Dying Forever (Waking Forever Book 3) (13 page)

Bryce repeated the numbers, her voice strained and flat. Alison smiled. “Okay, I’ll text you and then you can add me to your contacts.”

Alison was concentrating on her phone and didn’t realize the bartender had brought the fried pickles and water until she had a small plate slid in front of her by Bryce. “Here, eat this.”

Looking at the food, Alison winced. “I don’t know if I should. My stomach.”

“Then please drink the water.” Bryce slid the pint glass in front of her inebriated friend.

Taking several long drinks, Alison felt her stomach begin to settle. “I don’t think I should drive home.”

Bryce had shifted, so their legs were no longer touching, and now sat turned, facing Alison. “Should we get you a cab then?”

Alison considered her options. “I don’t want to leave my car downtown, and then I have to get a way back to the car tomorrow.”

Bryce frowned and tapped the index finger of her right hand nervously on the table. “I - I could drive you home. I guess that would be okay.”

Oblivious to the obvious discomfort Bryce was in, Alison nodded. “Perfect. Wait - how will you get from my house back to yours?”

“I can call a cab.” Bryce’s shoulders slouched and the grimace on her face made clear her displeasure with the arrangement.

Alison reached for Bryce’
s hand, taking it between both of hers. “I really appreciate it, and I promise this is not a
normal
thing for me.”

Bryce pulled her hand back. “I understand. Happens to the best of us.” She signaled for the check from the bartender.

“Let me get this. It sort of makes up for the cab. And the inconvenience.” Alison got up and returning to her side of the booth, began digging around in her purse for her credit card.

“Excuse me a minute, I need to use the loo.” Bryce got up and walked toward the back of the restaurant.

The bartender took Alison’s credit card and a few minutes later, returned with her copy of the receipt to sign. “I hope you have a good afternoon. You and your friend.” The man grinned and left Alison to attempt to calculate the gratuity with only half her brain working.

“Ready?” Bryce was standing next to the booth with an expectant look on her face.

Alison slid out of the booth, and handed Bryce her keys. “I am.” Without thinking, and because she was feeling a little unsteady on her feet, Alison looped her arm through Bryce’s and leaned on the woman as they exited the bar.

“Good god
, it’s bright out here.” Alison shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun. The clouds from earlier in the day had disappeared.

Bryce had already put her sunglasses on and was maneuvering Alison in the direction of the car. “
My father used to say there’s nothing like an afternoon drunk. Makes for one hell of a midday and a bitch of a night.”

Alison laid her head on Bryce’s shoulder
. She felt the woman tense, but feared lifting it back up too quickly would give her an even worse case of the spins. “I think I would like your father. Is he still alive?”

Bryce gently shifted Alison away from her and slid her arm around the blonde woman’s waist. “No.”

“Do you know you have a habit of answering questions with a very nondescript
yes
or
no
?” Alison charged.

Shaking her head, Bryce leaned Alison against the passenger side of
the car. “Do you know you have a habit of asking closed-ended questions?” Bryce took a deep breath in through her nose, and even with the sunglasses on, she was standing close enough that Alison thought her eyes flashed an intense green.

“Something is rarely
black or white.” Bryce’s voice was low and intimate.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Alison willed herself not to step back even though the nearness of Bryce was making her
even more lightheaded. “True. Lots of gray out there.”
Why am I using my bedroom voice in the middle of a parking lot?

The coolness of Bryce’s lips pressed to Alison’s cheek and too quickly disappeared as the woman stepped back.
Opening the door, Bryce moved to the side so Alison could get in the car. Closing the door, she walked around to the driver’s side.

Alison laid her head back against the head rest and even though her eyes wanted to slam shut, she forced them to stay open for fear she would get motion sickness from the spinning. Reaching across the
center console, she put her hand on Bryce’s firm thigh. “Drive slow and try to avoid any sharp turns.” She pulled her hand back and leaned against the door.

Without a word, Bryce started the car and put it in drive. “Are you going to be able to direct me to your house or should I figure out how to use the GPS on my phone?”

“I can get us there.” Looking at the woman next to her, Alison felt a surge of tenderness, but had sobered enough to know a hug was completely inappropriate. “I really want to hug you right now.”

Bryce didn’t flinch as she pulled the car forward. “You’re drunk; otherwise, you wouldn’t be saying that.”

Alison turned to face Bryce. “Not true. I’ve liked you from the start.”

Bryce glanced in the rear view mirror, but still wouldn’t look at Alison. “Impossible.”

“What’s impossible?” Alison’s seatbelt was digging into her neck, and she pulled on it nervously. She hadn’t intended to have this conversation - ever - much less when she had been drinking, but now she couldn’t see a way out of it.

“You’re a nice woman
, Alison. More importantly, you’re a good person.” Bryce’s tone was hard to read, but Alison felt the dreaded
I’m just not attracted to you like that
speech beginning, and she suddenly wished she had taken that cab.

“Forget I said anything. It’s nothing.” Alison moved as far away from Bryce as she could without opening the car door and flinging herself out, though
the thought crossed her mind.

After nearly a m
inute of uncomfortable silence, Bryce finally spoke. “Where am I going?”

Forcing herself to sit up in the seat, and not slump against the door like a pouty child, Alison gave Bryce general directions to her neighborhood. “Once we exit Huebner, I’ll give you the cross street.”

The remainder of the ride home was silent except for Alison giving Bryce the last of the directions to her house. “This is a nice neighborhood.” Bryce commented as they pulled up in front of Alison’s three bedroom garden home.

“I like
it. It’s quiet and not too far from the university once I get on the highway.” Alison unhooked her seatbelt and opened the door. “Come inside while you wait for your cab.”

