Chapter 17
Bryce’s blond hair glittered like gold, and his skin shone like he was a bronze God.I stared at him as he grinned down at me and my body shivered. I’d never expected my first time to be at the lake.
“Is it okay?” He whispered down at me, as he touched me in places that no one had ever explored before.
“Yes.” I could barely talk. The feelings he was eliciting in my body were foreign and unknown to me. I pulled him down towards me so I could feel his wet body on mine. We rolled around, kissing and touching and I closed my eyes to fully feel and appreciate all the strange sensations that were running through me.
“Open your eyes, Lexi. I want to see your beautiful, brown eyes as I enter you.” I opened my eyes and gasped as I felt him inside of me, moving slowly. There was a sharp pain and I grabbed his shoulders. “Are you okay, Lexi?”
I nodded my head, unable to talk, and he continued his movements. All of a sudden, it started to feel good and I wriggled beneath him.
“Oh, my Lexi,” he groaned and then collapsed on top of me. “That was amazing.”
“Yes, yes it was.” I smiled at him, gently, still feeling weird inside.
“Did you?” He asked me and I nodded my head, not really sure what he was asking. “I’m sorry. I was quick. I’m not normally this quick.”
“I guess it has been a while,” I laughed and pulled him towards him. “I’m so glad you were my first, Bryce.”
“Your first, last and only.” He nuzzled my neck and I rubbed the top of his head. “I’m sleepy.” He grinned up at me and I watched as he drifted off to sleep. I studied his body as he slept. It was perfect: he had a six-pack, toned arms, legs. I couldn’t quite believe that he wanted to be with me. That he saw me as his everything. I didn’t really know what it was about me that he loved. Other than me completing him.
I thought back to how I called him my Prince Charming and talked about how he had saved my life. Luke had asked me if I really thought that, he had tried to question me and the substance that my love was built on. And, as Bryce lay there in my arms, I started to wonder what substance we really had. Were we really soul mates? Did we really know each other? He hadn’t even asked me about my acting. He hadn’t delved deeper. I didn’t really know where we went from here.
I thought about Luke again and about his moving to Boston. I didn’t want him to go. I hadn’t realized quite how much I didn’t want him to go until this moment. I didn’t want him to leave me. I realized that I didn’t want to be in Jonesville without him. I bit my lip and held my breath so that I wouldn’t cry. I didn’t want Luke to leave me. I wanted him to be the boy in the bedroom window across from mine forever. I tried to stop my thoughts. I felt incredibly guilty. Here I was, lying in the arms of a man I loved, thinking about my best friend. I closed my eyes and pushed myself closer to Bryce. The heat of his body warmed me up and I closed my eyes. I should be happy now, I told myself. I should be happy. I’m here with Bryce Evans, my very own Prince Charming—and he loves me. He really loves me. I repeated those words to myself, until I eventually fell asleep.
***
The chirping birds woke me up a few hours later. I stretched out my sore body and groaned. I was sunburnt and aching in places I didn’t know I could ache in. I also had a horrible headache.
“Hey, beautiful.” Bryce leaned down to kiss me and I felt my insides melt at his words. There was something about him that captivated me to my core.
“Hey.”
“How are you?”
“Good.”
“I’m sorry I was so fast.” He shook his head. “I wanted you to hear and see fireworks your first time.”
“It was wonderful, Bryce.”
“You’re a bad liar, Lexi.” He grinned and pinched my nose.
“No, I’m not.” I laughed and tried to pull him towards me.
“Nope.” He jumped up and pulled me with him. “The next time we make love will be in a bed, a big cushy bed.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm.” I reached down and grabbed my clothes and we got dressed quickly.
“Let’s go to my place so I can grab some clean clothes and then maybe we can spend the night at a hotel?”
“In Jonesville right?”
“Fine. We’ll do Vegas another time.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
“All I need is a big bed, with soft, cotton sheets.”
“And maybe we can get some condoms.”
“Yes,” he laughed. “We have to be safe.”
“I really do love you, Bryce Evans.” I touched his hand as we walked to his car.
“Lexi, you do not know what those words mean to me.”
I just smiled at him, happily. This was meant to be. We were meant to be. This was what the universe wanted. It all seemed so easy. So wonderful. I ignored the dull ache in my heart.
***
“You can come in with me if you want.” Bryce jumped out of the car. “I won’t be too long.”
“I’ll come for some water.” I grinned at him and followed him to the door.
“Hi, Dad.” Bryce nodded at his dad and I paled as I saw him, hoping he didn’t recognize me.
“Bryce.” His dad’s eyes slid quickly past him and onto me. “And you are?”
“Lexi Lord, sir.” I figured that I had nothing to be ashamed of.
“I see.” He studied my face and smiled. “I see the resemblance.”
“Come on, Lexi,” Bryce called out to me from the stairs and I walked up to join him quickly. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” I smiled briefly. I was lying. I wasn’t okay. Something about his father had upset me. Maybe it was the fake smile he had given me, or maybe it was because of his comment, but I just felt weird. I sat down on the chair in Bryce’s room and closed my eyes.
“Are you okay, Lexi?” Bryce looked at me in concern. “You look kinda pale.”
“I feel a bit faint,” I sighed and rubbed my head. “I’ll be okay in a second.” I felt something grind into my butt and I pulled it out from under me. I was about to ask where Bryce wanted me to put it, when I realized I was holding a bra. “Uhm, Bryce...” I started, hesitantly.
He looked over at me with a puzzled look on his face.
“Whose bra is this?” I flung it at him, my heart beating fast and I tried to ignore the loud buzzing in my ears.