13. Chloe
THIRTEEN
CHLOE
NOW
The back corner booth of O’Malley’s Pub carries a lot of memories.
This is where Annika and I were sitting when we had our first encounter with Reid and Tyler.
When Tyler walked in, my eyes flew to him before I knew who he was.
Annika was sitting next to me, nervously fidgeting, and I was trying to steal glances at the handsome, tall redhead who I was instantly drawn to.
He was confident, but in a different way than I hadn’t seen with other guys.
Guys like my Dane, college boyfriend, for example, I’d been drawn to him because of his “I don’t pay attention to anyone except people I choose” vibe.
Tyler couldn’t help but wave and nod to everyone in the bar.
The patrons all seemed to know him. It wasn’t until I saw Reid reveal himself behind Ty that I realized who he was.
Then he pointed to Annika and me, and my stomach suspiciously flipped.
Now, nearly every Friday, my stomach flips in the same way as the boys come sauntering in and make a beeline toward our booth.
Despite Tyler’s last encounter with the town, he still greets everyone with a smile; gives a fist bump to the scary bartender, Clint; and offers a tight smile to a server he once said he went to high school with.
At first, I never wanted to order at the bar, because Clint has a mean-looking scar that runs from his left eye to his jaw.
Then he walked into the bookstore I work at with his granddaughter, he recognized me, and I helped them pick out some books.
Turns out, he’s a sweetheart and the scar is from an unfortunate go-kart accident.
I’m taking a big bite of nachos that Annika and I already ordered as Reid and Tyler slide into the booth parallel to us.
Tyler sits across from me and gives me a smile and a wink.
I can feel my stomach somersaulting and cheeks heating.
For the first time in my life, I can put my guard down and let someone get to know me, including all the weird and anxious parts of myself.
He sends me photos of new recipes he is trying to cook from his mom’s handwritten cookbook, and I send him pictures of paintings I’m working on.
We go on hikes, both as a group of friends and just the two of us.
I’m letting him in, little by little, into my heart, but something deep down is pulling me back.
Like my soul isn’t ready to take the leap.
“So—” Annika clears her throat and continues, “Reid and I have some news to share with you two.”
I look over at her, a smile beaming from my face.
“Hey, no fair, Chloe already knows!” Tyler points at me.
“Nuh uh!” I toss a chip in his direction and he tries to catch it with his mouth.
“You are bouncing up and down! You’re such a bad liar.” Tyler’s grin splits across his face. He laughs and looks between Reid and Annika. “You both seriously couldn’t keep the news to yourself.”
Both mine and Annika’s grins drop. “Wait, you know too?”
Tyler rolls his eyes, “It was a little suspicious when Chloe asked about the cottage and then Reid asked me about the cottage at work today and that I should think about cleaning it up.”
“I swear I didn’t know!” I yelp.
Annika has her fingers pinched at the top of her nose. “Please, let me make my announcement I rehearsed in my head.”
“Oh, sorry, yes, go ahead Anni,” I say and shoot a glare at Tyler who nudges his foot with mine under the table.
She clears her throat. “We wanted to wait to tell the two most important people in our lives,” Annika says, trying to look at us earnestly even though we’ve soiled her plan.
“Annika and I are moving in together!” Reid announces, and all our faces gape into big, exaggerated expressions.
“Wow!!! Incredible news!!” I shout, earning a few heads turning around the pub.
“Best news all week,” Tyler exclaims.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Annika rolls her eyes then gives us a sheepish grin, “Thanks guys, we’re really excited.”
“So, Tyler, about that guest cottage?” I give him a sideways smile and a laugh cracks out of him.
“Like I told you, I have to get it cleaned up, but it’s move-in ready. I know I said I didn’t want strangers living with me, but I think having a friend nearby would be…great.”
“Thank you, Tyler.” Annika reaches over to squeeze his hand. I pat Anni on the leg, reassuring her.
The thought of living away from her does slightly terrify me, but it also feels right. I’m going to be twenty-six next year; it’s time I branch out on my own, and living in my own cottage on a friend’s property is a safe stepping stone for me to crawl along.
“When did your heart melt?” Tyler asks Annika who rolls her eyes. But she looks over at Reid and then back to him.
“When Reid came back in my life.” Reid beams and my heart dances witnessing their romance. I can’t help but look over to Tyler who has a slight blush on his face and locks eyes with mine for a moment.
“Our landlord, Sheela,” Annika starts, “is letting us move out in the middle of the month. So, when we return from our trip to California, we can start making moves.”
“Remind me where we are going first,” I say, letting the change of subject calm my beating heart.
I pull up my phone to look at the itinerary emails Annika and Tyler have been sending us.
Annika has taken the reigns with logistics while Tyler has been planning activities and foods.
It really is a dream for a couple of type B people like Reid and I to sit back and enjoy the ride.
“We are flying into LAX because we are going to Ojai first, just for a few days, then down to San Diego for Aimee’s Halloween party and flying out from there.”
I nod along, “And will there be a pool there or are we planning to go to the beach?”
“In October?” Tyler asks.
“October is one of the hottest months in Southern California,” Annika retorts. “Have you not packed yet?” She looks at me in horror. “We are leaving in two days!”
I wave my hand at her, “It will take me five minutes to pack.” Annika rubs her temples in response.
“Are we staying with your parents?” I ask.
“Did you even read our emails?” Tyler asks, opening his hands and I shrug.
“There were so many, I couldn’t keep track! I figured either I’d ask you in the moment or be surprised.”
“Yeah, my parents have all the rooms set up for us to stay at. We are staying at a rental in San Diego and we are–you know what, yeah, you can be surprised.” Annika gives up repeating her itinerary as I’ve distracted myself by looking at the weather forecast.
“Wait, I should see the cottage before the trip, what if I see something I want to bring back to decorate my new place!”
“You can come by tomorrow, just make sure you pack beforehand, otherwise Anni will have an aneurysm,” Tyler chuckles.
Bartender Clint slides down another round of our drinks down and says after noticing our confused faces, “Heard y’all celebrating. Congrats on the move, Reid and Annika, this one’s on the house!”
We lift up the glasses and cheers in unison.
“To new beginnings,” Tyler proclaims to Reid and Annika, then his gaze drifts to mine as he lifts his glass to his lips.