~ Chapter 15 ~
Eva had officially entered the phase of pretending to sleep.
Lights off.
Blanket pulled up.
Eyes closed.
Brain absolutely refusing to cooperate.
Which was rude.
Because she had done everything right.
She brushed her teeth.
She changed into pajamas.
She even fluffed her pillow.
And yet.
Her mind kept replaying Reed's smile.
Reed standing in her kitchen.
Reed holding a plate of baklava like it was something precious.
Reed looking at her like she was something precious.
Eva groaned softly into her pillow.
"Please shut up," she whispered to her own brain.
Her phone buzzed.
Eva's eyes flew open.
Her heart immediately began sprinting.
She didn't touch it.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't blink.
Her phone buzzed again.
Slowly, very carefully, Eva reached over and picked it up.
Unlocked the screen.
Saw the name.
Reed.
Her stomach flipped.
Her chest tightened.
Her toes curled.
She opened the message.
Reed: I had a really good time tonight.
Eva stared at it.
Then stared some more.
Then pressed her phone to her chest like it might physically absorb into her ribcage.
"Oh my god," she whispered.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just... in disbelief.
She rolled onto her side, tucked her knees up, and stared at the message again.
He had a good time.
With her.
At her apartment.
Eating her food.
Her heart did a small, traitorous flutter.
She typed.
Deleted.
Typed again.
Deleted again.
Why was saying words suddenly impossible.
Her door creaked open.
Sandra poked her head in.
"You breathing?"
Eva held up her phone.
Sandra squinted.
Then gasped.
Like, actually gasped.
"Oh my GOD."
Parker appeared behind her instantly.
"What happened?"
Sandra rushed in, climbed onto Eva's bed, and shoved the phone in Parker's face.
"He texted her."
Parker read it.
Smiled.
Soft.
Proud.
"That's sweet."
Eva stared at the screen helplessly. "What do I say?"
Sandra grabbed a pillow and hugged it. "Something cute. Something normal. Something not insane."
Eva nodded. "I can do normal."
She typed.
Eva: I did too.
Paused.
Added:
Eva: I'm really glad you came.
Sandra squealed quietly.
Parker nodded. "Send."
Eva hit send.
Immediately flipped onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow.
"I hate this," she muffled.
"You love this," Sandra corrected.
They waited.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Eva was convinced she had ruined everything.
Her phone buzzed.
Eva yelped.
Parker grabbed it first.
Reed: I'm glad I did. Your place is really nice. And your cooking is unreal.
Eva's cheeks burned.
"He thinks my cooking is unreal."
Sandra slapped her arm. "He thinks YOU are unreal."
Eva shook her head. "That feels fake."
Sandra pulled out her phone. "I'm calling Cassie."
Before Eva could protest, Sandra had already FaceTimed her.
Cassie answered immediately.
"What's wrong."
Sandra shoved Eva's phone toward the camera.
Cassie read.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh my god."
Parker smiled. "He likes her."
Cassie pointed at the screen. "He likes likes her."
Eva hid under her blanket.
"I don't know what I'm doing."
Cassie grinned. "Neither does he. That's the fun part."
Eva peeked out and typed.
Eva: Thank you. That means a lot.
Send.
Her phone buzzed almost instantly.
Reed: You're easy to talk to.
Eva stared.
Her heart melted.
Sandra clutched Parker.
Cassie squealed through the phone.
Eva whispered, "I'm going to cry."
She typed.
Eva: You are too.
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Reed: Are you still up?
Eva swallowed.
Eva: Yeah.
Reed: Good.
Why did that single word feel so nice.
Sandra whispered, "He's about to ask you out."
Eva whispered back, "Stop."
Her phone buzzed.
Reed: Would you want to grab coffee sometime? Or I could walk you to class.
Eva froze.
Actually froze.
Cassie whispered, "Say yes."
Sandra whispered, "Say yes."
