Chapter 8
Reed was gone when I woke up the next morning. I haven’t seen him for three days now. There was a note sitting on the counter when I got home from my shift that said he wasn’t coming home. I’m assuming he crashed at Jason’s place or something. I know why he did it, and I can’t blame him, but all of this avoiding is driving me insane.
I’d rather he come home and we’d scream and fight and get angry. Break things. Throw things. I wouldn’t care as long as he was talking to me again. I still can’t believe what I did that night. I don’t know what I was thinking. I messed everything up, but what’s worse is that I don’t regret it. I don’t regret it at all. I want it to happen again.
No. No, I don’t want that. That’s crazy.
I shake my shoulders and flex my hands out to try to shake off the feeling. C’mon, Wren, you can’t think like that. That’s what got us into this trouble in the first place.
I close my eyes for a moment, but then I picture him again. The way he made me feel when he was looking at me in my room. He’s never looked at me like that before. My heartbeat speeds up just thinking about it.
Ugh! His eyes. Why were his eyes so fucking sexy?
I’ve never had a guy look at me that way before. Definitely not Jake. Now it’s all I can think about.
I think back to all the ways he’s looked at me before, and it was never like that. He has his sarcastic smile, his stop being dumb Wren look, his protective look, and his protective look in overdrive whenever he came to my rescue when we were with his family. Never this look though. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him. Now I’m even more confused than before. I need to talk to him.
My manager walks up to me. “How about you take your break now?” she asks, probably able to tell I’m distracted today.
I nod. “Yeah, sure.”
I walk through the kitchen and push through the back door. I sag down onto the bench out in the back of the restaurant and pull out my phone. I open Reed and I’s text thread, and I think about what I want to say. I haven’t tried reaching out since he’s made no attempt to contact me, but three days is long enough.
Me: How long are you going to avoid me?
I set my phone back down next to me and lean back against the bench. I stare out into the dark sky as the sun finishes fully setting. My phone vibrates on the bench, and I reach for it immediately.
Reed: I’m not avoiding you.
I roll my eyes and text him back right away.
Me: So you’re coming home tonight?
He must’ve been waiting for my response because I see he’s typing back right away.
Reed: That’s not a good idea.
Me: Why not?
Reed: Because Wren, it’s not my home. I shouldn’t be there.
My chest begins to constrict as I feel a pang of hurt. I quickly mask it with anger to avoid feeling.
Me: Whatever. I’m not accepting your money anymore if you aren’t going to live there.
Reed: Yes you will.
Me: Fuck you! I’m not your charity case.
I turn my phone off and stand to head back inside. My break is almost over now anyway. I push the door open to the kitchen, and a couple employees are talking inside. “Wren!” Joe, one of the cooks, calls out to me. “You staying for drinks tonight?” he asks.
I pause before I answer, trying to think of a way to say no, but then I think what else do I have to do tonight?
“Sure,” I smile.
He grins back. “Awesome! I’m telling Mandy to cut you first so you can drink with me.”
I open my mouth wide. “Hey! You better buy me those drinks if you’re going to end my shift early!”
He winks. “Deal.”
I get cut shortly before the kitchen closes, so I tell Joe to make me a burger. I didn’t eat much today. Not really much the past couple days actually. I can’t keep stressing over Reed though.
A few of the other kitchen staff and waitresses join me at the bar and hightop next to me. I twirl around my ring finger nervously. It’s a habit I’ve developed ever since I found out about Jake. I took my ring off that night and put it in the box on my nightstand where it still sits. I only put it back on for the funeral. My hand feels strange without it.
Our bartender, Kirk, smiles at me. I’ve only worked with him a few times since I’ve started. He nods toward my hand. “Divorced?”
I open my eyes wide. “Excuse me?”