Always There

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-One

A loud sniffle cuts me off, and my eyes dart from Nessa to Mateo.

His eyes are trained out the window, his chin resting on his hands. His eyes are bloodshot and his fingers are drumming aggressively against his thigh.

Nessa reaches for his hands to stop their drumming. "Hey. Deep breath. He's going to be okay. It's Bryce."

Mateo leans in to press his face into Nessa's hair before inhaling deeply. "I know. But I've only known him for six years, and he's my brother, who I should've known my whole life. It's bullshit, and we deserve more time together."

Nessa begins to whisper soothing words to Mateo in a voice too low for me to hear, and so I look away from them and give a comatose Bryce my full attention. He looks so peaceful, so happy, and I wish I could feel that way right now.

Meanwhile, my whole world is falling apart at my fingertips.

I gingerly lift my legs up onto the bed before slowly laying down beside Bryce. I rest my cheek against his chest and sling one of my legs over his, finally finding comfort for the first time today in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

I shut my eyes and take a deep breath.

He'll be okay. He'll be okay, and then him and I will get our happily ever after.

Just the two of us, with no one in the way.

My eyes fly open.

Liam.

I can't start a relationship with Bryce before I end my relationship with Liam, and ending my relationship with him would involve speaking to him again.

I shudder at the mere thought, but if that's what I have to do to spend the rest of my lifetime with Bryce, then I will make that sacrifice.

The door to the hospital room opens with a click, and I look over my shoulder to see Leo, Elena, and Jordan stepping into the room.

Leo and Elena sit in the chair to Bryce's right, Elena perched in Leo's lap, and Jordan takes a seat on the armrest of Nessa's chair. He ruffles her hair before slinging an arm around her shoulders with a sad smile.

Elena is the first to speak. "Lexi, dear, you owe me a hug. I haven't hugged your since you arrived, and you look as though you need it."

Even though it hurts my heart to do it, I unwrap myself from around Bryce's body and push up into a seated position. I tuck a few wayward strands of hair back from my face and then turn to face Elena with a smile.

She gasps.

And then it hits me.

My neck.

I immediately pull my hood back on, but the damage has already been done.

Jordan pushes to his feet. "What the hell? Who did that to you?"

I consider standing up as well, but I'm shaking so badly that I know I would just fall to the ground and make a complete fool out of myself.

Jordan's hands are suddenly on my face and he tilts my head towards him. My body jerks away, as has always been the case since Liam began hitting me, but Jordan doesn't care as he pushes my hood back and holds my head in place.

He leans in and purses his lips together as his eyes scan my bruised neck. "Lex. Tell me."

I whimper and consider lying, claiming that it was an accident during the show where James or Mac and I messed up our blocking and he grabbed me in the wrong way, but what good would lying do me?