Chapter Eighty-Eight:
Lexi's POV
Vanessa tugs me out of the kitchen and down the hallway, her grip on my hand firm, not bothering to tell me what she wants to talk about.
I guess she doesn't really have to tell me, though. I'm already entirely certain as of to what it is.
I wait until we get far enough away from the kitchen for Bryce and Mateo to be unable to hear us before I let out a girly squeal and pull her into a fierce hug.
"Oh. My. God! Nessa! I'm so freaking happy for you!" I exclaim, hugging her even tighter.
She hugs me back just as hard, letting out a little squeal of her own. "Thank you! I'm so freaking happy too!"
This makes us both burst out into a fit of giggles as we pull away from our hug. Vanessa instantly begins to bounce up and down on the balls of her feet in excitement, which just makes me giggle even harder.
God, it's nice to have a friend like this.
I never anticipated finding a new close friend during my summer break, but I'm so very thankful. There's just something about Vanessa that makes me feel as though we'll probably be friends for a very, very, very long time, and that makes me happy beyond words.
She almost feels like the sister that I never had while growing up.
This thought makes me beam at her. "So? I need all the details! I seriously want to know everything."
Vanessa beams back at me, briefly taking my hands in hers. She squeezes gently before saying, "Oh, Lexi. It was so incredible. I'm so in love with him. He's the kindest, most compassionate person I know. And he loves me back! I can't believe it. Yesterday was just so very wonderful.
I clap my hands together in delight. "Yay! You deserve this. All of it. And of course he loves you! Didn't I tell you that last night?"
Vanessa sticks her tongue out at me, which just makes us both dissolve into giggles once again.
I'm able to catch my breath and compose myself first, and so I ask Vanessa, "How did it all go down? I wasn't kidding when I said that I want all of the details."
Vanessa lets out a dreamy sigh, and her eyes flutter shut as though she's recalling memories from last night. I watch as she takes few moments to ponder her thoughts before she opens her eyes and lets out another content sigh.
"Well, after we all came inside and went to bed last night, I went up to the room I'm staying in and—" Vanessa cuts herself off when she looks at my face.
My confusion must be evident. I just didn't think her and Mateo would be staying in separate rooms.
"You haven't been sleeping in Mateo's room?" I ask her, genuinely curious.
She shakes her head at me. "No. Since we hadn't really defined our relationship or talked about our true feelings yet, we decided it would be best for us to sleep in separate rooms for now. Not to mention that last night was actually only the second time that we've shared a bed."
I tilt my head to the side. "What was the first time?"
Vanessa blushes the slightest bit. "It wasn't anything romantic or intimate. We only did it out of convenience. We had had a Marvel movie marathon all day, and we lost track of time. It was super late by the time we finished the last movie, and so we figured it would just be best if Matt stayed the night at my parents' place. He offered to sleep on the couch, but I just thought that would be unfair and so we ended up sleeping in my bed together."
I raise my eyebrows at her, sort of impressed. "Wow, Nessa. While your parents were there? How scandalous!"
She snorts. "My grandma lives with us too. Extra scandalous."
I laugh at this, and Vanessa gives me another grin before continuing to speak.
"That happened awhile ago, though. Let's talk about last night instead. Do you really want the whole story?" she asks excitedly.
I nod at her, just as excited. "Of course I do! I'm sorry for interrupting. Please continue."
Vanessa takes a deep breath in. "All right. So, after I went to my room, I waited for a few minutes until I was sure you and Bryce were settled into bed. I then changed into this white lace lingerie set I had bought a few months ago just in case something finally happened between Matt and I."
My eyebrows shoot up. "Oh my God!"
She elbows me playfully in the side. "Oh, stop. It's nothing fancy. I just thought it would make everything a little more special. Anyway, after I changed, I went to Matt's room. I knocked on his door, and when he let me in I went right over to his bed and I sat down beside him. He asked me what I came for, and rather than responding, I just leaned in and I kissed him! Just like that! Wow. I still can't believe I was that . . . bold."
I can't help but to squeal. "I am so proud of you! What happened next? How did he react?"
