Damn Dress: A Love Story Ch. 09

Chris had been really glad to see Sienna, but not so much the others. He had been extremely embarrassed at the hospital, and left two days after. He figured Commander Branson was probably disappointed in him for that little display.

But Sienna looked beautiful tonight, even though she was pregnant with that asshole's kid. 'She has to be crazy to willingly be tied to that psycho for the rest of her life' he thought, while zipping his pants. The bathroom downstairs had been occupied, so he wandered upstairs to his old guest room. Truthfully, he just wanted to get away from everyone for a while. Dinner had been miserable and exhausting.

Chris flushed and opened the door. He was about to step out of the bathroom when he froze. Brandon was leaning casually against the side wall, his arms folded over his chest and pinning Chris with his glare. Chris swallowed. The two stared at each other for a minute before Brandon spoke.

"You gonna let me take a piss, or you gonna hold up the fucking door frame all night?"

Chris quickly stepped to the side while Brandon walked in. Brandon was about to shut the door when Chris spoke.

"You know, she deserves better than you," he said in a low voice, with shaky confidence. Before the door slammed, Brandon caught it and opened it back up. Chris's eyes widened. Oh fuck, he didn't think that Brandon had really heard that. Brandon just kept staring at him...or through him.

"You know, I have a lot of respect for the Commander and it's a holiday. So I'm not going to start any shit with you today. But just know, I haven't forgotten a single, fucking thing you've done or said to me, and I owe you an ass whupping. And one day, you won't have Darren or Commander Branson to stop me, you little fucker," Brandon said cooly, while staring Chris down.

Chris's heart was racing. He hated that Brandon made him so nervous. Usually, most guys he knew, when you stood up for yourself or talked back to them, they realized that you couldn't be punked. But Brandon was so unpredictable, you didn't know if he was going to smile at something you said, or punch you in the face. Chris didn't know what else to say.

"Now, since I've made myself clear, I'd advise you to get the fuck away from me, before I forget that this is a holiday," Brandon stated.

Chris glared back at Brandon, but turned and walked away without saying a word.

Back downstairs, Chris made his way outside to calm his nerves. On his way out, he noticed Sienna was engaged in a conversation with Tasha, so he didn't say anything as he exited the front door.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Tasha asked Sienna, as the two cleared the table.

"Actually, I've been a little tired today. But overall, I'm okay," Sienna answered, as she carried small dishes to the kitchen counter.

"You know, I can do this, you don't need to carry any of the heavy dishes anyway," Tasha scolded.

"Okay, I won't, but I want to help."

"So...are you okay with all the testosterone that's here?" Tasha said.

Sienna exhaled. She hoped that her plan to unite everyone didn't backfire on her. Everyone seemed to be doing okay, for now.

"Well, no bloodshed yet, so I think that's a plus," Sienna laughed.

Tasha laughed too. "And I'm glad Brandon decided to come. Seems like it would have been strange him not being here."

"Oh, totally. And Tasha, oh God, he looks so good!" Sienna moaned, while resting against the table. "I mean, I couldn't keep my eyes off him during dinner. I'm serious, I just wanted to sit on his lap and pretend nobody else was there."

Tasha laughed again. "Girl, you better get your hormones under control before you two end up with more kids than the Brady Bunch."

Sienna groaned. She really did need to tone it down, but she missed his touch so much.

"Sienna, go in there and have some fun with your friends and let me finish this up, okay?"

Sienna nodded and walked into the den to find Lori.

After a few more rounds of talking to Sienna's guests, Ian needed a breather from all of the heavy family bonding. He felt a little like an intruder, but many of them were really cordial to him. He finally escaped from the den and stepped outside, onto the deck. This family was very different from his. He did appreciate his family, because for the most part, they stayed out of his business and anything he asked for, they supplied it. But they weren't a "family" in the traditional sense of the word. Not like Sienna's.

Ian walked to the railing and looked out into the backyard. The sun had gone down and it was now a misty, dark blue color that painted the sky. Ian felt someone watching him, so he turned to the side and saw Brandon. Or BT, whatever they called him. He was sitting on the deck railing, staring at him, with a cigarette tucked behind his ear.

"I heard those things can kill," Ian said, pointing up at the cigarette, trying to make small talk.

