sweets || bryce hall

Chapter 21: My Family

Rory POV

"Pl-ple-ease don't hurt m-me," I whimper, staring across the room at my tall boyfriend.

"Baby, I promise, it's just me, I just want to help." He says, trying to inch closer, making me scramble back even farther, pushing myself into the corner of the cabinets.

"You looked like him!" I sob, wiping my eyes with my sweatshirt sleeve.

Bryce sighs, backing down. "What do I do? I don't know what to do?" He says to himself, quietly, as I just keep crying, digging my head into my hands.

"Sweets?" I look towards him cautiously. His eyes look so sad as he says, "This is my fault. I let this happen to you. I keep messing up. I'm supposed to protect you, I'm supposed to be helping you work through all of this trauma, and yet I keep leaving you alone, and you get hurt." I think for a second before calling out,

"Bryce? I-I think I-I do need you." I look down, still nervous before I see his eyes widen, walking over. He kneels down next to me, sitting down as I wrap my arms shakily around him, hugging him tightly.

"It's not your f-fault Bryce. I went. I-I was weak. He was right. I'm pa-pathetic. If Noah hadn't been there..." Bryce pulls me onto his lap and pushes my head into his neck.

"We don't need to think about that. And you baby, you are not pathetic." I start crying again, responding with,

"I have bruises all over, and he was going to... Bryce... why would you even still want to be with me? Are you going to kick me out?" I start talking really fast, about to hyperventilate. Bryce rubs my back soothingly, hushing me, trying to calm me down.

"I don't think I will ever be able to let you out of my life Sweets. I really don't. I will stand by you no matter what. And Lucas will not get away with this, I'm not about to let someone hurt my girl, not to mention traumatize you, and walk away from it." He begins to amp himself up, and I start tensing up.

"P-please don't hit him. Don't hurt him," He gives me a shocked look.

"Rory he hurt you, I can't just-" I cut him off.

"He's Laurie's brother. She's my only friend in LA that I made on my own Bryce, please. I can't lose her," I look directly into his eyes, pleading with him.

"You have friends here, that you made! You met Josh and I on your own! You, Kouvr, and Mia decided to hang out, I didn't do that. Or Addison, or Charli, they love you!" He's getting mad and I start to shrink, knowing I don't want to fight.

"I met them because of you though. They're your connections..." He sees that I trailed off from speaking and that I'm getting nervous and sighs.

I look up and we hold eye contact for a few seconds before he breaks it, saying, "We'll talk about this later." His voice is so firm that I don't respond. We sit in silence, me cuddling into his chest as he rubs my back, for a bit before Blake walks in.

"Noah, Griffin, and Quinton left with them to go to the Hype House. Tayler, Josh, and Jaden are all here. I think they're chilling out by the pool." He says, watching me as he speaks to Bryce.

"Kay, thanks for letting me know. I'll be talking to Thomas and Tony and then later about everything. You need anything else?" Bryce responds, and before Blake can say anything else, I speak up.

"What do you need to talk to them about? They were only here for a bit." Both boys look at each other.

"Don't worry about it Sweets, alright." Bryce says, wrapping an arm around me tightly. I push it off, turning my head towards him.