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“Not a little. Completely and utterly unstable.” He waves a fry in the air before chomping on it and swallowing. “But thankfully, not dumb enough to come out here. That’s why she’s trying to get me back there. I’m sure there’s some kind of trap she’s planning, too.”
My gaze turns icy cold. “I’ll cut the bitch.”
“Should you be telling a cop that?” He narrows his eyes and leans closer towards me.
“Eh,” I shrug my shoulders, and we both laugh. Finally, we dig into our food. My burger is a little cold after all the talking, but still really good. And the pickles ... oh, the pickles. I nearly laugh at the thought of the nickname he gave me earlier. But his gaze turns thoughtful after a few bites in, and he clears his throat.
“Hey, so been meaning to ask you. Has Vicki said anything about Austin?” Bryce pushes his plate away, folding his hands under his chin.
“Every time I try to bring Austin up with Vic, she changes the subject. You think there’s something is going on with them?” I ask stuffing another fry in my mouth.
“My spidey senses are telling me they’re seeing each other. Austin has been less and less available to head to the gym or hang out. Have you seen Vic lately?”
I sit back in my chair and think about the last few times I saw her. My eyes go wide in shock. “Yes! But it was every time you two were at work!”
Bryce nods, smirking. “Bingo.”
Once we get the check, Bryce pays and we leave. A thought crosses my mind as we are walking towards the truck. I didn’t panic inside the restaurant.
I stop and gasp. “Oh my God.”
Bryce halts and turns to me, cocking his head. “What is it?”
“I didn’t have an attack. Nothing in there bothered me. I ate in there without freaking out.” Happy tears begin sliding down my cheeks.
“See? My phoenix.” He winks at me and wraps his arm around me.
“I just can’t believe it.” I shake my head. “That place was small, cramped, and people were everywhere. All of that should’ve had me panicking. My palms should’ve been sweaty, my stomach should’ve hurt, I should’ve been dizzy. Except, I wasn’t. How do you do it?” I look up to him as we stand next to his truck.
He furrows his brows, “Do what?”
“How do you get me to feel so comfortable?” I place my hands on his chest as he wraps his arms around my waist.
“Sweetheart, it’s not me. It’s you. It’s always you. You’re stronger than what you give yourself credit for.”
Reaching up, I kiss him on his cheek. “Thank you, Bryce.”
“Always, Kitty Kat.” He places his forehead on mine. “I’m a little tired, to be honest. Should we head back home?”
I nod my head. “Sounds good to me.”
We just started our trek back to the apartments when my favorite band plays over the speakers.
“Oh! Oh! I love Evanescence!” I crank up the sound and start belting outBring Me to Life. I’m dancing in my seat and getting lost in the music. Music has always been something that can help me get out of my head. I can get lost in the music and enter a zone that helps me relax. It’s easy to forget the world around me.
Bryce is grinning ear to ear, watching me completely lose myself. When the song ends, I turn it down and sigh.
“Wow,” He says finally, awestruck.
“What?” I turn to him, a slight smile crosses my face as I can feel my cheeks heat up.
“Kat, I didn’t know you could sing. You’re a powerhouse. Holy shit. Your voice is absolutely beautiful.”
“Thanks,” I say as I blush again and turn towards the passenger window.
A sadness creeps over me, I’ve never been able to see Evanescence live. Though, I had a chance once.
“There was this time, back in high school, when they came to town. These girls from school asked me if I wanted to go with them, since they had an extra ticket. They weren’t the group of popular kids that normally made fun of me, and it would have been a chance to see my favorite band, so I said yes. I was still a little naïve in trusting people.