Always There

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Songs for this chapter:
• Santa Baby - Ariana Grande & Liz Gillies

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

Lexi's POV

I was sort of terrified that Bryce really wouldn't like any of the gifts that I had bought for him, and so to say that I'm relieved to see that he likes everything would be a vast understatement.

When we break apart from our kiss, I find that Bryce has tears in his eyes. I brush the stray tears away with the pad of my thumb, Bryce shooting me a bittersweet smile before whispering, "No one really puts thought into buying Christmas presents for me. My dad always does, but it feels good to have someone else too."

He sniffles and I gently press my lips to his cheek, lingering for a moment before I pull away. "Don't cry, Bryce. I don't want to see you cry on Christmas. I just want you to be happy," I tell him softly, reaching down to take his hand in mine.

He smiles at me, clearing his throat before reaching for the coffee table and retrieving one of the boxes wrapped in the pretty silver paper. There almost looks to be light pink reflecting off of the metallic wrapping paper as Bryce lifts the box, then setting it down in my lap.

"Open it up, baby," he says with a smirk, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair back behind my ears.

I feel myself blushing the slightest bit, and so I give a small smile to Bryce before unwrapping the box in my lap. After the paper is gone I find a plain white box, long and narrow and fairly flat. I slowly lift the lid off of the top, dropping it down onto the coffee table and then finally looking at the contents of the box.

I find two tickets to see a show on Broadway next month sitting on top a bedding of pastel pink tissue paper.

Bryce leans towards me, resting his chin on my shoulder as he looks down at the box in my lap as well. "I know that you already saw The Phantom of the Opera with Kennedy because I was being an asshole and not speaking to you, but I'm pretty sure that you've been wanting to see Les Misérables too and so I figured that it would probably be an acceptable alternative," Bryce softly explains to me. "You can go with Kennedy or Knox if you want, though. You aren't obligated to bring me with you."

His perfectly accented French as he pronounces the words 'Les Misérables' is enough to make my toes curl, and I gladly lean into Bryce as he wraps a strong arm around my shoulders.

I don't understand how he thought my gifts for him were sweet when he had this as a comparison. The fact that he's trying to make up for that weird break we were on when I had gone to see a show on Broadway for the first time while living in the city without him means so much to me, and sure enough, I begin to feel myself tearing up again.

Damn me and my inability to control my emotions around this perfect man.

"Thank you, Bryce. Thank you so, so much. Of course I want to go with you, and I'm so excited already. I can't believe we haven't seen a musical together yet, honestly. I'm so thrilled to finally go with you," I whisper, pressing a kiss to Bryce's throat.

I feel his Adam's apple bob underneath my lips, and when I pull away to look in to his eyes I find him wearing a huge grin.

"I knew you would," he murmurs in response, earning himself an elbow to his side.

He pretends to he hurt for a moment before he chuckles, handing me another box. Excitement thrums through me as I try to think of a present that could possibly top the musical tickets, and so I hastily attempt to rip away the wrapping paper before Bryce's large hands close over mine, halting my movements.