Always There

Chapter Nine

Blossom's eyes widen. I watch as her eyebrows then raise in confusion, and so I clarify by saying, "I know that he doesn't look completely unappealing right now, but sometimes he lets his facial hair grow out, and a beard ages him ten years. It's not a good look, but he keeps doing it."

When Blossom continues to stare blankly at me, I blurt out, "Scarlett says that he's not even close to being as good in bed as I am."

It's now that I realise that the look on my girl's face isn't confusion, but rather amusement.

It's not long before she bursts out into a fit of adorable giggles, burying her face against my chest so that she isn't loud enough to disrupt the people working at other tables in the hallway.

I huff, watching as she eventually settles herself down. Her eyes are watery once again, but I can tell that this time it's because she was just laughing too hard, thankfully.

Her shoulders are still rattling the slightest bit when she responds to me, saying, "God, Bryce. Of course not. I just wanted to make you jealous because I was jealous as hell of Scarlett. I do like Anders' back tattoo, though. Do you think you would ever get a tattoo there?"

Those damn doves he had tattooed. I remember how shocked I was to see him be so sentimental.

"I was with him when he had that tattoo done, actually. He whined like a little bitch the whole time. To answer your question, I want to build on from my sleeve and have something done one the sides and back of my neck, trailing into an idea I have for my left shoulder," I tell her, watching her lips turn up into a cheeky grin.

"You're not going to tell me your idea?" she pouts, and I shake my head at her.

No, because I think that the moment you see the tattoo for the first time will be worth keeping it from you.

"Meanie," she whines, and I smile as I rest my chin atop her head.

"Is there anywhere that you wouldn't want me to get a tattoo?" I ask her, and she contemplates this question for a moment before gasping, pulling away from me before spinning around to look me directly in the eye.

Grabbing my face, she says, "For the love of God, please don't tattoo your face! I will literally cry."

Reaching up, I take her wrists between my fingers, gently pulling her hands down and off of my face.

"Don't worry, Blossom. I won't do anything to cover up your favourite face in the whole entire world," I grin, and to my surprise Blossom doesn't even fight me on my comment.

As if she's capable of reading my mind, my girl mumbles, "Well, I guess you aren't wrong."

Raising a hand to cup her face, I smile at her as I say, "And this is my favourite face in the whole entire world."

She grins back at me, our moment being interrupted as her phone buzzes from the pocket of her jeans.

Once she retrieves the phone, she sighs upon seeing the text message. "It's from Kennedy," she tells me. "She says that Nathan just left the dorm. She's with Jules and was hoping to have some alone time with him."

I see the hurt flickering across Blossom's face as she types a quick response to Kennedy. When she slips her phone back into her pocket she silently leans back against me, letting out a shaky breath.