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“Night, Kitty Kat.” Bryce says while he walks up his stairs to his apartment. I turn and enter my own and for a moment, I feel like there’s something missing.
That’s when it hits me. The feeling I get when I’m separated from him. That sense of loneliness when he leaves. I feel my heart beating fast in my chest and years begin to well in my eyes. I am falling for Bryce.
Chapter 11
Bryce
I haveno idea what time it is, but I am awoken by the ring from my phone. I don’t even look at it, I just answer.
“Hello?” My voice is hoarse, and I rub my eyes, yawning.
“Bryce? Are you all right baby? You sound sick.” It’s her. Emma. Ugh. Not the wake-up call I need right now.
“What do you want, Emma?” I hiss.
“I miss you, babes. I want to come see you, or can you come back home?” she whines.
“Emma, there is nothing to miss. You and Cameron were keeping each other plenty busy. And I am not coming back. Las Vegas is my home now.”
“What if I was to come see you?” Without even seeing her, I know she has a pout to her face. I roll my eyes nearly into the back of my head and groan.
This woman doesn’t give up. I retort, “Look, I can’t stop you from coming out here, but I want nothing to do with you.”
“You’re being unreasonable, Bryce.” Emma complains. “I just want to come talk to you. We can work on this. You and me. We were good together.”
“Goodbye, Emma.” With that, I end the call. She won’t give up and she’s always so used to getting what she wants, too. Emma simply can’t have me anymore.
As I finish that thought, an onslaught of texts come in begging to get me to take her back. I’m guessing Cameron got bored with her and took his dick elsewhere. Now she’s all alone and trying to crawl back to me. I’m not sad for even a moment about this.
I throw on a hoodie after hesitantly crawling out of bed to brace the morning chill. It’s mid-December, and it’s much colder in Vegas than in Florida. It’s not snowing, but it can get down into the lower thirties at times, and I’m just not used to that.
Looking at the clock, I see that it’s seven thirty. I should still be asleep. Grabbing my phone, I text Kat to see if she’s up.
Me: Kitty Kat, you awake?
Kitty Kat: I am now.
Me: Sorry, got woken up. Couldn’t fall back asleep. Wanted to come down and drink coffee with you.
Kitty Kat: Come on down. Warning: I am not nice when I get woken up. So, you better make the coffee.
Me: OMW down.
Kat and I exchanged keys to each other’s apartments a few days ago. We’re always together doing something in our apartments, after all. It simply made sense to exchange keys.
I pull on some jeans and put a t-shirt on under my hoodie before heading over to her place. When I get inside, I immediately start the coffee. Kat is still asleep, or at least still in bed. I pour her a cup how she likes it and get my own ready. Once our deliciously dark sludge is prepped, I carry our mugs into her bedroom.
I set hers on her bedside table and then put mine on the other side of the bed. I get under the covers with her and she immediately rolls over and lays her head on my chest.
I think the world of this woman. She’s been through so much in her life. So many people did her wrong when she was younger. It’s not fair that she had to suffer like that and suffer alone. I'm not sure why she didn’t seek help, but I’m sure she had her reasons. It hurts when she tells me what she went through, but it helps me see why she is the way she is. It explains why she feels safe with certain people or places.
OneShot Coffee makes sense. It’s quiet, small and intimate. People are busy doing their own thing, and they don’t care about other people around them. For her, it’s her chance to escape the confines of her house and venture out into the real world without judgement.
I know we’re just friends, but there’s a connection with her I’ve never had with anyone in my life. When she curls into me, I feel this need to protect her, to shield her from all the bad in the world. It’s a deep need to keep her safe.
Honestly, I want more than friendship with her. I’m captivated by her. Kat is on my mind all day and night. She makes my heart beat, my days brighter, and my life more complete. Kat has had to deal with a lot of hurt, though. She keeps herself from finding someone to love. I get that. I understand her hesitation. Hopefully, through time, we can take that next step with each other.
“Grrr. Why are you up so early?” I love hearing her first thing in the morning. Her voice is raspy and sexy when she wakes up. It makes my dick stir, which I need to keep under wraps.