Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
REAGAN
Running out to the parking lot of The Draft, I am mortified.
Why has this night turned into a scene from a teen drama?
First, Williams went insane and berated Lindsey for her costume, leaving my friend in tears.
Then I walk up to see Drew and Riggs about to come to blows over me after a stupid pong game.
I hear the door slam behind me, and I groan, not wanting to talk to anyone yet. I need a minute to myself before I lose it. Looks like that isn’t going to happen because I hear my name in the next instant.
“Reagan. I’m sorry, beautiful. Okay? I lost my head for a minute in there.” It’s Drew, and I am fuming over what he said about me at the bar.
“Drew, now’s not the time. I cannot believe what you said in there,” I say, but he interrupts me first.
“I know I messed up. But this back-and-forth is killing me. I just want to know that we have a chance.” This softens my anger a little.
“Drew, the way you handled it tonight is not doing you any favors.” I stare at the gorgeous boy in front of me, and I can see his shame.
“I shouldn’t have said that about you. I didn’t mean it.” Drew’s temper got the best of him.
“Drew, it’s not just about what happened tonight or what you said to Riggs. I don’t think we should…”
Before I can finish what I want to say, Drew is kissing me, and it takes a second to register before I push him off me.
I pull away to a smiling Drew and look behind me to see what he’s smiling at. My eyes lock on a pair of green ones, full of pain and anger. Riggs. No.
Before I can say or do anything, he turns around and walks away.
“Riggs!” I call after him, but he ignores me.
“You knew he was out here, didn’t you?” I question.
“He needed to see it, beautiful. I won’t lose you again.” The way he says that makes me furious, like he has decided that is what’s best.
“No, Drew. He didn’t need to see that. You don’t have me, and at this point, you never will. Please just leave me alone. I can’t look at you or talk to you right now.”
“Reagan, don’t say that!” Drew pleads with me, but I refuse to answer or even look his way.
I wait forever for him to finally walk away. Once I know he’s gone, my body drops to the ground in the middle of the parking lot. Tears flood my eyes and fall in streams down my face. Riggs saw Drew kiss me, and he left.
Tonight, it became clear to me that Drew wasn’t the one.
He doesn’t know me like Riggs does. I think Mack was right.
My feelings for Drew were just leftover from high school.
The woman I am now doesn’t feel for him what I did back then.
I think it was the idea of Drew and me that I was holding on to, but I’m finally ready to let go.
The worst part of it all is that Riggs thinks he saw the opposite, and I don’t know how to fix it.
My brother finds me a few minutes later and drives me home. We don’t speak on the drive, but when he pulls into our parking spot in front of the apartment, he hesitates before turning the car off.
“I don’t know what happened tonight, Rea, but whatever it is, it will be okay.”
I start to cry again, and my twin pulls me in for a hug, allowing me to sob into his chest. “I don’t know if it will, Jordan. I really don’t know…”
I can’t go to bed without talking to him, but Riggs doesn’t answer my call. So I do the next best thing, hoping a text will at least convey a little of what I’m feeling.
Riggs, what you saw tonight… it wasn’t what it looked like.
It takes a minute, but he responds. Which means he ignored my call on purpose.
Riggs
It’s okay. You don’t need to explain anything to me.
Yes, I do. He kissed me, and I pushed him away.
Look, I get it, ok? You and Cole have history. I am just going to take a minute and put the ball in your court.
What does that mean?
You need some time to think, and I do too.
Is that what you want?
It’s what we both need.
Ok. Good night, Point Guard
Good night, Reagan
He called me Reagan, not Sunshine. My tears start to fall again as I get ready for bed.
I toss and turn for hours. My mind goes over all that happened tonight. I have a man who is offering everything I thought I ever wanted. But I don’t want it anymore.