Vanessa laughs to herself. "Well, he kissed me back. Like, he really kissed me. For a long time. And when we stopped kissing, I told him that there was something I really needed to tell him. He started freaking out, and I guess he thought it was going to be something bad, but then I told him that I love him. He froze and took awhile to process it, and so I started to freak out, but then he kissed me again. He started to cry, so I got really scared that I had done something wrong, but then he told me that he loves me too, which just made me cry as well.
"We then ended up crawling into bed together, and all our clothes came off. The face Mateo made when he saw my lingerie made me feel so damn beautiful. We kissed some more for awhile, but then things began to escalate, and Matt asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this. I said yes, of course, and so that's when he went to Bryce's room to ask for a condom. He was gone for awhile, and I would ask you what you three talked about, but I'm honestly not sure if I even want to know," she says with a sigh.
I laugh, nodding to encourage her to finish her story.
Finally, she says, "Mateo eventually came back to his room, and we did it. We had sex. It was a lot of fumbling around and figuring things out, but I think that just made it even more perfect. It was just as wonderful as you said it would be, and if it weren't for you and your advice, I don't think it would've happened. So, thank you so much, Lexi. Truly."
I immediately pull her into another fierce hug as soon as she's finished speaking. "I am so freaking happy to hear that, Nessa. But there's no need to thank me. That was all you."
Vanessa squeezes me extra tightly, and it makes me entirely certain that we really are going to be the best of friends.
Just as we're breaking away from our hug, there's a knock on the front door. Vanessa and I exchange confused glances before I shrug and head towards the door.
I unlock the door before opening it to reveal Leo and Elena standing on the porch, holding hands. They're both grinning like idiots and Elena is snuggled up against Leo's arm, her cheek pressed against his bicep.
"Hi, Lexi!" Elena exclaims as soon as she sees me. She detaches herself from her husband and hurries into the house only to immediately pull me into a hug.
"Hi, Elena. How are you?" I ask as she releases me from her embrace.
She beams at me. "I'm wonderful, Lexi. How are you?"
I chuckle. "I'm good, Elena. Thank you for asking."
Elena seems to consider my answer for several moments before she leans in incredibly close to my ear.
Then, she whispers to me, "I'm praying for you on you and Bryce's wedding night already if he has a sex drive anywhere near as high as his father's."
I choke on my own saliva.
Elena merely giggles to herself, clearly finding my reaction to be extremely amusing.
And wow. I cannot believe that she just told me that.
Elena then smiles at me again before spotting Vanessa and hurrying over to hug and greet her as well. I turn around to find Leo stepping into the home now, and I watch as he shuts and locks the front door before he turns to face me.
"Hey, Lexi. Thank you for coming to the wedding yesterday, and thank you again for staying with Bryce last night. You truly made him so happy," Leo says to me softly.
I smile at him. "There's no need to thank me. I'd do anything for Bryce."
The four of us soon head down the hallway and into the kitchen, where we find Mateo and Bryce chatting. Mateo is still seated at the island, sipping from his mug of coffee, and Bryce is still standing on the other side of the island with his sweaty shirt still balled up in his fist.
They look up and towards the doorway as Vanessa, Elena, Leo, and I step into the kitchen at the exact same time. It's almost comical, honestly, that they'd gone so long without knowing that they're brothers considering how much like brothers they act so much of the time.
Bryce scans over Leo, Elena, and Vanessa before he finds me. As soon as his eyes meet mine, he smiles so wide that my breath catches and I'm able to feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
I smile back at him, and he winks at me before turning to face his dad.
"Good morning, old man. You look like you didn't sleep for even a second last night!" Bryce says to his dad, grinning so wide that it's hard not to laugh at his expression.
Leo opens his mouth, shuts it, and then says, "Don't start with me, kid. I doubt you slept at all last night, either."
Leo then nods to me for emphasis, and I feel my cheeks flush bright pink.
Bryce blinks at his dad several times.
And then he tosses his sweaty T-shirt right at Leo's face.
Leo manages to catch the shirt mid-air, right before it hits his face. He only holds onto the T-shirt for about half a second, though, before he drops it onto the floor with a disgusted look on his face.
"Jesus Christ, kid!" Leo exclaims. "Go take a shower, for fuck's sake!"
