Page 37 of Unforgettable

“And the drink?” He raises his beer.

“Small sips or wait till the end.”

“There’s clearly a science to all of this,” he says before smirking and taking a long sip of the beer, essentially finishing his drink.

Smiling at his cheekiness, I take hold of the cup and pull it away from his mouth. “What are you doing?”

“I was thirsty,” he replies innocently.

“And what about science?”

“I’m sure there are some rules we can bend.”

I raise a knowing eyebrow at him. “And what do you know about rule breaking?”

“Not much,” he says with a little less sass. “But something about you just brings out that side of me.”

“In that case…” I pull up the gourmet, vegetarian slider that’s resting on the plate, ready to take a huge, obnoxious bite out of it. “You’re just going to have to suffer through the consequences.”

He snatches a mini quiche off the plate and holds it to his mouth. “If you had plans to take photos to post tonight, I’m warning you there isn’t going to be anything left if we keep playing this game.”

Loving the back and forth between us, I lean forward and take a bite out of his food, then wash it down with some beer. “Eat what you want, I can come back any time this week if I find something I want to post on Instagram.”

“Without me?” he asks sheepishly.

“Or with you,” I offer, smiling.

Reeve reaches over and picks up my almost empty plastic cup and finishes off my beer. “How about I get us some more of these and you can keep trying the food? See if there’s anything worth coming back for.”

He doesn’t wait for me to answer, just stands and walks away, and I watch him retreat until he’s lost in the crowd. The level of comfort between us tonight is just an ever-growing sensation that I enjoy way more than I should. I’ve never felt like this around any other person I’ve slept with or been attracted to. It’s alien, regardless of how familiar Reeve is becoming to feel.

We’re friends. I can say that with wholehearted confidence, and I enjoy his friendship, but it would be an absolute lie to say that’s all I want from him.

And that is a scary thought.

I’m not that guy. At least, I thought I wasn’t. But now, just like Reeve has opened up my eyes about Meals and Melodies, I’m wondering if my habit to see the worst in myself has made me think I’m not a relationship-type guy, when in reality, I don’t really know.

I’ve never tried. But truth be told, I’ve never really wanted to. And it feels like maybe that’s starting to change.

The sun is just beginning to set as Reeve walks back in my direction, laughing and talking with someone beside him. I can’t make out who it is, but I can see enough to know it’s a guy, and that makes my stomach turn. It takes an ugly tumble, filled with dread and jealousy and a confusing rush of ownership.

It isn’t till I notice it’s Briar’s boyfriend Jamie that my whole body sags in relief. And when Reeve waves in my direction, guilt niggles at me. I don’t have a right or reason to feel like that, and he has every right to laugh and talk to whomever he wants.

When they finally reach me, I stand and take Jamie’s extended hand. “Hey, man,” he greets. “I just bumped into Reeve on my way to meet Briar and my friends from college.”

“Hey. Did you just get here?”

“I did, but the rest of them have been here for a while. I had to help my dad with something at the farm before coming.” He points in the direction where I'm assuming Briar and his friends are. “If you guys happen to venture up that way, come and see us.”

“Will do,” Reeve answers just as I nod.

He walks away and Reeve holds up his arms with a drink tray in each hand and four cups in each.

I reach for one and take it out of his grasp. “Are we planning on getting drunk tonight?”

“I’m soaking up the summer,” he says. “This band isn’t bad either.”

He sits down, with both of us straddling the bench, and splits the drinks between us. “Have you had much luck with the food?”

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