I was lightly singing the words and watching him strum when the door to the man-cave opened and Bryce walked in. He frightened me at first, but then that natural wave of guilt over being caught out washed over me and panic set in—my response to his arrival clearly not what it should’ve been.
“Hey,” I smiled gingerly at him. “You’re back early.” Shit! What do I tell him?
“Yes, I am,” he replied, as he eyed Derek with a suspicious scowl.
“Hey, Mate. I was just picking up the new music composition,” Derek said casually as he put his guitar down.
I propped myself up and grabbed my crutches so that I could make my way over to Bryce, embrace him and hopefully help remove that betrayed look that was clearly plastered across his face.
I stopped in front of him and balanced my arms on the tops of the crutches.
“Did you get everything finish—”
He grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me hard before I could finish my question. His kiss wasn’t a sensual, loving caress, it was possessive and angry. I pulled away from him and caught a look of distrust in his eyes, and it stabbed me right through the heart.
“I’ll get going, let the two of you get re-acquainted,” Derek said just as casually as before. He packed up his guitar and slipped past us. “I’ll let myself out.”
“Best you fucking do that,” Bryce replied, his voice dripping with accusation.
My mouth fell open and I glared at him. Derek stopped on his way to the door, just a few feet from where Bryce and I were standing and turned slowly. The tension in Bryce’s face was at boiling point. He was almost ready to rip Derek to shreds, and I think Derek would’ve put up a decent fight.
I placed my hand on Bryce’s arm in the hope to calm him. “Bye Derek, and thanks again,” I said apologetically.
“No sweat, Alexis,” he replied while eyeing Bryce before he turned back around and left the room.
When the door closed behind Derek, Bryce stared at it for a few seconds, as if he was ready to knock it down and go after Derek.
I reached up and turned his face toward mine. “What the hell was that all about? You were so rude to him,” I complained.
“You tell me, Alexis. What the hell did I just walk in on?” he replied with an icy tone.
“Are you serious? Please tell me you are not serious.”
“Oh, I’m very fucking serious,” he hissed, as he eyed me fiercely.
My mouth dropped again and I turned away from him, hobbling on my crutches toward the door. “What you just walked in on was Derek calling past to collect whatever it was he needed to collect.”
I wrenched the door open and proceeded through it to the lounge. Lucy was at Mother’s Group, Nic was at work, and the kids were still at school.
“Why did he have his guitar with him if he was only picking up sheet music?”
“I don’t know?” I replied, exasperated. Fuck!
“Doesn’t make sense, Alexis. What the fuck are you not telling me?”
He followed me out of the room, and I swivelled around to face him.
“Nothing! What are you insinuating?” I shouted defensively while pointing my crutch at him.
The fact that he would think what I thought he was thinking pained my chest. How could he possibly assume there was something going on between me and Derek after all he and I had been through? How could he think that?
“Is something going on between you and Derek?” he asked me, outright.
A tear rolled down my cheek. “What, so you think that just because I was tempted by you, I would also be tempted by the next person who came along? Fuck, Bryce, you don’t know me at all.”
I continued on toward the elevator. He followed and gently grabbed my waist, spinning me around and pinning me up against the entryway wall, the very spot that held memories of so many heated, passionate and now anger-fuelled moments.
Both my crutches fell to the floor.
He pressed his body firmly into mine. “What was he doing here, and why were you sitting with him, watching him play the guitar?” his tone had softened and his face was only centimetres from mine.
“Let me go, Bryce. I have nothing to explain.” I turned my head to the side, not wanting to look at him.
He gently placed his hand under my chin and turned my face back to him. “Alexis, answer me.”
“Why? It’s obvious you don’t trust me.” More tears fell down my cheeks as I stared into his eyes. “Is this how it’s always going to be between us? No trust, because I gave you a small piece of me when I was still with Rick?” I whispered.
“No, Hunny,” his voice surrendered and he dropped his head. “I just know when I’m being lied to.” He raised his gaze back to mine. “And you’re lying to me, aren’t you?”