The guy just stared at him, and then slowly said, "You'd be surprised what can kill you." Somehow, Ian didn't think he was talking medically.

Ian nervously laughed. "So, you're the one they call Brandon? Or BT, which would you prefer?"

Brandon shrugged. "Either one, doesn't matter."

"What if I called you both?" Ian said, trying to alleviate the tense atmosphere with a joke.

Brandon just continued to stare at him. After a few awkward seconds, Brandon said, "You can try, but I might not answer."

Ian nervously laughed again. Time to change the subject. "So, um, are you excited about the baby?"

Brandon nodded. He pulled the cigarette from behind his ear, placed it between his lips and lit it. "So, you and Sienna go to school together?"

"Uh, yeah. We have creative writing together. She's amazing. All of her papers are so interesting."

"Yeah," Brandon said, narrowing his eyes.

"I mean, really, they are. She's a good writer," Ian said, answering him.

"No, I meant 'yeah', I know she is," he said, blowing smoke to the side.

"Oh."

Ian was scrolling through his brain over something to say, because Brandon just kept staring at him, as if he were sizing him up—as if there were any competition in that department.

"So, how hard is it to become a Navy SEAL? I've only seen things in movies. Hell, maybe I could be one?" Ian joked.

"Do you think you'd win a fight against me?" Brandon asked him seriously, while stomping out his cigarette and picking it up from the deck floor. He looked back up at Ian, who had a worried look on his face.

"Um, I highly doubt it," Ian answered truthfully.

"Well, when you think you could win a fight against me, then you would probably be ready to train as a SEAL."

Okay, this dude was really starting to freak Ian out. Brandon was so much bigger than him, and the fact that he was a Navy SEAL, only added to Ian's anxiety.

"Okaaay, good to know. Sooo, I'm going to head back in, but it was really nice, um, talking to you."

Brandon nodded once in his direction and then looked over into the backyard. Ian took that as his cue to leave. Inside, he spotted Sienna talking to her friend, Laura or Lori, he couldn't remember. They stopped talking when he reached them.

"Hey, Ian," Sienna said, with a smile.

"Um, hey. Man, I just ran into Brandon...okay, that was intense!" Ian said, while wiping imaginary sweat off of his forehead.

Sienna grimaced, while Lori laughed. Damn, Lori had missed BT. She wished she could have drug him to Clark Atlanta to kick this guy's ass who had started spreading rumors about her.

"Oh no, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Sienna asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He was cool. Just a little scary," Ian laughed.

"Where is he?" Sienna asked, combing the room.

"He's out on the deck."

Sienna got up and left the den. Lori stared at Ian. Not really her type, but he was cute. "So," she started, "you like her too, huh? Well hop in line."

Ian smiled at Lori. He liked blunt people. "Actually, I think she's great, but I think it's clear to see that she's not interested in anyone other than him."

Lori winked at him, "Smart one, you catch on fast. Faster than that one," she laughed, as she pointed over to the corner where Chris sat sulking. Ian joined in with her laugh and sat down beside her.

Sienna made her way out onto the deck and saw her father talking to Brandon. She didn't want to interrupt them, so she was about to turn and walk back in the house, when Brandon called her name.

"Oh, hey, I didn't want to bother you guys while you were talking," she said, while rubbing her hand underneath her stomach.

Jackson laughed, "As if you could ever be a bother." Jackson walked over to Sienna, kissed her forehead and walked inside.

Sienna turned back around to face Brandon.

"Hey, gorgeous, come here," he softly commanded. Sienna walked over to him. He was sitting on the deck railing and staring down at her.

"Can I sit too?" she asked.

Brandon hopped down and gently picked her up and placed her on the railing. He stepped in between her legs and locked his arms around her waist.

"You're not going to let me fall, are you?" Sienna joked, while looking over her shoulder at the short drop from the deck and then back at him.

"Do you think I would?" Brandon whispered, staring into her eyes.

Sienna couldn't take her eyes from him. It was as if, when he stared at her like that, it rendered her helpless and frozen. "No," she whispered back. She wanted so badly to lock her legs around his back, but she figured that would be way too compromising a position. She placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Did you enjoy dinner?" she asked, trying to keep their conversation light, since they were touching so intimately. But Brandon didn't answer. He just continued to stare at her. He then glanced down at her lips, and then licked his. Sienna couldn't stand it any longer. She leaned over and kissed him.

