~ Chapter 17 ~
Basketball usually quieted his head.
That was the point of it.
Run hard enough. Sweat enough. Push his body until his muscles burned and his lungs felt like they were on fire, and everything else usually faded into background noise. For as long as Reed could remember, basketball had been the one place where his thoughts stayed in line.
Today, though?
Not so much.
Reed caught himself glancing toward the bleachers for no real reason, even though he knew Eva wasn't there. She had class. He had practice. They existed in separate parts of campus most days, and that had never bothered him before.
Now his brain kept offering up the same images on a relentless loop.
Eva sitting across from him with a coffee cup cradled between her hands.
Eva's fingers curling into his.
Eva's quiet, steady I want that.
The ball left his hands and bounced uselessly off the rim.
Coach's whistle cut through the gym.
"Taylor," Coach called. "You good?"
Reed barely hesitated. "Yeah."
It was a lie.
He ran the drill again anyway. Pushed harder. Drove harder. Played tighter defense. If he could exhaust his body enough, maybe his mind would follow.
It didn't.
By the time practice ended, Reed was soaked through and irritated about it. His shirt clung to his back, sweat dripping down his temples as he headed toward the locker room, towel already slung over his shoulder.
Ryan immediately fell into step beside him and tossed an arm around his shoulders.
"You've been playing like you're trying to fight your inner demons," Ryan said. "Or summon them. Hard to tell."
Reed shook him off. "Shut up."
Felix, tying his shoes nearby, glanced up. "You missed two easy shots today. That literally never happens."
Vinod leaned back against a locker with a knowing smirk. "Let me guess. You were mentally composing love letters to Eva mid-drill."
Reed shot him a look. "No."
Ryan's grin widened. "Notice how he didn't say no to the Eva part."
Reed ignored him and grabbed his towel.
Caleb, who was peeling his jersey over his head, glanced over. "So. Coffee date. How was it, Romeo?"
Reed paused for half a second before answering.
"It was good."
Ryan scoffed. "That's it? That's all we get?"
"It was quiet," Reed added. "Easy."
Felix slowly nodded. "Oh. He's gone."
Reed scowled. "I'm standing right here."
Vinod tilted his head. "You like her."
Reed didn't bother deflecting. Didn't joke. Didn't shrug.
"Yeah."
The room went quieter than he expected.
Not awkward. Just... surprised.
Ryan blinked. "Huh."
Caleb smiled, genuine. "Good for you, man."
Felix shrugged. "She's cool. She's nice. And she feeds us. Honestly? I'm rooting for this."
Reed huffed a quiet laugh despite himself.
Ryan clapped him on the shoulder. "Just don't be an idiot."
Reed met his eyes. "Not planning on it."
And he meant it.
Reed didn't tell them that the moment Eva had said I like you too, something inside his chest had gone still.
Not calm. Not peaceful. Just... still. Like a part of him that had been restless for a long time had finally settled into place.
He hadn't walked into that coffee expecting anything big.
He'd figured maybe they'd talk, maybe they'd flirt a little, maybe it would just be a nice, simple moment between two people who were curious about each other.
He hadn't expected honesty. He definitely hadn't expected the way her voice had gone soft but steady when she said she liked him too, like she wasn't trying to impress him or sell herself, just stating a fact.
What stayed with him the most, though, was when she had looked at him and quietly asked, Why me?
Not in a fishing-for-compliments way. Not insecure. Just genuinely wondering.
That question had lodged itself somewhere deep in his chest.
Because Eva didn't see herself the way everyone else seemed to.
She didn't see the warmth she carried into a room without trying.
She didn't see the way people naturally leaned toward her, the way conversations softened around her, the way she made spaces feel safe just by existing in them.
Reed had noticed it almost immediately, and once he had, he couldn't stop noticing it.
He kept replaying the moment her fingers had hesitated against his hand before slowly turning into his palm.
Not bold. Not rushed. A quiet choice.
That mattered more to him than anything flashy ever could.
When he'd told her he was going to make her his, he hadn't been trying to sound smooth.
He hadn't been performing. The words had come out because they felt true in a way that surprised him.
For the first time in a long time, Reed didn't feel like he was drifting from one day to the next.
He felt... aimed. Like he knew exactly where he wanted to put his energy.
And yeah, that scared him a little.
Not in a run-away kind of way.
In a this means something kind of way.
