Chapter 11- Skyler
GOING TO A goodbye party for a fourteen-year-old wasn’t on my upcoming bucket list. But doing random stuff for the guy I like who won’t admit he wants to date me sounds on brand. Reed Sung really has me wrapped around his tentacle, huh?
To be fair, I do value Aisen. My jaw dropped five days ago when I found out he’s moving into a boat with his parents.
In less than three months, he’s grown into a valued member of the MM Institute family, providing insight into what life was like as a baby kraken.
I’m gonna miss him, and so will the other teens in the program.
But more than all that, Reed will probably be hurt by him leaving.
He’s doing the whole “silent-but-strong” act, but I can tell when a man is repressing his emotions.
Like right now. We’re at Reed’s house for the mini goodbye party for the kid.
I’m in Reed’s massive living area with him, Ardsley, and Tyson, since Karlo and RJ couldn’t make it.
We’re eating pizza and chatting about Tyson’s latest job-related shenanigans, all the while, Reed keeps flitting his attention to his left.
A few yards away, the three teenagers from the Institute play video games on Reed’s massive TV equipped with surround sound.
Yes, the living room is so big that the kids can hang out while we adults small-talk. Reed’s place is huge―I’m starting to feel financially inadequate. Even if he wanted to date me, our lives seem so different.
But none of that matters right now as Reed keeps glancing at Aisen.
He hasn’t told me as much, but I know it’s breaking his heart to say goodbye to the kid he’s been raising.
Aisen’s a-hole parents are picking him up in two hours.
So we’re trying to keep him happy right before he has to say goodbye. Who’s keeping Reed happy?
Aisen stands up, and Reed perks up. “You kids need anything?” he asks.
The teenagers look around at the plethora of pizza and snacks on plates on the carpeted floor. They all shrug at the same time. “No,” Aisen replies. “We’re playing something new.”
“Oh, okay,” Reed slumps ever so slightly, and his nephew proceeds to change the video game cartridge. In a minute, the kids go back to being loud. Tyson and Ardsley are canoodling on their side of the table, so I take this as my cue.
“Hey,” I whisper to Reed. He looks at me, and no one seems to be listening to us. “You alright?”
Reed nods aggressively and taps his beer bottle. “I’m great. You need anything?”
“Nope. I’m having a good time.” I glance at the teenagers engrossed in a game. “And so are they.”
“Glad,” he replies, wistfully.
“You’re giving him an awesome goodbye party.”
He nods slowly as he absent-mindedly gazes at the empty plate in front of him. My heart hurts; at this point, I know Reed’s M.O. is to bottle up his feelings. Just because he won’t date me, doesn’t mean I don’t want him to be happy. He’s my friend after all.
The somber moment is broken when Ardsley and Tyson ask Reed a question about his interior design choices. This distracts my crush enough to get him talking again, and peace is restored. The adults are chatting, and the teens are laughing, having a grand time before Aisen has to leave.
Hours later, I park on the street across from Reed’s house. Did I drive around for thirty minutes in the dark, biding my time? Sure. He deserves a private goodbye with his family. I’m back to help clean up, as promised, but I think Reed knows it’s a flimsy excuse.
I just want to be there for him. Even if we’re not dating, Reed’s well-being is important to me.
Peering through the dark, I spot an unfamiliar car in front of Reed’s door.
Two well-dressed figures who look a lot like Aisen appear to be taking his luggage.
The boy himself stands awkwardly facing his uncle.
I can barely make out Reed’s face in the houselights.
He’s pointing at his phone, going on and on, probably about something pragmatic.
I don’t want to interrupt the moment, so I sit there and watch. After a minute, Aisen awkwardly gives Reed a wave. The man taps Aisen on the head; both of the Sung boys want to hug each other but won’t, and it’s so frustrating to watch.
A slender woman, presumably Aisen’s mom, rushes him off into the car. On some instinct, I already don’t like her, but I need to focus. With the car driving off, I need to emotionally support Reed.
