  “Yeah, I would love to watch you show all these college boys up. Are you the quarterback?”

  “No, I’m the tight end. I was hoping to be the quarterback, but they already have a good one. Doesn’t matter as long as my scholarship is good.”

  “I’m sorry Honey. I know you wanted to be the quarterback and you’re a good one. They’ll see when you start to practice.”

  “I’m ok with being the tight end. I have fewer responsibilities than being the quarterback. That’s usually the captain of the team, and I sure don’t want that.”

  “What do you want for dinner, babe?”

  “Let’s have pizza. That sounds good. I have had a craving for pizza.”

  “You sure you’re not pregnant?”

  “Yeah pretty sure I’m not. I haven’t been exposed.”

  “Yeah me either.”

  “Tonight babe. I promise we will go to bed early and take care of business. It has been a bad first week for us. I’ll take care of you tonight, ok?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  Cade’s eyes snapped to Bradley. “All right. Let’s get this out in the open. Tell me what’s wrong. I know something is so let’s talk about it and get it worked out.”

  “We have been sleeping in the same bed for almost a week, and we haven’t even touched each other. I don’t think that’s normal for two people that love each other. I know I love you so that only leaves one in my mind that is questionable.”

  Cade furrowed his brows. “You don’t think I love you? Bradley, I love you more than anything in this world. I know this has been rough. It’s been hell for me too. We just have had so much to do this last week that we have been so tired. I’m so sorry, babe. I should have taken care of this the first night in the motel.”

  “I don’t want it if you think it’s a chore. You sound like it is something you have to do like take out the trash or something.”

  “Oh, Bradley, my love, no, I don’t feel that way. I love you, and I want to be intimate with you. I want that more than anything else and tonight I’ll show you how I feel about it. I’m so sorry, baby.”

  Bradley had unshed tears in his eyes. Cade went over to him and put his arms around Bradley and held him close. He whispered in his ear. “I love you, baby.”

  Bradley rested his head on Cade’s shoulder. “I love you too, Cade.”

  They stood that way for a long moment then they parted when they heard the front door open. Bradley rolled his eyes, and Cade chuckled.

  Alex walked in with his arms full of packages. He nodded at them and went into his bedroom. He went back outside, and Cade said, “I guess we should help him, huh?”

  “Yeah, I guess it would only be right.”

  They went out front and got some of his things and carried them into his room. With three of them, it didn’t take them long to get him inside the house, and he started putting his things in the cupboard in the kitchen and the refrigerator. When he was done, he went into the bedroom and began to put things away. Cade and Bradley got pizza’s out of the freezer and cooked them in the microwave.

  Cade and Bradley cleaned up the kitchen and counters and loaded their dishes in the dishwasher. They went into the living room and cuddled up on the couch and turned on the tv. Cade smiled at Bradley. “I’m not putting on a movie. We don’t do very well with them.”

  Bradley chuckled. “No, let’s just watch one show then go to bed. You're going to need your rest so you can practice football tomorrow. I’ll take one of my textbooks with me, and I can read while watching my man play football.”

  After the show, they went to bed. Cade put his arms around Bradley and gave him a passionate kiss, and they went to bed.

  The next morning, they got up and had coffee and a pop tart and went to football prac
tice. Cade went to the locker room; Bradley went to the stadium and took a seat and opened his textbook. It wasn’t long until the players came out of the locker room and Bradley spotted Cade right away. Cade looked up into the seating area and saw Bradley and winked at him.

  They started to practice, and Bradley knew that Cade was good, but today he was better than he had ever seen him. About an hour into the practice, the coach called Cade over to him. They talked for a few minutes, and the coach called the quarterback over to him, and he nodded. Cade took the place of the quarterback and did a fantastic job of playing. The coach was grinning ear to ear.

  Cade glanced at Bradley, and he had the same grin on his face that the coach had. The rest of the practice Cade played the quarterback. When they came out after practice, Bradley watched for Cade, but he wasn’t with them. Bradley knew that Cade would come to him, so he just waited.

