“Why did you leave home?”
“It was time for a change of scenery,” he said. “Also I wanted to get away from an ex.”
“Abuse?” Holden asked.
Bryce took a swig of his beer and set the bottle down on a low table in front of them. “No, just…we weren’t compatible.”
“How long were you together for?”
“Too long,” he answered. “Almost three years.”
Bryce watched as the gears clicked into place about his earlier comment. Holden licked his lips, brow knit together like he wanted to say something but thought better of it.
“I know you don’t like to talk,” Bryce said quickly, “but I wish you’d say whatever just crossed your mind.”
“It was something your brother said.”
Bryce groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face and dropping his head against the back of the couch. The leather was already warm against his skin.
“He thinks I’m promiscuous.”
“That wasn’t the word.” The corner of Holden’s mouth twitched. “But yes.”
“I went a little wild after the breakup. Maybe not the best way to nurse my wounds.”
“Also not for him to judge. And not me either.”
It was in his nature to defend himself, to try and justify the choices he’d made after breaking up with Bella, but Bryce knew that wasn’t what Holden wanted from him in that moment. The instruction had been clear—no speaking unless it was meaningful and his defense was not that. Not because it didn’t matter, but because it didn’t matter to Holden. This was the fresh start Bryce had hoped for by coming to LA, and the fresh start he had found.
“Merrick has opinions,” he finally said.
Holden frowned. “I don’t want to talk about your brother.”
“We’ll have to eventually. If this is a date. Or rather, if we’re planning to have more dates than this one.” Bryce paused and licked his lips. “Did you want to have more than this one?”
“I didn’t even know we were having this one until I got here,” Holden said, a chunk of hair falling over his eye. “But I’m not against more.”
“Are we just going to keep it from him?”
“It’s not his business who you date and it’s certainly not his business who I date.”
Bryce chuckled under his breath. “He told me before I came that I’d think you were cute.”
Holden’s brows shot toward his hairline. “Is that so?”
“Well, he thinks I’ll think everyone is cute probably.” Bryce tried to shrug off the confession.
“Do you?”
“No.”
Holden made a thoughtful sound in the back of his throat and turned his stare squarely onto Bryce.
“Do you want to stay here longer or do you want to go?”
“Complicated,” Holden answered.
“Try me.”