The Comeback Season

|chapter eighty-four|

I pour caramel syrup in my macchiato. I take slow sips of the warm drink at 7 am. The piece of jewelry in my hand falls to the counter. I run my fingers over the cool metal. I eventually pick it up and hold it in my hand.

"I'll bring some breakfast after the gym." Bryce walks into the kitchen in his workout gear. His body looks incredibly arousing in his all black clothes. I smile at him, nodding my head. He grabs a bottle of water from the fridge, taking a few sips from it.

Bryce leans over the counter while glancing at his phone. "Cayden's here. I know we talked this morning, but are you sure you're okay?"

I've been up since last night. Bryce sensed that I wasn't sleeping, so we talked.

4 am
"Cahlia, talk to me."

I lay on my back, looking at the ceiling. Bryce is sitting up with his hands placed on my stomach. He's been trying to get me to talk for the past thirty minutes.

"I think we are moving to fast."

I want this relationship to work. I messed up with Tyler because I underestimated how powerful his past was. Rebecca swept in and took him under my nose.

Bitch.

If Bryce has any doubts about my feelings towards Tyler, this won't work. I screwed up once, it won't happen again.

Bryce places his hands on my bent knees. "Why do you think that?" He gently runs his hand down my legs. Thank God I shaved.

"When we first met, there was an immediate attraction. I like having a physical connection, but I want more." I turn my head a little towards Bryce. "I need more."

He runs his hand through his perfectly messy bed hair. "Lia, you have all the control in this relationship. I don't want this," he points between us, "to be temporary. Whatever you want, I want too."

A small sigh passes my lips. I sit up and cross my legs. "Great. Let's start with something simple. Date nights?"

Bryce and I schedule our dates around his football practices and my work schedule. Luckily, Jace cut my days short because graduation is approaching.

"You know to have a deeper connection, we have to talk." Bryce lays back down, pulling me on his chest. "If you have something on your mind, tell me. I want to hear your thoughts, opinions, fears, and more." I turn around and place a quick, tender kiss on his lips.

"Promise," I say as we separate. "So, what is the weirdest scar you have and how did you get it?"

His question is out of the blue, but I play along. I raise my left leg up in the air.

"Here," I point to my knee. "I was in kindergarten and just got my first kiss under the jungle gym. Well, during my prideful walk away from him, I tripped and fell. A twig went right through my skin and the hospital removed it."

Bryce reaches up to touch my knee. "Wow, you were a rebel kindergartner." We both gently laugh. "But, it's cute and small. Here's mine." Bryce turns around and I can see a patch of scars on his back. When I run my finger over the spot, the skin is completely smooth.

"One of my best friends from home convinced me to skip school one day. We went to this popular lake, with this huge cliff. I was about to jump off the cliff, but I hesitated. One misstep sent me off the cliff and I hit my back on a rock." My fingers touched his sun-kissed skin.

"It looks like it hurt. Did you break anything?" Bryce shakes his head "no". I kiss his shoulder, moving up to his neck. The place where his collarbone meets his neck, I strongly nibble at his skin.