Always There

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Four:

Lexi's POV

"I think I'm going to call Jordan and Jasmine to apologise for getting so upset with them earlier," I tell Bryce, who is seated comfortably on my bed.

Wearing nothing except for a towel hanging low around his hips.

It's often extremely hard to not jump on top of him and beg him to take me right then and there.

To my pure and utter delight, Bryce pats his lap as if to gesture for me to sit. I hurry across the room, taking a seat right down in his lap. I do my best to ignore that I'm only wearing a towel as well as I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.

"I don't think you should apologise, baby. You didn't do anything wrong. They made you sad and so it's okay that you go upset," Bryce responds in a whisper.

He wraps his arms around my waist and I can't help but to melt into his embrace as I ask, "Are you sure? I shouldn't have stormed away from them. I don't like the thought of them being mad at me. I'm just super stressed right now."

Bryce plants a gentle kiss to my forehead before he looks me directly in the eye. "I'm very proud of you, Blossom. You've come so far over the past year. It makes me beyond happy to see that my pretty girl is thriving."

I feel my eyebrows raise up. "You're proud of me?"

"So, so fucking proud of you," Bryce replies with a smile.

I'm unable to stop myself from grinning back at him, just as wide a smile. "I'm proud of you too, Bryce. You've matured a lot this year."

Now it's Bryce's turn to raise his eyebrows. "How so?"

"Well, you're embracing that you have a brother. And you seem to hate your mom slightly less now. Also, call me crazy, but I think you seem a lot more genuine now. Does that make sense?" I respond.

Bryce looks down, breaking eye contact, as if embarrassed as he says, "Perhaps I wasn't being the most authentic when we met again last year. Maybe I was acting a little bit unlike myself because I wanted to be the kind of guy that you would want. A guy like Mateo and Jordan."

Bryce's POV

Do I feel like shit for admitting that to her?

Fuck yes, I do.

And she looks so damn torn right now as she stares at me with those wide hazel eyes, now brimming with tears as she ponders my words.

"Why would you do that? That makes me really sad. Couldn't you tell that I was in love with you already when we were thirteen? I never wanted Mateo and I've never even kissed Jordan. You've always been it for me," she says softly.

"Then why did you go out with Mateo?" I ask bluntly.

She frowns, pursing her lips together. "Because I craved the intimacy of a relationship and you weren't there. You were off doing things with other girls and it hurt."

The intimacy of a relationship? Does that mean . . .

No. There is more to a relationship than sex. She wouldn't have had sex with him.

But she could have.

"Did you really lose your virginity to me or had you already had sex with my brother?" I suddenly ask her.

I'm such a fucking idiot that it pains me sometimes.

Blossom's whole body tenses but she shoots out of my lap before I can get another word in. I watch her storm across the room and towards her dresser, yanking open a few drawers as she randomly grabs clothing from each.