Chapter 30 Reid
THIRTY
Reid
My foot bounced aggressively against the floor as I stared at my upturned phone.
It was already past nine a.m. and I hadn’t heard from Hazel.
Had she gotten home alright? Would I look overbearing if I texted her?
I followed Jackson on social media and saw that he’d posted a story of them eating late night tacos at his place, so I knew she was fine, but still.
I’d like some confirmation from the woman I was falling for.
She’d gone out without me last night and hadn’t even texted me to let me know she’d made it home safely.
I wasn’t her keeper. She could do whatever she wanted.
That didn’t mean I wasn’t confused. I’d been humming with energy and nerves after what I thought had been an amazing evening with her and my family.
I was planning to ask her to be my girlfriend.
I’d been practicing the question the whole car ride home.
Then she’d just bolted and couldn’t even look at me.
My family was too much. Too overbearing. I knew it. I shouldn’t have subjected her to them this early. But she’d seemed like she was having fun, hadn’t she?
I raked a hand through my hair, frustrated by the situation.
I’d already gone over everything I’d said to Hazel—and everything I’d heard everyone else say to her—trying desperately to figure out what had scared her off.
I needed her to talk to me. But I’d give her space. I’d wait until she reached out.
I checked my phone again.
I mean, within reason. If I didn’t hear from her soon, I was calling.
“You look strung out.”
My heart stopped as I sprang up from my office chair to find West leaning casually against my doorframe.
I clutched my chest. “West? What the fuck, man?”
“I knocked,” he said, jerking his finger toward the front of my house.
“There’s a doorbell.”
“I have a key, why would I bother you?”
I groaned and shook my head. I was definitely changing the locks.
“I brought breakfast sandwiches.” He held up a white bag, grease coating the bottom.
“Kitchen,” I said, grabbing my laptop off its charging station and following him out into the hallway.
“You working on a Saturday?”
“No. I’m waiting on an email.” I propped up the laptop and hit refresh. Still no response from the security company. According to their email signature, their help center was closed on Sundays, so this was our last chance to hear back before next week.
West took the sandwiches out of the bag and lined them up on the table. “I brought one for Hazel, too.”
“She isn’t here.” I didn’t bother keeping the frustration out of my tone. West could sniff out one of my bad moods a mile away.
“Is she at the salon?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t stay here last night.” I didn’t need to clarify that I was unhappy about that. My voice said it all.
“Everything okay?” West asked carefully.
I shrugged. “I don’t know, man. I thought everything was fine, but she bailed on me pretty fast last night. Seemed a little off.”
“Oh.” West tapped his fingers against the table eyeing me and then dropping his gaze to the island.
I knew my best friend, and I knew a guilty face when I saw one.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said quickly. Too quickly.
“Something is clearly up. It’s all over your face.” I snatched a sandwich, pulling a piece of paper towel off from the holder by the sink and setting it underneath to catch my crumbs.
“No plate?” West lifted his brows. “Hazel really is getting to you.”
“What’s wrong?” I repeated, refusing to allow him to change the subject.
He sighed and slung his head back. “It’s nothing, seriously. At least I think it’s nothing.”
“Tell me and I’ll be the judge of that.”
He shook his head, eyeing the floor. “I might have put my foot in my mouth last night and said something stupid to Hazel.”
I froze mid-bite before glaring at my best friend. “What did you say?”
He wiped a hand over his eyes. “Oh, man. It was stupid. I didn’t mean it as a negative.”
I dropped the sandwich, standing up. “West, tell me now.”
He took up a defensive stance, holding up his hands in front of his chest. “It really isn’t a big deal. But I might have mentioned you saying she was a mess and didn’t have her life together.”
“What!” Now I was raging.
“Like, in an offhand way! I meant it like, you two didn’t seem like a match at first, but she was bringing out this fun side of you—I don’t know. It’s true! She’s not who I pictured you with, but I like you two together.”
I dragged a hand over my face, my heart going a mile a minute. “Are you fucking serious? You told my girl that I thought she was a mess? How could you possibly think that was a good idea?”
He winced. “I kind of realized it wasn’t as soon as I saw her face fall.”
“Shit,” I breathed, my mind racing. Hazel had to be upset with me.
This was the reason she’d run off last night.
The worst part was, West wasn’t even lying.
I had said that about Hazel to downplay things, so that my family would stay out of my business.
I hadn’t meant it, though. Or I guess I had, but not in the way she was probably thinking.
I loved her chaos. I loved her.
Fuck…
Was that seriously what was running through my head right now? It was too soon, way too soon, but once the thought landed, it refused to leave. I’d been pushing it down for a while now, pretending it wasn’t real. And now the girl I was in love with was avoiding me.
“Why did you say that to her?” I groaned, slipping back onto the chair.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” He looked at me sheepishly. “I felt like a dick for saying it, hence the apology sandwiches.”
“The apology sandwiches she isn’t even here to accept, because she can’t even face me right now.”
I was pissed at West for saying that to Hazel, but at least now I knew.
If that was the reason she took off last night, it wasn’t because she thought my family was too much, or because she was second-guessing me.
She was hurt. Which gutted me to think about, but at least I could fix this.
I could explain, tell her what she meant to me, tell her that without a doubt I wanted her in my life.
She’d look past a few stupid words, right?
She had to. The Hazel I knew was understanding. Quick to forgive.
But she was also lonely and scared of being abandoned.
Crap, I really needed to talk to her.
I picked up my phone, but before I could text Hazel, the notifications from my group chat distracted me.
Armchair_Detective: The security company responded!
WhiteKnight31: IS IT THE VIDEO!?
Armchair_Detective: It’s the video! Reid, are you seeing this!? Who is that guy?
WhiteKnight31: REID!
My fingers moved at lightning speed. I closed out of the conversation and pulled up the email. I was standing and pacing the length of my kitchen island now.
“What?” West asked.
“The security company sent over the video from Hazel’s courtyard.”
I could barely hear myself over my thrumming heart. This was it. I forced my thumb to stay steady as I opened the video.
The quality was surprisingly okay. Not amazing, but completely clear. There was Hazel, standing in the courtyard with her hands on her hips. I could just make out the fuzzy image of Vermont prancing around in the dead fall grass.
Then Hazel leaned over, shook her head, and rushed inside. Vermont remained, lounging in the grass. Not even thirty seconds later, a man exited from one of the units across the building. I held my breath, but he didn’t even look down at Vermont as he walked by, heading straight for the front gate.
But instead of the door slamming shut behind him, he held it open.
Someone walked through.
The new person was dressed in a gray sweatshirt, hood up. He looked around, back still to the camera before creeping over to Vermont, leaning down and stretching out his hand.
My heart stopped.
Finally, he looked up, revealing his face to the camera and…
That guy!? Really?
Before my brain completely processed what I saw, I shot Hazel a text.
Reid: Did you see the video?
Hazel: I did, but I’m already way ahead of you.
Reid: Way ahead of me?
Reid: Hazel?
Reid: WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?