Well, since we stopped all that.
“You know,” He arches an eyebrow at me, as if reading my thoughts; “Someday we may even have a real conversation again.”
I want to grin. I want to crack a smile because that’s just what he does to me. But I can’t do that. I have to stay stoic and cold; I have to let this die, no matter how long it fucking takes.
“Yep, someday.”
Bryce nods again, his bright blue eyes looking right into mine; so deep that I wonder if he can tell how much effort it’s taking for me to keep up the bitch attitude I’ve kept around him for the past year. He clears his throat; “So, where’s, uh, what’s-his-fuckin-name.”
Don’t take the bait, he’s baiting you. And of course, it’s working.
“Hugh couldn’t make it.” I say icily, my mouth small and my eyes narrowing at him. He grins; of course he grins.
“He wanted to, really, he just had something come up.” I am not telling Bryce about my breakup. For one, because I’m over it anyways, but also because it’s got nothing to do with him.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that. I've been through this a hundred freaking times in my head, and we're past this. What happened was a long, long time-
Ugh. I need to extract myself from this conversation.
Bryce makes a fake-pout face; “Aww, shame. I really wanted to meet the guy.”
“No you didn't.”
“No, I didn’t.”
I set my jaw; “I have to go,” I say, turning to push away from him.
“Yeah, I hear three feet from wherever I’m standing is the best spot.”
I feel his hand on my elbow, and I whirl around, quickly pulling my arm back; “People are watching, Bryce,” I say quietly, my eyes looking everywhere but his.
He rolls his eyes; “They’re watching a backhoe dig frozen dirt, and besides, we’re just talking.”
“Not anymore.” I turn before he can say anything else, and I can practically feel his damned grin at the back of my head, but I push my way through the small assembled crowd anyways.
“You alright, kid?”
Literally anyone else in the world who called me that would get a knee to the groin. Logan gets a pass; “I’m good, just tired; little stressed.”
“Yeah, Bryce is good with that sort of thing.”
I freeze, quickly trying to swallow the lump that forms in my chest; “Uh, what?” My whole body goes rigid as I study Logan’s face for a sign that he knows the truth.
Of course he doesn’t. I’d be disowned or something, and Bryce would probably be head-first through a high-rise window.
Yeah, relationships with that hanging over its head do splendidly.
Logan shrugs; “You know, I mean he’s good at helping with things like stress; getting you to slow down, stripping it all away.”
I groan and turn away to hide the guilty blush on my face. Yeah, Bryce is good at stripping everything away from me; inhibitions, baggage…
My panties.
Jesus, relax.
“Yeah, he’s-”
I’m still searching my brain for something to say, when something catches my attention; something crossing the grey morning sky and silently approaching the groundbreaking ceremony.
That’s funny, I didn’t know there were any news stations covering this with helicopters.
The helicopter is coming in low; very low, actually. Fast too; really fast. And then suddenly, I’m not thinking of anything to say anymore, because I’m too busy wondering why the heck guys in black are rappelling out of the copter.
There’s a flash of light and then suddenly a bang goes off. There’s a feeling of weightlessness, and after that, I’m not thinking of anything except why I’m falling.
People are running and screaming as I hit the ground, and I’m trying to figure out why I’m even there in the snow, and why there are security guards with guns-
Except they’re not security guards at all.
Oh my God.
An explosion rocks me, and I’m screaming as I watch Hudson double over next to me. Hands snag around my body and start yanking me away, and I’m twisting to fight only to see that it’s Bryce with a hard look in his eyes.
It’s like slow motion as I turn back and scream as I watch men in black swarm over Logan. He’s roaring like some kind of animal and throwing fists left and right, but there are six of them that bring him to the ground. I’m screaming at Bryce, trying to wrench myself from his grasp, but he holds me tight; so tight that I can only watch as a black bag goes over my brother’s head before they start dragging him away towards the chopper.
And I’m still screaming.
…Still screaming.
2
Bryce