Better With You (Better Love 2)

She rolls her eyes, and I head in the direction of the Legion Hall that Bailey rented for today. We decorated the inside and let in the caterers this morning, but when we pull up, Bailey’s eyes widen and her jaw drops.

“Oh my god,” she gasps, and then she turns to me. “Did you know they were gonna do this?” Her smile is huge and she’s bouncing in her seat. “Oh, the bigots are gonna fuckin hate it,” she giggles. “I feel like someone should stand outside and record anyone who drives by just to get their reaction.”

I laugh and take it all in.

“Taylor asked if they could get here early to drop off a few things, but he didn’t tell me what,” I answer her. I knew they were bringing some decorations, but I had no idea they would be doing this.

We climb out of the car and stand on the sidewalk, gazing at the American Legion Hall. Seconds later, Ivy, Kelley, and Jesse walk up next to us, and Jesse lets out a low whistle.

“This is brilliant,” he marvels. “Absolutely brilliant.”

“Right?” I say, and Ivy takes out her phone to start snapping pictures.

The front of the Legion Hall has been decorated with Pride flags and posters. On one side of the door hangs a large Progress Pride Flag, and on the other side hangs a Transgender Pride Flag. There are rainbow balloons tied to stakes in the grass, and smaller flags fluttering in the breeze.

When we walk inside, Taylor is waiting to greet us, and he gathers Bailey into a hug, then pulls me in for one, too. In planning this event, I’ve gotten to know Taylor better, and he’s grown on me. He’s a cool guy, and his friendship is important to Bailey. He’s even shared some great memories of Brandon with me, and I love knowing more about Bailey’s life, about the people she loves.

“What do you think, Little Barnes?” Taylor asks. “Is it too much?”

“Are you kidding,” Bailey beams. “It’s fucking perfect.” She’s grinning up at him when the art prints catch her eye, and she gasps.

All along the sides of the banquet hall stand easels filled with picture collages of Brandon, and amongst the collages, are large prints of artwork Brandon had done before he died. Taylor was able to get them from the art department at their college, as well as some work he’d done for fun at the LGBTQ+ Student Center.

“Oh my god,” Bailey gasps. “Taylor, this is...”

“C’mere, Little Barnes. I got one more thing to show you before you turn to mush,” he says with a sly grin, and he winks at me. I’m beyond excited for her to see this. She’s gonna fucking flip. He hooks his arm in hers and leads her to the back of the hall. They step up on the raised platform where people will stand to share their favorite memories of Brandon, and later, where a DJ will play. Off to the side of the platform stands another easel, but whatever is on it is covered with a sheet.

“Unveil it, Barnes,” Taylor says and gives her a nudge. Slowly, she walks to the easel and pulls down the sheet. The moment the print is exposed, everyone gasps, followed by hushed statements of awe and praise.

Bailey starts to cry big, loud, hiccupping sobs, and I gather her in my arms and pepper her face with kisses.

“It’s beautiful,” she says, then she looks to Taylor. “How did you find this? Where was it?”

“It was on his computer at the Center,” Taylor says, tears forming in his eyes as well.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

She hasn’t taken her eyes off the print, a digital portrait of her and Brandon in front of the Bean. The words “Night Bean” are scrawled in cursive along one curved edge of the sculpture, and the city skyline glows in the reflective surface. Bailey and Brandon are sporting matching grins, twin pairs of eyes lit up with happiness. It’s absolutely breathtaking.

I knew Taylor was bringing this, but seeing it in person brings a whole other level of appreciation. Brandon was extremely talented, and I’m already scheming a way to get this framed so we can hang it on a wall in our future house.

“Ready to celebrate Bran’s life, B?” Ivy says from beside us, and Bailey turns to her with a smile mirroring the one in the portrait.

“Hell yes.”

Hours later,after we’ve cleaned up the American Legion Hall until it’s in pristine condition and taken pictures of our work to avoid any suspicious damage charges that they may try to sneak on us, Bailey and I drive back to campus in comfortable silence.

She’s got her phone hooked up to the Bluetooth, she’s humming along to a Jack’s Mannequin song, and our hands are clasped over the center console.

“Why’d you tell me your name was Alex?” she asks, breaking the silence. “That first text.”

“You didn’t know who I was,” I say honestly, “which meant you didn’t have to see me as BU’s star pitcher with the MLB future. I just wanted to be, I dunno, me. Just me. And at the time, I didn’t know how to be me without separating all the different facets of myself. I was fractured in so many different places, being a different version of myself for everyone in my life, it was exhausting. But when I met you, it was a blank slate. So, I gave you a name that wasn’t known on campus, and I went in without pretense.”

She’s quiet, rubbing small circles on my hand with her thumb, so I swallow and continue.

“I wasn’t expecting you, Bailey,” I admit. “I don’t know what I was expecting, actually. Maybe nothing. All I knew was that I had to know you, all of you, and I wanted you to know all of me. Just me. Not the person I was pretending to be for everyone else.”

She rolls her head on the headrest so she’s facing me, and I feel her eyes roam over my face.

“I liked you right away,” she admits. “I tried to pretend like I didn’t. Acted like you were just going to be a hookup. But I was hooked the moment you tugged out my earbuds and flashed me that stupid, sexy smirk.” She lets out a laugh. “God, I was so stupid, too. I wasn’t fooling anyone but myself.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I mean, V sees everything, so that’s not surprising. But even Jesse could tell how deep I was in it. And I hate when J knows something I don’t. He’s so gloaty and smug.”

I chuckle at that because I can picture Jesse’s reaction. Hell, I’ve seen it firsthand, now.

“You liked me right away,” I repeat, and I don’t hide my grin.

“I did,” she admits again. “And you liked me right away.”

“I did.” I pull her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “I’m never letting you go again, Sundance. From now on, we’re doing everything together.”

“Everything?”

“Every damn thing,” I stress. “You’re never getting rid of me.”

“Hmmm,” she purrs softly. “And what if I said I wanted to turn off this highway and onto a secluded, dark, side road, so we can fuck in the back seat of your Audi?”

I flip the blinker immediately and turn onto the next road, which just happens to be surrounded by nothing but barren fields and telephone poles, the nearest streetlight shining a few miles away.