The Golden Couple

Chap. 65

I stepped into the Art Room, leaning against the doorway as I observed the scene before me.

The kids were all falling over one another as they tried to show their final pieces for the day to Steven, who was laughing as he tried to tell them to wait at their seats and he'd come around to look.

The kids all loved Steven for reasons that Kylie and I couldn't figure out. Probably because he was just an overgrown child himself.

Steven glanced over at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Just came in here to remind you that you have five minutes before lunch," I said, with a smile.

"We're finishing cleaning up now," Steven informed me, gesturing around the tidy art room. "The kids just have to hang up their pieces to dry."

"Ms. Sophie, do you like mine?" Zane called out, holding up his painting.

I nodded.

Steven stopped at the first table, resting his elbows on the edge as the kids all shoved their pieces in his face.

As Steven was making his rounds, the backdoor to the Art Room opened, the one that led outside.

Steven immediately rose up as we waited to see who was coming inside.

And then Bryce stepped inside, letting the door close behind him.

"Bryce!" over half of the kids screeched, clambering to their feet.

A facemask was secured around the bottom half of Bryce's face, but his eyes immediately widened, as though he wasn't expecting to see the kids.

"Hang up your pictures guys," Steven said to the kids that hadn't run over to see Bryce, the ones that didn't know who he was.

Bryce was carrying something in his hand, but he dropped it over to the side so he could wrap up all of the kids in a group hug.

"Alright guys," I said, uncomfortable with that many people being around Bryce. Especially since they were kids, they were bound to be swimming with germs.

And he wasn't even supposed to be in public.

"Go hang up your paintings and then wash up for lunch," Steven instructed.

The kids did as they were told, filing out of the Art Room to the supervision of Kylie.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, washing my hands before wrapping my arms around Bryce.

Bryce unhooked the face mask from around his face. "Brought you lunch. But I thought I was a little later."

I rolled my eyes, giving him a quick kiss.

"Yeah, I'm still here!" Steven called out from behind us. "And I really don't want to see the Bryce and Sophie show, thanks."

"Then leave," Bryce stated.

I rolled my eyes, lightly swatting him on the bicep before turning to face Steven.

He was seated up on one of the Art counters.

"I eat lunch in here," he informed Bryce. "My hour of solitude."

"I'm already regretting my single act of kindness," Bryce said, with a long sigh.

My jaw dropped.

"Not you," he said, the edges of his lips twisting back into a smile. "I brought Anderson lunch too."

"Wait, you did?" Steven asked, jumping back off of the counter.

"And Kylie."

"Fair trade then," Steven said.