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I let out a small little laugh and shake my head. Vicki really knows how to pull me from my funk sometimes.
My Lyft shows up soon, and I make my way to the mountain. I let Vicki know I’m on my way, and she sends me the cabin number. Cabin 16.
Me: Ok, I’m pulling up now. Want to unlock the door so I can get in?
Vicki: It’s already unlocked. Just come in. I’m too drunk to get up.
Me: Um, you’ve only been drinking for a couple hours. How drunk can you be? Also… your texting is spot on for a drunk.
Vicki: Talent, bitch. It’s called talent.
Me: Did you get us the “Love Birds” cabin? Are you trying to tell me something, Vic?
Vicki: Yes, I love you. Of course. Now, get your ass in here and help me drink this tequila.
Stepping up to the door, I turn the handle and walk in. I startle when I notice the rose petals everywhere. Turning to the right, I see that the fireplace is crackling with flames. Candles are lit all around the room, and Brett Young’sIn Case You Didn’t Knowis coming out of the speakers.
I ugly cry. Without even looking up, I know who is standing before me. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and a chill runs down my spine.
With his hands in his pocket, Bryce steps closer. My breath hitches, and I look up.
“Hello, Kitty Kat.”
Chapter 25
Katrina
Bryce.Oh my God. I blink a few times to make sure I’m not dreaming. I’m not.
Bryce is here. What is going on? My mouth falls open, and my bag drops from my hand. My skin’s tingling, and I stand there stunned, unable to move.
“Kat, I need you to give me a few minutes to explain. Please. Vicki and Austin helped me set this up. So, please let me just explain.” Bryce has a look of desperation on his face. He holds a hand out in front of him, trying to keep me in place. He doesn’t move forward; he keeps the distance between us so I’m comfortable enough to listen.
Slowly, I nod my head. My mouth is dry, and there’s no way I can form words even if I try. Might as well let him speak.
“Emma’s my ex from Florida. She should’ve never been here. I didn’t want her here. My parents mistakenly gave her my address when she lied to them and said she had some things of mine to mail.” He pauses to gauge my reaction.
All I can do is stand there. Emma’s his ex. So, I nod again to let him know he can continue.
“That day she showed up, hell, I had no idea she was going to be there. I’m not moving in with her, and there were no plans for us to get back together. Emma’s my past, Kat. I don’t want her.”
Bryce licks his lips and clears his throat. He closes his eyes for a moment, then looks at me. His eyes have become glassy with tears he’s obviously trying hard to hold back. Bryce is visibly shaking.
“The day you … you walked in on us,” Bryce closes his eyes and scrunches his face, like he can barely stand the words. “She stole a copy of the extra key I’d made. It was my emergency key. For whatever reason, if you’d lost yours or I’d lost mine, we had another one. She saw it and took it after you left when she ambushed you on Valentine’s Day.”
Bryce runs his hands through his hair. What he says next makes him pale.
“I was asleep, Kat. I was having a dream about you and me. It had been so long since I had actually slept, I was so exhausted. When I got home, I passed out on the couch. What she did to me … In my dream, it was you. I didn’t know it was real until I heard your voice. You snapped me out of my sleep. You woke me up when you started talking. When I came to … Kat … I am so sorry.”
Bryce clears his throat, trying to regain his composure. I see a tear slip from the corner of his eye. He hastily wipes it away.
“When I said you were my everything, I meant it. You are. Every day I’m without you … Fuck, Kat, I miss you. I need you in my life. When you’re not with me, I can’t think, I can’t breathe. I just exist, floating through the days. People talk to me and I pretend to listen, pretend to laugh, pretend to live. I never meant to hurt you. I would never hurt you. If I’d just been more upfront about my ex, it might have stopped all this hurt between us. Maybe none of this would have happened. Fuck, I hate myself for hurting you.” Bryce shrugs his shoulders, almost looking defeated.
My legs stay rooted in place. I can feel my body shake. There are goosebumps on my skin from the electricity surrounding us.
“If you give me the chance, I promise to spend the rest of my life making sure you never feel that way again. I don’t want another day to go by where you’re sad or upset. There will never be another day you don’t know that you’re number one in my heart. Every day, I’ll put a smile on your face and make sure you know how much you mean to me. Kat, I love you. I love you so much.”
Seeing him tear up does something to me. Listening to his confession and hearing him pour his heart out makes something stir inside me. Without a doubt, he means what he’s saying. Bryce is telling me the truth of what happened. I pull my hands up to my face and start crying, my body shaking from the force of my sobs. The tears are coming so fast I’m having a hard time breathing.