Finding Our Way (Finding our Way 1)

“Damnit, Devon!”

“What?”

“Babe, You don’t need to worry about a room. It’s taken care of. It was going to be a surprise.”

A smile spreads across my face and I giggle. “Sorry, but I’m surprised now, does that count? How the hell did you do all this so quickly?”

He turns his head, avoiding me. But then when he turns back he grins. “Let’s just say I didn’t have to plan all this today. The flight was already booked.”

“You sneak.”

“I’m selfish really. The trip was planned with my interests in mind.”

“Really, what interests are those?”

“Let’s just say, I need my girlfriend to take care of my sexual frustration.” He wags his eyebrows at me.

“Ugh! Tell me about it! I’m very ‘frustrated’.”

“Just two more weeks.”

“Have you thought any more about Spring Break?” Last week we discovered our breaks are a week apart.

“Yeah, I think you should do something fun with Quinn on yours, but I’ll drive up and spend the week with you on mine. I think Nate wants to come and we are going to drive over to Norfolk to see the base for a day or two.”

“Don’t you want me to come down to Knoxville while I have some time off?”

His face pales and I can tell immediately something’s wrong.

“Bryce, what is going on?” Dread washes through me.

“Before I tell you, don’t get worried, or upset. Nothing has changed on my part. I’m crazy about you.”

“Fucking tell me!”

“Holli’s back at UT. She’s not technically enrolled in school, but she’s back.”

“What?”

“She’s living with some of her sorority sisters, and going back summer semester. She only has a few credits left and she wants to graduate from UT.”

“Sounds like you know a lot about her return.”

“Devon, don’t be upset. She means nothing to me. She showed up here last week. Surprised the hell out of me and Nate. She wanted to talk. I didn’t let her into the apartment, but met her down at her car. She was pissed at first, but when I explained I was seeing someone, she understood.”

“Why’d she come to you? I thought it was over like eleven months ago?”

“No, babe, it was over long before that. I told you, but she still feels a connection to me. Not sure what I can do about it.”

“Is that healthy, Bryce? She lost the baby so long ago, she’s a young girl with a whole life in front of her. Why is she trying to keep a connection with you if you cut it off.”

“Kindness.”

“Kindness?” I question.

“Yeah. I never got into any details, because they aren’t important. But she is distant from her family. Even though she went home to Utah, it wasn’t her first choice. She told me I was always kind to her and that’s why she fell in love with me.”

“She told you she was in love with you?!”