He didn't want to mess this up. Didn't want to rush her. Didn't want to become another guy who took more than he gave. He wanted to be steady for her. Consistent. Someone she could lean into instead of brace against.
The idea of Eva choosing him again tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, sat heavy in his chest.
Good heavy.
The kind you don't try to shake.
The kind you protect.
Reed shut his locker a little harder than necessary.
Yeah.
He liked her.
A lot.
---
By the time Reed got back to the apartment, he'd showered, changed, and still couldn't shake the feeling sitting in his chest. Not nerves. Not fear. Anticipation.
The study group was at Eva's place again.
He hadn't asked. She hadn't offered directly. Ryan had mentioned it earlier like it was nothing, scrolling through his phone while eating a protein bar.
"Oh yeah, Eva said we could come over again."
Casual. Offhand. Like Reed's heart hadn't immediately kicked into high gear.
Now Reed stood in front of the mirror in his room, tugging once at the hem of his t-shirt and adjusting the collar of his hoodie even though it sat perfectly fine. He hadn't gone all out. No dramatic effort. Just a clean black tee, dark jeans, and a fresh hoodie.
Normal.
But intentional.
Felix leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching him in silence for a good five seconds before speaking.
"You checking your hair?"
Reed didn't look away from the mirror. "No."
Felix tilted his head. "You've looked at yourself three times."
"That's not checking."
"That is literally checking."
Reed grabbed his wallet off the dresser. "Shut up."
Vinod appeared behind Felix, taking in Reed's outfit slowly like he was analyzing a crime scene.
"You're wearing cologne."
Reed frowned. "I always wear cologne."
Felix snorted. "No you don't."
Vinod nodded. "You smell like you're trying."
"I smell clean," Reed said flatly.
Ryan wandered past, shoving his feet into his sneakers. "He smells like he's seeing Eva."
Reed shot him a look. "Do you guys ever stop talking?"
Felix grinned. "No."
Vinod smirked. "Also, you changed your hoodie. You wear the gray one every day."
Reed grabbed his keys and headed for the door. "We're leaving."
Ryan laughed as Reed shoved past them. "Relax, Romeo. You look good."
Reed didn't respond.
But his jaw was tight.
And yeah.
He cared.
---
The second Eva opened the door, Reed felt it.
Not in a lightning-strike, knock-the-wind-out-of-him way.
In a quiet, grounding way.
Like the air in the hallway shifted. Like his body registered her presence before his brain caught up.
She was wearing a soft oversized sweater, the kind that hung slightly off one shoulder, and her hair was tied back this time with loose strands framing her face. No makeup. Bare. Comfortable.
Real.
She looked like she belonged right there, in that doorway, in that space, in his line of sight.
"Hey," she said softly.
Reed's chest tightened.
"Hey."
Her eyes flicked over his face, quick and almost shy, then dropped for half a second before lifting again. A tiny smile curved her lips, like she wasn't fully aware she was doing it.
He had to consciously remind himself to breathe.
Inside, the apartment slowly filled with noise and movement.
Anand arrived first with Lila and Jonah, already arguing about something Reed couldn't hear.
Cassie showed up ten minutes later, Cassie immediately launching herself into Sandra's arms like they hadn't seen each other in weeks instead of days.
Felix and Parker drifted toward each other almost instinctively, claiming opposite ends of the couch but angling their bodies in.
Caleb hovered near Sandra pretending he was deeply invested in his phone while very obviously listening to everything she said.
Reed barely noticed any of it.
Eva moved through the space like she always did.
Quietly.
Naturally.
Checking on people. Asking if anyone needed water. Reminding Ryan where the cups were. Sliding napkins toward Jonah without him asking. Nudging a chair out for Lila so she had room to sit.
She didn't make a big deal out of any of it.
She just... took care.
Reed watched her.
Not in a creepy way.
Not in a zoning-out way.
In a constant, aware way.
Like he didn't want to miss anything.
She caught him looking once.
Their eyes met.
Her cheeks immediately warmed.
She looked away.
Reed smiled.
They gathered around the table, notebooks and laptops scattered everywhere.
No one assigned seats.
No one planned anything.
Reed still somehow ended up next to Eva.
Again.
Anand noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
He leaned across the table, resting his elbows down dramatically. "So, squirrel. You ready to carry us to academic victory?"
Eva laughed, shaking her head. "I don't carry. I just... explain."
Something about the way she said it, soft but sure, made Reed's chest tighten.
