Monster (BWWM) complete

Months Later

Bryce closed his eyes as he leaned further over the railing of the balcony over looking Maria's backyard. He pressed the wrapped cigar filled with sweet smelling weed to his lips as his eyes opened and focused on the forest below as his mind remembered. He remembered his time in those woods, scratching and scrambling to survive. A small out of place smile kicked the corner of his lip as his hand went to his thigh and the healed bullet wound there.

He let the smoke escape thru his lips and nose. Oh how creative mother use to be, he thought dryly.

He heard her coming before she slid open the balcony door and spoke. Or maybe he sensed her?

"What are you doing out here?" His chest filled with warmth as he looked over his shoulder at Krissy. Her hair was straightened and up in elegant up-do. She wore a light blue sleeveless dress that stopped a little above midthigh, much to short in his opinion. But what Krissy wore wasn't his choice, it wasn't even Krissy's no, those decisions, like most were owned by Maria. Like they were. "Mother will be angry if she catches you out her being a recluse instead of schmoozing."

He turned to face her fully as he leaned his back against the railing and crossed his ankles as he his took her in greedily. His favorite thing in the world was still being able to see Krissy. He 'worked' a lot now and he barely got to see her. The when and where he got to see here was still pretty much up to Maria unfortunately.

Her nose wrinkled cutely when she caught the odor of what he was smoking, making his smile widen. He was surprised she didn't say anything about it. Usually she would do this thing where she reminded him of who he use to be and how the old him had hated such vices. She had been doing that as of late, trying to be who she once was and in turn hoping he would be too. It was futile and it worried him, her taking steps back into such denial. "I just needed a break." He finally spoke. "Being in a room of people you can't trust takes a lot of of a person." He shrugged.

Krissy came to join him against the railing, careful about keeping enough distance between them so they weren't touching. He noticed and of course he understood but he brought his way of self medicating to his lips once again when his hands go twitchy with the need to touch her. He looked away from her, off to the side.

"Reminds me of high school," she hugged her arms around her middle, "only deadlier." He laughed softly at her joke even though it wasn't very funny or even a joke really. They both were quiet for a couple of minutes until she spoke again. "We should head back in before mother..."

He nodded interrupting her as he shifted off the railing. He snuffed the thin 'cigar' out on the railing before pocketing in in the inside pocket of his blazer. The buttons of his white button up which he had undone the first top few when he stepped outside were buttoned back up, up to the last one, hiding the deep scarred tissue of his neck caused by months of wearing a collar. He caught Krissy's eyes as she watched him sadly. He subconsciously reached for the picked at scabs that never got a chance to heal before he was picking at them again that were around his wrists underneath the cuffs of his shirt and blazer.

"Bryce..."

He stopped, she hated when he performed that habit. His hands fell away from one another. "Lead the way, princess..." He motioned for her to be the first to step back inside.

She smiled at him beautifully, making his silently hold his breath. She led them both back indoors and back into the party Maria was throwing. A few people noticed there return and noted them with mere glances. One of those people were Marcus who raised and eyebrow at him, making his shrug in response.

With a glance over her shoulder at him, Krissy smiled softy before she left him, darting over to the young girl who had recently become the sole survivor of a very wealthy, prominent family. Maria has assigned her the task of befriending the girl.