🌸🌸🌸
While Bryce is upstairs showering, Leo and Elena make pancakes and bacon for Bryce, Mateo, Vanessa, and I as they apparently stopped to sit down and eat breakfast together on their way home from the hotel. Somehow, their timing ended up being perfect, as the food ended up being ready the exact moment that Bryce strolled back into the kitchen.
His hair is still wet, but now it's from the shower and not due to sweat. He's once again wearing a T-shirt and shorts, but this time the shirt is dry and actually on his body.
"Miss me?" he asks the room as he makes his way towards the island. He claims the empty seat beside me before pulling my stool closer to his so that the sides of our bodies are pressed together.
Leo slides a plate of pancakes and bacon across the counter and towards Bryce with a sigh. "Not particularly. But I'm glad you no longer look shit."
Bryce sticks his tongue out at Leo before leaning in to kiss me on the cheek with a chuckle.
"How's my girl?" he asks me with a smile as he begins to cut up a pancake into bite-sized pieces.
I give him a small smile. "You saw me half an hour ago, Bryce."
He shrugs at me. "Your point?"
I giggle and pop another piece of pancake into my mouth.
We finish up breakfast, and it's just as Mateo, Vanessa, Bryce, and I are settling onto the couches in the living room that there's a knock on the front door. I feel my eyebrows furrow, and Bryce must notice my expression from where he's sitting beside me on the couch because he leans in and says, "Remember how I told you that some family was coming over later?"
I nod at him.
"Well, I guess some of them are here already. There's no need to be nervous, though. They're all hungover and probably cranky as fuck. Well, my grandfather is always a cranky asshole, so I don't think that a hangover will change anything for him," Bryce tells me cheerily.
Leo lets out a loud sigh from where him and Elena are still sitting in the kitchen. "Don't talk about my dad like that, kid. How about you go get the door?"
Bryce narrows his eyes at his dad, but after a few moments, he reluctantly stands up from his seat beside me.
"Fine," he mutters under his breath like a moody teenager.
I can't help but to giggle at the expression on Leo's face as he lets out a defeated sigh. Elena pats him on the shoulder and gives him a sympathetic smile, which is when I hear Mateo snort from where he's sitting beside Vanessa on the love seat.
Bryce chooses to ignore all four of them, and he instead holds out his hand towards me, offering for me to take it. "Come with me?"
I shrug, placing my hand in his. I allow him to pull me up from my seat before I say, "Sure. Why not?"
We exit the living room and make our way down the hallway and towards the front door while still holding hands. Once we reach the door, Bryce gives me a small smile and my hand a gentle squeeze before reaching to twist the lock.
He pulls the door open to reveal Jordan and Maria, standing on the front porch, holding hands just like Bryce and I.
I feel my eyes widen, and when I look up at Bryce, I find that he looks just as confused as I feel.
Huh. I guess I knew that they went home together last night after the wedding, but actually seeing them like this is still shocking.
Especially considering Jordan and Camila are still technically together, even though they're seeing other people at the moment.
"I promise that I'll text you as soon as I'm able to leave tonight," Maria says softly, turning to face Jordan as she takes both of his hands in hers.
He smiles at her, a soft smile that I've only seen on his face very few times since I met him.
"All right. I'll be waiting anxiously all day. Bye, Maria," Jordan responds. There's a lightness to his tone that I've never heard before in all the years since I met him.
I watch as Maria strains up on the tips of her toes to wrap her arms around Jordan's neck. His hands find her hips and he pulls her towards him for a brief kiss.
"Bye, Jordan," she whispers, her lips still brushing against Jordan's.
He kisses her again before they finally break apart. Maria turns to face Bryce and I almost immediately, and she gives us a small wave before stepping through the doorway and into the foyer.
She slips off her shoes before kissing Bryce on the cheek and giving me another quick wave. "Hi," she says with a smile. "I didn't think I would be the first one here."
Bryce snorts. "Don't worry about it. We're all sitting in the living room. You're welcome to go right in. Lexi and I just need to chat with Jordan for a few moments."
My eyebrows raise, but apparently Maria doesn't find anything about this statement to be suspicious because she merely gives Jordan a final wave before disappearing down the hallway and into the living room.
