Chapter 19 Reid #2
I’d avoided her after that. Not outright, we still had dinner together and saw each other in the morning, but I’d spent more time holed up in my office, getting lost in true crime forums and writing extra blog posts.
“Wow. She’s fine? You’re a real charmer. That’s exactly how every woman dreams of being described.” Ruby shot me a disapproving look as she quoted my description back to me.
I groaned, dying for this conversation to be over. I had been the center of attention far too often at this dinner table lately. “I’m sure she’d say the same about me. Can you all stop reading so much into this and just play the game?”
Mom got a bit huffy after that. “I can’t know what’s going on in my own son’s life?” she’d said. But thankfully for me, she’d finally noticed my dad had messed up his turn and started to lay into him about cheating. He just shook his head and sat back in defeat.
After we finally wrapped up the game, my parents and sisters drifted into the living room to argue over what movie to watch. West and I hung back in the kitchen, putting away the game pieces.
“So,” he said, handing me the folded-up board so I could pack it in the box.
“What?”
“Hazel?” He raised his eyebrows, and it took everything in me not to toss my head back in irritation. I was already on edge because I hadn’t heard from her yet, and everyone bringing her up constantly wasn’t giving my mind a single second of peace.
How was her night going? Was she okay? Was she having fun?
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Aw, come on man.” He leaned against the counter, folding his arms. “I don’t buy that for a second. We’ve been best friends for twenty years. I know your tells.”
“My tells?”
“The little things that give it away when you like a girl.”
“There are no tells.”
“Inviting her into your space.” He held up a finger. “Meghan had to bug you for a whole year to move in with her, and she was your long-term girlfriend.”
“Circumstances are extenuating with Hazel. It’s not like I thought it would be fun.”
Admittedly, I hadn’t minded having her in my space nearly as much as I thought I would. I wasn’t about to admit it to West, but I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the day she’d have to leave.
“Two,” West continued, unfazed. “You’re checking your phone every five seconds to see if she’s texted you. You’re a notoriously bad texter. You get caught up in a book, or a project, or a conversation, and you forget to check your phone for hours. Now suddenly it’s glued to your hand?”
I shoved the lid to the game back on the box. “Again, extenuating circumstances. She’s out with her high school friends and one of them could be a suspect.”
“Three, you’ve hardly talked about her and if someone brings her up, you change the subject.”
“That isn’t new—”
“Exactly,” he interrupted, smile smug. “You hate talking about girls you’re interested in.
If you were truly just in this for the mystery of it all, you’d be begging to talk my ear off about it.
You told me months ago that you wished the fam took more of an interest in your sleuthing hobby. You asked if we read the blog.”
Shit.
He’d walked me right into this corner, one that, to be honest, I hadn’t even thought about.
But he wasn’t wrong. Sleuthing was the one subject I didn’t mind getting grilled about.
I liked talking about new breaks in a case.
I’d happily give anyone a rundown on new developments.
But not with Hazel’s. I told myself it was because it was too personal.
I knew her. I was living it with her. I saw the pain and the hurt in her eyes every time we ran into a dead end. That had to be it.
It had nothing to do with any developing feelings.
“You’re way off.” I crossed my arms and leaned against the counter next to him. “I feel bad for her.”
I winced as soon as I heard how that sounded. I did feel bad for her, but there was a hell of a lot more to it than that.
“Look,” I continued. “She’s literally a mess. I’ve never met someone who has their life together less than Hazel does. You should see her apartment.”
West snorted. “She’s living with you and she’s messy? I’m shocked you haven’t killed her yet. I barely survived one year as your roommate in college.”
“She tries to be neat at my place,” I said, my heart snagging a little.
Organization didn’t come naturally to Hazel, but I could tell she was making an effort.
Every now and then, especially when she was in a rush, her stuff would end up scattered across the room—but she always tried to tidy it up afterward.
Funny thing was, that should’ve pleased me.
Normally, clutter drove me crazy. But with Hazel, it made me wonder if she wasn’t totally comfortable in my space. I didn’t like that thought.
“The point is, she and I are in no way compatible. I need someone more…”
“Polished,” West finished, nodding in agreement, seemingly convinced. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I can’t see you with someone so all over the place. If she really is that haphazard, I’m surprised you’re even calling her a friend.”
That made my blood boil, but I kept my cool. He was finally getting off my back. Exactly what I’d wanted.
“Sorry I keep bugging you, I just hate that Meghan moved on before you. You deserve someone who makes you happy.”
I snorted. “Says the guy who hasn’t had a serious girlfriend in almost a decade.”
“It’s different for me. I never wanted to settle down like you did.”
“And I was settled down,” I reminded him. “For years. If anything, I need a break from that. It’s nice being on my own.”
West gave me a look like he wanted to protest but must have thought better of it. “Whatever you want, man. It’s your life. Just don’t get too set in your own ways. You don’t want to make it impossible for someone else to join the picture at some point.”
Something stuck in my throat. Had I been too set in my ways?
Too unwilling to change? I hadn’t thought so, but Hazel barging into my life was making me second guess a lot of things.
It couldn’t be a coincidence that I’d been happier these couple of weeks with her than I had been in a while.
Maybe I’d been mistaking complacency for contentment.
My phone dinged. I whipped it out of my back pocket and scanned the new text.
My heart dropped straight into my stomach.
Hazel: I need your help.