by Lisa Simmons
"Looks that way," I said, shrugging slightly. "It's kind of fitting though, right? I met yours, after all."
"I want to, I just wish the first impression had been a bit better," he said, frowning once more.
"Just... don't think about it," I suggested, leaning up on my tiptoes to kiss him lightly now that our putrid breath had been eradicated. He seemed distracted but returned my kiss gently.
"If you say so..." he said. I got the feeling he was humoring me but he made no further comments as I nodded at him reassuringly and led him out of the bathroom to head down the hall. I heard him take a deep breath just before we emerged in the living room to see my parents sitting very stiffly on my couch. My mind flashed back to the night before as I realized that dirty glasses, bottles, and questionably sticky stains littered much of my apartment. Clearly, Emily and Luke hadn't bothered to clean anything up last night just as Reece and I had neglected to. There was no sign of either of them, however, and I prayed they had the sense to stay locked away in her room to avoid yet another awkward situation.
"Erm, mum, dad," I said awkwardly, clearing my throat and drawing their attention away from the numerous shot glasses scattered across my coffee table. They stood up, looking relieved to see us both fully clothed now. I lightly took Reece's hand as I drew him forward to stand in front of them.
"This is Reece," I said simply, finding it unnecessary to add the title. It didn't seem to cover what he was to me, although it was a nice feeling to have it officially. I glanced up at him to see him flashing a breathtaking smile at the pair of them, any hints of his hangover hidden behind his stunning features. "Reece, my parents. Hank and Sandra."
"Nice to meet you, both," Reece said sincerely, reaching forward to shake hands with my father.
"So you're him, huh?" my father asked gruffly, studying Reece closely. I felt a surge of pride when Reece's confident expression didn't falter under the scrutiny. Tense seconds ticked by as they studied each other, mentally sizing one another up. Finally, a smile split across my father's face. "It's about time we meet you, young man."
A lungful of air gushed past my lips as I let loose the breath I'd been holding without noticing. I was beyond relieved they hadn't mentioned the state they had just found us in and felt even further relieved when my mother clasped both of her hands around Reece's warmly.
"You sure are a handsome thing, aren't you?" she said, staring a little bit too long at him while he chuckled uncomfortably. Her grip remained on his wrist as she seemed to loose her train of thought momentarily.
"Mum," I hissed, breaking her from the spell. I understood it completely- Reece was so utterly captivating it was nearly impossible not to lose your mind a bit- but I couldn't just let my mother gape at my boyfriend. She blinked once and turned to grin at me.
"Sorry, I just was not prepared," she laughed. My father chuckled good-naturedly by her side, clearly not offended by the moment. They'd been married a long, long time.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, unable to figure out their sudden presence.
"Oh, your father bought some part for his car in town and we thought we'd stop by and say hello! Although it appears now we should have called first..." she said, her eyes flitting mischievously back and forth between Reece and I. I felt a light blush creep up my cheeks.
"We weren't... nothing was happening. We had just woken up," I explained, absolutely mortified to be discussing this with my parents.
"Right, of course," she said, placating me. I sighed in frustration that she didn't appear to believe me but let the subject drop. Reece appeared slightly uncomfortable at the topic, having only met them seconds ago.
"You two hungry? We could go get some breakfast?" my dad suggested, checking his watch. It was getting a bit late for breakfast but he was a big fan of pancakes, never one to turn them down.
"Yeah, that'd be great," Reece answered for me, squeezing the hand I still had captured in mine. I turned and grinned up at him before humming my consent.
"Yeah, I'm starving," I said. It was true, although I my head was still pounding. I tried to ignore it as my mother spoke, her voice sounding a bit louder than absolutely necessary.
"Excellent! I saw the cutest place on the way in," she said, turning to gather her purse from where she'd set it on the chair. They started to walk out the apartment, heading down the hall as I locked the door behind me, Reece waiting patiently by my side.
"Beachwork, Birchwall..." she continued to murmur, trying to remember the name of the place.
