SEX WITH THE VIRGIN MAID by KIARI HORSFALL

He Hasn't Let Go Bryce followed through the entire process of the Thanksgiving ceremony. Everything felt strange, surreal and extremely hard on him but he didn't want to give Hera a tough twith her family or make them question his friendship with her so he just had to go through it in silence, making sure to sulk it up as much as he could. Apart from going through the ceremony, It was also the very first tafter his mother's death that he had decided to set his foot into a church. He had cto accept the fact that the more he hung around her, the more his walls were falling apart piece by piece. Although Hera was of the opinion that he didn't have to join her for service, he still wanted to do it. She knew how hard it must've been for him to go through it and she didn't want to subject him to any kind of pain for her sake but still, he was adamant on the matter. Hera was there with him the whole time.

The priest had started off with a sermon on God and love and the more he listened to it, the more absurd it sounded. How is it that he kept on emphasizing on the goodness of a God that left him to die and took his mother away from him? How on earth was that even possible. The more he listened, the more it triggered him but Hera offered her hands to him for support. She must've seen him fighting and struggling within himself and it made her very worried.

Bryce kept on mouthing the occasional "I'll be fine" But for sreason, she didn't believe him. What was she even thinking when she invited him over to the convent. He was struggling and going through all these pain because of her.

Feeling suffocated and not being able to withstand it any longer, he excused himself and made his way outside the church in order to catch his breath. Hera followed almost immediately.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice dipped in worry. This was the second tshe had seen him act like this. The first was the the opened up to her about his past that night. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she willed him to look at her. "Talk toBryce. Are you okay?" "You can go back inside Hera. I'll be fine don't worry." He commented but how could she? He had rushed outside as though he was being chased by something and now this? How on earth did he think that he would tell her to leave and she would do so willingly without any form of hesitation.

"I'm not leaving you until you're okay." She put her foot down adamantly. "Con, let's sit somewhere else." She led him towards a paved sitting area that was beautifully adorned by hooded trees giving the place shelter from the sunny afternoon.

"Did i ruin the ceremony?" That was the first question that escaped his lips as soon as she helped him sit down. "I honestly didn't mean to and you really don't have to be here Hera. I can handle everything on my own, trust me." She didn't believe him. "Won't they get worried if you stay here with me?" She shook her head. "No, they won't and besides, this is very important too. What happened to you Bryce? Are you sick?" She placed her hands on his forehead to feel his temperature.

"I'm exhausted." He breathed out tiredly and rested his head on her shoulders. "I couldn't help but think about my parents when he kept on saying those things. I felt wronged and i couldn't bring myself to believe him. It felt suffocating and i just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't pretend that i agreed or understood what he was saying when i didn't." "Thank you for being here Hera. Thank you for taking care of me." "I can't wait for us to go back home." She muttered softly. She glanced at his face to see his eyes tightly shut. She could tell that he was really affected by the whole situation but there was nothing she could do to help him. He hasn't let go of his past completely and it bothered her.

They both stayed together in that position. Hera didn't know how long they sat there but one thing was certain, they spent a great deal of tthere. She didn't want to force him to leave so she had no choice but to wait out there for him.

The Thanksgiving ceremony cto an end followed by refreshments for the guests. Hera had thought that Martha would be upset with her but to her surprise, she wasn't. If anything, the older woman sympathized with Bryce after Hera gave her a little explanation of what he had been through. They scheduled their trip to leave for the next day after all the festivities were over.

"Are you sure that you can't stay with us for just one more day?" Christina asked as they took a stroll along the grounds of the convent that evening after the celebration had died down a bit. It felt strangely peaceful and quiet and he basked himself in the comfort it provided him.

"Well i wish i can Christina." It was Hera who spoke this taround." But Bryce has to commence work tomorrow and so do I." "I wish you didn't have to go." She whispered sadly. "I'll miss you Hera. It's usually not the swithout you here." She sulked and for sweird reason, it tugged and pulled at his heart strings. The more he listened to her, the more it bothered him and just then, a small idea cto his mind.

"Do you really want to cover to the city Christina?" He asked and Hera furrowed her brows at him, wondering why he did.

"Of course." She answered enthusiastically. "My sister and I have been making plans about it for the longest time. When she's settled over there, I'll be joining her too." He titled his head to the side, as if lost in thought. "Then how about you focus on your studies and apply for college first Christina." Bryce started and her eyes widened curiously at his next words. "If you ace all your papers and get accepted then, you can cand live with us. I'll consider it." Hera was shocked to the bone. That was the last thing in the world that she had expected him to say. And to her sister of all people.

"You mean that i can cover to the big city?" She stared from Hera to Bryce and vice versa. "Are you serious or is this your own way of trying to pacifyso that i don't feel bad about you both leaving tomorrow?" He chuckled. "I'm very serious. Hera has always talked about how she wanted her sister to live with her as soon as she's comfortable enough to afford it so I'm only helping her achieve that." Christina rubbed her palm nervously. "But the money for " "I'll handle anything and everything you need concerning your education. I'll also inform the sisters as well. You only have to study and ace all your papers. Can you do that for me, Christina?" He asked, his eyes leveling with hers. Not saying anything, she sniveled as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"Did i say something wrong?" Bryce turned to ask Hera when he noticed that she was also on the verge of crying as well.

"No." She answered, wiping her tears as they fell in droplets. "She's just happy and so am I."

Bryce was taken aback when Christina walked into his arms, m hugging him tight as though her life depended on it. He froze on the spot not knowing what to say or do to console her. "Thank you so very much big brother." She sniffed with a small hearty laugh. "You truly are God-sent to my sister and I." He hugged her back. So this is what

having a little sister felt like? He felt like an older brother and he couldn't deny the fact that he loved this feeling. I his father hadn't played a vel huge part in his mother's death, he probably would've been an older brother to his sibling but life happened and in the cruelest way too. "So Christina, your big brother is responsible for you now. Do you accept that?"

She nodded vigorously through his shoulders before pulling away. "I'll ace my papers and by this tnext year, i promise that I'll be waltzing! into college Ncan't wait to tell the Π. sisters." She sprinted off leaving the both of them alone together. "You really didn't have to do that Bryce." She chided him even though her voice cout a little grateful than she intended. "I'm just your maid and-" "You're not just my maid Hera." He cut her off. Her breath hitched as she stared at him with her tear stained face. If she wasn't just his maid then what was she to him? "But even friends don't do things like these for each other." "You're not just my friend too." He countered. "You're very important toHera and I'm willing to do everything just to show how important you are to me." She didn't say anything more because she didn't want to cout as an ungrateful person but Is it bad that she expected more than that title now?