“Uh huh, it’s just a few days.” He leaned over and kissed me.
I broke the kiss fairly quickly. “My brothers are still up.”
“I know, and I’m not going to cross them.”
I laughed. “They can’t scare you.”
“They don’t, but I respect them. They gave me the talk, by the way.”
“The talk?”
“The ‘you’d better not hurt our sister’ talk. It was a good one, and I understand it.”
I leaned my head on his chest. “I bet you were an awesome brother.”
“I was younger, so Shannon probably thought I was annoying most of the time.”
“My brothers are annoying, but they’re still great.”
“It’s fun to watch you guys together.”
“Yeah? I feel like I revert to a kid around them.”
He played with a strand of my hair. “It’s cute. You seem younger, but not in a bad way.”
I pecked him on the lips. “I should let you get some sleep if you’re going to leave early.”
“Probably. I’ll miss you, though.”
“Me too. Sleep well.” I leaned to kiss him again, but he pulled me onto his lap.
“What was that about respecting my brothers?”
“I do respect them, which is why I haven’t been sneaking into your room, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hold you a little.”
“I’d like that.”
He kissed me, and I enjoyed it, not letting myself worry about the door flying open. My brothers would have to deal with the fact that I’d grown up.
I broke the kiss reluctantly, moving my hand from where it had woven its way under Reed’s white t-shirt. “Good night.”
“Sweet dreams.”
I got up before I could change my mind.
Chapter Twenty-Three
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Wow
Dear Amy,
Did you hear about my new boyfriend? Brandon and Nick didn’t eat him alive. I might be in love.
Your Giddy Cousin,
Juliet
“Finally!” Reed walked into the Delta Mu house like it was something he did every day.
I jumped into his arms, enjoying the feel of them around me. The house was completely empty. I was grateful that my dad bought the whole “no men in the house” story I’d thrown him. I hated lying to him, but I needed to see Reed.
“I said I’d be here at seven.”
“I know. You’re on time. I just hoped you’d be here early.”
“No such luck. My dad had to make, like, five stops before we left town. I’m lucky we got here when we did.”
“You ready to go?”
“Eager to get me back to your place, huh?”
“Very.” He picked up my bags and walked back to the door. I made sure the door actually locked behind us.
We walked the few blocks to the Kappa house. I’d never seen the place so deserted. “Are you the only one here?”
“Nope. Now you’re here too.”
“Very funny.”
“I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” My thoughts immediately went back to the last surprise a guy gave me. I hoped this one had nothing to do with handcuffs. Somehow, I didn’t think that was Reed’s style.
He started up the stairs, and I followed, excited to see what he’d gotten me.
“Wow. Is this the right room?” I looked around—I barely recognized the place without the dirty clothes, books, and papers spewed all over.
“I figured that if you were staying a few days, I might as well clean-up for you.”
I reached up and pulled his head down to mine so I could kiss him. “Great surprise.”
“What should we do for dinner?”
“Can we order in? I’d love to find a really bad movie to watch.”
He sat down on the edge of his bed. “A bad movie? Why not a good one?”
“Because I don’t want to worry about missing any good parts if I’d rather make out with you.”
He laughed that really deep laugh of his. “In that case, let’s find a horrible movie.”
***
We spent most of the next few days in bed. I know how that sounds, but it just sort of happened. Campus was empty, and other than work, we had nothing else going on. It’s not like we had sex constantly, it was more that we’d have sex and then spend three hours naked in his bed talking. I never worried about being naked with Reed. It always felt natural.
I couldn’t get enough of his touch. I didn’t care where it was, but I loved having his hands on me. I’m pretty sure he felt the same way about having my hands on him. Maybe it came from months of repressed feelings, but we were constantly coming up with new ways to explore each other. I’d never imagined I had such a creative side.
On New Year’s Eve, we had plans to go over to Al’s for dinner. His parents were in town, and Reed decided he was ready to see them as long as I came along.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go without me first? I can take a cab and meet you. Or if you’d trust me with your truck, I could drop you off and—”
“No way. You said you’d do this with me.”
“I just wanted to give you time.”
“I’ll have time—with you.”
“Okay.” I smoothed out my dress, trying not to get too nervous. Reed’s parents hadn’t seen him for more than a few minutes in years. Surely, they wouldn’t be too concerned with what I was wearing.
“You look great.” He always seemed to know the right thing to say to put me at ease.
“Thanks.”
We headed out front to his car. He let out a deep breath before turning on the engine. His whole body was tense. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know what to do. I settled my hand on his leg. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was for him. He pulled away from the curb, and we made the drive over to West Ashley where Al lived.
Reed didn’t move to get out of the car when we pulled into the driveway of a blue, two-story house.
I placed my hand where his still gripped the wheel. “You can do this.”
“I know.” He slowly opened his door.
I got out and met him as he reached the front of the car. He walked as slow as humanly possible.
