I just bet it is.
Nope. I refuse to be jealous of a cat.
Friends, I remind myself.
Just friends.
The camera switches again and Reed’s face appears. His eyes have a soft look to them. I know it’s because he’s still watching his newly rescued cat, but it lingers for a second when he looks back at me and my heart skips a beat.
It’s gone in the time it takes him to blink, and I try not to feel disappointed. It’s just been a while since someone looked at me like that.
Reed yawns then, setting me off, and we both laugh.
“It’s late,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “We should get some sleep.”
He’s right, but I’m reluctant to let him go. We’ve never FaceTimed before, we’ve never evencalledeach other before tonight, and I don’t know if this is going to be a one-off because he wanted to show me his cat.
I hope it isn’t.
I like having this connection. It’s way more personal than a text message and reminds me who it is I’m talking to.
But Reed yawns again, and when I look a little closer, it’s easy to see the faint dark circles under his eyes. Is he not sleeping? It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him if he’s ready to talk about whatever it is that’s weighing on him heavily enough to affect his sleep.
I don’t though, because I’ve already told him I won’t pressure him to tell me, and I meant it. Doesn’t mean I can’t remind him of my offer.
“It was good talking to you. Face to face,” I add.
“It was.” He smiles.
It makes my stomach swoop a little, and I really need to end the call before any of it shows on my face. “I’ll let you get some sleep, because if I sit here and watch you yawn any more it’ll give me a complex.”
He laughs. “Night, Jerry.”
“Night, Reed. And remember, I’m always here whenever you want to talk. About anything.”
His smile softens as his eyes meet mine, and my heart thuds heavily at the sudden intensity in his gaze. “Thank you.”
We end the call, and I let my head fall back against the sofa with a sigh.
Fuck.
I like him.
I need to get a handle on my feelings before they develop into something that’ll hurt. He needs a friend, nothing more. Not with me, anyway. He’s made that perfectly clear, and I need to remember it.
We should stick to texting. It’s a lot fucking safer that way.
REED
Reed:Are you going to Sean & Vic’s housewarming party in September?
I hit Send and then immediately groan. Idiot.
Reed: Of course you are, Sean’s your best friend. Ignore me.
I’m not sure what made me think for one second that Jerry wouldn’t be going. He doesn’t reply straight away, so I scroll back to Sean’s text and read it again.
The invite is for Saturday, September twenty-first. I’m pretty sure Vic’s moved in already, from what Sean was saying, but I think it’s the first free Saturday they have where Sean isn’t working.
