Darkness (Alisa Rose #2)

-Thirty One-

Alisa POV

It had been a packed week of patrolling, late-night investigations, and taking down a few Tikbalanugo vampires who were getting a little too close for comfort around the school. In between, I'd been seeing Raphael, and our dates were... surprisingly nice. He wasn't anything like I expected—more laid-back and considerate than I thought a councilman's son could be, but maybe I'd just been around Jace too long. Though, honestly, comparing the two made for some confusing feelings. I was still sorting out what I felt for Jace while Raphael was showing up like an unexpected option I hadn't thought I'd consider.

During training, though, Jace made it impossible to keep those feelings shelved. We were halfway through a grueling drill, practicing moves to dodge the swift, unpredictable attacks Tikbalanugo were known for, when I mentioned Raphael had invited me to the Halloween party. I could practically feel Jace's intensity shift the second I brought it up.

"So, Raphael invited you?" he asked, throwing a jab my way that was sharper than usual.

"Yeah," I replied, ducking just in time and tossing him a smirk. "Pretty formal for a Halloween thing, but that's Raphael, I guess. He's already picked out some extravagant costume from some old movie I didn't recognize."

Jace didn't respond right away, his jaw tightening ever so slightly as he adjusted his stance, preparing to counter my next move. "He goes to Colegio De San Vicente?" His voice was casual, but there was a tension in it that I didn't miss.

"Yeah, apparently he transferred," I said, shrugging. "Figured it might be safer with all the Tikbalanugo around." I feigned a punch, but he dodged easily. "Guess his family thought it'd be good for him."

Jace's eyes narrowed a fraction, and he threw a kick that I barely dodged in time. There was something in his gaze that was... hard to place, something not quite like his usual focus. Jealousy? That hint of something made me pause just enough to miss his next move, which ended with me flat on my back, blinking up at him.

"Sloppy move," he muttered, a bit too satisfied as he offered me a hand.

I took it, letting him pull me to my feet. "Oh, admit it—you're not really annoyed I brought him up." I dusted off my pants, giving him a sidelong glance.

Jace didn't respond right away, shifting his focus to adjusting the bandages on his knuckles, but he was a little too quiet, a little too focused on the small task. It was just enough to make me wonder, but I wasn't about to ask him directly. Not yet, anyway.

"Look, if you're worried about him being at the Halloween party, I can handle it. You don't have to keep an eye on me every second, you know." I aimed to keep things light, though there was an edge of seriousness there.

"Who says I'd be there to watch you?" he replied, a hint of challenge in his voice.

I raised an eyebrow. "Sure, Jace, because you're definitely not one to keep tabs on me."

He gave a small, rare smile, one that was gone as quickly as it appeared. "Halloween or not, those vampires may still be around, and now that Raphael's here, they'll probably try to catch a council member's son off guard. Just keep your wits about you, alright?"

"Wits are my middle name," I shot back, grinning as I sidestepped around him. "Relax. I've been dealing with Tikbalanugo longer than he has, and I'll be fine." I paused, meeting his gaze directly. "But thanks for worrying."

That seemed to disarm him, just for a moment. He gave me a nod, one that was almost reluctant, like he was agreeing to trust me but only for now. The weight of it lingered as we went back to training, and though we didn't say much more about Raphael or the Halloween party, the tension between us made each move sharper, our sparring fiercer.

By the end of the session, I was left with bruised ribs and more questions than answers, but if Jace was going to leave things hanging in the air, then so would I. 

****

When I got home that evening, I was exhausted in every way possible. Between a long day at school, training with Jace, and all the recent patrols, my body was screaming for a break. As I tossed my bag onto the floor, the only thing I could think to say was, "Rough day," but my words faded the moment I noticed Bryce on the couch, his shoulders hunched and his face buried in his hands. It took me a second to realize he was crying, which hit me harder than any of the Tikbalanugo attacks we'd fought.

"Bryce?" I asked softly, moving closer and kneeling beside him. He looked up, his eyes red and puffy, and that simple glance made my heart twist painfully. Bryce always tried to be upbeat and funny, no matter how difficult things got, so seeing him like this shattered that image.

"I—I'm sorry," he whispered, wiping at his face. "It's just... today was... really bad."

I reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. "What happened? You don't have to hide it from me."

He took a shaky breath, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's Jordan's mom," he said, looking away. "She... she hates me, Alisa. She hates that Jordan's with me. I overheard her on the phone—saying how she wished he'd stop choosing to love a boy, that he could do better than someone like me." His voice cracked, and he shook his head, staring down at his hands. "And I just... I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I didn't choose to be like this, Alisa. I didn't ask to be this way."

Hearing that, my own chest tightened, a mix of hurt and anger building up. "Bryce, you're not doing anything wrong," I said, my voice firm but soft. "You're just being yourself."

He let out a bitter laugh. "Sometimes I think... if I had the power to just be like everyone else—just to be a girl, even—maybe things would be easier for me. I mean, what's the point of loving someone if it just ends up making people hate you? Being gay... it's like carrying this weight I can't get rid of, no matter how much I try. And I hate it, I hate that... that it makes me afraid to even be myself. I just want to live as normal as everybody else."

I moved closer, wrapping my arms around him tightly. Bryce clung to me, and for a moment, he just let himself cry, like he'd been holding it in for way too long. "Bryce," I murmured, my voice breaking slightly, "you are kind and brave, and there's no one like you. You always show up, even when things are tough, and that's something a lot of people can't do."

He sniffed, wiping his eyes as he looked at me, his face softening a bit.

"You don't deserve anyone's judgment or hatred for being yourself," I continued. "There's only one you, Bryce, and my world's a better place with you in it. It's not a curse to be yourself, even if some people want to make you feel that way. And besides... if you weren't exactly who you are, then who'd be around to keep me sane? You don't know how much you saved me. I love you, Bryce."

That made him chuckle through his tears, a small, fragile sound, but it was something.

"I love you too, Liss. I don't know what I'd do without you," he whispered. "Sometimes, it's like you're the only person who understands."

"Well, that makes two of us," I replied, holding him close. "You've always been there for me, Bryce. So, let me be here for you, okay?"

He nodded, a trace of a smile finally forming on his face. And as I sat with him, I knew that whatever happened, I'd make sure Bryce never had to face it alone. He deserved better than that, and no matter how hard things got, I'd remind him of just how irreplaceable he was.