"Birchwood," Reece said calmly. She spun around from where she stood a little ways down the hall and snapped her fingers.
"Yes, that's it! Looks lovely."
Reece glanced down at me, watching me closely to see if I recognized the name. Immediately the memory of the one and only real date we'd gone on flooded back to me- the tiny restaurant and bar relatively unknown to most people in our town, the worn in booths and the unseasonal Christmas lights strewn across the ceiling, and most of all, the way he had looked sitting across from me that night. I doubted there would ever come a time when I didn't remember that day.
"It is," I said, looking at Reece rather than my mother. His lips ticked up at the corner, pleased I recognized the name of the place. He looped his arm around my neck casually as we followed my parents down the hall, both of us squinting against the harsh light of the sun once we reached the outer door. Reece ducked his head to my ear, his lips nudging against the shell of it as he whispered.
"Love you."
His words were simple and quiet, but they sent a bolt of warmth through my heart. My mother had been chattering away ahead of us, my father speaking approximately two words to every fifty of hers, and didn't seem to notice Reece and I lagging a bit behind. We followed them contentedly to their car, where we piled into the backseat without complaint. I could feel my father glance at us in the rearview mirror but couldn't bring myself to remove Reece's arm from around my shoulders. His touch was casual, easy, and not something I was bothered by my parents seeing. They had always been relatively laid back, so I wasn't concerned.
The drive to the restaurant was short, the space of time in the car filled by my mother commenting on the various things she saw around the town we lived in. It wasn't until we made our way into the building that I really noticed what she was saying.
"Oh, wow, this is so quaint," she commented, glancing around to take in the details I remembered so precisely. It looked exactly the same as I had when Reece and I had come here months ago, although now, so much was different. Even then, I'd felt the same burning connection I felt to him at this very moment, but now it was accompanied by love so deep I could never see the end of it. Before, we'd been just starting to learn things about each other while now, I felt like I was connected to his every thought, every move, every breath.
"Memories, huh?" Reece whispered in my ear, shooting me a soft smile.
"I was just thinking that," I said, nodding and grinning at him as we followed my parents to a booth. They settled into one side while Reece and I slid into the opposite, immediately falling victim to my mother's wide grin. I swallowed nervously at her expression as the waitress too everyone's drink orders, promising to return in a few moments.
"So," my mother said giddily. I didn't like her tone. She tended to be much more bubbly and excitable than I did, a trait that had apparently not been passed on. She found delight in the simplest of things, taking great pleasure in other people's business. At times, she reminded me of a giddy teenager. I loved her dearly, but sometimes her persistent need to be in the loop about everything was taxing.
"So," I repeated.
"So he's the one you've been in love with for so long," she stated simply. My jaw fell open at her blunt statement, wasting no time in diving in. I quickly resented them for their sudden arrival even more than I already did because it gave me virtually no time to prepare myself or Reece for the onslaught that was surely about to com
e.
"That's me," Reece surprised me by saying, a wide grin on his face. His arm once again looped over my shoulders casually, hauling me into his side. I blinked as I relaxed into him, trying to understand what was happening. My mother let out a girlish giggle at Reece's comment, thrilled he'd answered for me. My father, always the quiet, stoic type and the complete opposite of my bubbly mother, watched with an amused expression on his face.
"I've been asking Abigail for months when we'd get to meet you," she said, shooting me an accusing look before turning back to beam at Reece. His hand rubbed slowly up the side of my arm, calming the slightly tense muscles there.
"My mum said the same thing," he replied. "We're both to blame."
"Oh! I like the sounds of your mum," she answered with a grin. "What's her name?"
This was how our meal carried on: Reece and my mum talking while my father silently enjoyed his pancakes, piping up once in a while with a small comment before retreating back into silence as per usual. I joined in the conversation a bit too, but mostly settled back into Reece's relaxed grip to watch him. I loved the way his eyes lit up when he spoke and the way he focused so entirely on whomever he was speaking to, as if they were the only person in the world who could possibly matter. It struck me once again how lucky I was to be the focus of that attention most of the time. Surely I would never get used to the soul warming way he looked at me.