I waste no time rushing up to him. In the lamplight, his handsome face seems dazed and distracted as he stares out into the dark street. “Hey,” I say with my hands in my pockets.
“Oh, hey, Skyler,” he replies in a lifeless tone.
I look back out into the dark street, then back at him. “Look, man, if you need to talk…”
“I’m good.” He plasters on a fake grin. “Thanks for helping me clean up.”
My brow furrows in concern as I follow him into the house. “Um, no problem? But we can chat if you…”
“There’s barely any clutter in here. The kids ate almost everything. Teenagers, amiright?” He chuckles, but I follow him in silence.
“Um, sure?”
“Can you collect all the empty bottles and cans and bring them into the kitchen?”
“Yeah.” I guess we’re getting into it. “But, Reed―”
“Thanks, buddy.” He wanders off, and I frown. Very well.
It takes me all of five minutes to collect the recyclables and plop them in the appropriate bin in the kitchen. I even spend some time cleaning up the surfaces. The marble countertops give me pause, reminding me that Reed is in a higher tax bracket than I amme. No wonder he doesn’t want me…
Focus, Skyler. Be there for Reed in this difficult time.
Except he’s taking it all fine. Huh.
The house is so quiet as I saunter back into the now-clean living room. The missing sounds of jovial teens playing games for hours have left a void in the wide quarters. His place may be big, but I can see it being lonely with only two people.
Now, there’s only one.
“Reed?” My voice echoes down the hallway, and I follow a light. I walk past several closed doors and find my friend. His back is half-turned to me. The bright room light contrasts with the dark hallways, so I can’t make out his face.
“Reed?”
He doesn’t turn around, and I notice he’s staring at the doorframe. His hand is on the wooden hinge, but otherwise, he looks fine.
“Are you alright?” The house is so quiet, so tense, as I reach him. I stand closer than necessary, less than an arm’s length away. Sure, it’s because I yearn to be near him, but also, I’m trying to see what he’s looking at.
It’s tape. Blue pieces of tape are on the doorframe. When I look over his shoulder, the room is clearly a lived-in bedroom of someone young. The occasional toy graces the shelves, and the colorful bedsheets are pristine.
Then I turn back to the tape on the doorframe. Multiple little strips line up. At first, I think he’s doing a weird paint job. When I read the writing on the strips, my heart bottoms out.
“Is this…?”
“Aisen’s growth chart,” he says, voice barely above a whisper.
His face reads of fond nostalgia and a delicate air of neutrality.
“He wanted to see how big he was getting. So he took a pencil, but I said I didn’t want to mess up my walls, so I said no.
” We both laugh softly, and he runs his hand on another piece of tape.
“Instead, I instructed him to use this tape. He wanted it every month for a little while. I eventually bartered it down to twice a year.”
I smile and picture a young Aisen pleading to have his height measured. Reed continues, “By the time he was thirteen, he didn’t care as much. In fact, I had to remind him of this when he was fourteen.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Yup. The kid seemed reluctant but did it anyway. For me.” Reed still avoids my gaze as we walk into the room.
He approaches the dresser and picks up a red octopus plushy, one of the few remnants of his nephew in the room.
I’m assuming Aisen could only pack the essentials when leaving to join his parents in an ocean circus.
I stand beside Reed as he stares stone-faced at the bed and clings to the plush. I want to say more, but words get caught in my throat. Before I can break the silence, Reed clamps his eyes shut.
“I won’t even get to see him grow up to be fifteen. Or go to college.” His voice goes soft when he whispers, “Or anything, because he’s not my boy anymore.”
Reed’s face crumbles just as my heart shatters along with his. His shoulders slump, and I quickly move in to hold him.
“Hey, hey, Reed, you’re okay.” My own eyes sting as I let him lay his face on my shoulder. His tears moisten my skin, and I rub his back up and down. Reed shivers as I cradle him.
