The One I Love

I helped the weekend crew close up for the night, knowing they would be back early in the morning to take care of the animals. I smiled as I told them goodbye and walked out to my car, feeling the chill in the air getting a lot worse. I couldn’t wait to get home and cover up with a blanket, which was exactly what I did. I walked up to my apartment and in through the door, throwing my bag to the side and plopping down on the couch. I grabbed the fleece throw from the corner and pulled it over me, curling up in a ball. I pulled out my phone and dialed Blaine, butterflies fluttering through my chest.

“Reese?”

“Hey, Blaine,” I said quietly. “Before you say anything, I want to apologize for being MIA for the last week.”

“What happened?”

“It’s a really long story,” I said with a sigh. “Well, it’s not a long story, but it’s something I want to explain to you in person.”

“All right,” he said warily.

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I, uh, I didn’t have any plans,” he said.

“Would you let me come over and make your breakfast?”

“Everything in me that is intelligence-based says ‘no,’” he said. “But everything else is screaming ‘yes.’”

“Good,” I said with a sigh. “I’ll come over early tomorrow morning, make you your favorite omelet, and then I want to take you somewhere. It’s a surprise, but it will also explain why I disappeared like that I did.”

“All right,” he said.

“Look, I know that I hurt you, but I didn’t mean to,” I said. “I never stopped thinking about you, but it took me until today to find an answer to the problem that I was facing.”

“Well, I look forward to hearing all about it, especially if you solved it,” he said.

“I might have solved it,” I said. “It will all be up to you.”

“Okay, this is starting to sound crazy,” he said, chuckling. “Can’t you at least give me a hint at where you’re taking me?”

“Nope,” I said with a smile.

“Not even like, what I should wear?” he asked, laughing. “If I should bring a weapon, if I should wear a flak jacket?”

“Um, if the patrons of where I’m taking you have weapons, we’re all in deep shit.” I laughed.

“This sound terrifying,” he replied.

“Don’t be scared,” I said. “It’s going to be okay, and you just have to wait and see.”

We talked a couple more minutes, and then we got off the phone. I felt better knowing he was going to give me a chance to explain, but I was even more nervous about taking him to the shop. The last thing I wanted to do was alienate him or make him feel uncomfortable, but this was the best way that I could think of to help him and reveal the secret I spent a week avoiding him for. I would just have to cross my fingers that this would turn out all right.

Chapter 19

Blaine

I woke up to the sound of the front desk ringing me from downstairs. Reese was there before dawn, ready to get cooking in the kitchen. I shuffled to the door and let her in, rubbing my eyes as she entered. I could feel a serious calm fall over me, knowing she was back in my apartment and close to me again. I smiled at her as she entered, closing my eyes as she leaned in and kissed my cheek gently. Sparks flew through my chest, feeling her skin close to mine, and I followed her to the kitchen, taking a seat at the breakfast bar. She put a cloth sack on the counter and pulled out stuff from the grocery store, knowing me all too well, since I barely ever kept food like that in the house.

She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled, lining everything up and then going through the cabinets looking for the pots and pans that she needed. I directed her to where I kept the coffee and was glad to see that was her first order of business. I was only half awake, having stayed up half the night thinking about what she would be taking me to do. My anxiety had gotten the best of me, and now, I was more than tired and a little bit grumpy.

“While I brew the coffee, why don’t you go jump in the shower and get ready?” she asked with a nervous smile. “We’re going to leave right after we eat.”

“All right,” I said, forcing myself off the stool. “I’ll be back in a few.”

I went into the bedroom and turned on the shower, shivering as I removed my clothes. It had gotten cold in Philly, and I was just then starting to notice. I hopped in the hot, steamy shower and rushed through, cleaning well with my soap and washing my hair before jumping out and drying myself off. I picked out some jeans and a sweater to wear, unsure of what the destination would be. When I walked back out, Reese was just finishing up pouring us both a mug of coffee. I sat back down at the bar and took the coffee from her, smiling as she passed me a plate with an omelet, ba

con, and toast on it.