2:29 AM

Chapter Forty-Three

I don't know if I'm more pissed off or...I don't even know how I feel. I'm not really hurt.

I walk outside and take a deep breath in. God, it's a mess. It's not even like I'm all that innocent. With Bryce and everything...it's different.

At least I tried to hide it a little bit. I wasn't flirting with some slutty girl and touching her leg right in front of him. Fuck him. Fuck Colton, honestly we wouldn't have worked out anyways.

"Fuck me," I mutter as I walk around outside. What was I doing with Colton? Did I even ever really like him? I mean, looking back now, it definitely seems more apparent that he was coming on to plenty of girls. Maybe I was just a fuck to him.

Oh, sweet Jesus, how was I so stupid?

The air's thick and muggy. The skies are dark. I wince when a fat raindrop falls and hits my eye. "Fucking perfect," I mutter. Rain starts coming down hard, but it feels good. The wind picks up and the raindrops sting slightly when they hit me. It brings me out of my thoughts.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Someone says, and grabs my arm. Oh, fuck, please don't be Colton. The guy spins me around and his smell hits me. I know it's Bryce.

"Fuck off, Bryce," I say. I shrug out of his grasp and start walking down the sidewalk. He keeps pace with me.

"What's wrong?" Bryce asks. I open my mouth to say something. But he says, "I know something's wrong. Don't lie to me."

"Seriously, Bryce, nothing's wrong. Go back to the movie," I tell him. "Why'd you follow me?"

"Why'd you run out of the theater?" I stop and look at him. His eyes are concerned and almost...worried? Maybe I owe him an explanation.

"I...it doesn't matter. Go back to that bitch you were with," I say. I keep walking and I don't know why. Bryce's arm latches onto my waist, stopping me.

"Damn it, Andy," he says. "You don't have to lie to me." We're both soaking wet at this point. He drags me to the side of the building where there's an exit that no one uses.

"What the fuck are you doing, Bryce?" I ask. Somehow I'm against the wall and his arms are on either side of my head. He shakes his head and mutters something I can't hear. The wind is whipping through the air and we're being pelted by rain drops.

We're so close, his forehead is touching mine. "What have you done to me?" he says quietly.

"What do you mean?" I ask. I'm staring into his eyes.

"You're with Colton. I shouldn't want this. I shouldn't be thinking these things," Bryce says. "I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't care about you."

"Colton doesn't mean anything to me," I say, "Not anymore."

"But I can't stop myself," Bryce says. He seems almost defeated.

"Then don't."

Bryce's hands are cupping my face and he's kissing me. My hands are around his neck and I'm kissing him back, opening my mouth wider. I'm drowning in his scent and it feels so unbelievably right.

His tongue finds its way into my mouth and his hands roam my body. Oh, God this feels good. I'm pressing closer to him, kissing him harder. I'm running my hands through his hair and trying to memorize how this feels.

We're pressing closer, kissing harder. His hands slide under my jeans and to cup my ass and I'm helpless. I'm clutching him and trying to grasp my sanity. He's driving me crazy. My hands are running along his biceps.

His hands are tantalizing me. His fingers are rubbing and touching the sensitive bare skin of my ass and I can't think. I bite his lip and he moans, pressing me closer into the wall.

It feels so good and more than anything it feels right.

Any trace of Colton is wiped from my mind and I'm left with Bryce. My hands slip under his shirt and his abs tense underneath my eager hands. His hands slip out of my jeans and then lift me up so my legs wrap around his waist. His mouth breaks from mine and moves down my jaw, past my neck to my cleavage line, trailing hot, wet kisses.

I'm arching forward, grabbing onto his shoulders. He's crushing me against the wall but I don't care. His hands are gripping my ass and thighs tightly and his mouth is biting and sucking my skin.

He's not holding back. And I don't mind. I love the rough edge he has. He pulls away, smiling. We're both breathless. It's not awkward or forced as we just try to catch our breath.

"Bryce, I...I can't go back in the theater," I say softly.

"I'm not asking you to," he says. My legs are still wrapped around his waist. "Where do you want to go?"

I shrug. "I don't care." He leads me to his car. "Oh, can I grab my bag from my car?" I ask. Bryce nods, leaning against his car. I jog over to mine and grab my backpack. Bryce opens the door for me and I get in.

We drive in comfortable silence. My skin is still burning from his touch. God, he's a good kisser, so much better than Colton.

Colton kissed how you'd expect a typical manwhore to kiss: good, pretty skilled but it was more physical than anything. My head was still spinning, but it's different with Bryce. I don't know how to describe or explain it, but with Bryce...I can't explain it.

I don't realize I'm shivering until Bryce says, "Are you okay?"

"I'm good," I say. We're both still soaking wet from the rain. "Just a little bit cold." Bryce nods.

"We're almost there," he tells me.

"Where's there, exactly?" I ask. He smiles almost bashfully.

"My house. My parents and Ian are gone for the weekend." I nod.

Five minutes later we're pulling into his garage. I grab my bag and he leads me into the house. "I can grab you some clothes to change into, if you want," Bryce tells me. I nod and he wanders upstairs. I look around. On the first floor there's a dining room, a kitchen, a small bathroom, a living room and a den with a big couch and an even bigger TV. I set my stuff down in the living room and sit down.

Bryce comes back and hands me a long sleeve henley and and a pair of sweatpants. "Thanks." He nods and scratches the back of his neck.

"Uh, you can change in the bathroom." I nod and walk into the bathroom. I take off my tanktop and jeans. I have on lacy hot pink panties and a bright blue bra. Of course I didn't wear a matching set today. I shake my head and put the shirt and sweatpants on. They're baggy but I don't mind. I grab my wet clothes and walk back to where Bryce is. I hand him my clothes and he disappears again.

I sit on the edge of the couch and drop my head into my hands. Bryce walks back in. "I put your clothes in the dryer, so they should be good in a little while. Did you want to watch a movie?" Bryce says. I smile and nod. His hair's disheveled from the rain. He sits next to me on the couch and we flip through movies. We end up with Music and Lyrics. "I'm gonna go make some hot chocolate."

"Sounds good. I might make a quick phone call." He nods and walks into the kitchen. I stand up and walk into a corner, pulling out my phone.

I can't stop myself from calling him.

"Hello? Colton? We need to talk," I say.

"Who's this?" A feminine voice asks.