We were nearing the end of our meal, all of us leaning back in the booth as we were too full to continue. Reece's arm remained slung around my neck, and my hand rose in front of me to tangle my fingers lightly with his. The causal way he held me to him, so confidently even though we were in front of his parents, made me feel like I had actual butterflies in my stomach.
A brief pause in the conversation fell over us as my parents quietly fought with each other for who would pay the bill, giving Reece the chance to duck his head down and press a light kiss to my cheek. I turned to look at him, the space between us minimal thanks to the way he was holding onto me. His eyes met mine, his crinkling at the corners and positively glowing as he beamed down at me.
"Should we tell them?" I whispered, careful to keep my voice low enough so they wouldn't hear.
"That's up to you, babe," he replied easily. He squeezed my hand captured in his lightly, giving me control to make the decision. My lips pulled into a grin as I held his gaze, unable to tear mine away as I spoke suddenly.
"Hey, mum and dad?"
Reece's lip bit between his teeth as he waited for me to reveal our news. It wasn't until the very last second that I ripped my gaze away from him to look at my anxiously waiting parents across the table.
"I'm... moving in with Reece."
Both of them sagged forward, letting out enormous sighs of relief. My mother actually let out a half-hysterical laugh before she managed to recover.
"Oh thank god, I thought you were going to say you were pregnant!" she said, placing a hand on her cheek. Her eyes were wide as she grinned at me.
"This is much better," my father added, chuckling.
"Definitely not pregnant, oh my god," I said, mortified. A blush flooded my cheeks for the second time that morning.
"Good, so you're being safe?" my mother asked casually.
"Yes, mum, oh my god," I said, turning to bury my face in Reece's shoulder. He didn't speak, and I saw his lips pinched together tightly in an embarrassed grimace when I finally sat up again.
"Listen here, son," my dad said suddenly, his tone firm yet understanding. Reece sat up a bit straighter as he paid close attention. "You love her? My daughter here, you love her?"
I sucked in a breath, embarrassed he was asking Reece these kinds of questions not even two hours after meeting him.
"I could never tell you how much I love her," Reece answered, surprising me with the depth of his answer and the sincerity behind it.
"You'll take care of her?"
"I swear to you I will."
"Well alright," my dad said, smiling as he leaned across the table and extended his hand. Reece took it, shaking it once more with a grin on his face. "I'm trusting you with my little girl, Reece. Don't let me down."
"Impossible, sir. Impossible."
"I heard your heart say, 'love, love, love.'"
Chapter 86
My arms crossed over my chest as I frowned at the overwhelming pile of stuff that had collected in my room. It didn’t seem possible that I had gathered so much junk in my apartment, but the proof was right there in front of me. I’d been trying to sort out what I could take to Reece’s and what could be left to be moved back to my parents’ house when Emily appeared in the doorway.
“Oh, good, is any of this stuff yours?” I asked, barely glancing at her as I knelt down to start sifting through the pile. She joined me and nudged a sweater with her toe gingerly as if it would attack.
“Um, I’m just gonna say no and stay out of it,” she laughed, her eyes widening at the sight. My room had been completely destroyed in my efforts to organize things.
“I can’t believe you’re moving out,” she said in disbelief. I frowned as I pulled an unidentified power cord out of the pile before tossing it to the side.
“I know,” I agreed. “And moving in with Reece. It feels so... permanent.”
“Honestly I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. You were hardly ever here anyway,” she chuckled, throwing herself to sit on my bed on what little space she could find.
“Me too,” I said lightly. I was beyond excited to move in with him, just not so excited for all the moving. I had far more stuff than I needed to bring with, but deciphering what was necessary was the tricky part. Reece had been absolutely no help when I’d asked, telling me to ‘bring whatever you want.’“How’d your parents take it?”
“Fine,” I said, shrugging. “They were just relieved I wasn’t pregnant.”
