Welcome to the Jungle Ch. 03

Alice:

It was hot and muggy in Houston, and all she could think about was that she'd rather be at Bryce's apartment. It'd been three weeks since Jason had so inconveniently showed up at her door, but they'd soon gotten over that. Bryce had taken her by storm, and her life changed completely. Well, maybe not completely, but it seemed to revolve around him. She went to school, then she went to Lee's to see him. She went home, then he came over. She went to his apartment on weekends to... "hang out." She went to bars to watch his band play. She loved his friends, and he loved hers. He was constantly chastising her because she was spending so much time with him and so little time with her school books, but she'd argued that she was still keeping afloat. Then again... she honestly couldn't say if or when she had a test coming up in any of her classes. Maybe she should rethink her priorities a little... but when she was with him, she was happy. She wasn't stressed, she didn't think about her mother or Jason or school... she was just happy.

And then there was the sex. He may have been the only person she'd ever slept with, but as far as she was concerned, that's all she needed. He was whatever she needed him to be in bed. If she needed it soft, he was soft.. but if she needed it rough... God, was he rough. And he did this thing where his hands would tangle in her hair and pull, and dear Lord did it get her off. Something about him controlling her that way... she was getting wet just thinking about it. Sure, they hadn't gotten to everything yet, but she was willing to try anything with him. He was like a drug to her, and she felt right now like she was detoxing.

"Dear, pay attention. It's rude to look off when someone is speaking to you." Alice straightened up at the sound of her mother's voice piercing through her thoughts. It was a constant reminder that she was very, very far from Bryce right now. This week with her mom had been complete hell, and she was just ready to get back to Denton.

Scarily enough, her mother had no idea about Bryce. It didn't take much to deduce that she wouldn't approve. The only kind of boy that would gain approval from her was one like Jason. A boy with money. A boy with or attaining a college degree, preferably, a professional one. A boy with a good family. A boy with gel in his hair, and a tailored suit on his body. An orphaned musician with tattoos and no college degree to speak of was certainly not within Sylvia's definition of "acceptable."

"...Alice! Dear Lord, what has gotten into you? Your head is off in the clouds and I'm trying to tell you something important!"

A completely fuckable sex machine has "gotten into me" she scoffed in her head.

"I'm sorry Mom, I just have a lot on my mind. School has been rough the last few weeks."

Sylvia smirked and rolled her eyes, "Well, if you're having so much trouble with becoming a school teacher," she spat out the words, "I suppose it is good you didn't try for a professional career."

Alice felt her face heating up and the anger rise in her chest, but she tamed it and just breathed out softly, "What is it you were saying, Mom?"

"I was saying, we're going to stop at Murray's for a quick second." As she said it, they pulled up to the curve of the fancy schmancy restaurant in the country club where her mother had arranged for plenty of private parties in the past.

Alice groaned and mumbled, "I really don't want to do this right now, Mom."

"Well, you'll have to deal with it. It's important to keep up social appearances, dear. A good life depends on it... Speaking of which, I told you to stop wearing your hair like that, Alice. It's so.. large and unkempt. I bought you that Chi straightener with good money, you could at least use it when you come home. Those glasses are so big, they nearly cover up your entire face. And for God's sake you could dress up a little. I swear the biggest mistake I ever made with you was letting you dress yourself."

The anger began to rise again. Alice was dressed in a pair of choral colored skinny jeans and a cobalt blue fitted V-neck with flats. There was NOTHING wrong with the way she was dressed. Her mother had always been so embarrassed to bring her out in front of her friends, but good Lord, Alice had straight up told her she didn't WANT to come. Just something else for her to bitch about.

They walked into Murray's and on toward the back section where Alice was bombarded with hoards of faces from her past. All of her "friends" from Deb eyed her different wardrobe with fake smiles and fake noses sniffing for rich men, and any sort of gossip they could get ahold of. Their mothers coldly compared her to their own daughters, lifting their noses at her loose, wild hair and "cheap" attire. If only these concerned mothers knew how their sweet, precious daughters acted and dressed when they weren't being watched.

