The Comeback Season

|chapter fourteen|

We arrive in the school parking lot at a good time. I'm so happy I don't have to run to class and be all sweaty. I start to get out of the car, but Bryce pulls me back. He looks very nervous when I turn around.

"I like what we did last night in the guest room," he pauses, "but, you can't tell anyone." I turn my whole body to him because he just gained my full attention. "What are you talking about Bryce?"

"It's just that she is still my girlfriend and I don't want to hurt her." I let out a sarcastic laugh. Is he messing with me right now? "Wow Bryce, I'm not going to tell her." I roughly grab my bookbag off the back seat and say, "let's just stop all the flirting, kissing, handholding. From here on, all that shit is done." I get out the car and I hear him call my name. I slam his door shut and walk over to Reid's car.

Where did that come from? Damn, I knew I should have driven myself.

I knock on the car window and Reid shuts it off. I move back for him to step out of the car. "Hey boo—," he stops when he sees how red my face is. "What's the matter?" "Bryce is an asshole," I say bluntly and Reid pulls out his phone. I already know who he is texting. He grabs my arm and we make our way into the school.

"What the fuck did he do?" We are all sitting in the outside lunch area. I'm surprised we all could get out of class by using the bathroom excuse. "Nova, we didn't do anything."

"Bitch, you are a terrible liar. Spit it out." Reid has always been able to see through my lies. "Fine. I spent the night at his house and we made out. I also slept with him."

"Lia, did you use protection!" "Coco, we did not have sex! I slept in his bed after I had a nightmare." "The dad one?" I nod my head. "However, this morning he tells me not to tell Sabrina because he doesn't want to 'hurt her'."

"Ugh, that bitch," Reid says drinking his water. His comment makes me smile and I appreciate that. "Well Lia, just stop doing stuff with him until he breaks up with her," Nova says looking at me. Everyone nods in agreeance.

I wish it was that easy, but it's not. Despite what he said this morning, I can only think about his lips on mine.

"Guys, it's not that easy. Every time I'm around him, I start to get flustered. I even met his parents and they like me." "You're just going to have to try very hard," Coco says. I nod as we start to get up.

"Hold up, what the hell is on your neck," Reid says moving my hair out of the way. Everyone moves in closer and Nova hands me her compact mirror. I turn my neck and you can see my bruise in the sunlight. "He gave you a hickey," Coco says holding a hand over her mouth. I nod and they break out in laughs.

"Babe, you got it bad," Reid says and we walk back inside. I know that my feelings for Bryce aren't going away, no matter how hard I try.

I get through the rest of classes well. We didn't even talk in English, which was surprisingly nice. It probably was because I was still pissed from this morning. During math, I only thought about him once.

Now as I walk to our new lunch table, I feel rejuvenated. I sit down and start eating my turkey sandwich. "Babes, I hooked up with Johnny the pizza delivery guy last night." We all pause mid-chew and look at Reid. "I thought you were hungover." That's what he said in the group message.

"I was and I ordered pizza. He showed up and I didn't have money for a tip," he pauses and smirks at us, "so I gave him a different one." We all burst out laughing and mine is the loudest. I needed this laugh so badly right now. "Are y'all together," I ask. "Hell no." I shake my head and continue eating my sandwich.

We begin getting information out of Reid, but pause when all these people come to sit at the table. I look up and see a lot of guys mixed in with us. I turn to my left and see Bryce sitting next to me.