Bryce turned the car off,
grabbed her backpack from the back seat, and followed Alison into the house. “I should be out of your hair in no time.” The woman stood awkwardly in Alison’s tiled entryway, refusing to come any further into the house.

“It’s no trouble.
You did me the favor. Come in and sit while you wait.” Alison had walked toward the back of the house where her kitchen was for a glass of water. “Can I get you anything?”

“No
, thank you.” Bryce’s voice was still coming from the entryway.

Alison was starting to feel more like herself as she held her glass under the kitchen faucet. She was mortified by her behavior over the past hour, and Bryce’s unexpected visit to her home was also making her uneasy.
Returning to the front of the house, Alison didn’t want to be pushy, but she also didn’t want the awkwardness of having Bryce hovering in her walkway. “Let’s wait in the living room.”

Without a word, Bryce followed her. Alison had always been fond of this room in particular. She had decorated her house in tans and olive tones as they were her favorite, and this room was accented nicely by the walnut wood floors and the chocolate colored sofa and love seat.

Alison sat on the sofa. Bryce sat on the farthest end of the love seat, put her bag down on the floor, and leaned back, resting her hands on her thighs.

Is she going to say something?
Alison took a sip of her water as she looked at the woman across from her. “You seem tense?”
Clearly I’m still drunk.

Bryce’s eyes widened. “Not at all
. I just don’t want to be a bother.”

Alison felt a surge of irritation and before she could think better of it, her mouth was moving. “I wish you would stop that. That’s not the first time you’ve implied that somehow I’m doing you a favor by associating with you.” Alison leaned forward and put the glass of water down on the oak coffee table. “Because you should know, I don’t spend time with people I don’t like.”

Bryce crossed her legs, her back perfectly straight. “Would you like to go bowling with me sometime?”

Blinking several times in an attempt to clear her head,
and try to figure out what direction the conversation was now taking, Alison stammered. “What? Oh, yeah - that would be - good.” Confused at how what she thought was going to be a discussion about their relationship had turned into a bowling night invite, Alison nodded. “Let me know when and where.”

Bryce rest
ed her elbow on the arm of the love seat. “Friday night. You can pick me up at my apartment, around seven?”

Alison’s breath caught. “Your apartment?”

Frowning, Bryce’s posture stiffened again. “Or - I mean, we don’t have to.”

Alison’s mouth felt dry and she couldn’t tell if it
was dehydration from drinking or nerves. “Your place is great. I’m just surprised is all.”

Bryce looked down at her hands
. “Is that not what people do?”

Cocking her head to the side, Alison was perplexed by the question. “I - well, yes. That is what people do.”

Grinning, Bryce leaned forward. “Good. I live at 67 Cadence Street, number three.” Patting at her pockets, Bryce pursed her lips. “Should I text it to you? Because I can do that now.”

Retrieving her cell phone from the back pocket of her pants, Alison held it up triumphantly. “Technology
for the win. I’ll add it to your contact info.”

Nodding, Bryce
began typing just as her phone buzzed. “My cab is here.” She got up and grabbed her bag. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow?”

Alison
’s shoulders tensed. She had forgotten that aspect of her and Bryce’s relationship, and the candor of her behavior over the past few hours suddenly felt like a repressive weight on her chest. “I’ll be there.” Her cheeks felt tight as she forced a smile.

Bryce’s face lit up with a broad smile. “That’s - that’s great.”

Alison followed Bryce to the front door, and they stepped around each other, both trying to open the door. “Sorry, just - I’ll get that.” Alison practically lunged toward the door.

Bryce took a decisive step to the side and waited. “Thank you.” Putting her sunglasses on, she stepped out onto the porch.

Alison waved as her friend walked to the waiting cab. The day had certainly not turned out as she had imagined, but minus her impersonation of a college student on a drinking binge, Alison couldn’t complain.

“If you don’t like her, then you don’t have to date her.” Julia took a drink of the
14
Hands
Cabernet Sauvignon she had insisted on ordering a bottle of, even though Alison had been emphatic that she would not be drinking during their lunch at Arcade Midtown Kitchen. She didn’t see the point in telling her sister she was still hung over from her whiskey binge the day before with Bryce.

“Easy for you to say. I’m the one that has to sit through an awkward two hours of my life I’ll never get back.” Alison pushed the half eaten chicken breast around on her plate. She knew eating something would
alleviate the constant drum roll going in her head, but her stomach felt tight and a little sour.

“You’re so dramatic
, Ali. Dating is like car shopping; you have to test drive a few lemons before you settle on the keeper.” Julia waved the waiter over. “Can we see a dessert menu, please?”

The middle aged Hispanic man smiled, reached into his crisp, white apron
, and pulled out two 3x5 cards. “Here you ladies are. If you have any questions let me know.”

“Can I have some black coffee
, please?” Alison didn’t bother to look at the dessert menu. The man nodded and left the table.

“What’s wrong with you today?” Julia’s tone was accusatory as she finished the last of the wine in her glass. “And why haven’t you
drunk any of the wine?”

Alison was done with this outing. She had only agreed to it last minute because Julia had begged her to let her make amends for their tiff at their parents’ house, but now all Alison wanted was to
leave, finish her afternoon class, and go home to bed.

“I have to get back to campus. My class starts in less than an hour.” Alison dropped her phone in her purse and took her wallet out.

“You’re five minutes from campus. And besides, you just ordered coffee.” Julia didn’t make eye contact with Alison as she read over the menu. “Should I have the chocolate pudding cake or the banana caramel stack?” Alison glared at her sister, a litany of insults streaming through her head.