Then suddenly, she spotted him. Jason was there, watching her carefully... and he wasn't alone. His new sweetheart held onto his arm looking very out of place and nervous. Poor girl. These wolves were gonna tear her apart. Jason's mother and Sylvia had ganged up on them, grilling them both with questions. Alice sighed and moved in to save them.

"Mother, I believe Jason and his friend would like a minute to breathe."

Jason eyed her and attempted a smile, "Why, hello Alice. It's been awhile. How's your new... friend?"

Alice went pale and felt sick when the two women turned on her. Sylvia's eyes narrowed and she hissed, "What is he talking about, Alice?"

"Oh, she hasn't told you? I'm so sorry, Alice, I'd assumed... Anyhow, Sylvia, I went to check up on Alice a few weeks ago when I found that she had a male friend over. It was an interesting experience," Jason smiled as he told the story, but Alice could see spite behind his eyes.

"Alice Cassandra! How could you not tell me? Who is this boy," Sylvia shouted, making enough of a scene for most in the room to turn to them in pathetic interest.

Enough. Alice had had enough. The anger and embarrassment had finally boiled over and she wasn't going to stop it anymore. She squared her shoulders and breathed deeply before beginning.

"I didn't tell you, Mother, because not everything I do is your damn business. I'm not telling you who he is because the last thing I need right now is to hear you bitch about it."

The room fell into a hush and Sylvia's nostrils flared as she spoke in a low growl, "Everything you do is my business. I pay for your living. I pay for your school. I decide what you do, and who you're with, and how you're with them. I already put up with your career path, Alice, I will do no more than that."

Alice fired back, "The only reason you have any money to do anything with is because Dad died, and for some reason gave his money to his leech of a wife. But, fine. Take the damn house. Take the fucking school money away. And for God's sake, don't act like you're a humanitarian in letting me decide my own career. At least I have one, and that's a hell of a lot more than I can say for you. But I will not let you decide anything for me anymore, and if I have to drop out in order to make enough money to go back, I will. You, nor anyone else, controls me anymore. I'm done. I'm getting my stuff and I'm leaving. Don't expect me back, because God knows I don't want to burden and embarrass you any longer."

She spun on her heel and began the long trek passed all of her peers and nosy strangers who had been listening in. When she finally got outside, she realized she had ridden with her mother. She cursed and reached for her phone to call a cab when the door to the restaurant flew open revealing Jason as he ran after her. She ignored him and kept moving, dialing the number she'd found on her phone. Jason was yelling after her as she gave her address.

"Alice... Alice wait... just... wait," he shouted as he got in front of her.

"What, Jason? Haven't had enough," she asked bitingly.

He looked down at the ground and shook his head, "Alice, I'm sorry... I wasn't trying to start an explosion in there, I just..."

"Just what, Jason? Christ, you know how my mother is! You knew I wouldn't have told her! No, I'm not embarrassed by him in the least, but she already makes my life hell, and that's the last thing I wanted her to know about!"

"Alice I'm just concerned about you..."

"Fuck off. That wasn't showing concern. That was being a complete and total ass."

Startled, Jason looked at her as his eyebrows came together, "You've changed, Alice."

"Why? Because I can take up for myself? Because I don't believe in this bull shit that our families force us to be apart of? Because I'm not afraid to tell you to your face that I think you're lying and have some vendetta against me now? By all means, if that's the reason, then I fucking welcome the change."

He sighed and looked away again, "I was wrong for what I did, and my motives were, too. But Alice, you can't just disconnect from your family, no matter how hypocritical they are. You need them. You love them. Do you think I enjoy sitting there with Candace knowing they hate her and are mocking her right in front of her face? No. But they're our family."

"That is not family, Jason. That's humiliation and hurt and hypocrisy, and I want nothing to do with it. And what are those motives, exactly? From what I recall, you dumped me. You met someone else. I'm not even upset anymore Jason, in fact, I tried to help you in there, and you fed me to the wolves!"

He sighed, frustrated, then looked her square in the eye, "It'd only been a month, Alice... I thought that..."

"That I would wait around for you?"

"No... not exactly, no. I just thought that you wouldn't run along to the next guy in line.."

"You left me, Jason! I could understand this if it'd just been a break up, but you left me for someone else! You moved on, so why shouldn't I? I deserve it, and he's good to me, and..."

