Always There

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One:

Lexi's POV

"You are beyond infuriating, Bryce Bradshaw," I mumble, wrapping my arms around myself as I walk through the attic with Bryce following close behind.

After drinking some more of that delicious bubbly drink and laying curled up in bed together for awhile, Bryce finally listened to me when I told him that we needed to go back downstairs so that nobody would come looking for us only to spot us naked in bed together.

"What did I do this time, sweetheart?" he asks innocently, switching off the lamp in the living room which leaves us bathed in nearly complete darkness.

I scowl at him even though I doubt that he can see it. "You made me agree to staying the night with you during a . . very vulnerable moment."

A moment of silent passes between us before Bryce begins cackling.

He doesn't say a word to me until he's crossed the room again, now back at my side. He's been carrying my dress and his belt and tie in his hands, but he soon shoves them into my arms with no explanation.

I open my mouth to ask him what could possibly be going through his head right now before he lifts me up into his arms and begins walking down the attic stairs.

"Why is that so infuriating?" he then asks, feigning innocence as he holds me tight, carrying me the entire way down the stairs.

It takes an immense amount of effort to not roll my eyes at Bryce, who finally sets me back down on the ground once he steps off of the bottom step and onto the floor of the upstairs hallway.

"Because that's cruel, Bryce!" I hiss, trying to move away from him.

I really don't appreciate him trying to force me to stay with him. Of course I want to spend the night with my boyfriend, but I can't just ditch my family like that: I'm sure they really wouldn't appreciate me refusing to come home with them for some cuddle-time with Bryce.

But I want cuddle-time with Bryce . . .

"Was I being cruel? Are you sure about that, baby?" Bryce then questions.

I scowl at him once again. "Of course I'm sure!"

Bryce hasn't removed his hands from my hips since the moment that he set me down so that I could stand again, but his hands then move up to my waist as he tugs me flush to his chest.

I accidentally drop the bundle of clothes in my arms onto the floor where they land at my feet. Bryce glances down at where my dress is now a heap of beautiful white fabric with a smirk on his face.

He leans in, brushing my hair back past my shoulders to reveal my neck to him. He brushes his lips down my throat, causing a shiver to run down my spine, before he then whispers, "Is that so? Because perhaps I'm not being cruel. Maybe I'm simply doing you a favour."

I arch an eyebrow up at him but allow him to continue speaking.

"I know that you really want to spend the night here, with me. I also know you well enough to know that you would feel bad for not spending the night with your family. I'm just making the choice easy for you by tricking you into agreeing to stay with me anyway. If your parents have a problem with it, just tell them that your boyfriend is having an emotional breakdown over his fucked-up family life and he needs his girl tonight or else he may jump off his balcony," Bryce murmurs.

He then pulls away to look me directly in the eye.

That's quite devious of him, but also incredibly sweet.