sweets || bryce hall

Chapter 52: Ever Again

Rory POV

I lean into Dixie's arms, hugging her back as she squeezes me, her yelling at the wall, me, and Noah all finally having subsided.

"I don't want to watch you get hurt again." She says quietly, making me smile sadly.

"I love you too Dixie." I say, knowing the root of all of this, and also knowing that with Dixie we won't get anywhere fighting.

I also can't take arguing with her. Not when I just...

That took so much nerve, and the honest level of anxiety I had in the two minutes it took to decide that was insane.

I know a lot of what she is saying is right, this could be the stupidest thing I've ever done.

And I know that.

But Bryce is my person, and I can live without him. I can, but I don't want to.

I love my friends, but he is who I want to be with, and I have forgiven him.

So I know it's time. Plus with the holidays, I think it's time to be with my family. Not just my friends. And Chase is my best friend, he is, but outside of my family. Nessa is like my sister, Jaden, Blake, and Josh are my brothers. Same with Noah.

I thought Tayler and Griffin were, but I don't know anymore. I guess I'll find out when I go back and have to live with Griffin.

"Awwwhhh, you guys are cute," Noah smiles, making both of us crack a smile pulling apart to look at him, Dixie rolling her eyes as he walks over, hugging her and pressing a kiss to her forehead. I grin at the sweet moment between them. I walk back towards my guest bedroom, slowly collecting my stuff and putting it back into the bag that Mads packed me a month ago. I smile as I grab the "Hermanas" hoodie off the ground that I got from Dixie, and technically James, remembering the day we filmed that.

I really love them.

I fold everything, luckily I didn't mess the room up too much since I've been here. I walk into the bathroom, passing Noah who is texting someone, probably Bryce, as I take my toiletries bag back to the room.

I smile softly, looking around and remembering Heidi being the amazing woman and mother that she is for her daughters, for me. I feel a tear fall, but I quickly wipe it away, knowing that it has to be a happy memory. I don't have a lot of those, so I've learned the past year that treasuring them is important as they happen.

I keep looking around, until I hear across the apartment, Dixie yell, "YO, RORY, YOUR DUMBASS IS HERE!" My eyes widen slightly, even though I knew it was about time. I take a shaky breath in, before walking out into the hallway. I take it step by step until I get to the opening of the living room and kitchen, stopping short as I see Bryce and Noah dabbing each other up to greet the other just inside the open door, as Dixie stands a couple of feet away, glaring at Bryce openly.

"Hi," I shakily get out, staring straight at Bryce as his head snaps up, seeing me. I see his eyes lock onto mine, and a small smile grows on his face. But I also can see the fear in his eyes. After almost a year I can read it, I can tell that he's scared of messing it up more. Messing us up more. Messing me up more.

But he doesn't know me as well anymore.

But I know him. And as much as he has hated this last month, hated himself, hated his drinking, and everything that lead to what happened, he knows that the silence, that I asked for, couldn't mess up everything.

Now he knows this time is going to decide everything.

And trust me, I'm thinking the same thing.