"You'd slept with him, Alice. Please don't try to deny it. I could see it in your eyes."

She hushed at that, turning a deep red before murmuring, "That's no one's business but ours, Jason."

He looked down, defeated, "I know that, Alice, I know. I just... I don't understand why it wasn't me. We spent five years together, and I hardly got to touch you, and Lord knows I wanted to. You have to barely know this guy, and it just... hurts that you are trusting a complete stranger with yourself in that way, yet you never wanted that relationship with me."

She sighed and touched his arm, "I don't really know how to explain or make you understand. There's really just something about him... He makes me feel... I don't even know if I can describe it. He healed me when I was hurting, and I can be myself and he likes everything about who I am... I don't expect you to understand, but I don't want you to hate me for it either. He makes me feel a way I've never felt about anyone, but I did love you, Jason. Nothing can change that fact."

He took her hands in his and shook his head, "I truly don't understand... but I apologize that I handled it the way I did. I knew better... and I don't want us to stay out of touch... though I don't know how your friend would feel about that..."

"I honestly don't know either... We don't exactly have a label on our relationship..." she faltered.

The cab pulled up to the curb as her voice trailed off, but Jason saved her by giving a quick hug, "Well whatever the case, I hope we talk soon."

She smiled at him and got in the cab, thinking the whole way back about the true nature of hers and Bryce's relationship.

********************

Bryce:

"Baby, just calm down. The last thing I want is for you to fight with your mom about me," Bryce tried to reason with a very panicked and angry Alice.

"Bryce, you don't understand. She's done this to me my whole life. It's not just now, it's always been like this. I've had enough. So I'm coming home early, and from what it sounds like, I'll need to move out of my place. Do you know of anywhere at all I can stay? Or maybe, get a job?"

His voice softened and he smiled, "You know you can always stay with me. I don't want to scare you... it's not like we're 'moving in together..' If it's temporary, you won't hurt my feelings. I just want you to be safe and have a roof."

"...Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden... We haven't even been... I mean... It's only been a few weeks."

"Don't worry about all that. I'll look around and see if there are any jobs open. I don't know of any off the top of my head, but we can find something."

"Bryce... You're the greatest," she sighed into the phone, "Well, I'm about to drive back. I'll see you tonight I guess...?"

"Just come on over when you get into town. I'll be up."

"Ok... bye."

He smiled as he hung up and shook his head. Damn, he missed that girl. The last week had probably been the longest of his life. And it wasn't just the sex he missed. He missed seeing her all the time. He missed her different wacky (yet somehow completely sexy) outfits, her goofy sense of humor, the way she smelled, the way she felt next to him asleep, the way she often talked and hummed to herself... just everything. And he damn sure missed the sex, too.

"Tha fuck, man? Did I hear you right when you said she's gonna move in with you?"

Bryce glanced over at his best friend, Jarred, who was watching a game with him.

"It's complicated, man. She kinda got kicked out of her place, and since her friends live in the dorms, she doesn't really have anywhere else to go. What the hell am I supposed to do? Besides... I like having her around."

Jarred looked at him for a long time with an eyebrow raised before he said, "So what is this shit supposed to be?"

"...What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, you two are together all the time. You fuck, and don't deny that, you go on dates, you go out, you stay in, you hang out with each other's friends... So are you dating or exclusive or what? 'Cause this shit is starting to confuse me."

Bryce thought carefully before answering. If other people were wondering, she had to be wondering. He wondered what she was wondering. Aw, fuck, now even he was confused.

"I don't really know... I mean, do we have to put fucking labels on everything? We like each other, I guess."

"Yeah, well you and me like each other, and we sure as hell ain't fucking. This some kinda "fuck buddy" shit?"

"No, no, no." Alice was far too good to be a "fuck buddy." "Can't we just drop it? I'm sure she and I will figure it out eventually."

Jarred sat back and nodded, "Alright. Just one more question though. If you saw her in public with another guy, or maybe just thought some other guy was tryina' get with her, how would you feel?"

Bryce was taken aback by the instant burn he felt in his chest. Alice was not game for other guys... was she? But why wouldn't she be if they didn't really have a label on their relationship?

