Page 54 of Unforgettable You
“It’s okay, Reid. It’s okay. If you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to,” I said, my stomach in knots.
Reid fell onto her couch and cried with her head in her hands.
After a few beats, I sat down next to her, leaving her a little bit of space.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m crying in front of you.”
Taking a risk, I put my hand on her back and rubbed gentle circles. Reid was going through some shit and my first instinct would always be to comfort her.
“Fuck!” Reid yelled and then stood up. “I can’t do this right now. I can’t do this right now.”
She paced in circles and I wondered if I should go. She tore her hands through her hair and then wrapped them around her belly, like she was trying to hold herself together.
“Reid?” I asked, standing up from the couch slowly. Her head snapped in my direction, tears streaming down her face. “Can I give you a hug?”
She pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“Okay. That’s fine. But I’m going to wait here with you for a little while.” I wasn’t leaving her alone like this. She could kick me out when she’d come back to herself.
This night had taken a turn that I didn’t expect, and I wished I could travel back in time to when she’d had her tongue in my mouth. I should have known that was too good to be true. That my crush on Reid wasn’t going to work out.
Reid paced a little more and sniffed. There was a box of tissues on her coffee table. I grabbed a few and brought them to her.
She took the tissues and wiped her face before she blew her nose.
“Um,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “Maybe you could hug me now?”
I was happy to hug her after she’d set aside the used tissues.
“Come here,” I said, opening my arms and she walked into them. I folded her into my chest, and she put her head on my shoulder. Her arms encircled me after a second and she let out a long sigh.
“Your sister really fucked me up,” she whispered.
“I’m so sorry. I knew it was bad, but I didn’t know how bad. I wish I could have done something.”
“Did you know? About her and Nora?” AKA, Kaylee and the girl she’d been cheating on Reid with. That part had floored me. Kaylee hadn’t really had a good explanation for all of that, but she did say it was her biggest regret and that she’d never do something like that again. I couldn’t square the cheating with the sister I knew and loved so much. It had really shaken my relationship with her for a long time.
“No, I didn’t know. I had no idea. I don’t know what she was thinking. She didn’t tell me until much later. Nora cheated on her once they got to college. Did you know that?” Once Kaylee had been on the other side of cheating, she really figured out what she’d done. She’d stayed single for a long time after that and had thrown herself completely into school and her career.
“No.”
“Does it make you feel any better?”
“No.” Her tone made me laugh a little. Her body had been stiff when I’d first hugged her, but she was slowly melting against me.
One of my hands moved up and down her back to soothe her.
“We don’t have to do anything else. I’ll leave you alone, Reid. I promise.”
It was going to hurt like hell, but I wouldn’t let her know. I’d pretend it was just a silly temporary crush. Like I got them all the time. She didn’t need to know that she was the first woman I’d ever felt this way about. When I’d been younger and closeted even to myself, I had never even gotten to the point of a true crush. Just vague confusing feelings and what I thought was admiration.
“Fuck, Soph. Why did it have to be you? I could have resisted anyone else.” Her voice tickled my ear.
“Are you saying I’m irresistible?” I shouldn’t be flirting with her. I should be saying goodnight and that I wouldn’t bother her anymore.
“Pretty much. I just… I don’t know what to do about you, Sophie.” She groaned and leaned her head back so she could look into my eyes.
“I keep telling myself I need to tell you to go back to your apartment and then I keep thinking about that kiss. I can’t go the rest of my life without kissing you again.”