~ Chapter 19 ~
Reed hadn't changed his outfit in fifteen minutes, but he also hadn't sat down.
He stood in the middle of his room with his phone in one hand and his keys in the other, staring at absolutely nothing.
Not because he didn't know what to wear.
He already had on a dark button-down, trousers, and clean shoes.
Simple. Put together. Intentional without trying too hard.
Which, apparently, still felt like too much and not enough at the same time.
Felix leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching him with obvious amusement. "You good, bro?"
Reed nodded. "Yeah."
Felix squinted. "You've nodded like that three times in the last two minutes."
Reed exhaled slowly. "What do you want?"
Vinod walked past behind Felix, glanced at Reed once, and kept moving. "You look fine."
Ryan popped his head in from down the hall. "He looks like he's about to meet his future wife."
Reed shot him a look. "I'm going on a date."
Ryan grinned. "Exactly."
Caleb, sitting on his bed tying his shoes, glanced up. "Where you taking her?"
Reed hesitated for half a second before answering. "I made a reservation."
Felix's eyebrows shot up. "You made a reservation?"
Reed frowned. "Yeah."
Vinod smirked. "Oh, he's serious-serious."
Ryan clapped his hands together. "Proud of you, man. Don't screw it up."
Reed grabbed his jacket. "None of you are allowed to speak anymore."
They did not listen.
"Text us when you see her."
"Bring her home safe."
"Don't die."
Reed left before they could add anything else.
The drive over was quiet.
Not empty. Not lonely. Quiet in a way that felt heavy with anticipation.
Reed kept both hands on the wheel of his Dodge Charger, jaw set, eyes forward, chest steady but loud on the inside. He'd been on dates before. Plenty of them. None of them had felt like this. None of them had made him want to slow time down before the night had even started.
He pulled up outside Eva's place and cut the engine, sitting there for a moment longer than necessary. He took one slow breath, then another, before stepping out of the car and walking to the door.
He knocked.
The door opened.
Eva stood there in an olive green dress.
Reed's brain stopped.
Not in a dramatic, cinematic way.
In a complete, quiet way.
The dress wasn't revealing. Nothing was on display. Nothing was over the top. It simply followed the natural lines of her body in a way that made Reed suddenly and painfully aware that Eva wasn't just sweet.
She was a woman.
Curvy. Soft. Feminine.
The fabric hugged her waist, skimmed her hips, and fell just above her knees. Thin straps rested on her shoulders. Her hair was down, loose around her face. Minimal makeup. Glossy lips. Big eyes looking up at him like she wasn't aware of the damage she was doing.
He forgot how to speak.
Eva shifted slightly, nerves written all over her. "Hi."
His brain rebooted.
"Hey."
His eyes dragged back up to her face with effort. "You look..." He stopped, swallowed, and tried again. "You look really beautiful."
Color rushed to her cheeks instantly.
"Oh," she said softly, like the word had slipped out before she could stop it. "Thank you."
Sandra appeared behind her shoulder and stage-whispered, "DON'T SCREW THIS UP."
Eva groaned. "Sandra."
Reed's lips twitched despite himself.
He held his arm out.
Eva hesitated for half a second.
Then slid her hand through his arm.
Reed felt it everywhere.
He walked her to the car slowly, opened the passenger door, and waited until she was seated before closing it. When he got in and started the engine, Eva glanced over at him.
"So... where are we going?"
"Dinner," Reed said.
She smiled nervously. "That narrows it down."
A corner of his mouth lifted. "You'll like it."
Her smile grew, small and hopeful.
Something warm settled in his chest.
As Reed pulled away from the curb, one thought repeated itself quietly and steadily in his mind.
He didn't want this night to end.
Not before it had even begun.
---
The restaurant Reed had chosen wasn't fancy in an intimidating way.
No white tablecloths. No uncomfortable silence. Just warm lighting, wooden tables, soft music playing low in the background, and the kind of place that felt like it existed for conversation. Comfortable. Intentional. The kind of place you could actually hear the person across from you.
Reed liked that.
He parked a block away and walked beside Eva, close but not touching.
He was hyper-aware of her in a way that felt impossible to ignore.
The soft sway of her olive green dress when she walked.
The faint scent of her perfume. The way she kept tugging the sleeves of her sweater over her hands like she didn't quite know what to do with them.
When they reached the door, Reed held it open.
"Thank you," Eva said softly.
"Yeah," he replied.
Inside, they were led to a small booth near the back. Dim. Private. Warm.
Eva slid into the seat and smoothed her dress over her thighs, a small, nervous movement that made Reed's chest tighten. He sat across from her, resting his forearms on the table, trying very hard not to stare.
He failed.
She looked different out here.
Not different as in changed.
Different as in... context.
Not library Eva. Not study group Eva. Not apartment Eva.
Just Eva.
A woman sitting across from him on a date.
