Fulfillment by Golland, M. (best large ebook reader .txt) 📕

excited. I couldn’t wait totouch him, inhale him and taste him. God, I sound like a Mr.Clark devouring monster. The thing was, I was a greedy littlemonster when it came to him. I could not wait to have him in closeproximity again. He was my drug of choice and I had sufferedwithdrawals for the past week. As much as I was looking forward toseeing him, I was also grateful for the time he was spending awayas it was giving me more of an opportunity to practise with Derek.I didn’t see how that was going to continue after Bryce returned,apart from sneaking off to practise with Derek behind Bryce’s back.I hated that idea. I knew too well that that kind of behaviourcould only lead to bad things, things like lying, deceit and wrongassumptions.

***

Derek and Ihad been practising for a couple of hours and my fingers were sore.I’d wanted a rest, so he had me watch him play the verse and chorusof the song over and over, because essentially—where the chordswere concerned—the verse and chorus were one and the same.

I was lightlysinging the words and watching him strum when the door to theman-cave opened and Bryce walked in. He frightened me at first, butthen that natural wave of guilt over being caught out washed overme and panic set in—my response to his arrival clearly not what itshould’ve been.

“Hey,” Ismiled gingerly at him. “You’re back early.” Shit! What do Itell him?

“Yes, I am,”he replied, as he eyed Derek with a suspicious scowl.

“Hey, Mate. Iwas just picking up the new music composition,” Derek said casuallyas he put his guitar down.

I proppedmyself up and grabbed my crutches so that I could make my way overto Bryce, embrace him and hopefully help remove that betrayed lookthat was clearly plastered across his face.

I stopped infront of him and balanced my arms on the tops of the crutches.

“Did you geteverything finish—”

He grabbed myface in his hands and kissed me hard before I could finish myquestion. His kiss wasn’t a sensual, loving caress, it waspossessive and angry. I pulled away from him and caught a look ofdistrust in his eyes, and it stabbed me right through theheart.

“I’ll getgoing, let the two of you get re-acquainted,” Derek said just ascasually as before. He packed up his guitar and slipped past us.“I’ll let myself out.”

“Best youfucking do that,” Bryce replied, his voice dripping withaccusation.

My mouth fellopen and I glared at him. Derek stopped on his way to the door,just a few feet from where Bryce and I were standing and turnedslowly. The tension in Bryce’s face was at boiling point. He wasalmost ready to rip Derek to shreds, and I think Derek would’ve putup a decent fight.

I placed myhand on Bryce’s arm in the hope to calm him. “Bye Derek, and thanksagain,” I said apologetically.

“No sweat,Alexis,” he replied while eyeing Bryce before he turned back aroundand left the room.

When the doorclosed behind Derek, Bryce stared at it for a few seconds, as if hewas ready to knock it down and go after Derek.

I reached upand turned his face toward mine. “What the hell was that all about?You were so rude to him,” I complained.

“You tell me,Alexis. What the hell did I just walk in on?” he replied with anicy tone.

“Are youserious? Please tell me you are not serious.”

“Oh, I’m veryfucking serious,” he hissed, as he eyed me fiercely.

My mouthdropped again and I turned away from him, hobbling on my crutchestoward the door. “What you just walked in on was Derek calling pastto collect whatever it was he needed to collect.”

I wrenched thedoor open and proceeded through it to the lounge. Lucy was atMother’s Group, Nic was at work, and the kids were still atschool.

“Why did hehave his guitar with him if he was only picking up sheetmusic?”

“I don’tknow?” I replied, exasperated. Fuck!

“Doesn’t makesense, Alexis. What the fuck are you not telling me?”

He followed meout of the room, and I swivelled around to face him.

“Nothing! Whatare you insinuating?” I shouted defensively while pointing mycrutch at him.

The fact thathe would think what I thought he was thinking pained my chest. Howcould he possibly assume there was something going on between meand Derek after all he and I had been through? How could he thinkthat?

“Is somethinggoing on between you and Derek?” he asked me, outright.

A tear rolleddown my cheek. “What, so you think that just because I was temptedby you, I would also be tempted by the next person who came along?Fuck, Bryce, you don’t know me at all.”

I continued ontoward the elevator. He followed and gently grabbed my waist,spinning me around and pinning me up against the entryway wall, thevery spot that held memories of so many heated, passionate and nowanger-fuelled moments.

Both mycrutches fell to the floor.

He pressed hisbody firmly into mine. “What was he doing here, and why were yousitting with him, watching him play the guitar?” his tone hadsoftened and his face was only centimetres from mine.

“Let me go,Bryce. I have nothing to explain.” I turned my head to the side,not wanting to look at him.

He gentlyplaced his hand under my chin and turned my face back to him.“Alexis, answer me.”

“Why? It’sobvious you don’t trust me.” More tears fell down my cheeks as Istared into his eyes. “Is this how it’s always going to be betweenus? No trust, because I gave you a small piece of me when I wasstill with Rick?” I whispered.

“No, Hunny,”his voice surrendered and he dropped his head. “I just know whenI’m being lied to.” He raised his gaze back to mine. “And you’relying to me, aren’t you?”

“So youimmediately think the worst. Did you not stop to think that I couldbe lying for a reason? One that did not lead to me having it offwith your best friend?” I gave him a questioning look and the lookhe returned was one of remorse. “Obviously not,” I sighed andturned away once more. “Let me go.”

He turned myface back to him yet again. “So you admit that you are lying?”

“Yes.”

“Are you goingto tell me what you are lying about?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because Idon’t