All In

11

Chapter 11

I walked up the stairs in an old, baggy, Billabong sweatshirt that covered my jean shorts, the hood pulled up. I laughed as I looked at Bryce who was in a nice button-up shirt and black pants. He smirked softly as he looked at me. 

"Thought you said this wasn't a date?" I smiled, walking up to him, slipping my hands into the pocket of my sweatshirt, Bryce shrugging softly. 

"Just felt like getting dressed up," he smiled, clearing his throat as he looked me up and down. "Ready?" He gulped as I nodded, smiling softly as I followed him out of the house. When we stepped outside, he reached into his pocket, handing me a blindfold. 

"What is this?" I laughed, cautiously taking it from him. 

"I want where we're going to be a surprise," he smiled as I nodded, laughing softly as he opened the passenger door of his car for me. I climbed in and put the blindfold on. "Can you see anything?" He laughed as he backed out of the driveway. 

"Nothing," I smiled, leaning my head back against the headrest. "So, where are we going? Did Josh hire you to kill me?" I giggled as Bryce just laughed. 

"No, but he is in on what I've got going on," his voice calmed me. 

"Oh really? He was okay with all of this?" I smirked as Bryce just chuckled softly.

"You could say that," he chuckled. 

The car ride was quiet. Neither one of us said much. However, it wasn't awkward and weird. It was almost comforting. It gave me the same kind of comfort I got sitting on my board with my dad in the middle of the ocean on a sunny day. 

When the car stopped, I had a feeling I knew where I was making the butterflies in my stomach begin to turn. Bryce got out of the car, walking over to my side and helping me out. He wrapped his arm around me, guiding me as we walked from the gravel driveway he parked on to the sand. Soon, the sand turned to wood as we walked up a flight of stairs. It was a flight that I could run up with my eyes closed. I knew these stairs like the back of my hand. I listened to all the noises around me. The waves, the birds, the people. All of it was familiar. Bryce slipped off the blindfold and my eyes fluttered open, a big smile creeping on my face. 

"I haven't been here in a hot minute," I laughed, looking out at the beach I grew up on. It was our summer home in Venice. The very one that I first learned how to surf on a short competitive board compared to a longboard. "How did you do this?" I smiled, looking at Bryce as he shrugged. 

"Josh told me about the house. I looked and it's currently for sale, so I figured us sneaking up here wasn't too bad," he smirked as I just smiled, looking back out at the ocean, my eyes lighting up the very same way they did when I would look out from this view as a little girl

"Wow," I laughed softly, leaning against the railing. 

"Here, follow me," he smiled, reaching his out. I smiled softly, putting my hand in his before following him down the stairs. He led me towards the ocean, my smile fading as I started to become anxious, scared he would lead me into the ocean. Instead, he led me to a blanket only a few feet away from where the water came. Bryce sat down, pulling me down with him. I smiled softly, watching pull something out of the basket. He smiled softly, handing me a bag of Jelly Beans as I just laughed loudly. 

"Josh told you?" I giggled as he nodded, smiling softly. 

"Yeah," he chuckled. "He said something about you eating so many jelly beans you threw up?" He smirked as I laughed. 

"Yeah, that was a fun summer," I giggled, holding the bag as I looked out at the ocean. 

"I want to get to know you, the real you," Bryce said softly as I jumped, looking over at him.