  Thirty minutes later, Cade came out and ran up the steps to Bradley and kissed him. Bradley said, “Let me guess. You’re the new quarterback because you were sure playing better than the other guy.”

  “No, babe. I told you that I didn’t want that position and I am not the new quarterback, but I am his backup. I’m still the tight end. The coach wanted me to be the captain of the team, but I don’t want that responsibility. It’s too much, and we both decided that our studies came first. The coach understands that so he’s good with me just being backup.”

  Bradley smiled at him. “I’m good with you being my man. I love you, Cade.”

  “I love you too, baby. Let’s go home and get something to eat. I’m starved.”

  “We have a big selection now. TV dinner, pizza, and Ramen noodles. What is your choice?”

  “Not sure babe. What kind of TV dinners do we have?”

  “Um, I think some fried chicken and Salisbury steak mostly.”

  “I’ll have the chicken.”

  “OK, that sounds good. I was thinking about something, but I don’t know if I should tell you. I don’t want you to think I am pushing anything.”

  “I won’t think that. I had to almost fight you to have feelings for me. Tell me. We said we would talk anything over so it wouldn’t cause a problem.”

  “Yeah, I know all that, but this is pretty serious.”

  “Even more reason to talk it out. Please, baby, tell me, and we can get it worked through. I don’t want to take a chance of losing you. You know how much I love you.”

  “Well, I was thinking of how much I worry about other guys flirting with you and even Alex what he said. It does make me worry. I don’t want to lose you. I’m afraid some of these handsome men are going to come along and turn your head. I don’t want that to happen.”

  “I don’t know how to make you not worry about me. I love you with all my heart, and to me, all these other men are just people I go to school with. I’m only attracted to you, and I told you that. I don’t know what else I can do.”

  “I want us to get engaged. We know we are getting married in four years anyway. I want to know that you are mine.”

  A slow smiled spread across Cade’s face. “Yes, that would be a wonderful way for us each to claim the other. I agree with you, babe. There no reason why we shouldn’t get engaged. I just want to say one thing, though. Being engaged would not stop either of us from cheating if that was what we had on our mind. It is the love we have for each other that stops any desire for another. I only have desire for you and you for me. Engaged or not we won’t cheat.”

  “I know Cade, but if I could call you my fiancé, then it would mean to back off your mine.”

  Cade chuckled. “You’re right, baby. We are engaged. I just have to get a ring for you.”

  Bradley frowned. “What do you mean, get me a ring? I’m not a woman that needs a ring. Just saying so makes it right. I don’t want a ring, Cade. I just want others to know we are going to get married to leave us both alone.”

  “If I had my way, we would go ahead and get married and not worry about it. We could you know. Nothing in the rules that says we can’t be married and go to school.”

  “No, not in the school rules, but if we get married; Dad won’t pay for college for me. We can’t afford it, and Dad won’t pay so I would have to drop out of school. I love you, babe, but we have plans, and I don’t want to do anything that will mess that up. Besides you remember I’m only seventeen and Dad would have to sign for me to get married. He won’t do that I know.”

  The rest of the way home they were lost in their thoughts.

  Chapter 17

  College went along as usual, but the love between Cade and Bradley grew over the four years of school. Cade was offered a position on an NFL team, but he turned it down. He wanted to set up the business with Bradley, and the traveling the football team had to do would not allow him to do this. Yes, he could make a lot of money with the football team, but it wasn’t worth the time away from Bradley.

  Cade had good grades, but Bradley’s were fantastic. He graduated with honors. Cade was so proud of Bradley. They went home after graduation and started packing. Their parents were there and told them they had rented a house for them. They were going to take some of their furniture home with them so the boys wouldn’t have a lot to bring. They still had to get a trailer to pull for the big things.

  Alex had moved out the day before but gave the boys his phone number and wanted them to call him when they got settled at home. He was thinking of moving somewhere else and maybe where Cade and Bradley lived would be an excellent place to work.

