“No.” I looked at her, earnestly. “He was just meant to rough you up in some mud. Nothing to hurt you. I swear. But when I realized you were gone a long time, I started to worry that something had gone wrong, so I came to look for you.”
“He was trying to pull down my underwear.” She looked at me with a pained look on her face. “He had me down on the ground so I couldn’t move and he was trying to pull my underwear down.”
“I’m so sorry, Lexi. I never ever meant for that to happen. You have to believe me. Please.” I grabbed her hands and pulled her towards me. “I love you, Lexi.”
“You nearly had me raped?” Her voice was distant and she looked at me in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“Remember my letters?” I pleaded with her. “Remember I told you about something that went horribly wrong and I blamed myself for it? I was talking about that night.”
“So it was just Eddie?”
“Yes.” I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. “He wasn’t supposed to do that. We argued terribly after that. I cut him off. I wouldn’t talk to him. He then slept with Suzannah and I told him I never wanted to see him again. And then he killed himself.” I heard the words as if someone else was saying them. “I honestly don’t know how it all led to that. I loved him like a brother. He was always there for me. And I turned my back on him, just like everyone else.”
“It wasn’t your fault that he killed himself, Bryce.” She grabbed my hand and pulled in close to me. “Just like it wasn’t my fault.”
“I could have done more. I shouldn’t have put him in that situation.” I held her close to me as my tears ran into her hair. “He never should have died.”
“So that’s why you joined the marines?” she whispered.
“I had to. I had screwed up too many times. I had hurt so many people. I didn’t want to be my father’s son anymore.”
“You’re not your dad, Bryce.”
“I nearly was, Lexi.”
“But you’re not.” She pulled away from me and stared into my eyes. “I love you too, Bryce. I forgive you.” She leaned over and kissed me and I melted into her with gratitude, holding her close to my heart. I felt myself become aroused as her br**sts crushed into my chest.
“You don’t know how much those words mean to me, Lexi.” I traced my fingers all over her body and she went still, breathing deeply. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Lexi.”
“I do.” She opened her eyes and looked at me sweetly. “But I don’t as well.”
“I can wait.” I smiled at her, widely. “I could wait a lifetime for you.”
“Well I don’t think you’ll have to wait a lifetime,” she grinned.
“I promise, no more secrets.” I gazed into her eyes and tried to blank out the events of the previous night.
“No more secrets.” She pulled me towards her and kissed me hard. I heard both of our heartbeats loudly beating in conjunction.
Chapter 15
I lay against Bryce and felt complete. I was surprised at how easy it had been to forgive him for what he had told me. I had been shocked, but I felt like he must love me very much if he had told me. He didn’t have to tell me, there was no way I would have found out. I couldn’t believe that he was here in my bed. I’d dreamt of this happening for what seemed like years. I’d never imagined that it would actually come to fruition. And yet, I wasn’t completely happy. I still had an ache in my heart. I looked to my window, glad that my blinds were drawn and that Luke couldn’t see Bryce in the room with me.
“What do you want to do this afternoon?” Bryce smiled at me as he cupped my breast.
“I’m not sure.” I turned towards him. “What do you want to do?”
“Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t answer that.”
“I wouldn’t say no.” I grinned.
“I want it to be special.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “I want your first time to be romantic, and special and I want there to be fireworks.”
“I think I can hear some fireworks now.”
“Don’t tease me, Lexi. You’re driving me crazy.” He laughed and rolled out of the bed. “Let’s get dressed and go out somewhere.”
“You don’t want to stay in bed?” I looked up at him and made my sexiest face.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we will never leave the bed.” He laughed and pulled up his pants. “Let’s go and do something fun.”
“Fine.” I grabbed my bra and pulled it on.
“Well you didn’t have to do that.” He laughed.
“Oh, I forgot, you haven’t seen naked br**sts in years have you?” I laughed and he turned away from me.
“Shall we go to a farm?”
“That would be fun.” I laughed and grabbed my phone. “Let me call Anna and see if she wants to come. I feel so bad but we left her at your house yesterday.”
“I’m sure she got home okay.” Bryce turned around quickly. “Can’t it just be us today?”
“Well, sure. I just want to make sure she is okay before we leave.” I started dialing the numbers. Bryce grabbed my hands and pushed me down on the bed, kissing me intensely, and I melted into him again, feeling things in my body that I had never felt before.
“I want the day to be about us.” He caressed my face. “Go away with me.”
“What?” I frowned. “That was like two thoughts in one,” I laughed.
“Let’s go away together. Just you and me.”
“I have to work, Bryce. I have a job. Plus I’m Anna’s ride to work. I can’t just take off like that.”
“Don’t you ever just want to be adventurous?” He kissed my neck. “I have money saved from my time in the Marines. We could go to Hawaii or London or Australia, anywhere you want to go.”
“I’d like to go to Los Angeles,” I laughed. “I’d like to go and see some stars.”
“So let’s go.”
“Maybe in a few weeks? I can ask for the time off.”
“I was thinking like now.” He laughed and lay back on the bed.
“Are you okay, Bryce?”
“Yeah,” he groaned. “This is wonderful. I’m just anxious.”