Page 102 of Blue Jeans in Low Beams

“How about you let me decide who is and isn’t a bad idea for me?”

“Brenna, you’re twenty-six. You have your whole life ahead of you. You can’t be throwing it away on some serial monogamist.”

“What?”

There he is with the throwing my life away thing again.

“Milo goes from one relationship to the next, all of them sorta but not really serious. Until he decides the girl just isn’t worth the effort, because he’s never going to love a person as much as he loves the brewery.”

My heart stops, sinking, right along with my stomach. I swallow hard, the harsh reality of what he’s saying creeping in.

“Think about it. Kelly, Andrea, whatever the one before her was named. So on top of being too fucking old for you, all that’s gonna happen is you’re going to get hurt. And I’m not going to stand here and let that happen.”

Tears threaten for real now, the ache in my chest growing at a rapid pace. One that makes it seem like I could rip in two at any moment. Either that or collapse altogether. The walls close in tighter and tighter, making it hard to breathe as my anger takes over.

“I am not a child,” I say as calmly as I can.

“You don’t⁠—”

“Brandt, I am not a child!” I scream. “I am a full-grown adult who can make her own fucking choices! You don’t get to dictate who I do and don’t date!”

“I will not stand by and let you ruin your life over this.” He shakes his head, as if he’s trying to free an idea loose. “It was one thing when Mom mentioned that Milo took you to the Fourth of July picnic, a little weird, but okay, I could reason that away. But when Mrs. Chamberlain sent me that photo⁠—”

“That’s who sent it?” I seethe. That woman…

“Does it matter?” he questions, flailing his arms. “Clearly there are others in this town who are just as concerned about your welfare as I am, since the person I asked to look out for you can’t be trusted.”

“Orrrr,” I counter, dragging out the word, trying to be as mocking as possible, “they want to get a rise out of you because they’re lacking some entertainment. This whole town has watched us together all summer long. No one said anything. We even had dinner together with Mom and Dad last week.”

That little factoid stops Brandt dead in his tracks. Fire flares in his pupils, his mouth pressing into a hard line.

“So it was just me that you were lying to about this.”

Guess so…

In my defense, I was just telling Mell that I thought he would be accepting. Then again, I’m not sure how much I really believed that. Because if I had, I would have told him. So, guilty as charged there.

Regardless, that doesn’t mean he has any say.

“Not on purpose.”

“Had all summer to tell me. To tell me the truth when I asked.”

I nod. There isn’t a response for that. He’s right. We did.

“Because you know deep down I’m right.” There’s a shift in his voice. The anger is still there, but now it’s mixed with something else. Something I can’t name. But more than that, it’s the tone he’s using. It’s the same one he used when I was little. When he was in older brother mode. Protective mode. I know best mode. “You knew that I would talk you out of this. That you’re only going to get hurt. Because this is a bad idea, Brenna.”

Something inside me snaps. All the anger and hurt from this conversation boils over, and I can’t handle it anymore. I’m done. If that’s how he sees this, if that’s how he thinks this is going to be, then I don’t have room for it in my life.

Brandt was always the one person who believed in me. Who supported me. But if he’s not going to treat me like the adult that I am, then none of that matters.

“That has nothing to do with it. We made a choice based off what we felt was best for our relationship. You weren’t here. And this didn’t feel like a text message kind of conversation. The irony of all this? I really thought you’d be happy for me. I even told Mell that.”

“Relationship,” Brandt scoffs. “You’re fucking him. That’s not⁠—”

“Shut the fuck up, Brandt!” I cut him off. “Cause here’s the thing. What it all boils down to. You can either respect me, my choices, and my independence, or you can get the fuck out of my life! Got it?”

I don’t give him a chance to answer.