Reid's jaw tightened. "I just, I needed some space."
"From me."
Reid shook his head. "From the situation."
"Iamthe situation, Reid."
Reid exhaled slowly, that careful control starting to fracture. "You're making this impossible."
"I'm not doing anything." Cody stood, tired of this dance. "You're the one running."
"I'm not running. I'm maintaining professional boundaries."
"Bullshit." The word came out sharper than Cody intended. "You admitted last night that there was something here. Then you disappeared for twelve hours. That's running."
"Cody—"
"Do you know what it's like?" Cody's voice cracked. "To spend months feeling scared and alone and watched by someone who wants to hurt you? To have everyone treat you like you're paranoid or high maintenance? And then you show up, and for the first time in forever, I feel safe. I feel seen. And it's not just professional—I know it's not, because I see the way you look at me. But you won't talk to me, won't tell me what's happening, and I—" He stopped, throat tight.
Reid was across the room in three strides.
He didn't touch Cody, but he was there, solid and present and close enough that Cody could feel his body heat.
"I can't," Reid said, voice rough. "I can't tell you what’s going on because…"
"Because what?”
"Because it will sound insane. Because you'll think I'm—" Reid cut himself off, something like anguish flickering across his face. "Because when I tell you, when you know, everything changes."
"Everything already changed," Cody said. "The moment I got here. The moment we met. Didn't it?"
Reid's eyes closed. When he opened them again, they were that amber-gold color, almost glowing. For the briefest of moments, Cody thought it looked inhuman. He pushed the thought away.
"Yes," Reid whispered.
"Then tell me. Please. I can't handle not knowing whatthisis,” he said gesturing between them.”
For a long moment, Reid just looked at him. Then, like he was making the hardest decision of his life—
"Not here. Outside. I need to… show you something first."
Cody frowned. “Okay.”
It was weird that Reid couldn’t tell him here, but God help him, he trusted the man. He had no clue why, but he did.
Ten minutes later, Cody stood in the middle of a pasture, the mountains purple and gold in the sunset, while Reid paced twenty feet away looking like a caged animal.
"Okay," Cody said carefully. "I'm officially confused."
Reid stopped pacing then turned to face him. "I need you to promise me something."
"What?"
"That you won't run. That you'll hear me out completely before you decide I'm insane."
Cody's stomach flipped with nerves. "Reid, you're scaring me."
"I know. I'm sorry." Reid's hands clenched and unclenched. "But you deserve the truth. Especially since—" He stopped,started again. "A reason I react to you the way I do. A reason I've been fighting this so hard."
