Chapter 18

 

“Nate and I will be at your apartment before you have to leave on Saturday, maybe even before you wake up,” Bryce kisses across my forehead.

I cling harder to his chest and nod. As always, I’m in denial about leaving. This is the first time that I have to get in my car and drive away from him alone.

“Devon, baby, maybe you should go back upstairs and sleep some more. I’d feel better about you driving if it was at least daylight.”

“The bed’s too empty without you. I promise I’ll be fine.”

“You’re going to call Quinn the second you hit the interstate, aren’t you?”

“Yep. If I’m up at five a.m, she needs to be, too. Besides, she’s itching to hear about the weekend. The ten text messages she sent said so.”

He chuckles lightly and holds me close. “Going to call your mom tonight?”

I nod again.

His hands slide to my cheeks and force me to look at him. “You know how much I love you, right?”

My vision becomes blurry, and I bury my head in his neck. “I’m going to miss you.”

We hold each other for a minute before he forces me into my car and straps me in. His lips brush along mine, then he closes the door and steps away. I back out and watch him in the rearview mirror until he’s no longer visible.

My phone vibrates against my thigh, and I smile at the message.

Bryce- You are my world. Don’t forget that. Drive safe, call me after class, and give me a date!

I plug in my Bluetooth and dial Quinn’s number. She answers the phone surprisingly chipper.

“Are you actually awake?” I question in disbelief.

“Yes, set the alarm for five minutes ago. Actually had time to set up my iPad for notes.”

“Why?”

“Because that ridiculously pussy-whipped guy of yours sent me a message last night. He was worried about you driving this early in the dark by yourself. He also said you had wedding information.”

“Sneaky. He didn’t mention it to me.”

“Probably because he’s Bryce and his weird magic mojo knew you’d call to wake me up. So he warned me.”

“You’re right. So where should I start?”

“Tell me about the weekend first.”

I tell her everything, filling her in on the entire trip. Her silence makes me uncomfortable when I finish the story about Liza.

“I don’t trust the bitch.” She sounds worried.

“I don’t either. But what can I say? They work together, and she’s a Naval Officer.”

“I’m not concerned about Bryce at all. The guy probably left his dick in your vagina.”

“QUINN!!!”

“Sorry, but it’s true. He’s one-hundred percent eaten alive by you.”

“You know it’s mutual, right? You may tease him mercilessly, but I’m over the top in love with him, too.”

“Oh, yeah, but he’s also fucking whacked out of his mind. This weekend he’ll probably shadow your every move.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Whatever, back to this Liza chick. When I say I don’t trust her, it’s because she obviously doesn’t know who she’s dealing with. Next time you head over to Norfolk, either I’m going with you or we’re going in with a plan of attack. She sounds like a poora cadela.”

“She may be a fucking bitch, but seriously, she’s stunning.”

“She’s also a dumbass… better yet, a blind dumbass.”

The jealousy starts to disappear. Quinn and Nate are right. I can’t let her get to me.

“Okay, now, we have a wedding to talk about.”

“We want to get married next summer.”

“Finally! We have a season!”

“You knew it was probably next summer.”

“Yes, but you wouldn’t commit. I was beginning to think you wanted to be a winter bride.”

I let out a loud breath and swallow the lump forming in my throat. My hands clutch the steering wheel tightly, trying to ignore the squeezing in my heart.

“I didn’t have a choice. Well, that’s not true; I had a choice but not one I wanted to take.” My voice quivers, and she immediately picks up on it.

“Dev, what’s wrong?”

Bryce’s face flashes in my mind. The look of pain when I told him what I was dreaming about for our wedding.

“I’m thinking about a winter destination wedding in Aspen. It seems appropriate, don’t you think?” I lift up and brace my elbow, drawing a random pattern on his chest with my other hand. My legs tangle with his. “Next Christmas break would be the best time since I’ll have so much time off. I know you won’t have your schedule, but even if you only get four days, we’ll get married and go on a honeymoon later.”

