Always There

Chapter Forty-Six

I blink a few times, feeling my own cheeks blush red out of shame. I hadn't even realised that I had been ignoring him.

"Oh. I didn't know I had hurt your feelings. I'm really sorry, Bryce," I respond quietly.

Bryce gives me a shy smile that is completely unlike his usual cocky demeanor. "It's okay, Blossom. I forgive you," he tells me. "And I'm really sorry for taking your necklace from you. Can you accept my apology?"

"I'll accept your apology if you promise to never steal my necklace ever again," I say.

Bryce contemplates my offer for a moment before grinning at me. "Only if you promise that you'll say good morning to me every day for the rest of the school year."

I roll my eyes at him, then turning to face him once again. His amber eyes are sparkling with amusement, and his wolfish grin grows impossibly wider as he holds out one of his hands towards me, all of his fingers curled into a fist except for his pinky finger.

I'm finally unable to resist giggling as I loop my pinky finger through his.

"Pinky promise?" he asks me, smiling so widely that his dimples show.

I beam at him, nodding my head. "Pinky promise."

Bryce's POV

I stand next to Blossom's bed, helpless as I watch her fall apart before me.

She's still clawing at her neck with one hand, but she's now using her other hand to clutch her forehead as though she has a migraine.

I'm so scared. I'm so fucking scared because something is clearly wrong, but I don't know what to do or how I can help.

All I can do is hold Blossom's hand firmly as she sobs and wails and thrashes around in her bed. Kathleen and Charlie remain silent as they stand near the bed as well, the two of them wearing worried expressions on their faces as we impatiently wait for Johnathon to return with a nurse.

I'm worried that Blossom may be choking because of the way that she's holding her neck, but my questions are answered when she looks me in the eye.

"Where's my necklace? I love my necklace so much. It means the world to me because it reminds me of you. I can't believe I lost it," she cries, her voice cracking like mad.

My eyebrows furrow. "Oh, honey. Take a deep breath for me. I have your necklace right here, in my pocket."

Blossom's eyes widen and she lets out a little sob of relief. "Really?"

Her wailing has ceased thanks to this information, and so I nod at her and give her a reassuring smile. I then reach into my pocket to retrieve her cherry blossom necklace before placing it in her outstretched hand.

I close my fingers around her tiny hand, and for some reason, the action brings back a memory of when we were just kids and I had stolen the necklace from her one day.

"Hey Blossom?" I ask gently, hoping to distract her from whatever is going on in her head.

She stares back at me, her eyes glimmering with hope.

"Do you remember when I stole the necklace from you when we were, like, twelve? You were so pissed at me. And all I wanted was your attention," I murmur.

To my surprise, Blossom smiles at me. "I was dreaming about that right before I woke up. You made me promise to say good morning to you every day."

Why isn't she mad at me? Why isn't she as pissed as she was before the accident? I'm so fucking confused.

I push those thoughts aside for now, grateful that I'm being granted a few last moments with Blossom before she ends things between us for good.