Chapter 15 - Reece
Reece survived the first week without Nick and started the second thinking he’d be able to power through.
He had a lot of work lined up for the week.
Not only would he be working with a photographer to strengthen his portfolio, but he had several modeling gigs that would keep him distracted enough, he supposed.
“You’re late,” Reece said, pushing his sunglasses up to rest atop his head so he could level Draven with a proper glare. They were the same height, but Draven’s physique was much more sculpted. Even more so lately than it used to be. “Have you been working out?”
“Fuck off,” Draven scoffed at him, the guy had as much attitude as he had swagger.
And he certainly had it. Reece was no talent scout, but the instant he ran into Draven on campus during Draven’s first year, Reece knew the guy was a natural who could go far as a model, but Draven had no desire to pursue modeling.
He much preferred to dress models and Reece had to respect it, because Draven was good.
Draven led the way into K&R, a local cafe whose coffee and baked goods were second to none. The place had been expanding a lot lately, but the location on campus was special, and not only because it was the very first location.
Ivory made it special too. He was practically the face of the cafe, another popular icon around campus, one that was always associated with Draven for multiple reasons.
Ivory embodied the energy and radiated the joy that was meant to greet the K&R customers.
As soon as they were inside, there was Ivory behind the counter, a cheeky smile on his face, his hair piled up in a messy bun.
Reece hadn’t seen Ivory since before he graduated, so he quickly noted the bottom half of his blond hair had been dyed pink. It suited him.
“Dravey, I was just about to text you back on my break.” Ivory was looking at Draven with hearts in his honey-brown eyes, and when Reece looked at Draven and found his hardened features newly softened and a smile on his lips, he was almost offended. He wasn’t surprised though.
“Surprise,” Draven said teasingly and Reece almost gagged.
“Get a room,” he grumbled under his breath and when Draven and Ivory turned their attention to him, Reece found himself distracted by a beast of a man coming from the back.
He wasn’t as tall as Nick or Declan, but he was broad and thick and older.
Reece didn’t think he’d ever laid eyes on a man more intimidating, but Reece was reminded never to judge a book by its cover when said beast laid a gentle, tattooed hand on Ivory’s shoulder and spoke kindly to him.
“Go ahead, Ivory. Take your break and play with your friends. I’ll take over.”
Reece heard Draven grit his teeth and glanced back at him to find his brows pinched and hazel eyes narrowed on that hand on Ivory’s shoulder. If only Nick could be that obsessed with him.
“Damn, who’s the daddy?” Reece joked to Draven but shut up immediately when the man leveled stormy gray eyes on him.
Reece straightened, cleared his throat, and placed his order.
Draven took longer to order, busying himself sharing words Reece unfortunately couldn’t hear with the beast of a cashier.
“That’s just Kasir, he’s the K in K&R. He’s also Dravey’s personal trainer.”
Reece turned to Ivory, eyes wide as he absorbed the new information. “You’re kidding! What’s he doing here? Wait–personal trainer?” So Draven really had been working out.
“Just helping out,” Ivory said, and Reece didn’t miss the way his cheeks flushed for even an instant. “Yes, they go to the same gym and he took Dravey under his wing. He’s the sweetest.”
His curiosity was piqued, but Ivory didn’t let him ask more.
“Enough about that, though! How are you? You’ve been working so much lately—and Alex and the guys are gone already?”
Kasir told them to sit and he’d bring their orders, so the three of them took a table, Draven and Ivory sitting across from Reece.
“Work has been busy,” Reece confessed, “And yes, the guys are all gone and it’s honestly too lonely to handle. And it’s only been one week.”
“Yeah, well, you better get used to it. They’re gonna be traveling a lot when they’re pro.”
“Thanks for the slap to the face, Draven.” Reece rolled his eyes but laughed when Ivory smacked Draven and he actually looked apologetic. “I know that, but still… I guess it’s something we don’t talk about.”
In fact, it was something Reece knew he’d been avoiding a little bit. And he wasn’t the only one.
“By ‘we’, you mean you and Nick?” Ivory asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Reece was glad Kasir arrived to serve them, giving him a moment to cool off before he answered. “I mean all of us.”
They’d been focusing on their individual goals for the future, and the now when it came to each other. Beyond that, Reece didn’t know. He just knew he wanted to be close to Nick—to all of them—forever.
“Don’t forget, you’re not tied to Miami.”
“Yeah,” Draven agreed with Ivory. “You’re made more for places like New York. Or California.”
“Maybe even France!” Ivory suggested cutely. Both Reece and Draven smiled at him.