Emily burst out laughing, throwing her head back as she did so. “Oh god, I bet. They’ve always been pretty chill though.”
I nodded in agreement as I started putting the pieces of clothing I dug from the pile into a suitcase. All I really needed to bring was my personal stuff. The rest could stay in the apartment until the end of the year when our lease ended and I could move it back home. “Hey, you don’t mind if Chloe comes over, do you? I haven’t seen her in a while and we were gonna catch up on some TV,” Emily said casually.
“No, I don’t mind. Reece’s coming soon to help me pack but I don’t expect he’ll actually do a whole lot,” I laughed, certain he would plop himself on my bed just as Emily had done. I stuffed one final t-shirt into the suitcase I had now filled and zipped it shut just as I heard our front door open.
“Hello?” a voice called upon seeing no one right away. It was Chloe.
“In here!” Emily returned. I kept sorting my things as I heard footsteps come down the hall, confusion sweeping through me when I heard two sets. Had Reece also arrived?
“Ladies, long time no see!” a second voice said, now sounding from my doorway. My jaw clenched automatically as I recognized the tone, anger seeping through my veins. I turned slowly to see her leaning against the frame of my door, a casual smile pulled across her lips. Lauren.
I was on my feet before I even realized what was happening, my fists balling by my sides automatically as rage bubbled in my stomach.
“What the hell do you want?” I asked furiously.
Images of her coming on to Reece flashed through my mind in a furious blur. Her hand on his forearm, her lips at his ear, her body pressing into his. Things I had seen ages ago the first time she tried and things I conjured from what Reece had told me haunted me now as I glared at her, attempting to melt her with my gaze.
The first time she’d hit on Reece, I’d forgiven her because she really had no idea what was going on between us. The second time, however, I could not. She’d approached him that night in the bar when I was there with Jack, the night Reece convinced me to
come back to him. She’d tried to get with him then, talking shit and not caring about me in the slightest like the horrible friend that she was.
“Excuse me?” she said, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Don’t play dumb, you know exactly what I’m talking about,” I spit. Chloe was frozen by her side, a confused look on her face. She took in the glares I was shooting at Lauren before stepping away to join Emily at my bed. “Is this about Reece?” Lauren asked stupidly. I scoffed in her face and resisted the urge to punch her.
“Of course it’s about Reece, you idiot,” I seethed. I had forgotten how pissed off I was at her until she was right in front of my face. “You claim to be one of my best friends then you go hit on him and talk shit? What kind of friend does that to someone?”“Um, excuse me, you two were broken up,” she said, her eyebrows pinching together.
“If you were any kind of friend you would have known what was actually going on,” I hissed. “And even if we were broken up, friends don’t go after their friends’ exes.”“Honey it’s not my fault you’re playing games with him. If I wanted to go after him, there’s nothing that says I can’t,” she dared to say, taking a tiny step closer to me. “Are you fucking kidding me? Playing games with him? You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. And then saying there are no rules? How about being a good person? But of course, to follow that you’d have to be a good person, so obviously that rules you out.”I felt like I was steaming on the spot as I glared at her, desperate to slam my fist into her stupid, clenched jaw. Anger so strong seared through my I was certain it was going to melt my flesh off my bones. I couldn’t remember ever being so livid in my life as her arguments fueled my fire. “You’re just upset because you’re threatened by me,” she said, leaning in closer. This time I actually laughed in her face.
“You’re fucking insane!” I shouted incredulously, my eyes wide with disbelief. “If you think I’m threatened by you then you’re even stupider than I thought. You only want Reece because he’s attractive. You have no idea what kind of an amazing person he is or what he’s done for me. You’re a pathetic excuse for a friend and a disgusting person, honestly.”“We’ll see how pathetic I am when I get your man in bed,” she whispered, her voice deadly quiet as she leaned even closer to me, separating us by only inches. As soon as her words had their impact, I snapped. My hands shoved into her chest, launching her out of the doorway into the hall behind her. I stepped forward and pushed her again so her back collided with the wall, forcing the breath from her lungs.