Parker whispered, "Only if you want to."
Eva wanted to.
She typed with shaky fingers.
Eva: Yeah. I'd like that.
Send.
No taking it back.
Her phone buzzed.
Reed: Tomorrow morning?
Eva's stomach flipped.
Eva: Okay.
Reed: Cool. I'll text you when I'm heading over.
Eva stared at the screen.
Tomorrow.
She had a coffee... thing.
With Reed.
Not a big date.
Not a dramatic thing.
But intentional.
Real.
Sandra hugged her.
Parker kissed her forehead.
Cassie blew her a kiss through the screen.
Eva lay back against her pillows, phone clutched to her chest.
Smiling.
Nervous.
Excited.
Soft in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.
For the first time in a while...
Something sweet was unfolding.
And she was letting it.
-------
Reed woke up already thinking about her.
Which annoyed him.
Because he hadn't done anything yet.
Hadn't seen her.
Hadn't talked to her.
Hadn't even checked his phone.
And yet she was there.
In his chest.
In his head.
In that quiet space behind his ribs where things started to matter.
He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
Checked the time.
6:11 AM.
Too early to be awake.
Too late to pretend he'd sleep again.
He grabbed his phone.
Opened their messages.
Stared at her name for a second.
Then typed.
Reed: Morning.
He hit send before he could overthink it.
Dropped the phone on his chest.
Stared at the ceiling again.
Caleb shuffled past his doorway.
"You look like shit."
"Good morning to you too."
Caleb paused. "You smiling?"
Reed wasn't.
At least he didn't think he was.
Caleb narrowed his eyes. "You're smiling."
Reed grabbed his phone.
Deflection.
Ryan leaned into Reed's doorway half asleep. "If you're smiling before 8am someone is ruining your life."
Reed's phone buzzed.
He looked.
Eva: Hi. Morning.
Something warm slid through his chest.
Reed typed back.
Reed: You awake already?
Three dots appeared.
Eva: I kind of never stopped being awake.
Reed smiled.
Caleb saw it.
"Oh," Caleb said. "Oh no."
Ryan squinted. "Who is it?"
Reed didn't answer.
Vinod walked past holding a protein bar. "It's Eva."
Ryan blinked. "Well, would you look at that."
Reed shot Vinod a look.
Vinod shrugged. "The girl who saved you baklava."
Caleb nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're done."
Reed ignored them.
Reed: I'm heading over in like 20 if that still works.
A pause.
Then:
Eva: Yeah. That's perfect.
Reed stood up.
Heart beating a little harder than it should over something so simple.
Coffee.
Walking.
Conversation.
Not a date.
But also... not not a date.
------
Eva had been awake since Reed texted her.
Not scrolling.
Not overthinking.
Just staring at the word morning like it meant something.
Because it did.
Her phone buzzed again.
Reed: You awake already?
Eva stared at it.
Typed.
Deleted.
Typed again.
Eva: I kind of never stopped being awake.
Which was embarrassing.
But true.
Sandra kicked her door open dramatically.
"WHY ARE YOU SMILING AT YOUR PHONE."
Eva yelped.
Parker appeared behind her, already holding coffee.
Sandra dove onto Eva's bed.
"Is it Reed."
Eva nodded.
Sandra screamed into a pillow.
Parker smiled. "Did he text first?"
Eva nodded again.
Sandra clutched her chest. "I raised you right."
Eva's phone buzzed.
Reed: I'm heading over in like 20 if that still works.
Eva froze.
Sandra froze.
Parker froze.
"He's coming here?" Sandra whispered.
Eva nodded.
Parker immediately stood. "Do you want your hair down or up?"
"I don't know."
Sandra grabbed Eva's face. "You're perfect. Breathe."
Eva's phone buzzed.
Reed: I'm outside.
Her heart stopped.
Restarted.
Sandra shoved her toward the door.
"GO."
-----
The door opened.