“You’ll still see him again. Shh, shh, it’s okay.” I don’t know what I’m saying as I attempt to support this amazing man emotionally. He sniffs and sobs, so I hold him close, trying to somehow will the pain away.
But no words can soothe a wound this fresh.
“He…he was the only person who cared for me in my family. He made my house a real home, and now…”
I continue to rub his back. “It’ll be alright. Shh…”
“No, it won’t,” he whispers through sobs.
“It will. Listen to me.” I pull him off and hold his shoulders. My eyes burn, but they’re not nearly as moist and red as the pair in front of me. “Aisen still loves you. You can chat with him. He’ll always have fond memories of you raising him.”
Reed sniffs. “I know I wasn’t the best dad all the time, but I offered him stability. And now…”
“You’ve been an amazing guardian, Reed. And you’ll see him again, I promise.” I rub his arms and look around. “Why don’t we get you to bed? It’s been a long, emotional day for everyone.”
“Okay.” He nods, and I guide him out of the kid’s room. Two doors down, we come upon a bedroom with a massive bedspread. I sit Reed down, and his shivering slowly subsides.
“You’ll be alright, I swear,” I whisper as I run my hand up and down his arm.
He nods. “This house is already so quiet, so hollow without him.”
I frown in sympathy. There’s nothing I can do to fix this impossible situation. I want to kick Aisen’s parents, but right now, the important thing is to support my friend, however I can.
The room is so quiet as he catches his breath. “Do you want to, like, stay over?” My eyebrows jump, and he wipes his eyes. “Not, like, in a sexual way or whatever.”
Of course―Reed has told me time and again he doesn’t want me like that.
“I just don’t think I can handle being alone tonight.”
My heart aches even more, and I grasp his hand in mine. “Sure, man. Whatever you need.”
We spend the next five minutes getting washed up in his private bathroom.
I try not to ogle the massive jacuzzi and pristine countertops.
He gives me a spare toothbrush and some clean pajamas.
Reed almost robotically goes through the motions; I know he needs a shoulder to cry on tonight.
As much as it pains me to be so close yet so friend-zoned, I recognize that Reed needs a buddy in this difficult time.
Clad in a black shirt and plaid pants, he crawls into the massive bed. He doesn’t even look at me, and I awkwardly bounce on my toes in the dark room.
“I’ll just, um, take the couch,” I murmur.
“No!” he yelps. “Please, stay here.”
My mouth goes dry. “Where?”
“In my bed, there’s plenty of space.”
He’s really going to torture me, huh? “Um…”
“Unless you think that’s weird.” He buries his head in his palms. “Sorry. My brain is so fucked up right now. I just didn’t want…”
“You didn’t want to be alone. Of course.” I don’t even recognize my voice as I crawl into bed with him. “I promised to help you as a friend, so…”
“Thank you, Skyler,” he whispers. “I really appreciate you being here for me.” His voice is as broken as ever as I get closer to him under the sheets.
“You’re going through a lot, man.” I lie on the pillow and, even in the dark, I can make out his gorgeous face a foot away from mine. “And I like helping you.”
“You’ve been more than a help,” he whispers. “You’re the only one keeping me from spiraling right now. I could never thank you enough.”
I smile. “I get it.” The tension between us is thick. If I scooted over mere inches, I’d be cuddling him. “Get some sleep, Reed. Tomorrow is another day,” I whisper.
“Thanks, man.” He yawns and turns around. Then, in the wildest move yet, he backs up and slots his body in front of mine. “You’re kind of the best,” he murmurs. He takes my hand, pulling me closer.
We’re spooning. Holy monster god, we’re spooning.
As I take in his warmth and pristine scent, I try not to get hard. But before I can panic, his soft snores flood the room. Reed is already out cold. In contrast, I’m so conflicted and turned on that I might not fall asleep at all.
I’ve fantasized about what my first night in bed with Reed would be like; none of those daydreams came close to the emotional turmoil we both went through tonight.