“And a large black cold brew,” Cal added to the speaker, his voice flat. “Light ice.”
I froze, my mouth halfway open. I looked at him. He was staring straight ahead at the menu board, his jaw set.
“I didn’t ask—”
“I’m not dealing with you uncaffeinated,” Cal cut me off, handing his card to the cashier. “You’re a nightmare without it.”
I sank back into my seat, a traitorous warmth spreading through my chest. Years of silence, and he still remembered my order.
As we merged back onto the highway, Lena sat forward, resting her chin on the center console.
“So,” she popped her gum. “This is wild. I used to watch you guys when I was in high school. Like, religiously.”
I winced. “High school? Thanks. I feel ancient.”
“You’re not ancient,” Lena laughed. “You’re just…seasoned. But seriously, I have to know. What was your favorite match? Together, I mean.”
The air in the car grew heavy.
“Every Man For Himself,”I said softly, staring out the window. “Our first pay per view.”
I felt Cal stiffen beside me. He knew. It wasn’t about the wrestling. It was about Miami. The pool. The first time I kissed him and terrified us both. It was the night the line blurred.
“That wasn’t exactly against each other,” Lena noted. “You guys didn’t even fight each other, you double teamed everyone.”
“I know,” I whispered. “But it was still my favorite.”
Cal cleared his throat. He shifted gears, the movement aggressive.
“Wrestle Empire,” Cal said, his voice rough. “The ladder match.”
My chest seized.
“Oh, for the contracts?” Lena asked. “When you guys got called up toShowdown?”
“Yeah,” Cal rasped.
I looked at his profile. He wasn’t thinking about the briefcase. He was thinking about after.
I remembered it vividly. My dad and uncle were there backstage, beaming with pride. They kept slapping my back, telling me I was a “true Reed.” But seeing them… seeing the legacy I was chained to… it broke me. I ended up in our hotel room, drowning in resentment for a childhood they stole.
Cal didn’t tell me to get over it. He just held me. And when the crying stopped, the world shifted. I remembered how he picked me up, literally lifted me off the floor while kissing me like he wanted to devour me, and carried me to the bed. It wasn’t just sex. It was worship. It was the night I lost my virginity, the night I saw stars, the night I gave him everything I had.
“That was a good one,” I managed to say, my voice thick.
“Give me a funny story,” Lena pivoted, sensing the tension. “You guys traveled together for years. Give me something good.”
“Cave Hill,” Cal said suddenly. The ghost of a smirk touched his lips.
I let out a startled laugh. “Oh my god. Kentucky.”
“Cave Hill Cemetery,” Cal explained to Lena, actually chuckling. “Silas made us stop there because he wanted to see some old Victorian graves. Apparently, Maverick and Scott took him there as a teenager on some weird family road trip.”
“It’s a historic landmark!” I defended, though I was smiling.
“You were going through a phase, Silas,” Cal shot back, glancing at me. “You were deep in the trenches of Tumblr.”
“It was aesthetic,” I argued, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “But when we scared Evan.”
