Chapter Eight
Eight
Reece
Tucking my phone into my pocket, I smiled. It was cool that Cyrus was flexible, considering he was the one doing me a favor.
“What’s got you smiling?” Jimenez asked as he opened the passenger door of our work truck and passed me my iced coffee.
This was part of our daily ritual. Every afternoon after lunch, we’d stop at Briar Glenn’s only coffee shop, the Busy Bean, to get our caffeine fix to carry us through the rest of the day. We alternated who paid, and today it was Jimenez’s turn.
“Nothing. Uh, just in a good mood today, that’s all.” I took a sip of my coffee and started the truck, hoping that he didn’t press me on the subject.
“Are you sure you don’t mind covering for me on Sunday? I know it’s sort of last minute—”
“Nah. It’s cool. Cyrus said he’d meet me at the pool around ten on Monday, so it works out.”
“You know, I chatted with him a little bit at the party. He’s a nice guy. Not bad-looking, either.” Jimenez took a swig of his coffee and raised his perfectly shaped brows.
“Is this really happening right now? You’re telling me you find Cyrus attractive?”
He shrugged and looked out the window. “I don’t know. It’s something about the tentacles. I saw this anime once—”
I slammed on the brakes, almost sending coffee flying all over the interior of the truck. “Stop it. Stop it right now. I don’t want to hear about any freaky cartoon porn or how you think that Cyrus is hot.”
Jimenez looked over and flashed me a shit-eating grin. “I didn’t say he was hot. That was all you, boss.”
“Jimenez! I did not!” I barked.
I didn’t think Cyrus was hot, and I didn’t need my coworker busting my balls about it.
I stomped on the gas, sending the truck speeding down the road toward the park while Jimenez busted out laughing.
“Chill! I was just playing around. You’re gonna get us pulled over,” he said, and cackled even louder.
“Fuck off,” I grumbled under my breath.
I pulled into our usual spot, adjacent to the athletic fields, and got out of the truck.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I know you’re sensitive.” Jimenez walked around to where I was leaning against the truck.
“It’s been a lot. The shit with Atlas and my sister, what happened with Cyrus at the party.”
Jimenez gave me a thoughtful smile and leaned against the truck beside me. “The stuff with Tegan, it’s getting better. I know the two of you used to be close. She probably misses that just as much as you do.”
I swirled my finger through the condensation forming on my coffee cup. “You’re right, but I was still a total dickhead to Cyrus at the party.”
“Damn, dude. You’re really caught up on that, aren’t you?”
I was. Which was very unlike me. Normally I didn’t care if I looked like a dick, but Cyrus was just so kind.
“You apologized and he forgave your ass, right? Plus, he agreed to coach you,” Jimenez said. “It seems like he’s trying to move past it, and you should, too. But if it’s really bothering you, you could do something nice for him to show your appreciation and work toward making amends.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe take him to lunch or something after training. Get to know the guy a little bit. He is one of Atlas’s best friends. You’re gonna be spending a lot of time together over the next few months. Might as well make the best of it.”
Sipping my coffee, I nodded.
Cyrus and I would be spending a lot of time together. Time that he wasn’t being compensated for in any way. The least I could do was take him out to lunch a time or two.
What kind of food did he like?
Calamari was probably out of the question.
I chuckled at my own joke and looked over at Jimenez, wondering if he’d heard me. His deep brown eyes were fixed on the centaur couple playing Frisbee in the field like they did every afternoon.
“You wanna join them for a game, Jimenez?”
“Nah.” He laughed and shook his head. “They’re just nice to look at.”
“Do you think they’re mates?” I asked. Every time I saw the two of them, they looked so happy together.
“I’m not sure. I don’t really know anything about centaur mating habits.”
“Would you ever want that kind of connection with someone?” Mating bonds. Love. None of it had ever been on my radar.
“What?” he asked. “A mate?”
“Yeah.”
Jimenez smoothed his thumb over his lower lip, nodding slightly before fixing his brown eyes on me. “Yeah, I think I would.”
I opened my mouth to say something smart, to criticize him about being a hopeless romantic, but shut it just as fast. I was curious about what he had to say. Sure, Jimenez was young, but he was also pretty wise.
He continued. “Your sister has a mate and you see how happy they are together. Yeah, it might have been fast, but you’re telling me that if someone brought you that kind of happiness, you’d push them away?
” He shook his head. “You’d have to be out of your mind not to want what they have.
Mate or not, who gives a fuck? Love is love. ”
Everyone around me was opening their lives to love and mates. Meanwhile, I was the same miserable prick I’d always been, with nothing to show for it.
“Dammit, Jimenez. Why do you have to be so fucking smart?” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “It’s both a blessing and a curse. Someone’s gotta call you out on your shit.”
Even if I didn’t say it, I was thankful that he did.