He didn’t have to ring the bell. The door was pulled open by a woman with shoulder-length, dark brown hair. “Reed!” She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. For all of his talk, he hugged her back. He didn’t let go for at least twenty seconds.
When he finally did, the woman turned to me. “And this must be Juliet.”
“Yeah, Mom. This is Juliet. Juliet, this is my mom.”
“Andie.” She gave me a light hug. We followed her inside.
“Hello, Reed.” A tall man with graying hair stepped into the hallway.
“Dad.” Reed greeted him with a handshake, but his dad pulled him into a hug. It was the kind of hug with a lot of back patting. I wasn’t surprised to see tears on his father’s face afterward.
“Is this your girlfriend?”
“Yeah, this is Juliet.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Dave.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
“Come on, come on. Let the kids come in,” Al shouted down the hallway. The few times I’d seen Al, he’d always called us kids. It was funny because he wasn’t that much older.
I sat down next to Reed at the beautifully set table. Al poured everyone a glass of champagne and made a toast. “To family and friends, new and old.”
Reed squeezed my hand under the table. I smiled and took a sip. Reed looked more relaxed. I knew he was glad he’d finally agreed to see his parents.
Dinner was amazing. I had no idea Al could cook so well. Reed was decent, but he wasn’t like Al. I’d never had duck that good, not even in a restaurant. The risotto was equally wonderful, and the strawberry cheesecake was to die for. It made me wonder why he served
such horrible pizza. I decided that was a story for another time.
After dinner, Reed went outside to shoot some hoops with his uncle and dad. I figured it was a male bonding thing and hung back with his mom.
“Come, let’s sit.” Andie took a seat on a beige couch.
I sat on the opposite cushion. “Dinner was lovely. It’s great to meet you.”
She folded her hands in her lap. “I can’t express in words what tonight has meant to us. I can’t thank you enough for everything.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“Bringing my son back.” Tears pooled in her eyes.
“I appreciate the credit, but it wasn’t me.”
“Yes, it was. After five years, he’s finally willing to talk to us. I know it isn’t a coincidence. Al told us Reed only agreed after you encouraged it.”
“I just thought he’d waited long enough.”
“It’s been far too long. It’s hard enough losing one child, but practically losing a second…” Tears streaked down her cheeks.
I wasn’t sure what to do, so I let her keep talking. “I don’t know what Reed’s told you, but it wasn’t as black and white as he thought. Shannon never told us she was that unhappy. If we’d known—”
I reached out an arm and then pulled it back. I had no idea what the proper response was. “I’m sure.”
“Is he happy?”
The question came out of nowhere, but I realized the answer was important. “Sometimes. Sometimes, he’s so happy you can’t stop him from grinning like a little kid.”
“I bet that has to do with you.”
I shrugged. “He makes me happy, too.”
“I’m glad. I’m glad he has someone.” Her tears fell heavily, and I had to hug her.
“I know he might not want it, but I need him back in my life. I can’t do this anymore.”
“He wants it.” I knew my words were true. It was fear more than anything that held him back.
“Thank you.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to her thanking me yet again, but luckily Reed walked into the room. He sat down between us. “Have I been missing an interesting conversation?” He only said it to ease the tension. He must have seen his mother’s face and realized she was crying.
When he reached over to wipe a tear off my face, I realized I’d been crying, too. It wasn’t my place to cry—but hearing his mom just made me feel so lucky. I had an amazing family, an amazing boyfriend, and amazing life. I felt embarrassed for spending so much time moping around over something as stupid as my relationship with Dylan.
“Do you kids have big plans tonight?” Al slumped down into a recliner. His athletic body looked out of sorts in such a relaxed position. I’d barely ever seen him sit down. Even during dinner, he’d gotten up every few minutes.
He must have caught me looking at him. “What? Your boyfriend just schooled me. I’m too old for that.”
“Quit complaining, old man. I went easy on you,” Reed ribbed. “But to answer your question, we do have plans. We’re going to a party an alum from my house is throwing.”
“Nice. If I were your age, I’d go.”
“You need to find a girlfriend, Al.”
“What, now that you’ve decided to end your bachelor days, I should too?”
“It’s a good experience. Trust me.” He put an arm around the back of the couch behind me.
***
“Do you want to get out of here?” The party had been a nice idea, but it wasn’t really our scene. Reed knew some people, but it got boring pretty quickly.
“Sure. I have the perfect idea of how to ring in the New Year.” I got excited just thinking about it.
“What?”
“Airplane gazing.”
He grinned. “That sounds perfect, but will you be warm enough?” He gestured to my short dress.
“You have blankets.”
“And I’ll do my best to keep you warm.”
“You’d better.”
We pulled into the field at eleven forty-five. That didn’t leave much time before the New Year. We cuddled up under some blankets in the back of the truck, and although it was colder, it felt a lot like the first time.