It landed heavy in his chest.
Good heavy.
"I like this place," Eva said quietly, glancing around.
Reed nodded. "Yeah?"
"It feels... safe," she added, then laughed softly. "Which I realize is a weird compliment for a restaurant."
"It's not weird," Reed said. "That's what I was hoping for."
She smiled at that.
They opened their menus but neither of them really looked.
Reed cleared his throat. "So. How are you holding up after exam week?"
Eva let out a small laugh. "Barely functioning. I think my brain shut down sometime around Thursday afternoon."
"You didn't seem shut down in study group."
Her cheeks warmed. "That's because I panic internally and pretend I know what I'm doing."
Reed shook his head. "You don't pretend."
Eva blinked. "I don't?"
"You're steady," he said simply. "You explain things in a way that makes sense. People listen to you."
She looked down at the table, suddenly very invested in the wood grain.
"That means a lot coming from you."
Reed hesitated. "Why?"
Eva glanced up. "Because I respect you."
That surprised him.
"Why?" he asked gently.
"You're quiet," she said. "But you're present. You don't talk over people. You notice things. That matters to me."
Something warm and unfamiliar spread through Reed's chest.
They ordered food.
Conversation started to flow easier after that.
They talked about siblings.
Eva told him about her brother in medical school, about her sister in nursing, about how being the baby of the family meant everyone still treated her like she was fragile even though she was twenty.
"My brother still lectures me about drinking enough water," she said. "Like I'm going to spontaneously forget how hydration works."
Reed smiled. "Do you drink enough water?"
She paused. "That's not the point."
He huffed a quiet laugh before he could stop himself.
Eva's eyes widened.
"Was that a laugh?"
Reed shook his head. "No."
"That was absolutely a laugh."
"Allegedly."
She grinned. "I feel accomplished."
Reed realized, vaguely, that his shoulders didn't feel as tight as usual.
That he wasn't monitoring every word.
That he wasn't performing.
He was just... there.
With her.
Eva glanced up at him. "Okay, serious question."
Reed raised an eyebrow slightly. "That tone is concerning."
She smiled. "If you weren't an engineering major, what would you be?"
He considered it. "Probably something boring. Like... still engineering, but wearing different shoes."
Eva laughed. "That is not an answer."
A corner of his mouth lifted. "I don't know. Maybe architecture. I like the idea of designing something people actually use."
"That tracks," she said thoughtfully.
"Why?" he asked.
"You seem like the type who wants to leave things better than you found them."
The words landed heavier than she probably realized.
Reed looked at her for a moment, then glanced away.
"Maybe."
Eva tilted her head. "Okay, your turn. Ask me something."
He thought about it. "What's your very useless talent?"
She blinked. "Useless?"
"Something impressive but not helpful to society."
Eva bit her lip, trying not to smile. "I can fold fitted sheets correctly."
Reed stared at her.
"You're lying."
"I'm serious."
"No one can do that."
Eva laughed. "I learned from my grandma. It's a whole technique."
"I don't believe you," he said.
"I will demonstrate someday."
When Eva asked about his family, his tone naturally softened.
"My dad raised us. My brother's younger than me. My grandparents live close. They help a lot."
She nodded, listening.
"And your mom?" she asked carefully.
Reed swallowed. "She died when I was in high school."
Eva's breath hitched.
"I'm really sorry, Reed."
He nodded. "Yeah."
Silence settled between them.
Not awkward.
Not heavy.
Just honest.
Eva reached across the table.
Not rushed.
Not hesitant.
She placed her hand over his.
Reed flipped his hand over without thinking, threading their fingers together.
Neither of them commented on it.
They didn't need to.
By the time they stepped back outside, the night felt quieter than before.
Streetlights glowed softly.
Cars passed in the distance.
They stood there, neither in a hurry to move.
"I had a really good time," Eva said.
"Me too."
Reed took a small step closer.
Not crowding.
Not rushing.
Just close enough that Eva could feel his warmth.
He lifted his hand slowly, brushing his thumb along her jaw.
"Eva," he said quietly. "Can I kiss you?"
Her heart felt like it might burst.
"Yes," she whispered. "I'd really like that."
Reed leaned in slowly, giving her time.
Their lips met in a soft, lingering kiss.
Warm.
Gentle.
Unhurried.
Not desperate.
Not aggressive.
Just... intentional.
His mouth moved against hers like he was memorizing the feeling.
Like he wanted to remember exactly what this moment felt like forever.
Eva's hands curled into the front of his shirt.
Reed's hand slid to her waist, holding her there like she belonged.
When they pulled back, their foreheads stayed touching.
Eva was breathing a little harder.
So was Reed.
"I'm really glad I asked you out," he said.
Eva smiled.
"I'm really glad you did."
And Reed knew, with steady, undeniable certainty, that this wasn't just a date.
It was the beginning of something that mattered.