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I knew that I had to do something to make this evening better. I quickly called my assistant and asked them to bring some of our things over to the hotel. I just wanted to make sure that Reyna was as comfortable as possible.
Reyna’s face lit up at the sight of the clothing my assistant brought. She immediately changed out of my shorts and T-shirt and into her own matching pajama set, already looking more comfortable.
“I know having the spotlight on you can be pretty difficult, especially if you’re not used to it. I can understand if you’re upset about what happened,” I said when we finally talked about what was happening.
“I’m choosing to look at this as an adventure,” she said. I liked her attitude.
“Resilience is very sexy,” I said with a smirk.
“Any woman who chooses to be with you has to be resilient,” she said with a warm smile. I moved closer to her and sat on the edge of the bed.
“By the way, I’m pretty sure my parents are in love with you,” I said, watching her as she continued to look through the bag of clothes, hanging up a few pieces.
“Bryce, your parents know that this is just a PR relationship. They have no reason to dislike me,” she said, turning to me. That statement caught me off-guard because I knew I loved her. My tongue was tied because that definitely wasn't part of the deal. But I wasn’t sure where to go from here.
We got some food delivered from a chain restaurant, watched TV, and laughed about what was on the screen, relishing in the distraction. Eventually, we snapped a few photos for social media so we could try to offset the negative news.
As we were getting ready for bed, I could tell that Reyna had something on her mind, but I decided not to bug her about it. She’d talk to me when she was ready.
Laying in bed, I felt her hand brush against mine and my heart skipped a beat. Everything felt more right than I could explain.
I definitely could get used to this.
Chapter 21
Reyna
Wehadbeencoopedup in our room at the hotel for most of the morning and needed some fresh air, so we decided to go to the pool. It was really quiet, and the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the water did a lot to set my mind at ease.
I loved that Bryce had suggested we go for a swim and was surprised that his assistant packed me a suit. I was a little worried that there would be paparazzi waiting for us there, but Bryce had his security look around and they said it was clear.
Bryce and I raced each other to the pool, splashing and laughing along the way. I could hardly contain my joy as we tumbled into the pool, our joyous sounds echoing through the deserted space. We swam for hours, our competitiveness eventually giving way to playful banter and gentle touches. I felt safe and secure in his arms, and I knew that I wanted this time to never end.
My heart raced, and I felt my stomach flutter with possibilities as I imagined us married and a family of our own, a thought so farfetched just days ago. A wave of wet hair fell into my eyes, but before I could brush it away, Bryce was there to do it for me. His warm breath on my face sent shivers through my body and I looked up into his eyes, feeling the intensity from them alone.
“I know you’ve been wanting to say something for a while now,” he said softly. With a deep sigh, I spoke, letting him in on how incredible this past week had been. He smiled at me before pressing his lips to the top of my forehead, igniting a spark that would never be forgotten.
“Me too, Reyna. And believe it or not, but with you by my side, I feel like my whole life has been a lot brighter," he said gently as he stroked my hair softly with one hand. We were lying there together on a large lounge chair; no words were needed between us. The sound of the traffic in the distance and the gentle breeze lightly brushing our skin were the only sounds to be heard at that moment. All worries had disappeared from existence; it was just the two of us connected deeply through a mutual feeling of love which only seemed to be growing stronger each day we spent together.
As that thought crossed my mind, I realized that maybe Bryce was just having a good time. I knew he cared about me, but I wasn’t sure if he actually loved me. I wanted to ask him, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment by saying something awkward. I decided to wait and see what would happen in the future.
We stayed like that for what felt like hours, just being together, caressing each other's skin. He reached out and grabbed my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine.
“Why is it you despise marriage so much?” I found myself asking him.
“Reyna, I told you what happened before,” he said in a dismissive tone. I had been with Bryce for almost a few months now, and although our relationship had grown and flourished, I still felt like something was missing. I tried to bring it up casually, but each time I did, there was an unspoken tension in the air that seemed to linger. I felt like now was a great time to ask, when we were both in a particularly relaxed mood, so I decided to take the risk and ask my question to him directly.
"Do you love me?" I asked and immediately regretted it.
Bryce's face hardened, and he turned away, and I knew that I had crossed a line. He was silent for a few moments, and I feared that he was going to leave.
Instead, he said, in a gentle voice, "It's difficult to answer that right now, Reyna. We have our contract and I don't know what the future will hold."
My heart sank, but I nodded in understanding. I knew it was all he could give me, but I still felt a lingering sense of loss. I wanted to tell him that I loved him, that I wanted us to be together forever, but I knew that it would be unwise. So, I simply dropped the subject and allowed the conversation to move on.
Even though he had given me the answer that he was able to give me, my thoughts wouldn’t stop racing. I wanted so badly for Bryce to love me, and yet I was afraid of pushing him too far. I wanted to stay with him, but I didn't want to rush things. In the end, I decided that I would take things one day at a time, and hope that eventually, his feelings for me would grow. But what guarantee did I have that this would grow into more?
“I know you’ve been hurt before, but don’t you think that there is someone out there who can love you and protect your heart?” I asked. Bryce paused for a moment.
