Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend Chapter 136

Chapter 136: I Want Both

Brianna

“Callan, I applied to Versace for a campaign and if I get it, I am not leaving London.” I got out the words that were like glue over my tongue when I tried to speak. Callan's spine straightened even further.

“Like forever?” He asked and I shook my head no.

“Not just until all the work for the campaign is finished and I don't know how long but I can't just move to Port Harcourt. I mean, sure, I probably won't get it but let's be realistic here. I have got a lot going on for me here, a big opportunity.”

I needed him to understand that this wasn't about me and him, I would love to move back home if it meant we were together but work is a factor here and it has nothing to do with not wanting him. He needs to understand that, I want both and why can't I have both? He started getting restless, like I have never seen him before.

“Brianna, yes or no?” He said again and I could see his temper rising with each passing second.

“Callan, don't do this to me. Don't make me choose.” I whined to him, again he wouldn't let me close the gap between us.

“Why? Because you wouldn't choose me?” He sounded venomous, I know this tone and it isn't good.

“By choosing one doesn't mean I am not choosing the other. Callan, I want you and this job, it is just two months.” I reminded him.

“I am not fucking waiting anymore!” He snapped, I flinched back at the harshness of it.

“What would we even be? You want me to move back to Port Harcourt for a good fuck?” I didn't mean to sound harsh but he was pacing around like a caged animal and it was stressing me out.

He stopped in his tracks and licked his teeth while his eyes seared me. He brushed past me and when I tried to stop him, he moved faster than me. He disappeared into my room and just as I was about to walk in, he was already walking out and I saw his bag in his hand and I realized what he was doing.

“Callan, stop.. hey.” I tried pulling at him and his duffle bag.

“Yes or no, Brianna!” He yelled at me, my eyes began to tear.

“I want both, Callan.” I sniffed, he nodded and took one look at me and swung my front door open.

Again, I went to stop him but he yanked his arm away.

“Just remember who said no.” His voice was deep and gritty and something else that I couldn't detect but there was something there. This was all happening so fast, too fast.

Just as I went to tell him I wasn't saying no to him, that I just want both, it was too late. He slammed the door in my face and the large handsome and mysterious man who has always been just a shade too dark, walked out of my life.

*********

It was crazy how life can change in the blink of an eye, how one decision can alter the course of your life. Growing up, I was the victim of a narcissistic abusive father and neglected mother. I made the decision to leave the house after my brother Bryce joined the military just to get away from that man who called himself our father. I moved in with a man ten years older than me, a man who claimed he loves me but made me become a stripper to collect the income, holding the job against me in a jealous fit of rage and he would abuse me for it.

Then I made the decision to secretly apply for a fashion school to get one step closer to living my dream. On nights where I wanted to cry myself to sleep, I would imagine myself as an accomplished fashion designer and stylist. Back then, I wanted to work for Vogue, I wanted to be fabulous and I had imagined all of it every night in my bed. When I got accepted into the fashion school, I made the choice of actually running away and cutting Ezekiel out of my life. I was the exclusive Brianna Fletcher, a girl with no roots and only one person I loved, my brother who was in the military for many more years after all that. I was alone but I didn't let it stop me.

When I moved to Port Harcourt with my brother, my life truly changed forever. I met Callan, his best friend. A man with a dark aura and an alluring gaze, a man I was afraid of, yet attracted to. I let myself fall into his company even though Bryce wanted nothing more than for us to stay away from each other. I betrayed my brother over the alluring man, I couldn't fight it. Again, life changed when Callan slammed the door in my face and walked out of our apartment. I had two months of internship I wanted to finish and he didn't want to wait for me, I didn't think be gave me more choice at all. When I didn't immediately agree, he took my wanting both the internship and him to be his answer. I tried contacting him, I didn't want things to end between us but he was just so angry that I didn't want to uproot my dream to go back to Port Harcourt. I texted, called and asked around about where he was but he would effectively shut me out, he never spoke to me again.

When my remaining two months' internship was up and I was about to move back to Port Harcourt, I was offered another life changing opportunity. Janet Alinco offered to keep me on for another five months as an intern for just her, not Elizabeth, she was leaving London and I can't say what my answer would have been if I had stayed in contact with Callan but I knew my answer when he left my life. So I said yes to the offer. A lot happened after that, and it went so quickly. I can almost feel the whiplash of my choices and outcome quickly flying forward like a crash. When our lease was over, Jane ended up moving back to Port Harcourt. Since I wasn't working for Elizabeth, we couldn't keep that apartment and I was moving to another, on Janet's dime. I would have rented with Jane if she had a choice but Callan refused to pay her rent to stay here. I know it was to spite me and it hurts that he would go so far to use Jane to harm me. Since Jane has never worked a day in her, she lives off of her bank account that Callan fills each month. 

I love Jane and London wouldn't be the same without her but I had big opportunities heading my way and so, I blinked. I watched my life morph, it was nothing I expected and everything I dreamed of. With Janet as my boss and mentor, I went to fashion runway shows frequently. I also did all the grunt work back at the office, along with my friend and fellow intern, Lucy. What really changed everything was winning the contest campaign I had submitted to Versace. It was to submit our personal vision for the spring collection. I worked long and hard to design some pieces that I thought would be an asset to the collection. Apparently, they agreed because I was suddenly addressed by the woman I have idolized for half of my life. She is the creative designer for Versace. 

I never expected to win but it was one of the reasons I told Callan I didn't want to leave London and look, if I had left, I wouldn't have experienced all this. She is famous for her designer items and legend in the fashion industry and skilled in so many things. Exactly how I wanted to be, designer, stylist and maker of clothes. We got along instantly, I had met her once before in passing while working for Janet and then again after I continued on with vogue. When we started working on the spring campaign, that was when we really got to know one another. She is strange, mysterious with the details in her life and actually very funny. She told me once that normal people think she is insane, but all I see is brilliance. 

Watching your drawing come to life as real clothing, on real models was a gratification so strong that it took my breath away each time I saw it and lived it. I worked alongside my idol for months and when the show finally came, I got to witness something that young, sad and abused little Brianna would shut her eyes and pray for at night. She told me I had a very photogenic way about me, and asked to photograph me and of course I said yes.