My voice trails off when I notice the twist of agony on his face. His eyes are glued to the ceiling but slowly drop down to meet mine. Devastation and pain own his expression.

“Baby, I’d give anything to give you a dream wedding in Aspen. But it can’t be next Christmas.”

The look on his face tells me what he’s saying. He’ll be deployed.

I give a half hiccup- half cry. “W-w-when?”

“We don’t know yet.”

“H-h-how long?” The stutter turns into a sob, and I fall into his chest.

“We don’t know that either.”

“Bryce, it’s only October. How the hell can you know you’ll be gone next Christmas? That’s fourteen months from now!”

“We don’t know anything yet, but there are talks of us going out late next July. Possibly for five months, maybe six. We can’t plan a wedding not knowing if I’ll be here.”

His arms tighten, and I sob harder. After a few minutes, I force myself to calm down and move out of his arms. I rub my eyes and sit up; he braces against the headboard and positions me between his legs.

“Jesus, please stop.”

Guilt floods me. He is crushed when I cry. I may be upset, but it physically hurts him. “I’m sorry.”

“If you have your heart set on a winter wedding, we can wait until the next year.”

“No! Hell no! We’re getting married next summer. After I graduate. Can we do that?”

His face softens, and his eyes start to sparkle. “Yes, we can do that. Is that really what you want?”

“Do YOU want to wait another twenty six months?”

“Fuck no, but I want you to have everything perfect.”

“Would you want to do a destination?”

“Maybe, where are you thinking?”

I think for a second and then snap my head up, disregarding the idea. “Never mind!”

His eyebrows scrunch in confusion.

“Can you imagine? If we invited our friends and family to a tropical destination for the wedding, they’d never leave. So, essentially, we’d be spending our honeymoon with them, too!”

“Good point. Quinn would probably get adjoining rooms to piss me off.”

“No doubt.”

“But, you know, we could do a destination closer to home and then take off on a tropical honeymoon.”

“You have anywhere in mind?”

His eyes search mine as his lips curl into a cocky grin. He cups my face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs across my cheekbones. “Destin.”

The idea bounces around in my mind. “Yes,” I breathe out. “It’ll be perfect.

“Next summer, you’ll be my wife.” His lips and tongue run lightly across my own.

“Yes, I will.”

“Hello! Earth to Devon. Are you still there?” Quinn’s annoyed voice interrupts my thoughts.

“Yes, sorry.” I fill her in on the conversation with Bryce.

“I’m sorry, Devon. Aspen would have been magical.”

This is her best friend way of saying she’s sorry about Aspen, but she’s so, so sorry about Bryce’s deployment.

“I know, but we’ll make Destin magical, too. It holds really good memories.”

“We have a destination and a month. What’s next?”

“I’ll talk to Mom tonight, and then, we’ll get started with the location and set a date.”

She agrees and tells me about a few places she finds online. Our conversation turns to fashion and the wedding attire when she screams so loud my eardrum starts ringing.

“What the hell?!?” I scream back, “Quinn, you’re scaring me. What’s happening? Should I hang up and call the police?”

“Oh my God, Devon, we did it! We all did it! We’re going National!”

“What are you talking about? You have to calm down.”

“Professor Grant sent an email. Each of the teams from Brazil was picked up by their Journalism advisor’s stations for an exclusive spot.”

My head swims with this information, not sure I’m understanding. “It’s really early, the sun hasn’t even risen, and I’m an hour and a half from home. Think you can dumb that down for me?”

“It means you and the rest of the blue team will be doing an exclusive on Shana’s network station. My team will be on Bill’s. Same for the green and yellow teams.”

“You’re kidding!” I yell.

“No, hold on. There’s more.”

She reads the entire email to me, which includes a notice that the University will be doing an exposé on the Summer Expo in late January. There will be a formal opening of the exhibit, which will be featured through March.

The line goes quiet, but I hear the faint sound of her shallow breathing. I know immediately she’s holding something back. “Quinn?”

