I find her at a table with Oliver, her date to the Equinox Ball. A yawn slips out of my mouth as I step toward them, and I cover it with the back of my hand. Despite all my stress, I’ve been in surprisingly good spirits lately. Back home, painting helped me relax, but that’s impossible here. Instead, I find myself dozing off, missing chunks of my days outside of class and studying. But it’s working, keeping me strangely energized and more confident than ever.
I press that courage into my grip as I snag Reid’s hand and drag him directly to Alexis, skipping the food line to dodge between crowded tables.
“What are you—Stop it, let go of me!” He curses as he bumps the edge of a bench.
“No. We’re fixing whatever’s going on between you and Alexis. Now.”
He groans as I settle across from Alexis and Oliver, sitting hand-in-hand, whispering to one another. They glance over, and Alexis’s smile compresses into an icy glare the second she spots Reid. He drops onto the bench, arms crossed, looking away.
“What are you doing here?” Alexis demands, eyeing Reid.
I turn to Oliver, whose wide eyes would suggest we caught him doing something inappropriate.How can someone this timid last long with Alexis?“Sorry, could you give us a minute?”
He looks to her for guidance, and her face scrunches before she nods. He gives her a quick peck on the cheek before rushing away.
Here we go.“Now, as best I can tell, the two of you are fighting over Emmrich. Which makes no sense, because you’re with Oliver now. So make up already so Reid can stop being angry all the time.” I hold my breath, awaiting their responses.
Reid shifts his weight. “That’s not why I’m angry all the time.”
“Oh?”Did I misinterpret things?“Then why?”
His jaw clenches, then he rubs his brow. “Fine,” he mutters, shaking his head before dropping his hand to the table. “Iamstill annoyed with Alexis for sleeping with Emmrich.”
“Because I won?” Alexis folds her arms.
“No! It wasn’t a competition. I mean, it started out that way, but it wasn’t anymore.”
Her face softens. “Wait, you actuallylikehim?”
Reid turns red, then he looks away.
“I thought… Then why did you want me there at all? I thought it was all just for fun.”
Reid stares at a spot on the table while rubbing it with his fingers. After a deep breath through his nostrils, he speaks. “Just because I act confident doesn’t mean I always am. It seemed easier if you were there. If it didn’t work out, I could blame you.”
It’s as if he stepped into a new light—I never would’ve imagined he wasn’t as confident as he seemed. It’s reassuring that I’m not the only one who worries about what others think.
“Reid…” I lift my hand, debating the best place to give a supportive touch, but Alexis beats me to it.
“Oh, honey.” She takes his hand with both of hers. “I’m so sorry. If I had known… You could’ve told me.”
“Yeah, whatever.” He pulls free, but meets her gaze. “He obviously wasn’t that invested. I’ll get over it.”
Alexis tilts her head, her lips pursed, then nods.
I let out a sigh of relief—I didn’t make things worse. And hopefully, Reid will be in a better mood now.
“We should get some food before our next class.” I grab my things, nudging him to get moving. I’d like to avoid things turning tense again because we’re grumpy from hunger.
“Wait,” he says. “There’s something else I need to talk to you about. It’s important.”
Alexis tilts her brow up. “Alright?”
“I can come by tonight. It’ll take a while to explain.”
“Sure. I’ll be there.”
We say our goodbyes, then Reid and I head for the food line. I grab a plate and peek ahead at today’s offerings. “What was that about?”
