Chapter 23
REID RATHE
Rain pelts the windows as Jacob hops off the treadmill and joins me stretching on the mats. The gym is still pretty empty. Most students are still in class, but mine was canceled. Today is Jacob’s short day, so it was a given to invite him to join me in an extra workout.
The smell of the gym and the sounds of the equipment being used soothes me.
I’m a bundle of anxiety ever since Avery agreed to date me.
I don’t want to let her down. I don’t want to give her a reason to end it because this girl is it for me.
I know that with certainty. I fought for her, and now I have her, and I’m not going to let her go.
My phone goes off, and I grab it off the floor from beside me.
I grin at Avery’s name and then open it up. As quickly as I open it, I just as quickly press the screen to my chest and peek at Jacob to see if he saw the screen. It was a picture of Avery naked in front of her mirror.
Seeing that he’s engrossed in his leg stretches, I peel the phone away from my chest and get a second look. My cock stirs to life at the sight of her, and I have to start counting in my head so that it doesn’t get full mast.
Me
That was…wow.
She sends a devil emoji.
Me
I’m definitely saving that to my phone.
Her
Or, you can just come over after class and see me naked for yourself.
I smirk.
Aren’t you in class?
Her
Yes, and it’s boring.
Me
When did you take the picture then?
Her
This morning. I debated all day about sending it.
Me
Well it made my day ten times better.
Her
Having a bad day?
Me
No, just a long one. I miss you.
Her
I miss you too.
“Who are you talking to?” Jacob asks, trying to peer over at my screen.
“I’ll give you one guess,” I say, setting my phone back down when she doesn’t say anything else.
He shakes his head and stretches out his shoulders. “I don’t even know why I ask.”
I chuckle under my breath. “We’re…uh…dating.”
He stops stretching and whips his head to face me. “Dude.”
“I know.”
His fingers wiggle in my direction, tickling the air between us. “Avery and Reid. Together at last.”
“You’re an idiot,” I say as I bat his hand away.
He laughs. “So what did Dustin say?”
I grimace and rub at the back of my neck. “Haven’t told him.”
For a minute, he just stares at me, a rare look of seriousness on his face. “He’s going to freak out when he finds out.”
“I know,” I breathe.
“Just tell him before this gets messy and you drag all of us into it.”
“I will,” I say with more confidence than I feel. “When the time is right.”
“Dude,” he grumbles. “The time was right when you fucked her the first time because I’m going to assume there was a second time.”
Guilt clings to the lining of my stomach. “We’re in deep shit, aren’t we?”
He nods. “Yes, and you’re taking Ivy and me with you for knowing.”
I sigh and crack my neck. “Just give me time to figure out how to tell him. I will, I promise. We can’t sneak around forever, nor do we want to remain a secret.”
“Okay,” he grumbles.
“Okay? That’s it? Nothing snarky?”
“No snarky here today. I have my own issues.”
I glance at him as I stand. He follows me to the weights. As I lay down on my bench press, he goes behind me to spot me. “Girl issues?”
His top lip curls. “Something like that.”
“Is this that one girl?”
He nods. “She wants more.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“I’ve never had a relationship before,” he admits. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin with one.”
“But you like her?”
He shrugs, but I can tell it’s a bigger deal than what he’s letting on. “Yeah, I suppose.”
“Man, just do it. You like her; she likes you. Take the next step. Don’t make this complicated like Avery and my relationship.”
“What if it ends badly?” he asks after a moment.
“Aw,” I coo. “Is Jacob worried about his heart?”
He rubs at his chest. “Yeah, I mean, I’ve never…this is new to me. I don’t want any organs hurting.”
I laugh and sit up. “Welcome to relationships. Shit hurts sometimes, but most of the time, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he grumbles.
As I stand up, I glance at the time. Talking about relationships only makes me want to see her more, and if I hurry, I can get there on time.
I start to walk away. “Hey! Where are you going?” Jacob asks.
I turn and walk backward. “It’s raining.”
“Yeah, it has been for the last hour. What about it?”
Grinning at him, I say, “The best thing that’s ever happened to me is about to get out of class and walk home in it.”
Understanding crosses his face, and he rolls his eyes. “So you’re going to pick her up instead?”
I dip my chin in confirmation and turn back around, giving him a small wave. As soon as I get to the locker rooms, I quickly shower, get dressed, and head out into the storm. Rain pelts my back as I race to my car.
It takes only minutes for me to get to her building, and I spot her right away, holding her backpack above her head to shield herself from the rain. I pull up to the side of the road and honk my horn.
She looks at me, and grateful reassurance overtakes her face as she makes a mad dash to the passenger side. Dropping her backpack at her feet, she quickly shuts the door and breathes a sigh of relief. “You didn’t have to pick me up,” she says, out of breath.
