No one ever thought Bryce would end up with a girl like her. Obviously damaged, innocent, unattached to social media, quiet, no drugs, no alcohol, no addictions, very sweet. She was raised as a black sheep in a large, rich family in a small town.
Bu...
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"You need anything baby? We just really need to go film with Josh, Jaden, and Anthony. I promise we'll be back right after," I say, Rory still cuddled into my chest, sitting in my lap on the couch. I stroke her hair, knowing she doesn't want me to leave based on her small hands gripping my side and he face buried in my neck.
I open and close my jaw against the top of her head making a stupid, "Ay ya ya ya" noise, which successfully makes her giggle. I smile to myself, enjoying this moment.
"Yo! Bryce! That was Jay, he just called, they are ready." Blake calls from behind me, walking into the room around the couch that Rory and I are on. Quinton, Noah, and Griffin follow him in, them standing in front of us. "Hey Aury," Blake says, watching her. She doesn't respond, not that any of us expect her to.
She has barely spoken the past couple weeks. She apparently quit her job, because she asked me if it was okay that she did. It was two days after the day of the party she and Noah met at, after not really talking for a couple days, she disappeared for a couple hours, came home, told me she had, nearly cried asking if I was angry, and when I wasn't, she just laid there, hugging me.
She's always been quiet, kept to herself while we film or mess around, but I know, and so does everyone, that she's talking even less, doing even less. She doesn't even really want to go to the Hype House. Mia, Kouvr, Larray, and Nikita have been asking about her, but she won't go.
I just don't understand what could've happened to make anything different. And I don't want to push it. So I'm just going about business, and loving in my girlfriend however much she needs. Which as usual is a lot.
I squeeze her body once more before asking, "Are you going to be good here by yourself Sweets?" She finally lifts her head out of my neck, her messy bun flopping to the side on top of her head. She looks around, seeing all four boys.
"Can Noah stay?" she says almost so quietly that even I can't hear her. Everyone, including me, except for Noah and Rory exchange confused looks, but no one says anything about it.
"Sure baby, are you okay with that Noah? We'll do a bit later with you to put in the vlog other than this. Just hang out here with her?" I look up at Noah, and he has a troubled look on his face, watching Rory. He like almost snaps into it and replies,
"Yeah, of course. Doesn't bother me," he shrugs, sitting down in a chair to my left. He keeps eye contact with me, not aggressive, I actually don't know what it is. Rory grabs my arm, gripping it.
"Alright then..." Blake says, awkwardly standing, watching with Quinton and Griff. "Bryce, we will meet you in the car," he finishes before running out with the rest of the boys.
Noah gets out his phone, and looks away so I look down at Rory, who is back to gripping my sides. "Sweets, I promise I'll be back soon, alright?" She just nods into my chest, so I pull her hands away gently and pick her up to place her on the couch.
She pouts lightly for a couple of seconds and then she smiles, making me chuckle lightly. I stand and walk towards the door to leave, "I love you baby," I look back and she is holding her hands up in a heart. I smile, before turning and leaving.
Something is different.
I want my girlfriend to get happy again.
I want her to talk to me.
What changed my girlfriend overnight so much?
-
Rory POV
I stare at the door, as if Bryce is going to walk back through, and just swoop me up.
"Rory." My head turns to Noah, shocked out of my trance. "I didn't know you before this, but this affected you. Everyone knows it. They just don't know what so they won't assume. You need help, you need your boyfriend to understand." While I know he's right, I know I won't do that. So I just shake my head quickly.
He tilts his head further, looking straight at me, while I do everything I can not to meet his gaze.
"Rory, I'm serious. Everyone keeps telling me, she's quiet, but she's not this quiet. Or I promise she usually does stuff with us. She's not always in her room. When they think you're just on your period or your nightmares that you clearly have are just worse. Which they clearly are." I look down, ashamed. Normal eighteen year olds don't have nightmares, or need to be checked on. Josh, Jaden, and Bryce know why I left home. Why I am the way I am. But even Blake, I'm probably closest with him now, other than Bryce, but he only knows there's an issue, not what it all is.
"Rory, you're okay. I'm not making fun of you. I watched you that night, you went through a lot. Just know, I am here for you." I smile lightly, nodding towards him slightly. "But," Oh, yay, "You need to tell someone who knows you better than me, okay? Soon." I look at him for a second before saying,
"I understand," and then I stand up and walk towards the stairs. I want to watch a movie.
"I'm just gonna film some Tiktoks okay?" I just throw my arm up with a thumbs up.
-
Bryce POV
"So... Rory," Blake says from the passenger seat. I just nod, continuing to stare at the road. Normally we would film on the way to the boy's house, but none of us feel like it.
"Do you guys remember the day I came? She was so hyper and in such a good mood, what changed? That was only the day before," Quinton says, shaking his head.
"She said the party was fine," I say.
"But what else could've changed everything this much?" Griffin asks, "I mean she's always quiet, but she seems borderline depressed Bryce, she hasn't eaten since dinner two days ago, you know that right?" My head swivels back, my eyes wide. Blake knocks it back towards the windshield, reminding me that I am in fact driving.
"You were out yesterday morning and last night for those couple hours remember? We didn't want to say anything because well..." Griffin says, Blake speaking up after him, before I can say anything,
"Bryce you would've gotten mad and made her eat. She's clearly even more fragile than before, dude. What were we supposed to do?" He's right. But she's my girlfriend. So no.
"Griffin, you're NURSE BOY. Not eating for two days isn't good, regardless. Even I know that!" How did I not notice that?
"Bryce, everything's okay. She doesn't love eating anyway, but tonight we'll do something she likes so she'll eat." Griffin says.
"What if we get Chipotle bowls, and Starbucks, bring it back and all eat?" Quinton says hopefully, clearly trying to end the argument. I sigh, trying to calm down before saying,
"She not going to want to eat outside of our room, so we'll do that. It'll be easy to eat in the bed. I'm going to try to talk to her about all of this I think," Blake nods next to me.
"Just, be careful." Quinton says seriously.
"I know, I just, I need to know. You have no idea how it feels to know your girlfriend isn't okay, but not be able to do anything. To not even know what is going on."
