[For However Long || Book 4]

12°

«"now you finally open, I'm just tryna be only..."

[a week and a half later]

"Mom's back!" Daphne yelled, running down the stairs and hugging Paris, who was tired from her flight.

Harley, Isaiah and Caleb came behind her. Paris hugged all of them and grabbed Caleb's face.

"You got tall over the summer. Is that a mustache?" She smirked. He grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't tell him that. It goes to his head." Harley said.

"Paris..." Bryson, who had opened the door for her, said getting her attention.

"Yea?" She replied.

"Just trying to make sure you can hear me."

Paris' heart sank in her chest instantly and looked up at him. He looked back at her, wiping a hand over his face and walking into his office. She continued to catch up with the kids before telling them to go upstairs and wait for her to take them school shopping.

She then walked to Bryson's office door before taking a deep breath and walking in. He was sitting at his desk with his head down.

"What do you want from me, huh?" She asked him, tears forming in her eyes as she spoke.

"Nothing, I just—" he started, standing up and walking over to her.

"You keep doing this to me. I'm still in love with you, Bryson. You know it and I know it and you keep using that to hurt me." She cried, wiping her face hysterically.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, "Paris, I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm not."

"Yes, you are and I can't take it anymore..." She said, trying to push him away.

"I keep trying to fight it, but all I think is you, Paris." He told her.

Paris shook her head, "I don't believe that and I'm not going to keep doing this with you. You wanted a divorce and that's what you're getting."

"That's not what I want. I just want to talk, Paris." He replied.

"Oh, now you want to talk." She laughed, wiping more tears away, "I don't want to talk. I just want to be happy again."

"I can make you happy again. We can be happy together, Paris." Bryson stressed, trying to push the hair out of her face and look her in her eyes.

"Without you, Bryson. This week, I was happy. I felt so free. I didn't cry, or get mad, not once." She said, "I felt young and I felt beautiful."

"Paris..." Bryson sighed.

"Why the change of heart, cause you saw me with someone else?" She asked him.

"Cause you were gone..." He said quietly.

"You're always gone. I've been feeling that pain for years. That and seeing you be with somebody else" She confessed.

"W-What are yo— what?"

"I know about you and Reign. I've known for long time. And didn't do anything because I love you, because I can't live without you. At least that's what I thought. But I can, and I will."

Bryson stood there at a lost for words. He wasn't even sure what to say next. He'd been thinking for a long time, not getting any sleep or being able to focus on music, he wasn't ready to end his marriage and he wanted to fight for it.

"I'm going to go take the kids shopping. Have a nice day, Bryson." She wiped her face clean of tears and left the office.

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