Jonah flipped open his notebook. "Okay. Problem five. Hypothesis testing."
Ryan groaned loudly. "I hate this class with my whole soul."
Eva leaned forward, scanning the question carefully, brow furrowing in concentration.
"Well, first we identify the null and alternative hypotheses," she said gently. "Then we look at the test statistic and the p-value to decide whether we reject or fail to reject the null."
Lila blinked. "Can you show me how you wrote it?"
"Yeah, of course," Eva said, immediately sliding her notebook over.
Reed's arm brushed hers.
Not dramatic.
Not forced.
Just there.
Neither of them moved right away.
Reed felt it everywhere.
The warmth of her skin.
The faint scent of vanilla.
The awareness of how small she felt next to him.
He forced himself not to shift, not to pull away, not to make it weird.
Ryan leaned toward Vinod and stage-whispered, "He's staring."
"I am not," Reed muttered.
Eva glanced at him, eyes soft. "Do you want to see too?"
Yes.
Always.
"Yeah," Reed said calmly.
Inside, he was absolutely not calm.
She explained slowly, walking through each step like it mattered that he understood. Not once making him feel stupid. Not once sighing or rushing or acting annoyed.
Reed realized, somewhere between her third explanation and her small, focused frown, that he didn't just find Eva attractive.
He respected her.
Which somehow felt bigger.
At one point, Eva reached across him to grab a pen.
Her arm brushed his chest.
Very briefly.
Very accidentally.
Reed forgot what statistics were.
Forgot what numbers were.
Forgot how to be a functional human being.
Eva pulled back instantly. "Oh my god, I'm sorry."
"You're good," Reed said.
His voice came out lower than he meant it to.
Her cheeks turned pink.
Ryan saw it.
Of course he did.
"Can we get a room or at least a warning?"
Eva hid half her face behind her notebook.
Reed didn't deny anything.
Halfway through the session, Eva stood up.
"I made brownies," she said quietly. "If anyone wants some."
Chairs scraped.
Everyone stood.
Felix pointed dramatically. "I love this house."
Eva laughed softly.
She cut brownies and set plates out, then slid one toward Reed.
"For you."
Simple.
Casual.
It felt like a gift.
"Thanks," Reed said.
Their fingers brushed.
Again.
This time, slower.
Not accidental.
Eva didn't pull away immediately.
Neither did Reed.
Her eyes flicked up to his.
His thumb brushed lightly against her knuckle.
Barely there.
Eva inhaled sharply.
Her blush deepened.
Reed felt a dangerous amount of satisfaction.
She noticed him.
He didn't hide the way he looked at her after that.
Didn't look away when their eyes met.
Didn't pretend this wasn't happening.
He noticed the way she always made sure everyone else had what they needed before sitting down.
Noticed how she forgot herself.
And something in him decided, very quietly, that he wanted to be the person who remembered her.
Most people had started packing up.
Not fully gone.
Just... drifting.
Sandra and Cassie were arguing about who stole whose lip gloss. Felix was helping Parker stack plates, bumping her shoulder on purpose and pretending it was an accident. Ryan and Vinod were loudly debating whether brownies counted as "real food."
The apartment still felt full.
But softer.
Reed lingered near the counter, watching Eva wipe down the same small section of countertop for the third time.
"You don't have to clean everything right now," he said gently.
Eva glanced up, cheeks already warm. "I know. I just... do it without thinking."
Reed nodded.
That made sense.
They stood there for a moment.
Not awkward.
Not rushed.
Just quiet.
Reed shifted his weight slightly, hands sliding into the pockets of his hoodie.
"Can I ask you something?"
Eva's stomach fluttered. "Okay."
He met her eyes.
Didn't smile.
Didn't joke.
Just honest.
"Can I take you to dinner this weekend?"
Eva blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"Like... as a date?"
Reed nodded once.
"Yeah. I'd like to do this properly."
Her breath caught.
Not because of the word dinner.
Not because of the word date.
Because of the word properly.
She nodded.
Small at first.
Then more firmly.
"I'd really like that."
Something eased in Reed's chest.
"Good."
Simple.
Certain.
Sandra chose that exact moment to gasp dramatically.
"WAIT. DID YOU JUST ASK HER OUT?"
Eva covered her face.
Reed didn't deny it.
Ryan pointed. "HE DID."
Felix clutched his heart. "I witnessed history."
Reed glanced back at Eva.
Quiet.
Steady.
Worth it.