Chapter 31 - Tate
thirty-one
Tate
I’m sorry,” Brinley slams her hand into the table, her mouth falling open, “are you telling me that your brother walked in on you having sex with my brother, and because of that, you moved out and now live with my brother in a house full of hockey players?”
“First of all, he didn’t catch us having sex; we were done.”
“Gross.”
Ember rolls her eyes. “And I could’ve stayed at my apartment, but Declan told me I should stay with him until things cooled off.”
“You do realize he’s a guy, right? Obviously, he said that! He wants to get laid.”
“He’s not like that, and we both know it. Honestly, he’s right. I need to go pick up more of my belongings today, and I’m trying to do so when Cam’s not around. I know it will be bad.”
“Maybe he’ll surprise you. He’s had time to think about it and realize it’s not that big of a deal.” I shrug.
“But it is. I see where Cam’s coming from. I should’ve told him. I’ve had so much time to tell him, but instead, I’ve been keeping things from him. I mean, it’s bad enough having to hide that my best friend is here, but also hiding my boyfriend from him.”
Maia wraps an arm around Ember.
“Cam and I were so much closer than this. He’s been there with me through so much and stood by my side, and I couldn't even give him the decency of telling him the truth?”
“You were scared, Ember. The second people find out, it becomes more real, and that makes it scarier. You also didn’t want his judgment if that was the route he was going to take. You had every right to wait until you felt comfortable sharing.” I reach my hand out and squeeze her arm.
I think I’m saying this more to myself than I am, Ember. I want to tell the girls about last night so badly, but I also want Fletcher and me to have the time to find our footing as a couple before we become some kind of spectacle.
“Maybe. I guess I’ll never know. I can’t go back and change things. I can’t go back and tell him sooner.”
“Honestly,” Brin interrupts, “your brother is a fucking idiot. You two weren’t exactly subtle with your goo-goo eyes at Christmas. Or the fact that my brother had no logical reason to interrupt your dance with Zeke at the banquet.”
She’s not wrong with that one. If there was any moment that would’ve given away their whole relationship, it was the night at the banquet.
I think Cam was trying to tune out the night because he just wanted it to be over, so maybe he didn’t see the way Declan’s jaw locked up when he saw Ember dancing with Zeke.
But he did see him go and interrupt, which led to us having to come up with an excuse.
So, at the end of the day, it’s really Cam’s fault for being so clueless.
“To be fair,” Maia begins, “I only get to see you and Declan when you guys don’t need to hide the fact that you’re together, and honestly, I’ve always wondered how you tune that down around him.”
“They don’t. That’s what I’m saying. They’re obnoxiously obvious.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, guys.” Ember huffs, leaning back against the booth.
“Anytime.” Brin chuckles, taking a sip of her milkshake. “That’s what we’re here for.”
“Now, moving on from my life update,” Ember raises an eyebrow, “you spent the night with Fletcher?”
“WHAT?! Why didn’t we start with you?” Brinley gasps, turning toward me.
“Wait, like—”
“Not like that.”
Exactly like that.
“I stayed over at his place last night, yes.”
“So, things are better?” Maia leans forward.
So much fucking better. I just want to scream it from the rooftops, but today is not about us. We’ll tell them when we’re ready.
If they don’t figure it out before we do. I think Jere might already be onto us.
“They are.” I lick my bottom lip, thinking back to last night. And then to this morning, and how perfect both were. “We talked. We got everything out in the open, and I think we’re both better for it.”
“I’m sorry. Did we not tell you to do that?” Maia’s brow furrows.
“Actually, didn’t you tell us you had already done that?” Ember presses.
“I did. I lied. But now we’re good. If we weren’t, I obviously wouldn’t have been there this morning.”
“So, he spent Valentine’s Day with you, over his girlfriend?” Brinley questions.
“First of all, Casey isn’t his girlfriend. She never was.” And never will be. “Second of all, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve spent the holiday together. Whenever Zeke has his party, Fletch and I spend the entire day together. And I always sleep over afterward.”
“So, they aren’t talking anymore?” Ember’s head falls slightly to the side.
“I don’t know.”
I should’ve asked. From what Fletcher told me, she knows that he has feelings for me and always has. He didn’t say if they’re still best buds or if they’re still in contact.
“And if they are, you’d be okay with that?” Brinley studies my face, and I shrug.
“I don’t know.”
“This could all be resolved by you telling him you’re in love with him. Then you could tell him you don’t want him talking to Casey.” Brin chuckles.
“I would never dictate who he can and can’t talk to.” I roll my eyes, but Casey might have to be the one exception to that rule.
Again, I just don’t trust her.
But I trust him.
So maybe if I trust him, I have to believe he would never do something to hurt me.
“I would.” Brin pops a fry in her mouth. “But, if you guys did talk, then he knows how you feel about her, and if you started dating and he didn’t stop talking to her, knowing how you feel, then he’s not the one, and you should move on.”
