Always There

Chapter One Hundred

Chapter One Hundred:

Bryce's POV

"Checkmate."

Blossom blinks at the chessboard for several long moments. This is the second game of chess we've played tonight, and I won both games very quickly.

We're sitting on opposite ends of the loveseat on Blossom and Kennedy's balcony, the chessboard sitting on the coffee table in front of us. Blossom is cradling a cup of hot chocolate in her little hands, and my cup of tea is resting on the table directly next to the chessboard. Blossom is already in the Christmas spirit despite it being the middle of November, of course, and so there's a peppermint-scented candle next to my mug.

A sleepy smile spreads across her face. She looks content as can be with her warm mug clasped between her hands and the glow of the candle illuminating her face.

I glance over at her, raise one of my eyebrows. She erupts into a fit of giggles and even kicks her feet in the air a couple times. It's a sight that's so adorable that it feels as if all of the air is being sucked out of my lungs.

I reach across the couch, gingerly take the mug of hot chocolate from her hands, set it down on the coffee table. She looks at me with a soft expression on her face, but when I smile at her, she smiles back.

"Hi," she whispers.

"Hi, baby. Did you have a good birthday?" I whisper back.

She slowly tilts her head to the side, contemplating. I seize the opportunity and hoist Blossom into my arms before carefully settling her down onto my lap.

She practically melts against me. A tiny sigh escapes her lips and she leans against me, her cheek against my chest and one of her little hands fisted in the material of my shirt. Her knees are curled up to her chest and so it's easy for me to cradle her small body against my chest as she blinks up at me with wide eyes.

"Yeah. I did," she says with a little giggle.

I lean in to brush a kiss against her hair. "I haven't seen you this happy in a very, very long time."

She beams at me and tightens the fist in my shirt a little bit. "I don't remember the last time I was this happy either. You make me happy. The happiest girl in the whole wide world."

Her eyes flutter shut and she nuzzles into me, burying her face against my chest and inhaling a long, deep breath through hew nose. I place one of my hands on her thigh and slide it up, underneath her dress, and she shivers against me with a breathy sigh.

"I would do anything to make you happy, Blossom. You know that, right?" I ask.

She nods at me, slowly, her eyes still closed.

She doesn't anticipate it when I lean in to kiss her. She lets out a small, surprised sound, and I can't help but to smile when I take her bottom lip between my teeth.

"Good girl," I tell her quietly, putting a few inches of space between our lips.

Her eyes go impossibly wide, and all she does is nod slowly at me.

I let out a sigh. "I'd like to give you your presents now, honey. I'll go inside and bring everything out. Wait here for me."

I lift her out of my lap and set her down on the couch again. She curls back up into a little ball in the opposite corner of the couch from me, and I watch as her eyes flutter closed yet again.

I stand up from my own seat on the couch. I begin to turn towards the door, but then Blossom lets out a little puff of breath and I glance at her over my shoulder.