Vivian’s POV

As it turned out, the part of her that had been worried that things were going far too well, had been right. Now, bags in hand Vivian was standing outside of her apartment, staring at the one thing that could ruin her mood.

It was something so horrible that it instantly took her from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, and that something was coming home to find Bryce Walters standing outside of her apartment.

"Oh Viv, finally, I was beginning to think that maybe you had sold the place and moved without telling me," He scratched the back of his head and smiled like she would have actually had to tell him if she moved away.

Gripping her bags tight, Vivian stared at her ex. She tried to search deep within for the happiness she had been feeling most of the day but it was nowhere to be found.

"What are you doing here, Bryce?"

She asked him not even bothering to greet him.

Smiling at her, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a marker.

"I found this while cleaning out my place, and I remember that you were looking for one of your markers a while back, so I thought I might return it," Bryce held the marker like it was a rare gem that he had fought literal armies for. Like he fully expected Vivian to start sobbing in gratitude.

Did he think she was dumb?

He seriously wanted her to believe that he had come all the way to her apartment to return a marker.

Bryce really did not think too highly of her, who would buy such a lame excuse.

"You can keep it, now step aside, I want to enter my home,"

Instead of moving Bryce narrowed his eyes at her, then his gaze slid to the bags in her hands, and Vivian’s heart sank... oh no.

***

If there was one thing that Vivian did not miss about Bryce, it was the man’s ability to cut her down with just a few words.

Watching him looking at her purchases, she fought the urge to hide the bags behind herself.

She had not done anything wrong.

All that she had done was treat herself, everyone deserved that.

Raising her chin defiantly at the man, she waited for whatever cutting words he would say.

But even so, when he finally did speak, he effortlessly managed to slip right between the cracks of her defenses and hit her where it hurt.

"Oh, you went clothes shopping. That is good, your wardrobe needed an upgrade," He paused, giving her bags an even closer look before continuing.

"But the store that you shopped at only goes up to a certain size. Why would yo-"

Cutting himself off Bryce stared at her, then his face lit up.

"Oh Vivian, I am so proud of you. I take it this means that you are going to use the smaller clothes to motivate yourself to lose weight," Bryce actually put the marker away and clapped his hands for her.

He might as well have punched her in the stomach.

Focusing all of her attention on not letting him see how much his words hurt her, Vivian did not say a word. How was it that this man always knew just what to say to have her feeling low? Looking at his satisfied expression, Vivian wanted to go out to the street, find a fire and throw everything that she’d just bought into it.

Then she wanted to find a hole to hide in and never come out.

But she was stopped from doing any of that by a single word floating around in her mind.

Beautiful.

That was what Ryan would say to her, if he saw her in any of her new things. She could almost hear Ryan’s pleased voice as he said it, and that gave her strength.

***

Instead of shutting down completely, Vivian stood her ground against Bryce and spoke her mind.

"No, I did not buy these as motivation for myself. I bought them with my own money because I like them and I look good in them,"

Instead of apologizing, Bryce laughed and Vivian tensed.

She’d heard that laugh many times and it was often whenever Bryce wanted to belittle whatever it was that she was feeling. Sure enough a few seconds later, he proved her right.

"Touchy-touchy, come on Viv, do not be so sensitive," In the past that would have shut Vivian up completely. But she was done taking Bryce’s nonsense.

"I am not being sensitive Bryce, you are being insensitive. I can buy whatever I want and wear whatever I want,"

Staring at her like he could not believe she was defending herself. Bryce gestured to her with his hand.

"All I am saying is that with your weight you shouldn’t-"

A loud cheer coming from a few doors down, cut Bryce off and while he was still distracted looking over there, Vivian moved around him quickly opening her door, letting herself in and shutting it before Bryce could follow her in. Mere seconds after she turned the key, he began pounding the door.

"Vivian, come on don’t be like this, I was just kidding,"

"Go away Bryce, I do not want to speak to you,"

There was silence for a bit and she almost thought that he was gone.

But just as she was about to relax, the pounding resumed more forceful this time,

"Vivian! Vivian!" Her back against the door, Vivian did not answer, he continued to hit the door, his voice getting angrier, and then all of a sudden he stopped, when he spoke up next, his tone was gentle.

"Come on Viv, let me in, I just want to return your marker to you, that is all," Not bothering to reply to him, Vivian took a breath and stepped away from the door, walking deeper into the house and putting her things away.

She had no idea how long he stayed out there, believing that she was going to let him in, like she normally did and she did not care.

All that mattered to her was that when she opened the door to check two hours later, he was gone and she felt like she could finally breathe again.

That night Vivian slept in brand new pajamas, the softness of the new material making her feel strong and confident.

When she dreamed, Bryce did not feature at all. Instead in every single dream she was with a certain billionaire who only ever called her the sweetest of terms.