“Riley tried to force feed me cake.” Reed giggled.
I gritted my teeth. “Mm.”
“Why, Cole Whitaker, are you jealous?” Reed asked. “You don’t have to be. Riley and I were nothing more than friends. He wasn’t my type, and I wasn’t his.”
My gaze moved to the next collage of photos. All kinds of dance photos. Ballet recital. Homecoming, prom. More smiling and laughing.
“And this guy?” I tapped the glass where Reed was locking lips with a tall, dark-haired guy. Dressed in a slim-fitting pink tux that clung to his frame, he looked stunning. “You weren’t just friends with him.”
“We dated most of my senior year.”
“And where is he now? Do I have to worry he’s going to come back for you?”
Reed pushed his way in front of me. “No, Cole, you don’t. I liked Taylor enough, but we were never going to be anything serious. He’s in California, the last I heard.” He smiled at me. “Does that make you feel better?”
“Yes.”No.
What would things have been like if I had realized Reed was interested in me back then? Could we have started something? I regretted hurting him, even though we were only talking via social media. Why hadn’t I pushed him to talk to me when he went radio silent?
Reed kissed me softly. “I’m going to take a quick shower.”
“Should I go downstairs?” I didn’t want his dad to come inside and find me here, then yell at me.
Reed shook his head. “I’m an adult. It’ll be fine.”
I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t argue with him. Reed grabbed some clothes, kissed me again, and disappeared, leaving me alone. I continued to look at all his pictures. There were ones of him dancing, some with his siblings, and then I gasped when Ifound one of me that I remembered posting on my Insta when my high school hockey team won their championship. Reed had obviously printed it out. I was holding the trophy above my head, a face-splitting smile on my face. Even after everything, he had never taken it down. Maybe it was fate that had brought us back together after all. And that’s when I noticed what was pinned beneath the picture. It was the first letter I had sent him. I touched the paper lightly with the tip of my finger and smiled.
“So, did you want...Oh.” Reed blushed when I turned to look at him. “I sort of forgot that was there.”
I motioned for him to come closer, but he shook his head. I sighed. “I’m flattered, baby. You kept this up even though we weren’t talking anymore. Even though I hurt you. You even kept my letter.”
“I obviously like keepsakes. I, uh, kept all the letters you sent me.” Reed turned even darker.
I took two steps closer, cupped his head between my hands, and kissed him, tasting the minty toothpaste on his breath. I wasn’t romantically inclined. The two girls I dated in high school told me so. I wasn’t good with flowers or words or remembering things, but maybe I could try harder with Reed. He pressed his lithe body against me, his tongue touched mine, and he released a soft whimper. I wanted to make whatever this was with him work. To count down the days while we were apart to when we could see one another again. To send texts of“I miss you”and“See you soon”.To have his picture as the screensaver on my phone. To tell everyone back in Boston that Reed Kelly was my boyfriend and I was his.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs had us pulling apart just as Silas poked his head into the room. “Just as I suspected.” He grinned, and Reed chased him down the hallway, both giggling the entire time.
“Sorry,” Reed apologized as he stepped back into his room and glided over to where I was.
I hooked my finger into the loop of his jeans and pulled him closer. “You two are close.”
I had always wanted a sibling. Someone who could be a best friend and confidante. It was another reason I wished Andy and I were closer. If Mav and Jax hadn’t moved, if things had been different, who knows what could have been? It wasn’t like I was going to transfer colleges and move to North Carolina, right?
“Yeah, he’s all right.” Reed chuckled. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He touched my face lightly.
I pushed the thoughts of what might have been out of my head. “It doesn’t matter now. What matters is this date we’re going on.” I forced a smile.
“Oh-kay.” Reed rose onto his toes, brushed his lips against mine, and hummed happily. “We should probably get going if we want to get a good seat. That place fills up quickly.” He grabbed my hand, and we hurried downstairs.
REED WASN’T KIDDING. The place was already packed when we arrived, and the movie wasn’t scheduled to start for another hour. We were able to secure a decent seat and spread out the blanket Reed had taken from his place. Plenty of people recognized Reed, calling out to him or stopping to say hello. He was quick to introduce me, saying my parents had recently moved into the house next door but nothing more. I respected that, but I wanted him to tell the world I was his boyfriend, and he was mine. I mentally pinned that conversation to revisit when we were alone. Something we could talk about in private.
As the sun set, we went to get food separately, so we didn’t lose our spot. When we settled, I reached over to link my fingerswith Reed’s. He looked over at me and smiled, a blush creeping up his neck.
“This is pretty dope.” I told him. “We don’t have anything like this in Boston.”
“Or New York,” he added. “It’s a big, loud city. Probably the same for you.”
I nodded. “I mean, I love it, but this is something altogether different.”