“My paper on the boxer from Canada is going to be the spotlighted exhibit. The whole red team will be noted, but it’s MY PAPER!” she screams.

“Oh, Quinn! No one deserves it more.”

She continues to rant for a few minutes, but her tone changes. I know what she’s thinking. “Go ahead and call Dean. He’s going to be thrilled…”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’ll be home soon. And let’s plan a celebration Thursday night.”

I drive the rest of the way home in silence, thinking of the changes coming.

By Thursday night, word has spread, and every student that went to Brazil meets up to celebrate. To top it off, the article was printed today, and the whole campus seems interested. The online comments have been complimentary, and the Alumni association has requested more information about the program. Professor Grant thinks this will bring in more funds and allow for more students to be accepted next year. He’s also going to present a proposal to allow for Graduate students to participate.

Most of us don’t have class tomorrow, since it was canceled, so the party is getting wild. Quinn hands me a shot of tequila, we toast with Crystal and then slam it back.

“Tell me why the hell I let you girls talk me into that nasty shit.” Crystal scowls and does a full body shiver.

“Suck it up, babe! If you’re gonna hang with the big girls, you gotta grow some balls.” Quinn throws an arm around her shoulders. “A few more shots and you’ll love it.”

I smile widely at Crystal. It’s been weeks since she came over and we spent the night reminiscing about her relationship with Morgan. She was shocked to hear my background with Bryce, unbelieving that I cut him out of my life. The one time she met him at brunch, she said it looked like we had been together forever. Quinn and I agreed, after she passed out, that she was our next matchmaking project.

We really didn’t get to do anything with Shana and Professor Grant, so Crystal was getting our attention.

I decline the next shot and sip my beer. Bryce hasn’t called or responded to my messages since lunchtime, and he usually calls before going to the gym. I check the phone again, and Quinn snatches it out of my hand.

“Stop it! He’ll be here in less than two days. Enjoy the party.”

“I am,” I insist.

She opens her mouth to argue when there’s a loud noise from the front. Jeremy Silver and a few others from our cheerleading crew come toward us.

“Nice article!” He takes me into his arms then spins me toward Roxy who is waiting.

The music starts, and Quinn drags Crystal and me to the dance floor. Soon, most of our group is dancing around. I get a sense of deja vu from our last party in Rio. This time, though, Hank is as far away from Quinn as possible. I point this out, and we both double over laughing.

The song ends, and instead of leading into another song, the DJ comes over the microphone. “Okay, all you Cavaliers, let me hear you!”

The whole place erupts in cheers and whistles.

“This crowd looks like it’s ready to kick some Tarheel ass this weekend!”

The yelling gets louder as the faint drum of the school song starts. I look at Quinn, who’s grinning like a loon. She grabs my hand and leads me directly to Jeremy and the rest of the cheerleaders. We all share a look and give a small chin lift.

This doesn’t happen often in bars or clubs, but it’s pretty common around campus, especially on game weekends. I get into position in front of Jeremy and lean into his ear.

“How much have you drank?”

“Not even one beer. We’ll go to shoulder on six.”

As soon as the beat hits the chant, we all jump in. The routine is pretty simple with a pattern of claps, arm pumps, and calling out the words. On count six, Jeremy lifts me easily to his shoulder, and the bar goes wild. The DJ keeps the momentum going with a few more spirited yells, but I freeze.

My pulse starts racing the second I sense him. Bryce is here. The scent of his cologne assaults me, and when I glance back, he’s standing behind Jeremy with his arms stretched.

Jeremy braces the back of my knees, and I fly into Bryce. He catches me easily and crushes me to his chest. My arms wrap around his shoulders, and I bury my face in his neck.

“You’re here!”

He lifts my head back and gives me his signature smug grin. “Seems so.”

I roll my eyes and seal my mouth to his, kissing him hard. His fingers fist my hair, tugging against my scalp. I moan into his mouth, tingles shooting through my whole body. Slowly, he moves back and kisses along my jawline to my ear.