Darren had just shown Michael where the bathroom was when he passed by the kitchen sink window. His mouth almost dropped to see Brandon and Sienna kissing on the deck. He then smiled, and walked back into the den. Finally, was all he could think.

Sienna pulled away from Brandon. She had to get a grip on herself. "Brandon, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"Yes, you should have, and I'm definitely not complaining," Brandon said, smiling at her.

"There's just so much we need to talk about before, I mean, if we get back together, you know?" Sienna added.

Brandon exhaled. "Yeah, I know."

Sienna asked him to put her down so she could finish talking with everyone and say her goodbyes to those who were leaving. He watched as she walked back into the house. Yep, Brandon knew exactly what he had to do.

***********************

Later that night, after all of the guests had left, Sienna stood in the bathroom brushing her teeth. She stared at herself in the mirror, as she completed the mundane task. Her shoulder length charcoal hair hung limp and wavy, due to her up-do she sported earlier. She had on one of Brandon's old shirts, striped panties, and knee high volleyball socks. She scrubbed the makeup from her face and walked down the hallway to her room.

When she entered, she was about to turn on her light, when she came face to face with a figure that towered over her. The figure covered her mouth before she could scream.

"Sienna, I--," was all Brandon got out before her knee connected with his groin. He instantly released her and grabbed his balls. He felt an awful pain riding up his dick, that connected with his stomach and on through to his brain. Motherfucker!

Sienna flicked on the light, to see Brandon bent over, with both hands on his nether region. His entire face had turned red.

"Brandon! Oh my God, are you okay?" she whispered, while rushing over to him. He tried to speak, but words escaped him. How had her tiny knee managed to obliterate his nuts? God, he felt tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Finally, after a few more seconds, he righted himself, and tried to smile at her.

Sienna's worried look soon vanished, replaced by a grin, which then turned into full blown laughter. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, so she wouldn't wake her dad.

"Glad to know it's funny," Brandon said, staring at her, with one hand on his privates.

"I'm sorry," Sienna choked out, while still trying to stifle her laugh. "What the hell were you doing?"

"I didn't want to startle you and have you scream and wake your dad up, so I thought I'd cover your mouth and then turn the light on, but obviously, I didn't get that far."

"I'm sorry," Sienna smiled at him. "But, what are you doing here? Did you climb through my window?"

"Yes," Brandon answered. Once the fire had quelled down in his boxers, he took in the sight of her. Damn, she looked so good in his shirt that stopped several inches above mid thigh on her. That, plus the knee high socks, made her look like a naughty school girl.

Sienna noticed the way Brandon was openly staring at her. Truthfully, it was starting to turn her on, but she tried to ignore that feeling.

"Well, why are you here?"

"You said we needed to talk."

"Now?"

"Yep."

Brandon removed his shoes and crawled onto her bed. Sienna stood there staring at him nervously. She was not about to have sex with him in her father's house. It was just wrong...and freaky, which she had to admit, also turned her on.

"Seriously, I just want to talk," he said, realizing her indecision.

Sienna slowly walked over to the bed and got underneath the covers with him. She realized this was the first time Brandon had ever been in her bed.

Brandon placed his hand around her shoulder, as she snuggled up beside him and rested her head on his chest. Her little round belly pressed into his side.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked.

"Yes."

Brandon rubbed her stomach and kissed her forehead.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Sienna asked.

"I want to know how you're doing," he said.

Sienna looked up at him and furrowed her brow. "I'm fine," she answered back.

"No, how are you really?" he asked again.

Sienna shrugged. She really didn't know how she felt.

"I just feel, I don't know, kinda like everything happened so fast, and we're both still adjusting. Some days I'm scared of being a mother and trying to complete school, and other days I'm so sure of myself."

Brandon nodded, and listened to her as she continued.

"I think about our lives, you know. Tasha said her only fear for me is that I fell in love with you at such a young age, that maybe I haven't had time to experience anything else. And I understand that, but with you, I feel like I've hit the jackpot. So why spend the next few years, you know, chasing a feeling with other people that I already have with you?"

"She's just trying to look out for you," Brandon said. But at that moment, he was so glad Sienna was strong minded.

