Songs for this chapter:
• off the table - Ariana Grande ft. The Weeknd
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen:
Bryce's POV
"Would you like a cookie?"
Blossom appears from around the corner with a pink Tupperware container in her outstretched hands. Inside, on a bed of wax paper, are four cookies.
"Where did you get them from?" I ask, cautiously leaning in to peer into the box.
"I made them!" Blossom replies enthusiastically. "They're cinnamon roll cookies. I wanted to make something special for my birthday. I bake cookies every day and bring them to the club for whoever wants them. I just need to drop Stephen's off to him and then we can leave. I'll be right back!"
As simply as that, she turns on her heel and hurries past me.
I can't help but to chuckle as I watch her go.
Mateo and Jordan and the rest of our group are long gone and left when the club closed. I told Blossom that I wanted to walk her home, and even though she was hesitant at first, she eventually accepted the offer. She asked her boss for permission for me to stay past closing to wait for her with big brown eyes and a pouted lip that no man could possibly say no to, and so here I am, waiting by the girls' dressing room for Blossom to be ready to head home.
Her and I sat and talked together all night. She only left my lap when she needed to get Richard and his friends drinks, but when they all got pulled into a private room with some dancers, Blossom and I had the table to ourselves with no interruptions.
When closing finally came, everyone else left, but I just couldn't stand to leave my girl.
Blossom reappears, skipping along happily towards me. When she stops in front of me there is one less cookie in the container and a giant smile on her face.
While she was in the dressing room, she pulled her hair up into a tight bun at the nape of her neck and removed her lipstick entirely even though it had already faded throughout the evening. She's wearing a pair of black sweatpants that are so huge on her that they undoubtedly used to be mine, and on top she's wearing a black sweater with the silhouette of my face on the front and my name up the right sleeve in white text replicating my handwriting.
She looks up at me sheepishly and pulls the hood up over her head. "When I confronted my parents about how they contacted you and told you to stay away from me, they felt really really guilty. They bought me a bunch of clothes from your website to try and make up for it. Now my entire wardrobe is either your old clothes or clothes with your name on them."
I laugh and reach for her hand. I loop my fingers through hers and squeeze. "I get sent all the prototypes for new clothing designs in my size," I tell her, noticing the way the sweatshirt nearly falls to her knees and assuming her parents bought it in my size so that it would fit her like an old sweatshirt of mine would. "I feel weird wearing things with my name on it. I'll give them all to you."
Blossom looks down at her Converse-clad feet and smiles shyly. "Okay. Thank you. I would love to have them."
I kiss her head. "Of course. Consider it a birthday gift. Now, let's get the birthday girl home so that she can enjoy her special day. Twenty-two. Wow."
Blossom squeezes my hand and gently begins to pull me towards the door. "Okay. I take the subway, but then I have to walk a little because there isn't a station super close to my new apartment. Is that okay with you?"
I squeeze her hand back. "Of course, sweet girl. Of course."
I reach for the black duffel bag she's been carrying on her shoulder since she emerged from the dressing room and sling it over my shoulder instead. She opens her mouth to protest, but then I stick my tongue out at her and she shuts right up.
Blossom giggles and pulls me through the club and towards the back door. We step outside into the cool autumn air, the winds whipping at us and prompting Blossom to pull her hood even lower down her face. She huddles into my side and I see her fingers turning pale from how hard she's gripping the container of cookies.
"Who's this, Alex?"
I turn to see a tall man wearing all black standing beside the doorway we had just walked through. His back is against the wall and his arms are folded against his chest. The shadows hide most of his features from me, but I see black-as-night hair and a chiseled jawline.
I instinctively tug Blossom against my side. "Come on. Let's go."
She shoves me away, gently, but there is a stern look in her eyes as she stares at me. "Hey. This is Gregory. He's a security guard for the club."
When my eyes remain narrowed, she elbows me in the ribs.
"Stop being an ass, Bryce," she scolds me.
I give my fakest smile to the man. "Hello."
Blossom elbows me again.
Gregory tips his head in my direction. "Bryce Bradshaw, isn't it? How do you two know each other?"