As soon as she turns the corner, Bryce spins around to face Jordan. "What the fuck is all of this?"
Jordan suddenly grins so wide that I genuinely can't help but to smile as well. He just looks so damn happy right now, so much happier than he's looked while talking about Camila all summer.
"Don't worry about it, Bradshaw," Jordan replies. "We just hooked up last night. No big deal. We're meeting up again tonight, though. God, she's wonderful. I really like her."
I watch as Bryce opens his mouth and remains silent for several moments. Though it takes him some time, he eventually groans, and says, "Seriously? Did every single Bradshaw in the whole fucking world get laid last night except for me?"
Jordan chuckles. "Well, that sucks for you, but it's great for me. That was the best. Sex. Of. My. Life. Hot damn. I never knew it could be that good."
Bryce lets out another loud groan.
Jordan grins and shrugs his shoulders. "Well, I've got to get home. I'm sure I'll see you soon because you're a clingy bastard, but that's all right." Jordan then looks from Bryce to me. "I'll text you later. My parents want to see you and invited you over for dinner tomorrow night, if you'd like to come."
I can't help but to smile even wider at this. "Of course I'll come! Tell your parents that I thank them for the invite."
Bryce decides to chime in and ask, "Why the fuck wasn't I invited?"
Jordan pretends to consider this question for a few seconds before he turns to Bryce and says, peppily, "That's because my parents like Lexi way more than they like you. Anyway, this was a wonderful chat, and I'll see you guys soon. Bye!"
And as simply as that, Jordan skips down the front steps and the driveway until he reaches his car, parked on the street. He gives us an exaggerated wave before he climbs into the car, peels away from the curb, and then simply drives away.
"Fuck. I hate him," Bryce mumbles as he shuts the front door.
I reach up to take his face in my hands, and his expression immediately softens.
"You don't always have to pretend as though you don't care about the things you do care about. You know that, right?" I ask him quietly.
Bryce gives me a small shrug of his shoulders. "I don't pretend not to care about you."
I do my best to ignore the way my heart suddenly begins to flutter rapidly in my chest.
I clearly fail, though, as I'm unable to resist the urge to strain up on my toes and gently kiss Bryce's soft lips.
We eventually find ourselves back in the living room, and we curl up on the couch together once again. Leo and Elena's family begin to show up sporadically throughout the afternoon, but the whole time, Bryce and I remain curled up in our little corner of the couch, chatting amongst ourselves. Bryce even pulls me into his lap for another quick kiss at one point in time, not matter how embarrassing I thought that to be.
It was the perfect afternoon, though.
Every day is perfect as long as Bryce's there.
🌸🌸🌸
As we all sit down for dinner, every single person crammed around the massive table in Leo and Elena's dining room, I can't help but to look around at all of the people sitting in the room.
Well, of course I've already seen everybody here, but I allow myself to take a few moments to really look at them.
I look at the Bradshaw cousins, all deep in a rambunctious conversation.
I look at Leo's siblings, sipping from their wine glasses.
I look at Leo's father, who—as Bryce had promised earlier—looks mildly grouchey and generally unamused by everything going on around him.
I watch as Leo's mom leans in and kisses her husband on the cheek. He tries his best to keep his expression unchanged, but I watch as his lips nearly tug up into a grin.
I look at Elena's parents, smiling impossibly wide as they chat with Mateo and Vanessa.
Mateo and Vanessa, who keep sneaking glances at one another as though they're just too giddy and in love to focus on anything else other than each other.
I look at Leo and Elena, sitting at the head of the table. Leo has his arm around Elena's shoulders and they're snuggled up together, silently watching everybody around them with serene expressions on their faces.
And then I look at Bryce.
Bryce.
When our eyes meet, he smiles at me.
I smile back.
And in that moment, I realise something.
These people really are my family.
A/N: I think my new writing schedule of 1k words a day is really working for me because here we are, guys! No ridiculous time gap between this chapter and the previous one!
I don't really have anything to say today because my life is pretty boring right now (obviously) so what have you guys been up to?
I've been reading a lot which is literally not surprising but whatever. Have you guys read any good books lately?