And Reed forgot, briefly, how to function like a normal human being.
Eva stood there in a cream sweater that looked impossibly soft, sleeves slightly too long, the fabric hugging her curves in a way that felt unfair.
She wore simple jeans, white sneakers, her hair loose and falling over her shoulders like she hadn't tried too hard and yet somehow ended up devastating anyway.
Her face was bare, sleepy in the prettiest way, lashes long, cheeks faintly flushed like she'd been pacing her room before opening the door.
She looked... real.
Not polished.
Not performative.
Just Eva.
And Reed felt her.
Not just saw her.
Felt her.
Like the space around him subtly shifted, like the morning itself had adjusted to accommodate her presence. His chest tightened, not with nerves, not with panic, but with something heavier and quieter.
Something that told him this girl was going to matter.
"Hey," he said, his voice coming out lower than he meant it to.
Eva looked up at him, and for half a second her eyes went wide, like she hadn't quite expected him to be so... there.
Then they softened.
"Hi," she said quietly.
One word, but it landed.
They stood there longer than necessary, neither rushing to fill the silence, neither pretending they didn't feel the pull of it.
Reed shifted slightly, angling his body to give her space. "Coffee?"
Eva nodded almost immediately. "Yeah."
No hesitation.
That did something to him.
They fell into step beside each other as they walked, close enough that Reed was constantly aware of the warmth coming off her, of the subtle sway of her body, of the way her arm occasionally brushed his sleeve. Not enough to be obvious. Just enough to be felt.
He paid for coffee before she could even reach for her wallet.
Eva opened her mouth. "Reed, I can—"
He shook his head gently. "Let me."
She hesitated for a split second, then nodded. "Okay. Thank you."
Something about the way she accepted it so simply—no argument, no show, just trust—settled deep in his chest.
They took their cups outside and found an empty bench near the walkway. The campus was still waking up, quiet in that soft early-morning way, birds chirping somewhere overhead, distant footsteps passing now and then.
Eva wrapped both hands around her cup like it was a tiny heater.
Reed stared at his coffee for a moment, gathering his thoughts.
"I'm not really good at pretending," he said finally.
Eva blinked and turned toward him. "Pretending what?"
"Pretending I don't feel things," he said honestly.
Her breath caught.
Not dramatically.
Not obviously.
But Reed saw it.
"I like you," he said, meeting her eyes. No build-up. No speech. Just truth.
Eva didn't look away.
"I like you too."
Simple.
Soft.
Real.
Reed nodded, like something inside him had just clicked into place.
"I'm not seeing anyone," he continued. "I don't do casual. I don't want to waste your time, and I don't want mine wasted either."
Eva swallowed, fingers tightening slightly around her cup.
"Can I ask something kind of stupid?" she said.
"Yeah."
She hesitated. "Why... me?"
Not fishing.
Not dramatic.
Just genuinely confused.
Reed turned his body toward her fully.
"Because you're kind," he said. "Because you make people feel taken care of without expecting anything back. Because you're smart and you don't feel the need to prove it. Because you're honest. Because you feel... safe."
Eva's eyes got glossy.
She looked down quickly.
"Oh."
Reed shifted a little closer, not crowding her, just enough that their knees almost touched.
"I'm interested in you," he said. "On purpose."
Eva nodded slowly. "I'm slow."
"So am I."
Reed lifted his hand and brushed the back of her fingers lightly, giving her time to pull away.
She didn't.
Instead, she turned her palm upward and let his fingers lace with hers.
It wasn't explosive.
It wasn't dramatic.
It was quiet.
Heavy.
Intimate.
"I'm going to make you mine," Reed said softly.
Eva looked up at him, not scared, not startled. Curious.
He added quickly, "Not in a controlling way. In a I-choose-you-and-I-keep-choosing-you way."
Eva's fingers curled tighter around his.
"I want that."
Reed squeezed her hand gently.
Promise.