“France is a little too far.” Too far from Nick, but Reece had no intention of staying tied to Florida. He didn’t want to be left behind. “Whatever happens, I’m sure things will work out. As long as I can support my friends, that’s all that matters to me.”
“You’re so sweet, Reece!”
Draven’s mood was lighter after lunch with Ivory, which Reece anticipated.
They had a lot of fun with their shoot, and in between sessions, Alex sent over pictures of Nick.
Some of Declan and himself, too—but mostly Nick.
Alex was such a good friend. He’d been feeding Reece so well, lessening the ache of Nick being so far away, even if just a bit.
But it wasn’t just him. Declan was also making sure to keep him updated, texting Reece every day.
Reece made sure to send pictures of himself, too, including candid shots throughout his day. Not to Nick, only to Alex. Only to Nick if Nick asked specifically, and sometimes Nick did.
After work, Reece went home, only he wasn’t staying at his own home for the time being. Somebody had to look after Nick’s place after all. Reece hadn’t stayed at his own place since Nick left, actually. He’d gone there, of course, packed some necessities, and then made himself at home at Nick’s.
When he returned to Nick’s that night, Reece took off his shoes and made sure to lock the door. He walked inside with a yawn and a deep stretch, stopping when he heard something clattering in the kitchen.
Panicked, Reece dropped his backpack from his shoulder, gripping the handle and rushing toward the sounds, fully prepared to fight whoever dared to break into Nick’s place.
But when he skidded around the wall and into the kitchen, he found the man who prepared his and Nick’s last meal together going through the refrigerator.
“You!” Reece gaped, pointing at the man.
“You,” he countered with a knowing look in his brown eyes.
“Ah—” Reece’s face heated and he dropped his arm, setting his bag on the counter. “I’m here for good reason. What about you?”
“Making sure no food goes bad and is left in here. Not much has been wasted thanks to you, I assume.”
Reece had been helping himself. “W-well…”
“That’s good. But there are some vegetables in here that need cooking. How about I make you dinner?”
“Oh wow, that sounds amazing,” Reece agreed, shoulders sagging. He was relieved to think that after a long day of work, this amazing chef was willing to make him dinner. “Okay then, I’ll just shower. If that’s okay…”
The man nodded once, a slow, respectful nod. His brown hair was combed neatly and his eyes were warm. “Run along, Mr. Reece.”
Reece was overjoyed, skipping his way to Nick’s room and into his bathroom, where he stripped, dropping his clothes in the hamper before stepping into Nick’s shower with a sigh.
He could still remember every time they showered together there. Still remembered their last morning together. It felt too empty without Nick, but the fact that Nick was all around him made it a little better.
After his shower, Reece put on Nick’s robe, which was now basically Reece’s because he’d been wearing it every evening, and then he went straight to Nick’s dresser, opened his underwear drawer, and selected a pair of Nick’s briefs.
They were actually ridiculously comfortable.
Reece slid on his headband and washed his face, adding his moisturizer on his way back to the kitchen.
“Something smells delicious,” he commented as he walked into the kitchen. The man, who was nearly a foot shorter than Reece, was wearing a simple white apron and tending to a pan on the stove.
“Stir fry.”
Reece sat at the bar, elbows on the cool marble, hands cradling his face. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours?”
“Just Kent is fine.”
“Just Reece for me then.”
Kent looked at him, and they exchanged small smiles. Reece understood that this wasn’t just some hired chef, not when Nick trusted him enough to let him in and out of his place freely, even Reece only just recently got that privilege.
“Have you been cooking for Nick a long time?” Reece asked curiously, rubbing his feet together.
“Yes, it’s been a while.”
“It’s kinda lonely around here without him, huh?”
“Yes… It is.”
Reece smiled. He didn’t know how or why, but he could tell that Kent was fond of Nick. “There are still three more weeks before the training camp ends. This week felt endless.”
“Don’t worry yourself. Once it’s over, the time will seem short.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Kent was an excellent cook. Reece already knew that, but getting to enjoy his cooking a second time, and after seeing him in action, really had the fact sinking in.
Reece was served a plate of rice covered with the stir fry.
The sauce the vegetables and beef tips were cooked in was phenomenal.
Reece persuaded Kent into eating with him, but the older man didn’t hesitate to put his meal on hold to prepare Reece seconds.
“Goodness, do you spoil Nicky like this, too?” He chuckled.
“Not as much, no,” Kent answered, surprising Reece.
“Oh?” he mused. “He might be upset if you give me special treatment.”
“Actually, I believe he’d be pleased.”