Page 7 of Unforgettable You

I kept telling myself that I wanted to stay up so I could get more boxes taken care of, but I was staying up to hear when Reid came back. Since she’d left, I’d gone over and over my options and I really thought it would be good to just have a quick chat with her and see if she was okay.

She and Kaylee had broken up years ago, but I didn’t think you got over something like that. Not that I’d know. My own relationships had been lukewarm and short-lived. I hadn’t figured it out until this year. Not that Reid needed to know anything about that.

I just wanted to…apologize? Not exactly that, but something. We weren’t going to be best friends, but it would be good to be cordial, right? What if one of us had an emergency?

While I waited for her to get back, I practiced what I might say. It was something I’d done for as long as I could remember. Whether it was a presentation for school, a phone call, or a conversation with a friend, I always thought about what I’d say ahead of time. So often when I’d be with someone my mouth would get ahead of me and spoke before I thought, and it had gotten me into many sticky situations.

That couldn’t happen with Reid. I needed to keep things short and sweet and let her know that I would give her her space, but if she needed anything, she could knock on my door. I could be a good neighbor.

I wasn’t going to bring up Kaylee.

As if she’d heard me thinking her name, I got a message pretty late that night from Kaylee asking if I was all moved in. She must have just seen all the messages in the family group chat.

After everything had gone down with Reid, Kaylee had moved across the country to go to school in California and she’d ended up staying, getting a job as a foley artist after she graduated. Her work was seriously cool, and she was engaged to her longtime girlfriend. She was happy, and I hoped Reid was. Not that it was any of my business, but I needed to know that she’d recovered from what had happened.

Kaylee had admitted how wrong she’d been years later and she’d wondered if she should reach out to Reid, but had decided it was wise not to open old wounds.

I didn’t necessarily agree with her on that. Reid probably had moved on, but I still felt the need to try and smooth things over. In the service of being a good neighbor.

When I finally heard Reid come back that night, I almost died tripping over boxes in my effort to press my ear against the wall.

This was an older building, so the walls were pretty thin, and I could hear her moving around and then turning on the shower.

Yeah, I didn’t need to be listening to that, so I stepped back, blushing as if she’d caught me.

I’d approach her tomorrow. If most of my shit wasn’t in boxes and I actually had groceries, I would have made her cupcakes as an excuse to go over.

That was okay. I could order some. I tried to remember what she’d liked back when I knew her, but it wasn’t like she and Kaylee had let me hang around a lot. Hmmm. I’d just have to cross my fingers and get an assortment and wish for the best.

Tomorrow. I’d handle all that tomorrow.

I absolutely collapsed that night and when I woke up the next day it was almost noon. Shit. I hadn’t meant to sleep that late, but I’d stayed up to wait for Reid and now I was dealing with the consequences. I was also so sore from unpacking, especially my shoulders. Groaning as I got up, it hit me that I hadn’t taken a shower last night and I was feeling pretty gross.

First order of business: shower. Second, food. Third, Reid.

It was a pain navigating a new grocery store, but I guess I’d figure it out eventually. It was a different chain than the one closest to campus that I was used to, and they didn’t have some of my favorite things. There was a good bakery, and I found a box of four different flavor cupcakes that I could take to Reid. For a moment I thought about getting her a card, but what the hell kind of card could I get? They didn’t make cards for this kind of situation.

The cupcakes would have to be enough.

By the time I put everything away in my cabinets, it was late afternoon and I was starving again so I ripped open a bag of salad and didn’t even bother to put it in a bowl. Just poured on the dressing, gave it a shake, and started stabbing at it with a fork.

Before I went to talk to Reid, I went to check myself in the mirror I’d set up in my bedroom to make sure I was presentable before putting my ear to the room next door to make sure she was home. I heard the water turn on, so she must be there.

Carrying the cupcakes with shaky hands, I left my apartment and knocked on Reid’s door, my stomach doing all kinds of anxious gymnastics.

Reid opened the door with narrowed eyes, and I tried to remember the words I’d practiced, but my mind absolutely blanked.

“Uh, hi. I just, um, wanted to bring you these?” Shit. I was doing that thing where I made everything sound like a question. My face flamed red as I presented the cupcakes to Reid.

“What the hell is this?” Reid asked.

“Cupcakes?” Her eyes narrowed even further, until they were barely slits.

I opened my mouth to say something and then closed it again. I needed to think.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for whatever happened in the past and I hoped that we could be cordial to each other and if you need anything, you can knock on my door. Like a cup of sugar or something. Or a tampon. I buy the multipacks so I always have those. Or pads. I’ve got a lot of pads.” It took me too long to shut off the flow of words from my mouth and I knew right then that I’d said too much.

Like usual.