by Erin Rylie
“HA! And have my wife yell at me for hours tonight? Hard pass—I’d rather keep her mouth busy in other ways.”
Unable to keep silent for more than a few minutes, Carlos spoke up. “That is vulgar, Rafe. She’s the mother of your child. Your wife. You shouldn’t talk about her that way.”
“Oh, that’s rich coming from the guy who told me in excruciating detail about his sexcapades with Kelsey when you two got back from vacation a few months ago.”
“In my defense, we had to have quiet sex in a housekeeping closet near our room because we were sharing a room with James. I wasn’t bragging so much as trying to explain to you that it’s possible to have quiet sex in a closet full of cleaning supplies. Unlike some people, we managed not to alert the whole floor to our illicit activities.”
“So what I’m hearing is that you can’t even get Kelsey turned on enough to moan?”
“GUYS!” Reese shouted, causing the officers at the surrounding desks to look at him oddly. He’d seen enough of Rafe and Carlos’s interactions to know that this conversation was going nowhere quickly. “Can we focus on the matter at hand? Becky? My son? Life-changing situation happening here. I could use some help.”
Carlos cringed. “I mean, we’re both kind of in a precarious position here. Giving you Becky’s number or address will get us in trouble. Maybe we could Mean Girls the situation.”
Reese coughed to hide a snort of derision. “Mean Girls it? What does that mean?”
“Well, in my personal favorite cult classic movie, Regina George three-way calls Cady with their friend on the line. But Cady doesn’t know their friend is on the line and ends up talking shit about her. It’s some pretty epic high school bullshit, but we could do it with Becky. I’ll call you, and then connect her in. Then, you two can talk.”
Reese considered the plan for a moment before realizing that as immature as it was, it was really his only option in this scenario. He needed to get her to agree to give him her number. He also needed to set up visitation with his son.
“So what I’m hearing here is that your mind works like a sixteen-year-old girl’s mind.”
Carlos nodded. “Basically. But hey, if you’ve got a better plan, spit it out, lover boy. At least mine gets you two on the phone together.”
Reese heaved a heavy sigh. “Fine, we can try it later tonight, maybe after our shift.”
Carlos was completely ignoring him, messing around on his phone, and when Reese heard his own phone vibrating on the desk, he fought the urge to roll his eyes. Apparently this phone call was happening right now.
He slid his finger across his screen to answer the call, and heard the phone ringing as Carlos attempted to patch Becky in.
“What do you want, Ramirez? Some of us have jobs.”
“All right, Becky, before you get all sassy with me, I know for a fact that you work in a laid back environment and can totally answer your phone. So cut the shit and admit that you’re thrilled to hear from me.”
Sarcasm practically oozed through the phone with Becky’s response, pulling a smile from Reese. He’d always loved her smart mouth. “Oh, Carlos, it’s so great to hear from you! You’re my second favorite of my friend’s significant others. What can I do for you today?”
“I’m your second favorite? What the fu—” Reese snapped his fingers at Carlos, signaling him to ignore the dig and do what they’d come here to do.
His partner cleared his throat and was actually able to adopt a relatively calm tone of voice. “Right, so I’m calling because I think you should talk to Reese.”
“Oh you do, do you?” Becky’s tone was bordering on aggressive, and it was immediately clear that she wasn’t over their conversation yesterday.
Carlos swallowed and pulled at his collar, looking more than a little nervous. “Yes.” When he didn’t elaborate, and made no indication that he intended to continue the conversation, Reese decided to jump in.
“I also think you should talk to me, Becky.”
There was a long pause on the phone line, and Reese checked his screen to make sure she hadn’t hung up.
“Carlos, did you just Mean Girls me?”
Though Becky couldn’t see it, Carlos shuffled his feet and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Maybe.”
Her long sigh came through the line as clear as day. “Look, Reese. I know that you and I need to have an adult conversation, but you just came back into my life yesterday. I need time to process. Ryker is seeing his therapist tomorrow, so I want to talk to her about the best way to approach this.”
Reese fought the urge to ask why Ryker needed a therapist. This was a start, and he wanted to take it and run. He honestly hadn’t been sure what to expect from Becky, but it sounded like she was willing to consider allowing him to spend time with their son.
“Okay, can we plan time to talk this week? Carlos and I are off on Wednesday and Thursday unless something drastic happens.”
Another sigh and a long pause. Clearly staying calm was difficult for Becky. They always had been like fire and ice. When he’d been younger, arguing with her had always turned him on beyond imagining. He’d loved the rowdy conversations they had about everything—from the possibility of Princess Leia being independently wealthy, to the best kind of peanut butter for a PB&J sandwich (Reese was still firmly of the belief that crunchy peanut butter was the way to go).
Seeing her so worked up yesterday had brought to mind all of their old conversations, and he’d had to fight the urge to pull her in and kiss her. He’d always loved the fire in her—the fire her parents had tried to stamp out.
“All right. Have Carlos text me your number. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
“This week though, right?”
Instead of sighing again, Becky groaned and he heard a shuffling sound over the phone, making him wonder if she was running a hand down her face in frustration like she used to.
