“My van is hot, and you have AC. Come on Addie, please?”
I grab his pillow and start to usher him out of the door. “You could have had AC too, but you wouldn’t let any of us pay for it.”
“Addie pleaseeeeee. It’s so hot out, I’ll melt in Shanty. I’ll make you breakfast in the morning.” His bottom lip is puffed out like a begging toddler. It’s obnoxious how the gesture comes off as cute instead of annoying.
“You were already on breakfast duty.”
“Yeah, but I’ll make a special breakfast.’
I’m not sure what he means by that, but I cave. It is pretty fucking hot, so I can’t imagine trying to sleep in a rusted van with no airflow.
I take pity on him.
“Fine. But you have to sleep on the bench.”
He agrees and makes himself comfortable, or tries to, on the tiny slab of foam. I take one glance at his massive frame teetering over the edge and succumb to the idea of sharing a bed with my life-long crush.
Suddenly, I remember the bikes. I didn’t put them back since I thought I was about to be murdered, but I’d rather dip my hand into a roaring fire than go into that humidity again tonight. “Fine, if you put the bikes back you can sleep in my bed.”
He jumps excitedly. I wish I could delude myself into thinking he’s excited to share a bed with me—but I know he’s only here for my AC.
While he’s outside, I find a baggy pair of sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt. If Reid is in my bed, I don’t want to risk any inch of my skin touching his. I scramble under the covers before he comes back inside. I’m tucked up against the cold edge of the van as tight as I can be as he takes his time looking around the inside of Willa.
The lights are low, and I realize this would be a romantic backdrop if this were a romantic situation. Instead, it’s an awkward one made even worse by Reid stripping down to his boxers.
I yank the duvet up to my chin. “Uh, what are you doing?”
He shrugs nonchalantly. “Uh, getting ready for bed?”
“You sleep like that?” I motion down to the thick thighs busting out of his boxer briefs.
“Well,” he smirks, “I usually sleep naked.” Dipping his forefinger into his briefs, he adds, “I can do that if you’d prefer.”
I shake my head vigorously. “Boxers are fine. Just stay on your side.”
“Sure thing, captain.” He salutes me.
The bed buckles under his weight as he shifts around tryingto get comfortable. It’s big enough for two, but only technically. Reid is a big dude, and I find myself wondering how he sleeps in his van at all. Willa is much bigger, and he still barely fits.
“It’s extra cozy in here at night.”
“Yeah, it is.” I turn away from him, doing my best to make myself as small as possible. Somehow, I still feel my ass brush up against him. I can’t tell what part of his body I’m making contact with, but it’s hard and warm. There’s a current physically drawing me towards him. It’s impossible to pull away, not to mention there’s nowhere for me to go.
Shifting on my side, I’m met with soft green eyes filled with an emotion I’ve never seen in them before. Reid reaches out and brushes a stray strand of hair behind my ear. The touch sends shivers down my spine.
“Goodnight, Addie.” His voice is gooey.
“Night, Reid,” I mumble. I want to say more, but I can’t trust my sleepy decision making.
I fall asleep with a warm thrum spreading through me.
28
We wake up a tangled mess of sweaty limbs. Apparently Willa’s AC unit wasn’t built for two. The windows are slightly foggy from our breath, and the sheets are covered in a thin veil of sweat. I try to quietly remove my legs from where they are enmeshed with his. Reid is still sleeping, and we don’t need to be at the track for a few more hours.
He looks so peaceful, angelic even. His hair is messier than usual, spilling over his strong brows and into his ears. I never noticed how thick his eyelashes are. My arm is stuck under his head. As I yank it free, he nuzzles closer to me. Reid’s head falls against my chest, and it shocks me how natural it feels. Involuntarily, my fingers run through his locks like I’ve daydreamed about countless times.
It feels better than I could have imagined. My mind immediately drifts to how it would feel to tug at these strands while he kissed me. I should have let him kiss me when he wanted to in Whistler, even if it wasn’t for the right reasons—at least then I would get to say I know what it feels like to kiss Reid Hastings.
