Something There

Chapter Fifteen

I hope that Bryce can let it slide, but of course he can't.

He winks at me, biting his lip.

Literally winks at me.

"Ew, Bryce! That's not what I meant," I groan, but he's already stepped out of the car, laughing like a maniac. I hurry out around to the trunk, pinching his arm as he wraps it around my shoulder.

"Calm down. God," he tells me, slinging one of his bags over his shoulder and carrying the other in his hand. I reach for my bag as well, closing the trunk after I pick it up, and we walk with his arm still around me up to the porch.

When we step through the doorway, Bryce drops his stuff in a pile on the floor, locking the car with his keys before shutting the door behind us.

"Where do you want me to put this shit?" Bryce asks Ryan, who's already disappearing down the hall to the kitchen.

He turns back around to face us, saying, "You guys can go claim whatever rooms you want upstairs. I advise you go do that now before everyone else does unless you want to be the losers that end up asleep on the couch."

Bryce nods, picking his bags up again before walking straight up the stairs. I follow him up there, watching as he goes straight for the room farthest away, in the corner of the hallway.

He opens the door, stepping inside and dropping everything on top of the bed before walking back towards me.

"I figured that being farthest away from the other rooms wil be quite beneficial when Jasmine and that Daniel kid are up having sex all night," he explains. "I'd rather not hear that."

He really seems to like mentioning sex, doesn't he?

"Gross," is all I say as I claim the room next to Bryce's. It has two double beds crammed inside, and Jasmine and I usually share.

"She better not plan on that," I realize, "as we have to sleep in the same room.

I decide on the bed in the corner, against the wall with the huge window carved into it. The curtains are drawn shut, so I pull them open to let some of the golden hour sunlight into the room. I feel Bryce walk up behind me, looking out over my head at the sky through the glass pane.

"If all else fails, you can come sleep with me," he offers. "And let's be real; they've been ogling each other all week. It's definitely going to happen."

"Great," I sigh, knowing he's right.

I wish I was as confident as Jasmine, doing whatever I wanted and actually having some fun while still in high school. I just overthink every single darn thing.

Meanwhile, Jasmine is gorgeous, and she has a great personality. Everyone seems to love her. I really do wish I was more like her, not as reserved and timid as I currently am.

"I'm not going to sleep in your bed," I eventually inform Bryce, and he smiles, resting his chin on the top of my head.

"Sure you won't," he teases back, and I spin around, shoving him in the chest. He doesn't budge one inch which irritates me, but I don't get another chance to shove as he turns me around again, resting his head on mine once more.

"Shh. You're a good height for a chin rest with these shoes on," he tells me, and I try and move to elbow him, but he wraps his arm around me, pinning my hands to my side.

"Ooh, she's extra feisty today," he whispers, his lips at my ear, and I turn around to look up at him.

His face is so close to mine that I can smell the hint of cinnamon on his breath, almost able to hear his heart beating in his chest.