"I know, but I also know what's good for me, and I don't have to be like other girls to be happy. I don't have to date ten guys in college, and ten guys after college, kiss a lot of frogs, to find my mister right," Sienna said.

Thank God, Brandon thought. "So, what about the future? What do you want?"

Sienna snuggled closer to Brandon while she thought about it. "Hmm, I want to graduate from San Diego State. I want to be the best mom I can be. I don't have a map for that, but I think Tasha's a great mom, so I'll watch her closely. And...five years from now, I wouldn't mind having another baby. I'd like two kids. That would be perfect."

Brandon scoffed, "Two? Don't be a lightweight, we can do at least three, although I say five."

Sienna looked up at Brandon. "And what makes you so sure you'll be the father?"

"Oh, shit, you're right. Ever since you castrated me a few minutes ago, I guess I will have to reconsider the possibility that I might be shooting blanks now."

Sienna buried her head in Brandon's chest and laughed.

"You know, I did that to Terry, too," Sienna laughed. But then she immediately regretted bringing his name into their conversation. She noticed Brandon tense up.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It was stupid."

Brandon didn't say anything for a few seconds, and then tightened his grip on her.

"You know, I think about that sometimes. And when I started counting back how pregnant you were, I almost lost my mind again. I don't know if you know this, but you were one month pregnant when that shitbag tried to--," he couldn't even finish. The thought of that asshole yanking her off a bed onto her back and hurting her, pissed him off to a level he was trying very hard not to reach again. He really didn't want Terry in jail. He wanted to kill that fucker.

"I know, BT, but don't think about it. It's over with, and the baby is just fine. Better than fine, actually."

Brandon tried to ignore that feeling burning up his neck. "So, do you see yourself married?"

"Yes! And you can be the best man when I finally say, 'I do'." Sienna laughed, as Brandon nibbled the side of her neck.

"If you don't want your groom beat down, I suggest you keep me far, far away," he stated.

Sienna sat up and crossed her legs. "Brandon, do you think if we got back together, that we would last?" Sienna asked.

"We're a family now, Sienna. And I swear to you, I will do whatever it takes to keep us together. I know you're young, and I have a bad temper, but we can make this work. I'm in it for the long haul, one hundred and fifty percent. I would put the ring on your finger right now if you would have me. But since you know I'm ready, I want this to be on your terms. I don't care if it's one year from now, or after you graduate, or a few years after that. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, ever again. You got me, woman! I finally have to admit it. Darren can officially call me a pussy."

Sienna raised herself and straddled Brandon. She couldn't believe he had just admitted that to her.

"So, if we got back together, could we start slower? Like, dating first, then moving in together?"

"Absolutely. And I promise, if we date, I'll only go to third base with you," Brandon said.

Sienna laughed and leaned down to hug him. Okay, this just might work, she thought. She prayed it would.

The next morning, Sienna peeked out of her door. She could hear her father moving around downstairs. She stared back at her bed. Brandon was still asleep. They had slept beside each other, just cuddling, all night. She felt like she was in heaven again. But now, she had to figure out how to get him out of the house. Thank God, he had parked down the street.

She pulled on some shorts and walked downstairs. Her father was in the kitchen warming up some of the leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner.

"Hey daddy," Sienna said, yawning at her father.

"Hey baby, how are you?"

"I'm good. Smelled so good down here, I had to come see what you were up to."

Sienna noticed her father setting out three plates. "What's that one for?" she asked, thinking he was having company over.

Her father continued to re-heat food as he spoke. "It's for Brandon, whenever he gets up. Please tell him not to risk hurting himself by leaving through the window."

Sienna felt sick. Shit! Oh, she thought they had been so careful. Jackson looked up and smiled at his daughter. "You know, I'm the lightest sleeper. He's pretty quiet, but it was your constant laughter that woke me up, baby girl. And honestly, it had been a while since I heard you laugh, so I refused to interrupt."

Sienna walked over to her father and hugged him. She would never fully understand someone like him, but he was amazing.

"So wake him up, and tell him to come on down. I have the guns locked up, so he shouldn't be scared."

Sienna laughed, and turned to head out of the kitchen. But then she stopped, after realizing that she hoped her father knew what happened, or didn't happen, for that matter. "You know we didn't do anything though, right, daddy?"