“Babe, if you don’t stop, we’re going to give everyone a show. I’m not opposed to finding a dark corner or possibly another maintenance closet.”

“Stop what?” I flutter my eyelids and give him my most innocent voice. “I was only reacting to your surprise arrival.”

He chuckles and pecks me quickly then sets me down. “Walk in front of me and get us seated. I wasn’t kidding about finding a corner.” He flexes into my hip, and I feel the hard outline.

I get us to the booth, and he situates me onto his lap. Nate walks up with a bucket of beer and sets it on the table. He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and sits across from us.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“You’ve been talking about this celebration since Monday. We didn’t want to miss it,” Bryce responds.

“What about work tomorrow? I thought you couldn’t get here until Saturday.”

“We actually still have to work tomorrow, but it’s a special assignment.”

“What’s that?”

“We’re meeting with the ROTC program in the morning then making an appearance at a military recruiting event.”

Nate snickers under his breath. “Bryce pulled this out of his fucking ass, but I jumped on board. Wanted to be here to celebrate your big accomplishment.” He jerks his chin in approval.

“There’s something I need to tell you. We’re not alone—” Bryce is cut off by a voice that makes my skin crawl.

“You really are a cheerleader,” Liza says accusingly.

I stiffen, and Bryce’s arm snakes around my waist possessively. Nate raises one eyebrow at me, waiting for my reply.

“Yes, I am. How are you, Liza?”

“Great, but it’s been a while since I’ve been in a college bar. Forgot about all this shit.”

Right as the word ‘shit’ comes out of her mouth, Quinn and Crystal walk up. Then another woman I don’t recognize joins us at Liza’s side. She’s also very pretty but more in the ‘girl next door’ way. Suddenly, I become anxious, knowing Bryce is here with them. Quinn sums up the situation instantly and takes care of introductions.

The new girl’s name is Dani, and she’s also on the ship with Bryce. She gives me a warm smile, and I immediately relax. Unlike Liza, she is kind and non-threatening. She shakes my hand enthusiastically and congratulates me on my engagement. At her words, Liza rolls her eyes, which adds fuel to Quinn’s fire.

“So, Bryce, are you going to chill since the date’s been set?” she teases him.

“I’m not falling for it, Quinn. Not taking your bait tonight.” He drinks his beer and rests his head on my shoulder.

“There’s a date?” Crystal squeals.

“Yep, June nineteenth,” Quinn answers for me, and I catch Liza scowl.

Her eyes lock with mine and turn stony. I turn away, trying to figure out why the hell she’s here. Bryce feels me tense and kisses my neck lightly. “She’s a part of the program tomorrow. She and Dani are at a hotel, and we asked them to drop us off here. If you want to leave, we’ll get our bags out of her car and leave.”

“No, she’s not ruining my night,” I whisper back.

Quinn fills Crystal in on my wedding plans so far, and Nate guzzles his beer shaking his head. He mumbles something like, “Shoot me now.”

Then Liza makes her big mistake. She lays her hand on Nate’s shoulder and pats lightly, talking softly, “Don’t get upset. June’s a long time from now. A lot can change.”

She may have thought she was funny, but the whole table goes still. Nate’s face swings to the side with irritation. Bryce growls behind me and slams his beer to the table. Crystal and Dani look at me uncomfortably.

Quinn shakes her head, chuckling obnoxiously. “Let me give you a hint, Navy Girl—DON’T POKE THE BEAR. And by bear, I mean Bryce.”

Liza squares her shoulders and narrows her eyes at Quinn. “My name is Liza, not Navy Girl. And I hardly think pointing out that things can change in eight months is poking anything.”

Bryce speaks up, his voice is deep, giving her a warning. “You’re right, Liza, a lot of plans can change in eight months. Flowers, dresses, shit like that. I’m going to assume that’s what you were referring to.”

“That’s exactly what I meant. Why the hell is everyone so sensitive? Jesus Christ.” She looks right at him then me. Her expression is blank, but her eyes tell me exactly what she meant.

It’s official. This woman’s going to be a problem.