He took a slow breath, "I think I would either try to beat someone's ass, or cry in my beer. Damn. I need to talk to her about this, eh?"

Jarred rolled his eyes and stood, "You are dumb as fuck sometimes, Bryce. Get yourself together and grab that girl before someone else does. I don't want to get stuck hearing your pathetic ass wallow."

Bryce laughed as his friend walked out the door. Jarred tried to act tough, but he was the nicest guy there was. He was right, though. If he wanted to hold onto Alice, he needed to tell her how he felt. The only question was, how? He'd always sucked at being serious and sincere. Charming, check. But expressing deep and vulnerable feelings was not his forte.

He paced and fidgeted waiting on her arrival as he tried to decipher what he should say to her. Compulsively, he kept glancing at the clock, then his phone, then the clock, then the tv, then his phone, then the clock.... Finally he heard light footsteps on the stairs, then in front of his door. He couldn't help himself, so he opened the door before she could.

He picked her up and quickly pulled her into his apartment, her bags still on the welcome mat. Their lips found each others quickly, tongues melting into each other as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His groin responded quickly to that.

She giggled as they broke apart for lack of breath, "Baby, my stuff is still outside!"

He groaned into her chest and murmured, "Can't we get it later?"

"No, we can't. Rain is heading this way, and I don't want all my stuff getting wet."

Bryce sighed and let her down onto her feet before moving to bring her bags inside. As he rolled them in, he shut the door and turned to her, "Alice, I wanted to ask you something..."

Immediately her face grew serious, eyebrows drawn together, "What..."

"Nothing bad! I don't think anyway... Well... I don't know, I was just thinking... What exactly... do you consider this relationship to be?"

He watched her face grow red before she tried to fumble her way around an answer, "Well... I don't know... I guess I was sort of thinking it might be exclusive... But of course I completely understand if you don't feel that way... I mean I'm open to... Well, not really open, per se, but..."

Bryce smiled and moved to kiss her mid-sentence. She gasped and looked up at him questioningly before he murmured, "Baby, I can't even stand to think of you being with anyone else. I know it's only been a little while, but I want to make this exclusive... as long as you want to."

She grinned ear to ear and jumped into his arms again, their lips molding. He smiled against her lips and mumbled again, "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"Trust me," she pulled back to look at him, "I do. And while this was completely sweet and wonderful of you to have this talk with me, and I'm very glad you did, right now I don't want sweet." She ran her hands down his stomach, past his hips, and softly squeezed the bulge in his pants. "As a matter of fact," she murmured as she lightly bit his bottom lip, "what I want is so far from sweet, it's downright naughty."

He groaned and sucked her tongue into his mouth, his hands in a frenzy over her body while her hands worked on his pants, soon opening them up and pulling his cock out. It was hot and hard, and her hands felt so very soft on it. It was all he could do to concentrate on her while she was pumping him and squeezing just as he liked.

He moved her hands away from his member as he tugged upward on her tight shirt. She raised her hands to let him peel it off, and then shuddered as his lips came to her neck and shoulders. He licked and bit the flesh along her collar bone and down to her chest where her small breasts heaved. She arched against him as he took her nipple into his mouth, his tongue moving against her in circles.

The way she was clawing at his back and arms, he knew exactly how she wanted him tonight. He bit down softly at first on her hard nipple gaining a gasp in response. He grinned and pulled her closer as he alternated between licking, sucking, and biting each nipple until they were swollen and red. He then kissed her sweet stomach, nipping her flesh as he moved.

He began to pull her pants over her hips, past her tight ass and down her thighs revealing a new black lacy thong that had him panting after one look. She stepped out of her pants, and he went to work on that thin scrap of lace separating him from her hot center. He kissed around the cut of the thong, licking and touching as her hands moved to his hair. She attempted to pull him closer, but he wanted to have his fun. Reaching up, he began to slowly pull her thong down, kissing every bit of skin he uncovered, and finally she was bare for him.

He placed his hands on her hips and guided her back to the recliner behind her where she sat with her legs completely open, her pussy glistening already. He sucked in a breath when he noticed exactly how smooth she was. She had taken to shaving, but even then she'd never been so perfectly slick. He looked up to find her grinning face.