I pull away from the curb and turn on the heat when she starts to shiver. Despite her backpack, half of her is soaked. “I wasn’t going to let you walk in this.”
Goose bumps rise over her skin, and she crosses her arms over her chest for added warmth. “Don’t you have a class?”
I shake my head. “The professor was sick today.”
“Convenient,” she murmurs.
Chuckling under my breath, I switch the topic. “Where are we headed?”
“My place.”
I steer the car in that direction, and it takes less than a minute to pull into the parking lot.
I park the car, and we both groan as the wind begins to pick up, pushing the rain nearly sideways.
In a bout of shared bravery, we quickly pick up our bags, get out of the car, and race to the building’s door.
Once we’re inside, we start to laugh, and I quickly steal a kiss from her wet lips.
Taking her hand, I drag her up the stairs. When we’re at her door, I start to go inside her apartment, but she stops me with a tug of her hand in mine. “What are you doing?” she hisses, looking back at my apartment door.
“Coming with,” I say with raised eyebrows, and then I wiggle them suggestively. “You promised I’d get to see you naked.”
She looks around nervously, and I relax a little as I add, “He’s still in class.”
She bites her bottom lip. “Are you sure?”
I nod, push the door open, and close it behind us. Water droplets fall everywhere when I shake my wet hair. Glancing around, I ask, “Ivy?”
“Still in class too.”
“Good.” I take her to the bathroom, and when we’re inside, we drop our bags near the vanity and kick off our shoes. Quietly, I shut the door and turn on the shower.
I start to strip out of my clothes but pause when she asks, “What are you doing?”
“We are going to shower. You’re freezing.” I take off my jeans and underwear and then go to her. She’s nervously pulling at her fingers, and I seize them, plant a kiss on her knuckles, and then lift her soaked shirt over her head.
Steam starts to billow out over the curtain as I grab my phone from my bag and start the playlist I listen to when I do homework.
I set it on the counter, and when I turn around, she’s stepping into the shower.
I hear her soft moan as the water hits her cold skin.
Smiling, I follow her in and circle my arms around her middle, sharing the spray.
She rests the back of her head against my chest and asks, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
I chuckle under my breath, surprised by the random question. “I don’t know. With my degree and a good job, I guess married. Maybe a kid on the way.”
Drawing small circles on my hand, she says, “Married to someone famous.”
“Definitely,” I joke before kissing the top of her head. “In all seriousness, I see you wearing my ring.”
She hums in agreement. “So I fit into your future?”
I frown. “Of course you do. Avery. I wouldn’t have been chasing you if I didn’t see a future in us. Okay?” She nods against me. “Where’s this coming from?”
She shrugs a little. “I just wanted to make sure this wasn’t, like…a fling or something. I wanted to see if you were as serious about us.”
I squeeze her a little. “Dead serious. Are you?”
Her wet hair sticks to my chest as she nods against me again. She circles in my arms and wraps her own around my neck. “I am.”
Grinning mischievously down at her, I ask, “Should I get down on one knee now?”
She slaps my chest playfully. She opens her mouth to say something, but a knock sounds at the door. “Avery?” Dustin’s voice calls through.
We both freeze.
“I thought he was in class, I swear,” I murmur to her.
For a moment, we say and do nothing but hold our breath. The knock sounds again. “Avery, are you in there?”
She clears her throat. “I’m showering!”
“Obviously,” we hear him grumble. “Have you seen Reid?”
She looks up at me, her eyes wide with fear. I give her an encouraging squeeze. “No,” she lies. “Why?”
“His car is parked outside, but he’s not at the apartment.”
“The gym,” I whisper to her.
“Maybe he’s at the gym,” she shouts.
“Yeah, maybe,” he murmurs. “Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay,” Avery squeaks.
We listen to his footfalls fade down the hall until the apartment door shuts, and we both release the pent-up breath and sag into each other’s arms. “That was close,” I murmur.
She nods. “Should I have not lied?”
I kiss her, a soft and small slide of my lips over hers. “I would have backed you up with whatever you said.”
As she nibbles on her bottom lip, I watch her mind work, watch as the guilt slithers over her features. “I should have told him.”
I shake my head. “Him finding out about us while we’re literally in the shower, naked, together isn’t the way he should find out.
He deserves more than that. You did the right thing.
” I grab the shampoo, squeeze some into my hand, and start massaging it into her hair.
Her eyes close in bliss as I say, “We’ll find a way to tell him. ”
“Okay,” she murmurs as I tip her head into the shower’s spray and rinse the suds out, and it’s then I realize that she trusts me to make this okay.
It’s a lot to live up to, but we will figure this out.
I’ll do anything for this girl. I’ll overturn the world for her, and if that means that I have to tell her brother alone so the wrath isn’t put on her, I will.