Chapter 21 Jada
A strange sense of disappointment washed over me as I walked outside with my buttered, toasted Pop-Tart and found the street empty.
I kind of expected him to pick me up again since he was so averse to the bus, but I had to admit I wasn’t a great passenger either.
Ribbing him came as naturally as admiring him.
Maybe he’d given up on me. Or maybe Rei was right.
Besides, I wasn’t quite ready to see Bryce again, considering the chance that he was secretly in love with my best friend. But I liked our time together too.
I blew out a heavy breath as I continued down the sidewalk toward the bus stop. It had been a long time since I felt insecure like this. I’d worked through my self-judgement a long time ago. For being tall, for my extra weight, for my coiled hair and the freckles across my nose.
But suddenly, I was wondering if Bryce preferred Rei’s shorter height. She was just over five feet tall. Even though she was curvy like me, she was small and feminine with an outgoing personality, unlike my more sharp, reserved demeanor.
I turned the corner on the sidewalk, the bus stop coming into view. “Crap,” I muttered, seeing several people were already sitting on the bench. My back was already hurting. Hopefully there would be a seat open on the bus.
I stopped just short of the crowded bench, digging through my purse for my headphones when I heard the low purr of an engine and a car door opening.
A glance up revealed Bryce’s town car waiting where the bus would soon be. He had opened the door and was standing beside it, looking expectantly at me. “Ready for work?”
My eyebrows shot up my forehead. “What are you doing? There’s a huge fine for stopping in the bus lane.”
He winked. “Better hurry and get in then.”
An older woman called, “If she doesn’t take you up on the offer, I will!”
I stalled, feeling everyone’s eyes on us.
“Please?” he asked.
And damn, why did that one word have such a strong pull on me? Was that really all it took to get me to bend to his wishes? Please? I was weak. But also tired. So I walked to the car and got in, letting him shut the door behind me.
As he went to the other side, I smiled at his driver in the mirror. “Hey, Genevieve.”
She winked at me. “Good to see you again, Jada.”
My cheeks felt hot, realizing she was seeing all of this unfold. Did Bryce ever feel shy about her bearing such close witness to his life? I wondered.
Bryce climbed in on the other side, deftly buckling up with his large hands. I wondered how they would compare to my own before quickly shutting down the thought. He could very well be the one who left Rei that note, and I didn’t share.
“So, you’re not giving up your concerns about the bus?” I asked him, hands folded in my lap.
He quirked his lips to the side, light-blue eyes gleaming in the shaded car. “Can you blame me?”
“Who else is to blame?” I countered.
Genevieve chuckled from the front, and Bryce leaned forward. “Whose side are you on, Gen?”
“I believe I’m obligated to say yours. Although…
” She chuckled again. And I was starting to really like the woman.
But before I got too attached, I had to ask.
.. “Bryce, I got a new phone and lost your number. Do you mind writing it down for me?” I dug through my purse for my pocket-size notebook that had a small pen attached with an elastic loop.
“Oh, sure.” He bit his bottom lip as he took the notebook and wrote it down, putting his name above the digits.
When he passed the notebook back to me, I studied it briefly, but it was hard to tell if his writing matched that on the original sticky note. “Thanks,” I murmured and turned my gaze out the window.
My stomach started to turn, and I wondered if there had been something wrong with my Pop-Tart. Those things were never supposed to expire though.
“Jada, you okay?” Bryce asked. “You’re looking a little pale.”
I might have laughed at being called pale… if I wasn’t about to gag. “Do you have a bag?” I hissed through my teeth.
He began fumbling around, and I tried to take shallow sips of air to keep from hurling. My mouth was sweating. This was not good.
He pushed a white paper bag into my hand, just in time for me to empty my stomach. Bryce reached out, his large hand running soothingly over my back. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”
Despite my embarrassment and the nausea, his words helped.
When I was done emptying my guts, I realized the vehicle had stopped. Bryce handed me a bottle of water and a napkin and said, “Rinse your mouth with this.” He also took the half-full bag from me, trading it for a new one.
I did as he asked, aware of him opening the door. Presumably to dump the bag somewhere so it wouldn’t stink up the car.
As my stomach settled, I felt more and more embarrassed. “I’m so sorry,” I said to him as he got back in. “I must have gotten carsick or something. I’m not used to riding in the back seat.”
But he didn’t seem so convinced. “I’m going to have my doctor come into the office and check you out, just in case.”
“That’s really not necessary,” I said. “People throw up all the time.” Never mind the fact that I’d been sick on and off for months. But what was his doctor going to do? Tell me the same thing urgent care had? Everything looks good on our end. See your regular physician for more lab work.
He covered his chest with his hand. “For my peace of mind, please?”
There was that word again. But, “I really can’t afford it,” I confessed. “I don’t have insurance.”
“It’s on me.”
Bryce’s determination was becoming more and more apparent. A warm feeling took residence in my chest because he was being stubborn about his concern for me, even after this display he’d just witnessed.
“Okay,” I finally gave in. “Fine.”
Genevieve gently said, “Why don’t you sit up front, just in case it was car sickness? That tends to help.”
I nodded, tears stinging my eyes with a mix of gratitude and embarrassment.
Bryce was so nice, and he surrounded himself with such caring people.
He couldn’t be playing games with me, could he?
His feelings seemed so genuine. Maybe I needed to stop being so suspicious of him, because he truly didn’t have to do all this for me. But he was anyway.
Soon, we approached The Tower and went in through his private entrance and up the elevator with just the two of us inside. He spoke on the phone to someone, setting up an appointment with his doctor.
“Where do I have to go?” I asked.
Bryce looked confused. “He’s coming here.”
My eyebrows rose, and I was about to comment how strange it was to have a doctor come to me, but the elevator doors opened. Maya was there waiting for us with a concerned look on her face. She held out a paper cup for him and passed me a glass of some bubbling drink.
“Ginger ale,” she explained softly. “Let’s get you set up in Bryce’s office. You’ll be most comfortable there.”
I nodded, following along. The two of them got me set up on the couch in Bryce’s office. Maya even gave me a plush, fuzzy blanket to settle over my lap while I waited.
Bryce sat opposite me, asking, “Is there anything else you need?”
I stared at him in shock. “Anything else? You both have been more than generous.”
He smiled. “My dad was big on taking care of us when we were sick, and Maya’s dad is a doctor. Neither of us know how to be any other way.”
I chuckled. “My mom said if I was really sick, I could sleep in my room. No skipping school to watch cartoons and eat chicken soup.”
“No getting past her, huh? My brothers and I may have taken advantage of my dad’s kindness from time to time,” he admitted with a sheepish smile.
“Dr. Martins should be here in ten minutes. And don’t tell him that his name reminds you of the shoe brand.
I’ve made the joke and he doesn’t think it’s funny. ”
“Good to know,” I said with a laugh.
“Make yourself at home until he arrives, okay?”
My lips twisted to a guilty smile. “This is really nice of you, Bryce.”
“I just want to make sure you’re okay.” The earnestness in his voice cut through me. “If you’re up for it, I’d love to have some breakfast with you when the appointment’s done. Get a little something on your stomach.”
Deep down, I knew my boss had things covered while I was here.
She told me as much when I texted her to tell her I’d gotten sick and she responded by highly encouraging me to take the day off.
But I still felt guilty as I said, “Breakfast sounds nice.” Even though money was no object to Bryce, I needed those hours to get by.