Always Yours by Amicia Bianchi (best books to read fiction TXT) 📕

"Hey, I'll be right back," I told them. Bryce started to come with me until I stopped him, "I'm going to talk to Skylar really quick, okay?" I kissed him and headed her way.

"Skylar can I talk to you for a minute?" She nodded and followed me into the house.

"Alyssa what are doing right now? So, you're getting back together? Like... For what? Why? I thought you were done with the back and forth stuff. What happened?" she questioned when I didn't immediately said anything.

"Well, I just realized that everything wasn't his fault like I'd originally been thinking. Even some of the things I accused him of doing to hurt me that wasn't the case. It only hurt me because I took it that way. So when he did things that he normally always does I was upset about it. And even though I had a problem with what he was doing I didn't tell him. So I never gave him the opportunity to correct what I thought was wrong yet I still looked at it as if he'd done those things on purpose just to spite me. I had the wrong mindset and I'd victimized myself and in doing so I misconstrued a lot of things in our relationship. I was being selfish and that wasn't his fault. So we're starting over and I just want you to know that everything's okay. Yes, we're back together and no he didn't force me into it so you don't have to be angry at Bryce. I'm to blame for why you're not very fond of him, I know, but at least give him the benefit of the doubt, okay?" I tried to explain.

She didn't say anything so I assumed that she was still upset but she'd get over it eventually.

"Thanks for understanding, Skylar," I gave her quick hug and went back out to the party.

Once I got by the door I heard Bryce's voice and he didn't sound too happy with whomever he was speaking to.

"Get away me, I already told you that. I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to listen whatever you have to say, so just leave me alone. The last time I saw you I told you to stay away from me and I meant it."

"Look Bryce, I know you don't want to talk to me but this is important and you need to," a female voice spoke in hushed tones but Bryce cut her off before she could finish.

"We have nothing to talk about. Nothing," he asserted with finality in his tone. When I opened the door I saw Emy Hickens standing there and I froze for a brief moment contemplating what I should do. I heard footsteps behind me and Emy looked up. She saw me as she walked away but I decided not to worry about her because Bryce had already handled it. I approached him, giving him a kiss and a bright smile.

"Come on, let's go find Jason and Angie," I wrapped my hands around his bicep and pulled him with me. Skylar passed by gave Bryce a dirty look.

I sighed, she must have seen Emy as well. She couldn't have heard anything because she hadn't been close enough until Emy was already walking away. She probably that they'd been doing something but I wouldn't worry about that now. Bryce and I mingled but after a while when we moved off to a corner by ourselves. We were contemplating whether we should sneak off because he was saying he'd made plans for us today. Skylar came to pull me away and I already knew what it was all about so I just excused myself.

"Has he not done enough already? Why are still trying to be with Bryce?" she raged, clearly agitated.

"Seriously Skylar? I already told you." I answered exasperated.

"You told me. And I don't remember nodding my head in agreement. As a matter of fact I didn't say anything, that doesn't mean that this is okay. When all he's doing is making promises that he can't keep. You can't let him trick you like this. You can not be with somebody like him. You can't!" she argued.

"I know you don't like him because of things that I've said in the past but I'm telling you that I had it wrong. And you're just not listening. I almost feel like you've already made up your mind so I don't what else I can say. Because I'm trying to tell you that he's not whoever you're thinking that he is. I was asking you to give him a chance and now it seems like you don't want us to be together just because you really don't like him," I said.

"That's not what I said. I never said that," she quickly interjected.

"Well what is then? What are you saying? Because if that's not it, I don't see what your problem is with us getting back together. You keep saying not to let Bryce force me into doing what he wants but it was my choice. With Bryce I had the freedom to do what I wanted and this what I want. I hadn't even talked to him since he left, until today. So can you please just trust me on this even if you don't agree with it? I took everything that you said, the other day, into account and this is what I've ultimately chosen to do." she shook her head at me in distaste.

"I can't do that and I don't believe that you would let him make you think that this what you want. You should get away from him, as fast as you can, and stay away. Do you not see that you two don't have a healthy relationship? I'm only telling you what I know and based off of that I don't feel that you two ought to be together."

"Well I don't think so we're going to be together and no matter what you say it's going to happen, sooner or later, why not now? And there's no use pointing fingers and throwing blame on any one person. Because I'm at the point where I realize we both had a part play in our problems so it doesn't matter who did what anymore. We're just going to be more open each other and work on our issues as we move forward and I think that's fine." suddenly started laughing and I looked at her curiously because not only was the action weird but the laugh sounded a little deranged.

"That's what you think but I'm telling that you'll be making a deadly mistake. What you have with Bryce is not freedom, its a choice. And the good thing about it is that it's a choice that isn't his to make, its only yours." I had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going.

"Although you think that your options are endless you really only have two. But you're so blinded by Bryce that you don't see your reality so I'll lay it out for you. If you refuse to see reason, and you think you just have to have him, this will be the last time you'll ever see him again. Alive anyway," she let lose another one of those deranged cackles.

"Or you let him go and let him know that you're better off without each other. Because don't you see, Alyssa, that this can only end in tragedy?" she continued, getting closer to talk in my ear.

"But you don't have to make a decision right now, I'll give you to the end of today to think about it and make your choice. And you don't have to tell me what your decision is, when the time comes I'll know," she said cryptically as she walked away.

"Are you ready to go? I already talked to your parents..." Bryce suddenly came into my view.

"Um..." I fumbled because I hadn't realized I'd been just standing there until he'd pulled me out of my thoughts.

"If you don't want to go yet that's fine I'll finish helping to clean up."

"Yeah, no, I don't... know," I continued to stumble over my words. He raised his eyebrows at me, "we can go now."

"You sure?" he teased.

"Yes, so we can get everything done," I huffed a laugh before covering my eyes.

"Hey, if you're bothered about Skylar, don't let it stress you. Everybody doesn't have to love me like you do," he folded me into his arms. "The only thing that matters is how we feel about each other. Do worry so much about what other people think of us, okay?"

I looked up at him debating if I should tell him what she said but when I started to open my mouth to say it he kissed me.

"Today's your birthday, you shouldn't have such a sad look in your eyes. You should be happy so I'm dedicating the rest of today to cheering you up and we won't talk about this anymore. We're on a mission to recreate memories and I don't want you moping."

I put my forehead against his chest considering my situation.

How could she expect me to break up with him just because she wanted me to? How could I break his heart when I just gave him hope? How could she expect me to let him go when we just got back together? I didn't want to let him.

I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and held him tighter as he offered me his silent support, rubbing my back comfortingly. He didn't say anything more for a while.

"Hey," he took my chin and lifted my eyes to meet his, "whatever she said she probably didn't mean it, she was just angry, don't let it ruin your day. Now if you don't want to listen to me and won't willingly give it up I'm going to have to use desperate measure. If comes to that just know you asked for it..." in spite of myself I couldn't help but laugh although part of me wanted to see what these 'desperate measures' were, "that's more like it."

He took my hand and we started our little adventure. Earlier when he told me some of his plans, I'd quickly noticed that we'd gone to each place when we were first dating except those dates had moments that I'd appreciate not reliving. Despite facing those memories the day was actually going well but I couldn't shake Skylar's deranged laugh out of my my head.

Could I take her seriously? Could she really follow through with what she said?

The afternoon found us in the park laying in the grass after a picnic lunch. My head was on his stomach as we watched the clouds floating by, Bryce had been saying something but I was distracted and my mind kept wandering back to Skylar's threat. I wanted to believe she wasn't serious but was I willing to take a chance and be wrong? We'd just gotten back together and we deserved to be happy. I started to