Eva's phone suddenly rang.
She groaned softly. "I'm so sorry."
She glanced at the screen and sighed. "My siblings."
Reed smiled. "Answer."
Eva put it on speaker.
Bella's voice immediately filled the air. "WHY didn't you answer my FaceTime last night?"
Christopher's voice overlapped. "Are you alive?"
Eva groaned. "I was sleeping."
Bella squinted through the screen. "You're outside."
Christopher leaned into frame. "Who are you with?"
Eva hesitated.
Reed raised an eyebrow.
Eva mumbled, "A... friend."
Bella gasped. "A BOY friend?"
Eva shot a look at her phone. "Please don't."
Christopher grinned. "What's his name."
Eva sighed. "Reed."
Bella squealed. "Put him on camera."
Eva shook her head frantically.
Reed leaned over anyway. "Hey."
Bella froze.
Then screamed.
"Oh my god he's hot."
Eva slapped a hand over her face.
Christopher burst out laughing.
Reed laughed too.
Actually laughed.
Deep.
Warm.
Unfiltered.
Eva stared at him.
She'd never seen that side of him.
Something warm and unfamiliar curled in her chest.
And, unexpectedly...
Possessive.
"That's enough," Eva said quickly, grabbing her phone back. "I'll call you later."
She hung up and groaned. "I'm so sorry."
Reed was still smiling.
"I kind of love them."
Eva blinked. "You do?"
"They care about you," he said simply.
Her chest tightened.
They sat there again, fingers still intertwined, coffee forgotten.
Morning moving around them.
Something real and steady settling between them.
Not rushed.
Not forced.
Just beginning.
---
Reed's laughter faded into a softer smile, but he didn't pull his hand away.
If anything, his thumb brushed slowly over the side of Eva's finger, absentminded, unconscious.
"So," he said. "Your siblings seem... intense."
Eva laughed quietly. "They're a lot. In a good way. Mostly."
"How many do you have?"
"Two," she said. "An older sister and an older brother. I'm the baby."
Reed nodded. "That tracks."
Eva blinked. "How?"
"You have youngest-child energy."
She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Explain."
"You're soft," he said. "But not weak. You take care of everyone. You notice details. You probably got doted on."
Eva felt warmth creep into her cheeks. "Okay... that was uncomfortably accurate."
Reed smiled. "What do they do?"
"My brother's a doctor," she said. "My sister's in nursing school. My mom's a teacher and my dad retired from being a doctor, too. We're... close. Loud. Overbearing. But close."
Reed's gaze softened.
"That's nice," he said quietly.
Eva tilted her head. "What about you?"
Reed hesitated for a half second.
Not because he didn't want to answer.
Because he wanted to answer right.
"I have a younger brother," he said. "Single dad. My grandparents live with us."
Eva's brows knit together slightly. "That sounds... full."
Reed huffed softly. "Yeah. That's a good word for it."
She hesitated. "Do you... like having a big family around?"
Reed looked at her.
"I do," he said. "It's chaotic. Loud. Messy. But it feels like home."
Eva smiled.
"I like that."
Reed's thumb brushed her finger again.
"Why mechanical engineering?" Eva asked.
He shrugged. "I like building things. Fixing things. Taking something broken and making it work again."
Eva met his eyes.
"That's kind of hot."
Reed blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then laughed.
"You're not allowed to say things like that so casually."
Eva immediately panicked. "I didn't mean— I mean— I just meant—"
Reed squeezed her hand gently.
"I'm kidding," he said. "But... noted."
Eva's face was very warm now.
She took a breath. "Why computer science?"
Reed looked at her expectantly.
Eva smiled shyly. "I like solving puzzles. And I like knowing I can build something from nothing."
Reed nodded slowly.
"So we both like building things."
Eva glanced at their intertwined hands.
"Looks like it."
Reed's smile deepened.
Not cocky.
Not smug.
Just... certain.