Tethered Hearts | ✓ | Books 1 & 2

Episode 07| Losing Isn't An Option

Bryce's P.O.V.

Kelsey wouldn't quit.

She was relentless when it came to pissing me off. She didn't shriek in her shoes when I told her to stop; she only pushed my buttons more.

When I saw it was a tireless fight against her, I clenched my jaw and sat back in the plastic chair. I wanted to survive this class without falling asleep. But with Kelsey playing matchmaker of the year, I had to keep my attention on her at all times or I'd end up with a date by the end of class.

A calculated look was working its way on to Kelsey's face, and for the first time, I wanted to put a stop to this matchmaking rampage she had been on for the past couple of months.

For the greater good of the Los Angeles area, she needed to be captured before she did anymore damaged to my social life.

My hands gripped the corner of my desk when Kelsey stretched out her arm, ready to tap Sophia's shoulder.

I felt my eyebrows contract. "I swear, if you even think about it, Kels—"

"You'll what? Rip my throat out?" She fell backwards into a fumbling fit of laughter. "I'm not on your pay-roll. Your threats don't work on me, Bryce."

She saw this as a game and that possibly irked me more than her desire to set me up. I was happily single and I was content with the fact that I didn't have a girl in my life. Conner and Kelsey might be living the dream, but I didn't want a slice of their happiness. I didn't want their goat-moaning sex and I didn't want a touchy-feely relationship where they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Fine.

Let me not lie for once and admit that that kind of relationships was appealing -- but money sounded a lot more appealing and far more satisfying.

I wanted that relationship without the commitment and without any strings. And with my attention span, I typically got bored with people by the third day. The only constant people in my life besides for my family and for my guys were my customers. That was about it.

"I wasn't going to do anything that would embarrass you," Kelsey assured me in a hushed tone. "I was only going to ask her if she wanted to go to Grayson's party next weekend. As long as she doesn't bring Poodle, I wouldn't mind if she went to the party."

Kelsey was referring to that girl Conner had stalking him for the past few weeks. He called her Poodle because of her puffy hair and the rest of the group just went along with it. I didn't partake in their juvenile jokes, but it wasn't like I stopped them either.

Kelsey and I had one thing in common, we were possessive over the things we cared about. The moment she found out about Poodle's weird obsession with her boyfriend, she forced Conner to confront Sophia so she could get her friend to leave them alone.

That wasn't her original plan though. Initially, she was going to find a way to get Poodle alone and have a private conversation with her. Conner and I knew exactly what "a private conversation" meant so we came up with a less violent approach.

"You don't need to worry about her friend, Kels. Conner's crazy about you and you're clinically insane for him, too."

She laughed, but it was short lived. A glimmer of something dark sparked behind her eyes. Clasping her hands around her black pen, she held on to it with all of her strength and exhaled from her gritted teeth. "I still want to have a conversation with her."

"We're not going to let you bust her knee caps in, Kelsey. We've been over this a hundred times. It's not gonna happen." I muffled a chuckle. "Not today, not tomorrow, and definitely not the day after that. She hasn't bothered you guys since that day at the mall, has she?"