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"When I left, just like that, without saying anything—especially after what you told me, how you felt ..." My voice falters, "I didn't mean to hurt you. You're important to me, Marissa. You always have been."
Tears fill Marissa’s eyes at my words. “Oh, Bryce,” she says softly, her voice choked with emotion. "I had no idea."
There's a lump in my throat as I struggle to hold back tears. "I'm just ... I never meant to snub you that day. I was just too shocked and didn't know what to do."
Chapter 23
Marissa
Bryce's words are filled with pain and regret, his voice trembling with emotion as he lays bare the circumstances surrounding his sudden departure eight years ago.
"Believe me, it's fine," I say softly, my voice filled with understanding. "I hold no grudge against you."
Bryce's eyes fill with tears at my words, his grip on my hand tightening as he struggles to hold back his emotions. "Thank you, Marissa," he says softly, his voice thick with gratitude. "You have no idea what that means to me."
I give his hand a reassuring squeeze, my heart swelling with compassion for him. "You don't have to thank me," I say gently. "I'm just glad you're okay."
A smile tugs at the corners of Bryce's mouth, the kind that never fails to make my heart skip a beat. I mirror his expression, basking in the warmth of his presence. But then something shifts in his eyes, his smile fading into a look of intensity that steals the air from my lungs.
His eyes shimmer with vulnerability, softening the chiseled and impossibly handsome planes of his face.
At this moment, he's not the untouchable Hollywood heartthrob, but the boy who shared his secrets with me under the stars—the man who's always held a piece of my heart.
He leans down, his face so close to mine that I can feel his breath on my skin. "Marissa," his voice is husky, "I've always wondered ..."
His words trail off, and before I can even begin to process what he's saying, his lips are on mine.
The contact is soft at first—a gentle brush of skin against skin. I can smell his cologne, a scent that's distinctly Bryce, and it fills my senses, making my head spin.
My hands find their way to his shoulders, then slide down to his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath his shirt. I grip the fabric, holding on tight, afraid that if I let go, I'll float away.
Bryce's arms wrap around me, pulling me tight against him, and I can feel every inch of his body pressed against mine. His handmoves to the back of my head, his fingers threading through my hair, holding me in place as he deepens the kiss.
He explores my mouth with a thoroughness that leaves me breathless, his tongue brushing against mine in a way that makes me dizzy.
What just happened?
A wave of panic rises within me as I realize the depth of my feelings for Bryce. I can't be falling for him, not when our marriage is nothing more than a sham, no matter how real it may feel in the moment.
It's all just an act, a temporary arrangement that will end the second our contract does.
Without a word, I turn and run, fleeing from Bryce and the upheaval he's stirred up within me.
Chapter 24
Bryce
The memory of Marissa's lips against mine haunts me like a ghost, lingering in the recesses of my mind long after the kiss has ended.
I can't seem to shake the feeling of her softness against my lips, the way her touch sent shivers down my spine.
But as the days pass, things between Marissa and me become increasingly awkward. We avoid each other whenever possible, tiptoeing around the elephant in the room, pretending that nothing has changed between us.
I bury myself in work, spending long hours on set in a bid to avoid confronting the tangled mess of emotions swirling inside me. But no matter how hard I try to distract myself, I can'tseem to shake the feeling of unease that gnaws at the pit of my stomach.
And then, one day, as I'm reading through the script for the next scene, I feel her presence behind me. I turn around to find Marissa standing there with a bottle in her hands, her gaze locked on mine, her expression unreadable.
"Hey," I say awkwardly, my voice catching in my throat as I try to break the silence between us.