Page 37 of Rival Summer

She nodded, pressing her hand to her mouth, shoulders shaking from suppressed giggles. "Coming right up," she managed to say without bursting into outright laughter.

"Chandler, stop staring. You're not helping my street cred here," Reese teased without looking back at me.

"Your street cred went out the window the moment you put on my tank top," I retorted, but my heart fluttered at the sight of him—so out of place, yet somehow owning the moment entirely.

I was cut off mid-sentence as a collective gasp echoed through the restaurant, all heads turning toward the entrance. Bailey walked in wearing nothing but bright pink polka dot underwear. He strode up to the counter, confidence not faltering for even a second, despite the shocked and amused faces. A moment later, his partner walked in behind him. The smiley face boxers she was wearing actually looked cute on her.

"Wow," I muttered, momentarily forgetting our own clothes swap. Reese turned to see what the commotion was about and let out a low whistle.

"Bailey never disappoints. Had to lose the shirt to get the full effect," Reese said, laughing.

"Guess we've found someone who enjoys the spotlight even more than you do," I teased.

"Okay, let's hurry and take this picture," he said, grabbing the paper plates and turning to me with an impish grin. "Ready?" Reese asked, his arm brushing against mine as he lifted his slice for the photo.

"Smile," I said, and we both leaned in close as I turned and made sure the Carrington name was visible. "Got it," I declared, checking the photo before nodding in satisfaction. "Let’s go"

I grabbed Reese's arm, urgency pumping through my veins as we bolted out of the pizza place. The group chat was blowing up with updates from the others. My gaze immediately landed on the photo of Caroline wearing one of Boston's batting gloves while he sported her bright pink headband. My smile wavered for a second, wondering if my own photo in Reese's jersey might stir up annoyance in Boston. But I shrugged it off—Caroline's tongue comment in the chat had set the bar. "Hey, we've gotta wrap up the last task before sundown," Reese said, casting a glance toward the horizon where the sun was starting to dip low, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.

"Right," I agreed, feeling the weight of the day.

"What's the last one?" he asked.

"Alright, it says we need to go to this address," I handed him the slip of paper, "and then, there's a twist."

"Doesn't surprise me." He shrugged, accepting the challenge with a grin as he started the engine.

"Once we get there, we have to... tell each other something no one else knows. Then, we take a selfie and submit it. Apparently, we're staying for some 'Devils’ Day Out' celebration and the winner announcement."

"Something no one else knows?" he echoed as he rubbed his chin in thought.

As we approached the address near the lake, the scenery shifted into something unexpectedly serene. Reese pulled up to a spot that seemed too beautiful to have gone unnoticed before. A long stretch of sand was dotted with pergolas, twinkling lights hanging above casting a warm glow over tables topped with flickering candles.

"Wow..." I murmured, stepping out of the truck. The earthy scent of the lake mingled pleasantly with the crisp evening air.

Reese joined me, and together we stood taking in the view. "Not what I expected from Caroline's twisted game," I said.

"It's... pretty cool." I caught his eye, and for a moment, we shared an unspoken acknowledgment of the day's madness culminating into this final moment.

"Shall we?" I gestured to the water's edge, where we'd likely find the best angle for our selfie.

"Let's do it," Reese agreed, and we made our way closer to the lake, ready to reveal our secrets and capture the moment—a snapshot of vulnerability against a gorgeous backdrop.

"Okay, you go first," I prompted as we approached the lake, the sand shifting beneath our feet. The day had been long and eventful and though it had been orchestrated by Caroline, the final setting was calm and beautiful.

Reese paused, his gaze lingering on the shimmering lake before turning to me. "I want to let her in.”

"Who?" I asked, curiosity piqued.

"My real mom," he said, his tone bittersweet. "I'm thinking about meeting with her." I'd expected his secret to be superficial, some confession about baseball. Not something so important and vulnerable.

But then again, Reese has always been full of surprises, he always kept me guessing.

"You should," I encouraged, touched by his vulnerability. "I know she did something awful, but she's a good person."

"Something awful?" His eyes locked on mine. "Do you know what it's like not having your mom around? When everyone else does? Every milestone, every game... She was never there." His voice cracked, revealing a pain so raw, so deep—I could feel how hurt he was.

I reached for his arm, my fingers brushing against the fabric of his sleeve. "I can't even imagine. I'm sorry. But you’ve missed so much time together already—maybe there's a future where you don't have to miss time with her anymore."

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