sweets || bryce hall

Chapter 72: Forever

A few months later...

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Rory POV

"The guy said this one has everything, Bryce. I'm serious, I cannot wait to see it." I shake his arm a little, craning my neck past him while he drives, "Is it down that- street! Bryce, I swear it was that one, Paradise-something Street!"

"Sweets, no I got it, see? It says right there!" He points towards his phone on the driving display arm, "It's not Paradise Valley Street, it's something Valley Place!" I roll my eyes, shaking my head even though I know I'm the only one who read the email and I read it once, "We'll find it in a minute, I'm telling you,"

-

It was Paradise Valley Street. That's why when I had most of it, Bryce could fill that in but not his suggestion.

"Okay so maybe I'm working on being less blindly confident," Bryce puts the car in park, parallel on the street in front of the apartment complex. I giggle, shaking my head,

"You've been working on that since I met you," I look at him knowingly and he just chuckles and looks over at me. I see that same look in his eyes, the boyish one I saw the first day I met him. But instead of seeing it on a boyish face, I see it on my boyfriends face. His bearded, kind face instead of his eyebrow slit, fuckboi face. How much I loved him never changed, but I can see how much he's grown and changed into a more intentional and empathetic man since I met him. I know I've changed too, my hair is shorter and I have my piercings. When I look in the mirror I see the confidence Bryce has helped take root in my chest and grow and bloom behind my eyes.

Bryce slips his hand across my cheek and into my dark curls. He leans across the seat towards me, tucking my hair behind my cheek as he presses a kiss to my lips, pulling back and looking straight into my eyes, "You're always right, and I love you for not slapping me on the back of my head when I forgot about that for the last few minutes," I throw my head back, laughing and nodding my head with a smile on my face,

"Thank you Bryce, for the apology. Now, let's go see our next apartment," I raise my eyebrows, grabbing my phone off the white leather Tesla seat and pushing the door open. He shakes his head as we both step out, him locking the car once the doors are closed,

"My Sweets, ever the optimist." I grin, holding out my hand for him to grab as he walks around the car, taking it and walking with me,

"Oh, you know it," I swing our interlocked hands back and forth, my feet crunching against the gravel outside the front door, "Don't worry, I saw a couple pictures. I think this one is going to be everything we wanted," Bryce pulls me back towards him, spinning us around so he can open the front door for me. I pretend-curtsy, walking through the door. I look back as Bryce follows me in, and when he lock eyes he nods, encouraging me forward with his hands. I take a deep breath, nodding, we've been working on this. I can do this. It isn't even that scary- "Hi, um my name is Rory, I've spoken to someone on the phone?" Yes! I did it! I feel Bryce's hand on my back as he squeezes me to him in celebration, me smiling towards the woman behind the desk in front of us. She looks up, raising her eyebrows and smiling back at me,

"Ah... yes! Rory Matthew's right? Yes, Danny told me you'd be coming but he never gave me a time. You wanted to see H14 right?" I nod, glancing at Bryce as I wonder if he knows why I called when I saw this apartment listed, "Okay, I have the key somewhere... somewhere... yes! Okay," She pops up from where she crouched down behind the desk, "Follow me! The elevator is just down the hall, and we just have to go up,"

I smile, following her, Bryce pushing me toward gently as he asks for her name. Madison. It fits her, her beautiful, white-blonde waves, her black skirt and white blouse. The further we go into the building, the more sleek, modern art I see, the more I know I found the right place.