“Fine, yes. This week.”
“Thank—” she hung up on him before he could finish thanking her for talking to him.
As he placed his phone on his desk, a smile on his lips at the thought of spending time with his son, he heard Carlos groan.
“Aw, man. Becky already told Kelsey. Looks like I’m sleeping on the couch tonight. You’re buying me lunch, dude. You just cost me sex.”
Chapter Four
Over the past few weeks, Reese had been sitting with Becky every day at lunch. He didn’t seem to be overly fond of conversation, and they’d spent a few lunch breaks in companionable silence. It was nice to have company while she ate, even if they didn’t speak to one another. Her home life was consistently shitty, her mother always drunk or high on pills, her father ignoring his family and focusing on work.
Amidst all of the abuse and the constant expectations, Reese was her happy place. He was her only friend, as sad as it was. They didn’t ever really talk outside of the cafeteria, and shared only one class together. The fact that he was willing to sit with her every day, though, meant something to her. Her life felt so lonely and empty. He filled some of that void, and she was starting to feel just a little bit more whole with each passing day.
Finishing off the lunch his mom had packed for him, Reese pulled one last Tupperware from his backpack. As he opened the container and the now familiar scent of delicious snickerdoodles filled the air, she felt her mouth water. She’d gained a pound last week at her weigh-in and knew that she couldn’t really afford to eat sweets with her lunch anymore. How could she explain that to Reese though?
He placed a cookie on a napkin from his tray and slid it across the table to her. After that first day that he’d offered her a cookie and walked away, he’d started to stick around to make sure she ate it. She’d tried to ask him why once, but he’d simply shrugged his shoulders.
Now, he bit into a cookie and moaned loudly, the sound sending shivers down her spine. He looked to her and raised his eyebrows expectantly, shooting a pointed look at the cookie and then her. Sighing, she picked u
p the cookie and took a small bite before putting it back down on the napkin.
“What? Too full from your tiny salad for an entire cookie?”
She laughed, “I’m not even close to full. But weigh-in is tomorrow.”
She immediately cringed at her slip-up. Thus far she’d managed to avoid mentioning much about her home life during their lunches together. The last thing she wanted from Reese was his pity. His expression was just so open and honest that she found herself wanting to talk to him. He may not seem to be a big talker, but every time she spoke to him she felt as though she had his undivided attention, and it was a heady thing.
The world didn’t work that way though; the world was cruel. She looked back down to the cookie, picking at the edges and avoiding his eyes and the pity she was bound to find there.
“Weigh-in? Who weighs you? I know you’re not in wrestling.”
She tried to think of a way to explain the situation that wouldn’t make her look weak. She was hesitant to reveal anything about her life to anyone at school for fear that it would get out and impact her father’s chances of winning his upcoming election.
“It’s kind of a family thing; we are trying to be healthier so we all weigh in together once a week. We cut out fast food and all of that junk, so that, um, we look healthy in my dad’s campaign pictures.”
It sounded reasonable enough, but when she met Reese’s eyes and saw the skepticism there, she knew he didn’t completely buy her explanation. Not wanting to stick around and invite more questions, she quickly got up from the table and made to leave.
“Anyway, see you tomorrow. Thanks for the cookie.”
Leaving her unfinished cookie on the table, she practically sprinted out of the cafeteria.
Her mother had forgotten her. Becky didn’t know why she was surprised. It was very likely that her mother was either out with her toxic Stepford wife friends, or was passed out from something she’d taken at home. Usually, she drove herself to school, but Becky’s dad had taken her car to the dealership for routine maintenance this morning. Becky was supposed to pick it up with her mother after school.
After trying her mother’s cell phone number for the tenth time, she sighed and sat down on the curb outside of the school. She could call a taxi, but she liked to avoid spending her parent’s money whenever possible. For some reason it just made her feel dirty. She already wore the expensive clothes they bought her, drove the car they wanted her to drive, ate the expensive food they had made for her. She didn’t want to take anything else from them. Some days, she wished they were poor, that they didn’t have any money but had each other.
On dark nights, alone in her bed, she pictured her family as one from a sitcom. Her mother clean and sober, her father home from work at a reasonable time, them having warm, cozy family dinners together. The picture was sometimes so clear in her mind that she found herself crying herself to sleep, wishing for a different life.
Becky knew how lucky she was to have a roof over her head and food on the table, but she would trade in all of her material possessions for a loving family—parents who actually gave a shit about her.
“Becky? What are you doing out here?”
Not now—what the hell is he still doing at school? Classes ended over an hour ago.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw Reese walking toward her from the entrance of the school. He was wearing sweatpants that sat low on his hips, and a tank top. During school hours he wore clothes that hinted at his delicious build, but she’d never seen so many of his muscles on display. His hair was damp from a shower, and she realized he must’ve come from football practice.
“Oh, my mom is just running a little late picking me up, no big deal.”
He shot her a questioning look. “School ended over an hour ago.”
