Fuck.
I swallow, my throat tight.
“Hey,” I say, barely more than a breath.
He nods.“Hey.”
Silence hangs heavy in the air, filled with all the unspoken words we refuse to say.I glance at the grass, at my shoes, anywhere but at him for a moment.Then I force myself to meet his gaze again.“I got the assessment.”
His jaw twitches.“Yeah.”
“I read it.”I take a shaky breath.“Thank you.You didn’t have to do that.”
He shrugs as if it’s no big deal, but the way his eyes flicker says otherwise.“You weren’t gonna ask me for help.Figured it was the only way to make sure you didn’t fail.”
“Still,” I murmur.“What you wrote...it was good.Really good.”
His mouth curves, not quite a smile.Not even close.But there’s something there.Something soft.Something vulnerable.
“I did it for you, Red.” he says, voice low and steady.
That name.
God, that fucking name.
It hits me harder than it should.That nickname is the only one he’s ever used.
My lips twitch before I can stop them.A flicker of a smile appears, and he catches it.
His whole expression changes.His eyes soften, shoulders easing just a little.
“I heard about Mayfair,” I say softly.“Aubrey told me.”
He nods, wiping his hand over his jaw.“Yeah.I’ve got a meeting tomorrow.Coach thinks I’ve got a shot at a four-year scholarship.But I don’t know.I want to see what they’re actually offering first.No point in getting my hopes up.”
“That’s huge.”My voice is stronger now.“You deserve it, Reece.”
“I want it,” he says.“For a chance to be more than where I came from.More than who I was.”
“You’ll do great,” I say.And I mean it.Every damn word.I’ve got a thousand more words on the tip of my tongue, but none of them are safe.“Reece…” I start, but I don’t finish.The words catch in my throat.
He moves forward.“I miss you, Red.”
It hits me in the chest.No warning.No mercy.
I close my eyes for just a second, trying to hold it together and not let those four stupid words undo everything I’ve built since he wrecked me.
When I open them, he’s still watching me.
His gaze is soft
“I should go,” I whisper, even though my body is screaming to stay right here.
“Right.”His jaw tics hard.
I turn.
One step, then another, before I stop.
