Page 24 of Stealing Summer

“Reese said that?” I couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of relief and concern for Blair at the same time.

“Yes, and I’m sure Caroline has told everyone by now that Blair is out of the picture.” Willow leaned closer, lowering her voice. “This means there will probably be a competition of which girl is going to be his shoulder to cry on tonight. That shoulder should be yours.”

“Are you serious? Why would they do that? Blair is the one who needs consoling.”

“Chandler, come on,” Willow rolled her eyes. “You know how girls around here are. It’s Reese. He’s hot, rich, a ticket to the Bayside ball, and all the things.”

My heart raced at the thought of other girls comforting Reese, trying to get his attention. It wasn’t fair—not to Blair, and not to Reese, who deserved better than to be pursued by someone trying to use him.

“Willow, I can’t just go over there and compete to be some distraction or rebound,” I said, hesitating. “I mean, it’s not like I’m any different from the rest of them.”

“Chandler,” Willow placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eyes. “You are different. Now’s your chance to be there for him. Trust me, you’ll regret it if you don’t.”

I shook my head as I stared at the scene unfolding before me. “I can’t, Willow. Not tonight. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.” The last thing I wanted was to make things worse.

“Fine,” Willow sighed, crossing her arms. “Let’s just sit back and enjoy the show, then.”

We sat in the distance, observing the group of girls that had gathered around Reese. They laughed too loud at his jokes and touched his arm more than necessary–-it was painfully obvious what they were trying to do.

“Ugh, look at them,” I exhaled. “You were right. They’re practically throwing themselves at him.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Willow said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Reese is smarter than that. He’ll see through their act.”

“Maybe,” I mumbled, unconvinced. My heart ached as I watched one girl lean in closer to Reese, whispering something into his ear that made him smile slightly. The jealousy simmering inside me threatened to boil over.

“Okay, that’s enough,” I declared, setting my drink down on the table. “I’m going to head home. I don’t think I can keep watching this.”

“Are you sure?” Willow said, standing up as she leaned in to give me a hug.

“I just want to go to bed and get some rest. I promise I’m fine.”

As I walked away, I couldn’t help but steal one last glance at Reese. He caught my eye and held my gaze for a brief moment, making my heart skip a beat. But then another girl draped her arm around him, pulling his attention back to her.

“FML,” I whispered under my breath, feeling regret for not kissing Reese tonight when I had the chance.

twelve

The sun beamed in through my open window, which stirred me from sleep. I blinked against the harsh morning light and reached for my phone. Two new messages from a number I didn’t recognize. My stomach dropped when I realized who it was.

Unknown: Hey it’s Reese. Willow finally caved and gave me your number after you left.

Unknown: Why did you leave? I was kind of waiting for you to swoop in and save me from a strange girl who wouldn’t leave me alone and kept calling me Ross.

I propped myself up on one elbow, rubbing my eyes and trying to make sense of what I was reading. Does that mean Reese didn’t fall for one of those girls throwing themselves at him? I typed a reply, hesitating for a moment before hitting send.

Did Willow really give you my number willingly, or did you have to pry it from her cold, dead hands? Is she alive, Ross?

I hear a soft chime from my phone as Reese responds almost instantly.

Reese: Very funny. Let’s just say I can be very persuasive. But don’t worry, I promised her I would be a gentleman.

Reese: Meet me at the marina near the field after practice today?

I’ll think about it.

Reese: I’ll take that as a yes.

I arrived at the marina. My palms were sweaty and my heart was pounding, unaware of what might be in store for me. As much as I tried to convince myself that this was just going to be a brief and casual encounter, I couldn’t deny the fluttering in my stomach. That fluttering that had been happening a lot lately. I knew we kissed once, and it was incredible, but where could this even go?

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