I rested my chin against my palm as I leaned against the window sill and sighed. “You just can’t get enough of me, can you?”

“Nothing is ever enough when it comes to you, Kody,” he replied, a hint of both amusement and sincerity in his tone that had my heart picking up pace.

I shook my head. “What are you doing here, Reece? Nate left like an hour ago.”

He stood up straighter, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants. “I was out for a run, thought I would drop by.” He shrugged. “Nate isn’t who I’m looking for, though. I’m here for you. You going to invite me up now, or will I have to resort to scaling the wall up to that window you seem so intent on hiding behind?” He quirked a brow.

I hummed as I tapped a finger against my chin. “You know, that could be quite entertaining…”

He narrowed his eyes, and his voice was full of warning. “Kody.”

I raised my hands as I conceded. “Okay, okay. I’ll be right down.”

I closed the window, and I couldn’t help the small smile that grew on my face as I stepped out of view from Reece.

He came to see me. I tried to smother down the feeling of the butterflies roaring to life.

I was still a little pissed at him after my birthday and the words he left me with, but it was hard to be mad at him after what he shared with me about his relationship with his dad. It was like that kiss obliterated any sense of logical thinking from my teenage brain because I brushed off his comment a little too easily. Even with what he shared with me, I should have sent him away. I should have let him know how not okay I was with that comment. But in my teenage brain, there obviously wasn’t much except raging hormones.

It was hard though, because during that kiss, every bone in my body had screamed finally.

Since I met him, I have had this small crush on him. He was attractive at first sight, with the slight curl of his hair, the sharp cut of his jaw, and the crisp green of his eyes. It grew the more I got to know him, but I smothered it because I had still been with Liam. He was a friendly stranger I needed in the quiet nights, nothing more. But everything collapsed between us the moment Liam introduced us.

With Liam, it was safe. But in the deepest part of me, I knew I wouldn’t be content with safe. I wanted something that lit that fire within me. I realised that after I had met Reece.

I couldn’t help how much Reece and I seemed to click. There was this understanding that morphed into comfort and I felt I could truly be myself.

And then, as if the world had it against me and my happiness, my brother had taken it upon himself to take him under his wing, and they were inseparable. Nate acted like a big brother to Reece. I didn’t know what happened between them for Nate to act so protective over him. But Reece never talked to me after finding out who I was to Liam.

I shook my thoughts quickly as I reached the front door and creaked it open, revealing Reece casually leaning his shoulder against the doorframe as he waited for the door to open. His gaze trailed the length of my body in a slow sweep. When his eyes met mine, I leaned against the door, holding it open further for him to sneak through. But he didn’t move.

“You don’t want to come in now?” I arched a brow.

“What happened to hi, hello? How are you?” He tilted his head.

“You’re the one who showed up here unannounced,” I said, poking him in the chest.

He feigned being wounded as he clutched the spot I poked him but grinned nonetheless. “Okay, then. Hi, hello. How are you?”

I rolled my eyes. “Get in here,” I said exasperatedly before I wrapped my hand around his bicep and pulled him into the house, closing the door behind me.

Now that he was in the house, the quiet stretched around us. It made me very much aware that we were alone. In my house. Where no one could disturb us.

Nate was out doing god knows what. The only thing he told me was that he wouldn’t be home until late afternoon. It was only ten in the morning. Dad was at work and usually came home around four or five o’clock.

That meant there were about six hours this house would be ours.

Reece broke the silence as he cleared his voice and faced me. His eyes swirled with nervous energy, making my stomach dip. At least I wasn’t in this alone.

“So, what were you up to before I interrupted?”

I smiled at that. “I was actually going through all the photos I took at Airlie Beach. Editing and deleting some.”

His eyebrows jumped. “Yeah?” he started, then swept his arm towards the stairs, “Then, let's go. I want to see you in action.”

My lips widened, excited and a little nervous to show him the photos I already finished and saved. I was no professional, but I was happy with how they turned out.

I made my way up the stairs and into my room with him following close behind. I sent a little praise to myself for cleaning my room while I texted him the night before. It gave me something to do so I didn’t look at my phone every second waiting for his text.