  After they loaded the trailer and both pickups, they went back into the apartment to make sure it was all clean, and they got everything. The place looked like it did when they moved into it, so they took the key to Bill. He came back with them and checked the apartment and grinned. “This is the best-looking apartment in the building. Come to the office, and I’ll give you back your deposit and last month rent.”

  The boys followed him back to the apartment office, and Bill gave them the deposit and last month’s rent. They went back to the trucks and got in and started out and headed home for the last time. They were ready to get married and start their lives together.

  Cade and Bradley took their time going home. They were in no hurry. They stopped often and spent two nights in motels on the way home. They stopped at Cade’s house to get the key to their house and the address. His parents called Bradley’s parents and had them meet them at the boy’s new home to help unload the trailer and the trucks. John and Clayton showed up with their son and daughter. They had just adopted the little girl. She was only three months old. The nanny came with them to help with the baby while they were unloading the trucks.

  It was a cute little house. Just big enough for Cade and Bradley. The rent was very reasonable. They got everything unloaded and set up. Of course, the mothers had gotten things to decorate the house. More than the boys wanted, but they couldn’t tell their moms that they didn’t want it up in the house.

  Bradley was unpacking the kitchen and found a couple of boxes of pop tarts. He took them to the pantry and stopped dead in his tracks when he looked into the pantry. He shook his head. “Cade, can you come here for a minute, babe?”

  Cade came into the kitchen and put his arms around Bradley. “I’ll come anytime you call me. What do you need?”

  “Look in the pantry please.”

  Cade opened the door to the pantry and glanced in. He quickly shut the door. “They didn’t.”

  “Yes, babe they did. What are we going to do with all that junk food?”

  “I don’t have any idea. We can’t hurt our moms' feelings and tell them we don’t want it, so I guess maybe give it to the neighborhood kids? I saw a few playing next door. Bet they know more kids.”

  “That would be fine except that their parents would think we were child molesters. You know the gay couple that is giving their kids snack stuff. I don’t think that would be a good idea. Is there an orphanage around? We could take it to them, maybe.”

>   “I don’t think they have orphanages anymore. They have foster homes now.”

  “I know we can take most of it to the boys and girls club. I know where that is. They would probably love to have it to reward the kids for good behavior.”

  “Yeah but wait for our moms to leave, and we will box most of it up and take it to them tomorrow while we are out job hunting. I think we will have to get jobs first before we try and open our own office. We need hands-on experience.”

  “Yeah, I was thinking about that too. We have to prove ourselves before we expect people to trust us. There is an office downtown that might hire us. They are an engineering company. It’s pretty big.”

  “We can dress in suits and look good then go and see what they say. Make sure you know where your papers are from school. I guess before we do anything, we need to get our license here in this state. The one from Pennsylvania won’t do us much good here. I guess we go do that first before applying for a job.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think about that either. Glad you did. We will take care of that tomorrow. Then when we get our license, we can apply to that company. There is another license we need too, babe.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Marriage license. We have to have that before we can get married and there is a three-day waiting period here. I know when Clayton and John got married, they had to wait that long.”

  “Yep, we will do that tomorrow too. How much money do we have in the bank in the special account?”

  “We have twenty-four thousand from rent and another three thousand from what I saved on groceries. So, twenty-seven thousand dollars. Why what are you thinking?”

  “Just making sure we have enough to live on until we can get to work. I don’t know how long it will take to get our licenses here.”

  “We have to go to the courthouse tomorrow. Let’s stop by that company and fill out an application and maybe they will let us start work under their license until we get our own. They can only tell us no to come back when we have them.”

  “That is true. Let’s do that then. We will ask the clerk at the courthouse how long it will take to get our license. They should know. I don’t know if we have to take another state board exam or not, but it won’t be a problem if we do. It’s just the time. Ok engineer license, marriage license, and snacks to the girl and boy club. You got all that for tomorrow?”