Always There

Chapter Seventy-Four

"I was supposed to be flying home today!" she whines. "But I was stupid. I was so fucking stupid and I read the date wrong. My flight isn't for another two weeks! I have nowhere to go, Bryce. Kennedy and her uncle are in France and I gave the apartment key back to them before they left, Knox is in England, and Nate left the city already.

"I've been going to different hotels all day long, hoping to find somewhere that I can afford until my next pay check comes, but everything is so expensive. I thought that maybe . . . Maybe I could . . ." She cuts herself off to take a deep breath in. "That maybe I should just find a quiet street and settle down on the sidewalk for the night. I thought that maybe that would be the best thing to do so that at least I would still have a little bit of money for food."

I blink, unable to process any of what Blossom just said.

"I . . . You seriously planned on sleeping in the streets tonight?" I ask incredulously.

Blossom nods her head solemnly.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Blossom. I'm so sorry. Fuck. You know that you never have to do that though, right? You're always welcome to stay with me. Why didn't you come here sooner?" I say.

Blossom shrugs. "I'm not your responsibility anymore. I didn't want to be a burden and I didn't want to interrupt your evening. I was especially worried that you may have a girl over and . . ." Her eyes widen in horror. "Oh my God. Do you have a girl over. Shoot. I'm so sorry Bryce. I can leave now. Just let me gather my things. God, I'm a train wreck."

Blossom begins to try and stand up, but her knees give out underneath her. She makes a move to stand again, but this time I place a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from rising.

"Hey. I don't have a girl over. The last girl who was in my apartment is still you. You're not interrupting me at all, and you're certainly not a burden. Let's bring your things inside and then we'll run you a shower. It's the end of May and you're somehow shivering," I say gently before removing my hand from her shoulder.

Blossom looks down at her hands, shaking as they clutch the stuffed unicorn to her chest. "Oh. I guess I am kind of cold. I didn't notice until now."

Sometime during our conversation, her sobbing has stopped, and now only a few tears are sliding down her cheeks. She reaches up to brush away those tears with the back of her hands before she goes back to hugging the unicorn tightly.

She looks so vulnerable right now that it hurts.

I stand up from my kneeling position on the floor, and when Blossom doesn't make a move to follow suit, I step around her to collect her things. I sling her backpack over one shoulder and then take both of her suitcases by the handle so that I can roll them into the apartment.

I bring her bags into the spare bedroom, lining her suitcases up against the wall and then carefully setting her backpack down as well. I had expected for Blossom to have followed me into the room, but when I turn around, I find that this was not the case.

With a soft sigh, I exit the spare bedroom and look out into the hallway to find Blossom still on her knees on the floor, clinging to that stuffed animal like it's her lifeline.

"Are you coming inside, sweetheart?" I ask her gently.

She whimpers, and then looks away from me to say, "I don't deserve it. I should just stay out here all night. I'm pathetic."

I wince upon hearing her talk about herself in that way.

Silently, I make my way through the foyer and out into the hallway. I pause in front of Blossom's small figure before bending down and scooping her up into my arms.