Something There

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty:

"I'm just going through some stuff with my family, okay? I don't like to talk about it with anybody but that doesn't mean that it's not happening. Every time I've been alone with you, Blossom, I take out my frustration on you. That's not fair, so I've resorted to ignoring you. What I said to you earlier wasn't very appropriate of me either, even if I was just speaking on how I feel. I should've been more empathetic towards your situation," Bryce says, almost whispering, and I instantly feel guilty.

"Is it something to do with your mom?" I dare to ask him, and he shuts his eyes, nodding at me.

"She's only locked up for a year and a half, you know. She didn't actually hurt my dad badly even though she tried to murder him, which worked in her favour it seems. She keeps trying to call me but I really don't like speaking to her. I can never respect her again after what she did, and I guess it's just upsetting knowing that I'm never going to have a good relationship with my mother ever again," Bryce answers.

He moves forward in his seat, looking quite uncomfortable with the fact that he's just shared so many of his feelings with both Jordan and I.

"Shit, Bryce. I had no clue. You don't need to put on a brave face for everybody, you know. People won't find it weird if you share your emotions or whatever," Jordan says, but I find myself a little lost for words.

Unable to think of the right thing to say, I instead walk over to where Bryce is seated.

I sit down on the corner of the cushion, wrapping my arms around Bryce to pull him into a hug.

He hesitates for a moment before he rests his head on my shoulder, letting out a staggering breath.

"Please promise that you'll talk to me next time, Bryce. I don't like it when you ignore me," I almost scold him.

When I pull away from him, I reach up to hold his face between my hands. His eyebrows are furrowed and he looks generally upset, but all I can do it stare at him, hoping he reacts well.

"I'm sorry. I'll do better next time, I swear," Bryce tells me, but I shake my head at him, tracing my fingers down his jawline.

"No, I'm sorry. You don't deserve to have to deal with your parents' crap," I tell him, and he finally gives me a small smile.

Jordan clears his throat from the sofa, and I drop my hands from Bryce's face. We both turn to stare at him, and he had a mocking smile on his face already.

"You two are cute and all, but there's no way that I'm letting you guys have sex in my house, so I advise that you two cool down. But, I'm glad to see that Dr. Jordan has done a good job," he says, and Bryce leans his chin against my shoulder blade in response.

"I told you I need space, but blatantly ignoring me is not what I meant," I remind him, and he suddenly pulls his face away from me.

He also removes his hands from my waist, and I miss his touch.

Neither of us seem to know what to do, which is why we end up simply staring at each other for far too long.

We're reminded of where we are when the TV comes to life from beside us, meaning that Jordan has turned it on in attempting to distract himself from us.

"Okay," Bryce says solemnly, and I'm instantly upset with him.

I want so desperately for him to fight it, to tell me that he doesn't think he can stay away from me because he wants me so badly, but it obviously doesn't come.

Instead, I'm left feeling like a complete idiot for even having these thoughts to begin with.

I stand up from Bryce's seat in a hurry, walking back over to sit next to Jordan on the sofa.