I snuggled in closer to his side. “I wanted you to kiss me so bad last time we were here.”
“I wanted to kiss you, too.”
“Why didn’t you?” I brushed an eyelash off his cheek.
“I didn’t want to push you. I wanted to let you set the pace.”
I laughed. “What would have happened if I hadn’t asked you to my semi-formal?”
“I was planning to ask you to mine anyway.”
“Cutting it kind of close, weren’t you?” I lifted my head off his chest to look at him.
“Maybe just a little.” His expression suddenly turned serious. “I love you.” He looked right into my eyes as he said the words for the first time.
“I love you.” I kissed him as soon as I saw the expression of pure happiness on his face.
Maybe it was the words, but I knew I needed a lot more than a kiss. I started unbuttoning his shirt.
“Dare I ask what you’re doing, Oakley?”
“Undressing you.”
“I could ask you to expand on that, but instead I’m going to do the same thing.”
A few minutes later, he was on top of me. I giggled as a plane took off. We were really about to have sex outside with airplanes flying over us. It was kind of surreal.
The sex was even better that night. It was as if our bodies had really become one. Afterward, I wondered if it was because he was finally able to give me all of him. He was done holding back.
“Do you realize it’s 12:02?” Reed asked after he rolled off me. He had me wrapped up in his arms. I was most definitely not cold.
“That’s a nice way to start a New Year.”
“I was hoping for a New Year’s kiss, but New Year’s sex was pretty good too. Maybe we can make it a tradition.”
“I don’t know. I might be busy next year.” We were setting up our second tradition. Not bad for two and a half months.
He tickled me. “Okay, okay. I’ll be available.”
For some reason, that tickling got me in the mood again. I moved my hand down to grab him, loving the groan it elicited. We didn’t get any further before a bright light blinded me.
“Oh no.” Reed’s groan of pleasure became something else entirely.
The car stopped right next to the truck. Reed made sure to cover me up with the blankets before the police officer reached the bed of the truck. He shined a flashlight on us.
The officer grinned when he realized what we were doing. “Do you realize this is city owned property?”
I wanted to pull the blanket over my head. I was beyond mortified.
“Yes, sir. We were just leaving.”
“Somehow, I doubt that.”
“It’s all my girlfriend’s fault. She couldn’t wait to get home.”
I opened my mouth to argue but shut it. There was no reason to make things worse.
The young officer chuckled. “And I’m sure you weren’t a willing participant. Next time, get a room.”
He walked away.
“Wait, we’re not getting busted?” I sat up, pulling the blanket with me.
“No, but we probably should get dressed and head home.” Reed turned on his flashlight and found our clothes.
“That’s probably a good idea, but way to throw me under the bus. I couldn’t wait to get home?”
“This was your idea…”
“And you enjoyed it.”
“Of course, and I plan to pick up where we stopped off when we get home.”
“That sounds good to me.” He kept his word. I went to sleep that night wishing I could fall asleep in his arms every night.
Chapter Twenty-Four
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: re: Wow
Dear Juliet,
<
br /> Love? That’s a pretty heavy word. I can’t wait to meet him. I haven’t liked any of your past boyfriends. Maybe this one will be the exception.
Your Excited Cousin,
Amy
The new semester started off fine. I liked my classes, and I loved spending as much time as possible with Reed. Being an active member of Delta Mu meant I was done with pledging, so my commitments there were less. Instead of all the late night meetings, it was more about events and hanging out with the girls. I tried to spend time with my friends, but between class, work, and Reed, there wasn’t much time.
The only way I could balance it all was to actually use my work time for school work, something that was getting increasingly harder to do now that Reed and I were dating. He was way too good of a distraction. Still, I usually got an hour or two of reading done before the crowds started.
“Can I help you?” I looked up, ready for my next customer.
“I hope so.”
“Hi, Dylan.” I tried to keep my voice even, but it felt so uncomfortable to see him, especially since I knew Reed was so close by.
“Hi. I was hoping you could talk for a few minutes.” He actually looked nervous. Seeing him nervous made me nervous.
“I’m working.” I didn’t want to be rude, but I still wasn’t comfortable talking to him. Being near Dylan reminded me of how badly he’d treated me, and how willing I’d been to go along with it.
“Just for a minute. You haven’t returned my calls, and I need to talk to you.”
“Is there a problem here?” Reed wrapped his arm around my waist. He was usually all about giving me my independence, but I think Dylan brought out the protective side in him.
Dylan paled. “So it’s true then? You’re dating him?”
“Yes. We’ve been together for a few months now.”
“Tell me the truth. Were you guys fucking when we were together?” Anger replaced any evidence of nerves.
Reed didn’t waste a second. He was over the counter and had Dylan by his collar. “Apologize to Juliet. Now.”
“It’s a fair question. I was pretty sure something was going on. Now I know the real reason she broke things off.”
The Hazards of Skinny Dipping Page 17