Blossom relaxes against my side again. "We were best friends growing up. Now he's famous, and I'm here."
Gregory laughs, and when Blossom holds the cookie container out towards him, he reaches inside and plucks the nearest cookie out. He takes a small bite and chews thoughtfully as Blossom closes the lid and tucks the container under her arm.
"Great as always, Lexi. Stay safe. I'll see you tonight," Gregory says as he pops the remainder of the cookie into his mouth.
Blossom beams at him. "Bye, Greg. I'll see you later."
Her and I walk down the side street where the club's back door led us and to the main road. She squeezes my hand extra hard as she tugs me to the left, where we walk for a couple blocks before ducking down into a staircase that'll bring us down to the subway.
The station is close to deserted considering the ungodly hour of the morning that we're in right now. Blossom seems completely unfazed by the near-silence as she drags me down the stairs and onto the concrete subway station.
"I don't like the idea of you taking the subway alone when it's empty like this. If you get trapped down here with the wrong person, there would be no one to help you," I tell her softly as we scan our cards and push through the barrier onto the platform.
She giggles a little to herself. "It's okay. I have a taser."
I can't help it when my eyebrows lift. "A taser?"
She nods. "It's pink. It's in that little front pocket of my bag."
I shake my head a little as I pull her closer and tuck her against my side. We're the only people waiting on the platform right now, and the sight of it is disconcerting as hell.
"Of course you have a pink taser. I don't know why I expected anything less from you."
She beams at me. "No one hates me being down here alone more than myself. The taser makes me feel a little bit better."
I just squeeze her closer. "I'll pick you up from now on."
She snorts and presses her face into my suit jacket. I'm sure we make quite the pair, her in her oversized sweater and me in a suit and tie.
"No, you won't. I can handle myself. I told you. I have a taser," she says sternly.
"Doesn't matter. What if someone catches you off guard? I can't have anything happen to you. I won't be able to live with myself."
"Well, luckily for you, I'm going to be fine all on my o—"
Footsteps echo from behind us and I look over my shoulder to find a tall man in all black walking down the steps and towards the platform where Blossom and I are waiting. A pair of dark sunglasses obstruct the top half of his face and a cellphone is held up against his ear. Whatever conversation he's having has etched a deep scowl on his lips.
Blossom shrinks against me.
I snuggle her closer.
She glances at the man again, and when he begins to speak angrily to whoever is on the line with him, Blossom whimpers.
She fucking whimpers.
I gently guide her to the left, further down the platform and as far away from the other man as possible. He gives us a disgusted glance before walking to the edge of the platform and continuing his argument.
"I wake up really early anyway. I go for my run every day in the morning, so I'll just wake up a little earlier, pick you up and get you home safely, and then go for my run. No inconvenience whatsoever," I breathe into her ear.
She swallows loudly and nods into my side. "Okay. Thank you."
When I look down at her small frame, I find that the hand of hers I'm not holding is trembling madly.
The distinct whooshing sound of an approaching subway fills the platform, and I glance down the tunnel to see the bright headlights of a train. I hear Blossom's breath of relief, and after one last glance down at her shaking body, I scoop her up into my arms and hold her close.
"Shh," I murmur. "I can definitely take that guy in a fight. I'll keep you safe, honey."
She gives me a grateful smile and lets out another staggering breath.
The subway comes to a halt in front of the platform and the doors slide open with a chime. I carry Blossom into the nearest car, and when I find no one else in sight, I let out a relieved sigh.
I place her down in a seat and claim the seat beside her. Her bag is placed in the the seat on my other side, and once my arms are free, I wrap one around Blossom's shoulders.
She snuggles up into my side again. "Will you get out my earbuds? They're in the main pocket. They should be on top of my clothes."
I unzip her bag and find her earbuds coiled neatly on top of a stack of lace lingerie. I retrieve the earbuds and hand them to Blossom before securing the zip of the bag again.
Blossom digs her phone out from her pocket and takes the earbuds from me with a grateful smile. She plugs them into her phone and then pops one bud into her ear before holding the other out towards me in question.