“Always know what to say to make me feel better, Brin.” I force a smile.
“What? It was hypothetical. Obviously, you aren’t dating, so if he wants to talk to Casey, that’s up to him. Still makes him a bad friend, though.”
“Right.”
I tap my nails against my glass as our conversation shifts entirely. I fight the urge to pull out my phone and text Fletcher to see if he and Casey are still talking.
He made it seem like they didn’t; she hung up on him, and I’m hoping that was the end of whatever their relationship was.
But isn't it better to know now, rather than for her to show up at another game in the future, and me having to pretend to be friendly?
Isn’t it better to know now than be blindsided in the future?
Note to self, next time you see Fletcher—
Ask.
Hey.” Naomi’s face fills the screen, and she adjusts the computer to see me better. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m good. School’s been good, and yeah, nothing new.”
Of course, there’s something new.
It’s the one thing I want to talk about, but I’m also worried that if I do, I’ll get too caught up in my thoughts and then overthink, ruining everything.
“Nothing new?” She squints at the screen. “I know we really bonded over Christmas, but you haven’t video-chatted me since. We text, yes, but a video chat for… nothing?”
“Is it wrong that I just wanted to see my sister’s face?”
“No. I just don’t believe that’s the only reason you called.”
“If I tell you something, can you promise me you won’t tell anyone?” I lean closer to the screen as if the world will hear my secret if I don’t.
“Tate, who would I tell?” She chuckles. “What, I’m going to call up one of your friends and tell them something they already know?”
“They don’t know this.”
“Oh.”
My face drops. I feel a mixture of confusion and regret bubbling up in my stomach. Maybe I should’ve told the girls.
“Oh!” Her eyes widen, and I don’t have to say anything else; it’s as if she can read me over the camera. “When?”
“Last night.”
“Valentine’s Day?!”
“Yes.”
“Was it—”
“Perfect.”
“And who—”
“He did.”
“How?”
My face twists.
“I mean, I know how, but like, how?”
“We were fighting.”
“You were fighting?” Her jaw drops as a giant grin takes over her face.
“And it all came out.”
“You’re feelings?”
“Obviously.”
“He kissed you?”
“He did.”
“And you kissed him?”
“I did.”
“And then you—”
“We did.”
My head falls into my hands.
“Nomes, it was better than I could’ve ever imagined, but I don’t want to tell everyone, but then I feel guilty because we aren’t saying anything. But I want us to have this time for just us.”
“Don’t feel bad. Ethan and I didn’t tell anyone for a while because we felt like it would be this big thing, and it just wasn’t, you know?”
“Exactly!” My hands fly up.
It’s crazy to say that Naomi gets me. We’ve never been those sisters, but it’s been nice to have her to turn to.
“And what about Casey Hill?”
“I guess it was never that serious.”
“Are they still friends?” Her head tilts. “Are you guys just friends? What does this mean for the two of you?”
“They haven’t spoken in weeks.”
I couldn’t wait to ask Fletcher in person, so the second I left the diner to go home, I texted him.
He told me they hadn’t talked since a couple of nights after she told him she knew he had feelings for me. Apparently, she began to reveal her true feelings towards me after that, and their “friendship,” or whatever it was, died instantly.
He also told me that if they were still talking, the moment something happened between us, it would’ve stopped. He said he’d never speak to someone who made me feel uncomfortable. Especially not someone who made me feel bad about myself.
“And I think we’re together now. Is that crazy? Should we discuss this before I assume we’re in a relationship? I mean, he alluded to it, but he also didn’t use the term girlfriend.”
“I think there’s no shame in clarification, but I’ve also seen the way that boy looks at you. There’s no way he doesn’t already see you that way.”
I bite my lip, my cheeks burning red.
“Baby, I’m home.” The front door slams behind Naomi, and Ethan walks in with several grocery bags. He drops them on the counter and then sees me on the screen. “Hey, Taters, what’s going on?”
“Her and Fletcher.” I don’t need to see the wiggle of Naomi’s eyebrows to know she’s doing just that. I can hear it in her tone.
“Shut up.” His face grows as he approaches the screen. “He finally came to his senses?”
“We both did,” I argue. “The wait was just as much on me as it was on him.”
“About damn time. Speaking of Fletcher, my parents keep asking when we can make an excuse to fly back down to Illinois and go over to his family’s house for whatever holiday we can find.” Ethan chuckles. “I think they had more fun there than they’ve had in years. They loved the craziness.”
“It’s hard not to.”
It’s nice to know Ethan’s family enjoyed spending time with the Reeds. They can be a lot for people who don’t know them. I know that my mom, especially, doesn’t understand them the way I do.
She likes pristine and proper, and they love artistic and emotional.
“They’ll probably do something for Easter, but who knows. I’ll keep you guys updated if I hear anything.”
“Good. And now we won’t have to spend our holiday plotting with Fletcher’s family on how to get you guys together.” Ethan winks.
I don’t say anything; I just flip him off as he runs back into the kitchen.