To Have, To Hold, and To Leave: A Bryce Hall FanFiction «completed»

35

-Addison's POV- 

I stood on the front step of the house that Bryce and Kate had shared for much of their marriage. Bryce had told me that she had been kind of lonely, and I thought that it could be nice if she got a visit from an old friend. Maybe it wouldn't, but it would give her something to keep her mind off of her bed rest, wouldn't it?
I finally leaned forward, knocking on the door, and I waited patiently for someone to answer it.
"Auntie Addison?" Isaiah asked as he opened the front door.
"Oh, hey, kiddo. How are you doing?" I greeted him. 
"I, uh, I'm good. Are you here to see my dad? I don't know if this is really a good time?" 
"I'm actually here to see your mom while your dad takes you guys to school," I corrected. 

Bryce showed up behind Isaiah. "I, um, I'm not taking the kids to school today. It's Nessa's turn. What are- why are you here?" 
"I came to see Kate. I hope that that's okay," I smiled at him. 
"Now probably isn't the best time," he answered. "Isaiah, can you go get your backpack and make sure that your siblings are ready, too? I'm gonna walk you guys next door when you're all ready."

Isaiah headed upstairs, and Bryce joined me on the porch. "You really should have called. Kate is kind of mad at me."
"Well, what does Kate being mad at you have to do with me?" I asked, confused. 
He sighed, and I could tell that it wasn't a good thing. "The person that I had lined up to pick up the kids yesterday fell through, and the school called her to tell her that no one was there. She was kind of mad that I hadn't managed to have it covered. I've apparently been falling short in a whole lot of categories lately."
"Hey, you never fall short when it comes to me. I love you, Bryce."

I could tell that he was really uncomfortable, and his facial expression matched that perfectly. "I love you, too," he mumbled. He turned his face as I leaned in to kiss him, and I was hurt, but I brushed it off. 
"Alright, do you mind if I go up and see Kate then?"
"Um, yeah, sure. She just got up, so don't be offended if she's not that excited to see you."

He reopened the front door, and I ascended the staircase. I hadn't been here in years, but I could never forget the layout of their house. I had always loved their floor plan. 
I knocked softly on the open door. "Kate?" 
"Addison? What are you doing here?" she asked, sitting up in her bed. 
"I wanted to come to see you. I heard that you were getting kind of lonely up here alone all the time."

-Kate's POV-

"You heard? Wow," I sighed. I knew exactly who she heard it from, but I decided that it wasn't my place to say anything to her. 
"I did. I can't imagine being alone all day long."
"Well, it pretty much sucks. It might be a little bit better if my husband didn't leave to take the kids to school and stay gone until they came home. It happens, though." God, Kate. Stop being such a bitch. "Sorry, that came out really shitty."
"No, Bryce warned me that you might be a little bit upset," Addison assured me, sitting down on the bed. 
"Did Bryce, um, did he leave with the kids yet? Nessa hates it when he brings them over late. It messes up her whole schedule," I changed the subject. 
"Yeah, he, uh, he was heading out as I was heading in," she answered, clasping and unclasping her hands in her lap.

We sat in silence for about fifteen minutes, and I cleared my throat, finally breaking it. "Did you have something that you came here to say to me?" 
"I just wanted to see if everything was okay with you. I know that this can be a lot. I mean, a pregnancy, a divorce, and bed rest. That's got to be a lot to handle."
"I'm sorry if I come across as rude in this next sentence, but I think that it might be best for you to leave. I really need to just be alone right now," I groaned, laying my head back against the pillows. 
I saw her face fall. "Of course. I'll, uh, I'll see you when you're off bed rest."

As soon as I heard the front door close, I dialed Bryce's number. "You have about twenty seconds to get your ass up those stairs and into this room before I get out of this bed and come down there to kick your ass myself."
"I'll be right up. Do you need me to bring anything up with me?" 
"Just your dumbass self, Bryce."

I sat impatiently as I waited for him to come upstairs. As soon as he entered the room, I took a pillow off of the bed, throwing it at him forcefully. "Do you want to be with me or not?" I yelled. 
"Whoa, chill with the throwing things at me, maybe. Of course. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Why did you ask?" 
"Because Addison just told me that she knew that it could be really difficult juggling a pregnancy, bed rest, and a divorce."
Bryce looked confused. "Why would she say that?" 
"Probably because you didn't tell her that we're not getting a divorce?" I screamed. 
"Um, it may have slipped my mind," he stammered. 
I chuckled. "I guess I can't really blame you. That's not really good pillow talk conversation, is it? You've already learned that she'll have sex with you if you're still married, so what are you so afraid of?" 
"Kate, I'm sorry. I'll call her and explain right now, and I promise you that I will never do anything with her ever again," he apologized, sitting down next to me. "I keep making mistakes, and I'm sorry."