I take it from her and pop it into my own ear.
She unlocks her phone with her old passcode, my birthday, and my heart squeezes impossibly tight from within my chest.
She opens up her music app and selects a playlist. The moment she hits play, Blossom floods the earbud and I have to try hard to hide my surprise that she listens to my music.
"You don't have to play my stuff just because I'm here. Listen to whatever you want," I tell her.
She shakes her head. "Your music is the only music that I listen to. I love it. I'm so honoured that so many beautiful songs exist about me because of you. When this song first came out, I cried for hours. I love it so so much. I don't even know how to put it into words."
I kiss her forehead. "I'm glad. You deserve a million more songs written about you. Hopefully I'll get there one day."
She laughs and snuggles into my side. Her eyes flutter shut and I rest my cheek against her hair with a soft sigh.
🌸🌸🌸
Blossom's apartment building is . . .
Not ideal.
It is in a horrible part of the city, and I'm genuinely impressed that the stairs don't give way under our feet as we walk up three flights to Blossom's floor. The baby blue paint on the hallway walls is chipping as we head towards her door, and I can't help but to notice that every single doorknob is different as we walk past the various apartments until we reach Blossom's.
"Why this place? Your old place was in a way better part of the city. Not to mention that you're very far away from the club. I think it would be easier for you to get to work from my place, and there's always an empty side of my bed waiting for you," I whisper, cautious not to cause a disturbance at this hour and cause trouble for Blossom.
"Rent is cheaper. Kennedy's uncle doesn't have to help us with bills anymore. And the actual apartment is bigger. Besides, of course the club is closer to your place. It's ridiculously expensive and only wealthy men go there," she explains as she pauses in front of a white door with a shiny golden doorknob.
She digs around in her pocket to retrieve her key and then sticks the key into the lock. She twists, and then pushes the door open only to freeze at whatever sight she sees in inside.
"Surprise!" a chorus of voices chimes as she steps through the doorway.
She tugs me in afterwards with an excited squeal. I close and lock the apartment door behind us and feel my chest throb when a giggle of delight bubbles up from Blossom.
I scan the room to find Kennedy, Knox, Nathan, Jane, and a girl I don't recognise. All of them are wearing metallic silver party hats on their heads, and the living room is filled with silver and pink balloons that match the birthday banner hung above the large grey sofa.
Kennedy shoots up from her seat and begins to make her way through the living room and towards the doorway. "Happy birthday, Lexi! I know you don't like parties, but we had to do something special for you. I hope that—"
Kennedy's gaze lands on me and she freezes.
"Where did you come from?" she exclaims.
Blossom giggles and leans against me. "He was at the club tonight with some of his friends. I was in charge of his table. He offered to walk me home."
Kennedy looks me over once, from head to toe. "Hm. I don't like how you've been treating Lexi lately. I'm not sure you should be here right now."
Blossom steps away from me and between me and Kennedy instead. 'It's okay, Kennedy. Don't worry about it. Him and I are on good terms now."
She sighs and lifts her hands in surrender. "Okay, Lexi. If you want him here, then of course he can stay. Now let's sit down and eat some cake before the rest of us need to head to work."
I place Blossom's duffel bag next to the doorway and allow Blossom to guide me through the kitchen and into her living room. Kennedy promptly pulls her into a hug, and I notice that everyone else in the room is also on their feet in hopes of doing the same. I step back so that Blossom can hug her friends, but once she's done, I let her pull me down into a big armchair before she plops down in my lap with a content sigh.
I wrap my arms around her and pull her back against my chest. The rest of her friends settle in as well, minus Kennedy, who heads to the kitchen presumably to retrieve Blossom's birthday cake.
Knox and Jane sit down together in a chair much like Blossom and I while Nathan sits down on the sofa. I expect the other girl I don't recognise to sit on the opposite end to leave room for Kennedy in the middle, but instead, she perches on the cushion right next to Nathan and lets him wrap an arm around her.
Interesting.
I notice that the unknown girl has her eyes glued to me, and so I tilt my head to the side and smile at her. "Hello."
She lets out a squeak. "You're Bryce Bradshaw."