Becky shrugged, not sure what to say. “She’s just a busy woman, I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”
Reese looked doubtful, but she was relieved to see that his eyes were clear of the pity she knew she couldn’t bear to see there. “Look, why don’t you walk to my house with me? I live pretty close and my mom should be home now between shifts. She can drive you to your house or let me borrow the car so I can take you.”
She looked down at her phone, willing her mother to call and get her out of this embarrassing situation. When no call came through, she sighed, knowing that his offer was better than walking the miles home.
“Okay, thank you.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her from her seated position on the curb. She’d expected him to let go once she was standing, but he entwined their fingers and pulled her down the sidewalk. She couldn’t help the smile that slipped through.
The walk to Reese’s apartment complex only took about ten minutes. She spent that time peppering Reese with questions about football practice. He was a big guy, so apparently he played the position of linebacker. Becky had never been allowed to go to a football game, so she didn’t know much about it, but Reese was happy to explain, lighting up as he told her about the different positions and their importance.
It was so rare for him to speak so much at once, and she soaked in his warm, soothing voice, letting it fill her up. For a teenager, he had a surprisingly deep voice, smooth and almost melodic. Though she was comfortable in their silences, she loved listening to him talk.
He stopped in front of a small but clean apartment complex. It was gated, so he let go of her hand and punched in a code to enter, holding the door for her. She shivered at his light touch on her back, his hand so big that it was able to span almost the entire width of her body. Keeping his hand there, he led her through the complex, walking her past a small park and pool area. Given the way he’d described his mother’s financial situation, she’d expected a more run-down apartment complex, but this place seemed nice and quiet.
He opened the door to an apartment on the ground floor and gestured for her to enter before him. It was a small space, filled with a worn couch, small coffee table, and little TV, but it smelled like home. Her senses were assaulted with the scents of cinnamon and vanilla, reminding her of the cookies he brought her every day.
Looking around, she noticed that there was only one bedroom and one bathroom, a small stack of pillows and blankets on the couch indicating that someone slept there nightly. She wondered if it was Reese or his mother. She couldn’t imagine such a big guy would be comfortable on the couch.
When she’d finished scanning the apartment, taking in the pictures of Reese and a small, smiling older woman whom she assumed was his mother on the walls, she looked up at him. He was running his fingers through his hair and looking at her sheepishly.
“I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what your family has.”
There was a touch of color on his cheeks, and she realized that he was embarrassed of his home. She grabbed his arm, pulling his hand from his hair and entwining their fingers.
“You’re right, it’s nothing like my house. My house is cold and empty. This apartment is filled with more warmth and comfort than any single room in the house I live in. I love it.”
His smile dazzled her, and he reached over with his free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “How are you so amazing?”
Her laugh was cruel and biting. “I’m not amazing.”
He moved his hand from her ear down to her jaw, tipping her head up so that her gaze met his. His green eyes were warm and full of an emotion she couldn’t put a name to. “You just don’t see yourself like I do. It’s obvious you don’t come from a loving home, but you’re so smart and kind and resilient. I hope you open up to me about what you’re going through someday, but just watching the grace with which you handle life astounds me. You astound me.”
His eyes flicked from hers to her lips, and the butterflies in her stomach took flight with the realization that he wanted to kiss her. He leaned down until their lips were a hairsbreadth apart, his face filling her vision, his scent wrapping itself around her, warm and woodsy.
> “Okay?” he asked, seeking permission.
She nodded her consent, and his lips met hers. Her first-ever kiss was tentative, seeking. It was just a gentle brush of their lips, but in it she felt everything. She had never felt so alive, so cared for, so cherished. It took her breath away.
The pressure of his lips became firmer, and he’d just stepped forward, pulling her body flush to his when she heard the door open behind them, and pulled away quickly. She combed her hair with her fingers and tried to fight the blush she knew was working its way up her cheeks.
“Sorry to interrupt, kids.” The woman spoke with a touch of a southern drawl. “I didn’t know you were having company over, Reese.”
Reese grabbed Becky’s hand and pulled her toward his mother. “Sorry, Ma, it was an unexpected visit. This is Becky. I was hoping I could borrow your car while you get ready for your shift at the diner. She just needs a quick ride home.”
Taking in the scrubs Reese’s mother was wearing, Becky fought the urge to blurt out a million questions. Why was his mom working at a diner if she was a nurse? Didn’t nurses make pretty good money? Her immediate thought, though, was that she must be so exhausted. How did she find time to bake?
Instead of bombarding the poor woman with questions, Becky held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you Ms.—” It was in that moment that she realized she didn’t even know Reese’s last name. She shot him a startled look, and he laughed.
“Petrov. Our last name is Petrov.”
Reese’s mom laughed as well, taking Becky’s offered hand. “Yes, it’s Petrov, but you can call me Beth. Actually, I insist on it. Any girl playing tonsil hockey with my son on a regular basis should probably have first-name privileges with me.”
Becky’s cheeks flamed red, and she looked down at the carpet. She didn’t see how it was possible for this to become a more mortifying situation.
“Ma, we’ve only kissed the one time. Who knows if she’ll let me kiss her again.”
