He shrugged. “My mom wants to expand her studio. Open another one in Charlotte, and I might help her run them.”
“Baby.” I cupped his head between my palms. “That would...Are you sure? I thought you wanted to be a famous dancer. Like Brasincoff. What about your dreams?”
Reed leaned up to press his lips to mine again. “I don’t think I want that dream anymore.”
I crushed his body against mine. He was going to come home. He wanted to be with me. He—
“Are you sure?” I pulled back to search his face.
“My dreams have changed, Casanova. I want to be wherever you are. We have a lot of missed time to make up for.”
Tears stung my eyes. “You mean that?”
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”
“Fuck, you’re going to make me cry.”
Reed chuckled softly, the sound music to my ears. “I hope they’re happy tears.”
“Yeah, baby, they are,” I assured him.
I held Reed tightly against me as I glanced around the room. Dad jutted his chin at me from where he stood talking with Jackson and Maverick. Dean was busy with Killian and Matthias, while Wyatt was with his husbands, Noel and Seth. Ezra was talking in a rush, hands flying, to Carson. I was surprised to see Asher and Saint in conversation with Oscar, while Tate stood giggling with Zach. Even Watts and Holt Brooks were here in a rare outing.
“Will you come with me to watch Silas race on Sunday?” Reed murmured. “I mean, I know it’s a big ask. Everyone is going to see you and ask questions. They’ll want to know why you’re there, who I am to you, and if that’s going to make you uncomfortable, I completely understand. You can say no.”
I tried to swallow around the lump in my throat. I didn’t care what anyone thought about me being there. I just wanted to be with Reed.
“I’d love to.” We had Sunday off before we flew out to Seattle on Monday afternoon. “And if they ask me who you are to me, I’m going to tell them.”
“What is that exactly?” Reed gripped the back of my neck as he met my gaze.
I smiled, happiness filtering through my body. “The love of my life.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Reed
Iclosed the door to the office in my parents’ house and took a shaky breath. I glanced around the room. Neither of them really used the room these days, and I smiled when I remembered playing hide-and-seek with Hazel in here. I would climb under the desk, slap a hand over my mouth to hold in the giggles, and wait for my big sister to find me. That seemed like forever ago. Now we were both grown adults, living our lives. There were pictures hanging up of all of us: Hazel, Silas, Mia, and me. Us as chubby babies, wobbly toddlers, and smiling teenagers. Birthdays, proms, and graduation photos that caused my eyes to well up. We had been innocent then.
I shook my head as I gathered my strength. I was going to have my first video call meeting with Megan, and I didn’t want to look like a complete disaster. I sat down behind the desk, opened my laptop, and pushed the power button. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous. I knew this woman. Had grown up with her. She was family, as far as I was concerned. She visited every Thanksgiving. But this was going to be different. Megan was going to pry into my life, into my head, and I was terrified about what she might find.
“Hello, Reed, it’s wonderful to see you.” Megan smiled warmly at me through the screen. Her silver hair was piled up into a messy ponytail.
I tried to smile back. “You, too. Thank you for seeing me today.” Did I sound as fake as I felt? Maybe this was a bad idea.I could find someone else or just fix things on my own. I didn’t need someone to monitor me or tell me what to do.
“You’re scared,” Megan commented, and I glanced back at the laptop. “I understand that. I can promise you that I won’t tell your parents a single thing we discuss today. And even if you decide not to continue sessions with me, that will still stand. It’s private, protected, and confidential.”
I nodded. “I know.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “I just...I don’t know if this will work for me, you know? Just because you fixed my father doesn’t mean you can fix me. Whatever issues he was having aren’t the same as mine.”
Megan leaned back in her chair. “Let me start by saying no one needs to be fixed. That’s not the objective here. I’m here to talk with you. About anything you want to tell me. Could be about the kid who picked on you in middle school that you still think about, or about your relationship with your parents. We can talk about what you did this morning or last night. But it’s not about fixing you. You’re not broken, Reed.”
“I am, though.” The words surprised me. I didn’t mean to say that.
Megan tilted her head. “Do you want to tell me why you think that?” She didn’t push me. When I didn’t answer, she gave me a small smile. “How about we talk about Cole? You mentioned in the paperwork I had you fill out that he’s your boyfriend. How long have you been together?”
“I—” I closed my mouth and shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about him with you. Not yet.”
Cole was mine. I thought about last night and how he had held me so tight I thought my ribs would burst. And how he didn’t leave my side at the bar. Introduced me to all his teammates, told them I was his boyfriend, and kissed the side of my head every now and then.