I snort. "Indeed."
"I'm Quinn!" she blurts out.
"Hi, Quinn," I respond. "I'm a friend of Lexi's."
She nods in understanding before shrinking into Nathan's side with wide eyes.
Kennedy dims the living room lights and emerges from the kitchen carrying a big birthday cake with big candles on top that say '22'. She begins to sing 'Happy Birthday' as she approaches Blossom, and by the time the cake is placed down on the coffee table in front of her, everyone has joined in on the singing.
The song comes to a conclusion, and Kennedy beams at Blossom before taking a seat on the couch, as far away from Nathan and Quinn as possible.
"Make a wish!" she tells Blossom with a smile.
Blossom considers the flaming birthday candles for several seconds before she looks over her shoulder at me.
Her eyes meet mine, and I give her a small, reassuring nod.
She pecks me on the cheek before spinning around and blowing out her candles in one big breath.
🌸🌸🌸
"I've got to head out, sweetheart. I have an appointment that I really can't miss," I whisper, smoothing some loose strands of Blossom's hair back away from her face.
After her little birthday gathering concluded and her friends began to get prepared for the day, Blossom got into the shower and I waited for her in her bedroom. When she returned from the bathroom with damp hair and an old black T-shirt of mine hanging from her small frame, I climbed into bed with her and promised I would lay with her until she fell asleep.
"But I'm not asleep yet," she whispers back.
"I know, baby, I know. But I really can't miss this appointment."
Blossom sniffles and presses her face into my neck. Her arms are wrapped around my neck and her whole body is on top of mine.
"Okay. Just one more second," she tells me.
I kiss her forehead and gently roll her over so that she's laying on her back in her bed rather than on top of me. I climb out from the other side and smooth out her duvet before walking around to her side of the bed and kneeling down on the floor in front of her.
She rolls over onto her side so that she can face me. "I miss you already."
I chuckle. "I miss you too."
Her stuffed unicorn, sitting on her fluffy pink reading chair, catches my eye. I reach behind me to grab the unicorn and hand it to Blossom with a little smile.
She tucks the unicorn under her arm and squeezes it to her chest. "Thanks."
"Of course."
"You really have to leave now?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
I stand up from my kneeling position and turn towards the door.
I take one step.
Two steps.
I freeze.
And then I hurry back to Blossom's bedside, bend down, and claim her lips with mine.
I kiss her quick and hard, and when I pull away, she looks dazed. A sleepy smile spreads across her face and a light pink blush reaches her cheeks.
"Now I'm going to leave. For real," I tell her shyly.
She nods and presses her face into the soft white fur of her unicorn. "Okay."
🌸🌸🌸
Lexi's POV
I wake up to the usual sound of my alarm and roll over onto my side to be greeted by warm afternoon sunlight streaming in through my window.
I grab my phone off my bedside table and shut off my alarm with a sigh. I notice my unicorn had fallen onto my floor during my sleep, and I'm just about to set down my phone so that I can retrieve the stuffed toy when I notice a text message on my home screen obscuring my phone wallpaper of me and Bryce.
Bryce:
I booked you an audition next week.
Christine Daaé.
Broadway.
Live your dream, my sweet girl.
I blink at the message until my vision blurs and tears are splattering against the glass of my phone screen.
I unlock the phone and open up the text messages from Bryce. Sure enough, there's a link with all the audition details attached.
I gently set my phone down beside me on my bed and slide out from underneath the covers. I approach my closet, yank the door open, and lift myself up on the tops of my toes to retrieve a cardboard box that I haven't opened in what feels like forever.
I drop the box onto the floor and lower myself down onto my knees beside it. The box isn't taped, and so I easily open it and reach for what's inside.
My baby pink LaDuca character shoes that my parents bought me for Christmas all those years ago.
I clutch the shoes to my chest and sob.
A/N: Well, I said I wasn't going to write until I finished school but someone at my school got Covid and so here I am I guess?
Anyway I loved this chapter and I hope you guys did to. I have exams next week and then I'll be done for the summer and will hopefully be able to write for you all plenty <3