Page 42 of Reed

“Yes!” Bryce exclaims, and jumps into the air.

“I wanna row the boat.” Eleanor speaks clearly this time.

“Of course she fucking does,” Reed mumbles so low I don’t think I’m meant to hear him.

Bryce bends down to unclip Eleanor, then turns to face Reed. “Eleanor can come too, right, Reed?”

Reed’s face is blank, but his chest heaves and his hands ball into fists and just as quickly uncurl, so I step forward to help him out. “Maybe Eleanor should stay with me.”

Reed nods, but when Eleanor’s bottom lip wobbles, he exhales loudly and drags a hand through his hair. “Eleanor.” Her little head snaps up to his sharp tone. “If you go on the boat, no crying, do you understand me?”

She nods and stifles a sob, and I want to laugh.

“Right.” He broadens his shoulders. “Let’s do this.” He appears to be talking to himself, and I smile behind my hand at his seriousness. It’s meant to be a fun activity, but he looks like he’s planning a war.

Something tells me this will not go as planned.

REED

He could row the fucking boat, he said. Like hell he can. Barely two minutes in and his arms hurt him too much to continue, and don’t even get me fucking started on the drama to get on the damn boat to begin with. As soon as Eleanor realized that dogs were not welcome on rowing boats, she turned into the kid fromThe Exorcist. Her head practically spun with the tantrum that erupted from her.

In the end, I slipped the poor attendant, who could probably sue us for damage to his eardrums, a few hundred dollars so fucking Bubbles could join us for the experience of me rowing the fucking boat, all while listening to Bryce and Eleanor’s rendition of the nursery rhyme. I swear he’s screeching on purpose, setting my teeth on edge as he destroys each decibel.

“If you see a—” A loud scream erupts from Eleanor before Bryce even finishes the end of the song, and I wince.

Kill. Me. Now.

I blow out a deep breath to try to remain calm. “Bryce. Can you stop with the song now?”

“She likes it.” He motions toward Eleanor, who grins at him like he hung the moon and stars.

“Bubbles. I wuv you. I wuv you!” Eleanor makes grabby hands toward the damn dog. To say she’s obsessed with her is an understatement, and even I feel for him, her, as she inches farther away. “Tum to me, Bubbles.” She falls forward on a giggle, making the boat rock slightly, and the dog edges farther away from her. I can actually relate to the dog’s fear of her. If I had the opportunity, I’d do the same. “Bubbles, tum here.” She crawls in the dog’s direction.

Knowing how gruff I can be, I lower my tone to speak to her. “Eleanor, Bubbles doesn’t want…” She moves so quick I don’t see it coming and launches herself toward the dog, and Bubbles makes a rash decision. “Oh shit.” She jumps over the boat and into the water.

Even the dog would rather die than deal with her.

“Bubbles!” Bryce shouts as he stands, and panic sets in.

“Bryce, sit down!” I snipe out.

A loud cry rips from Eleanor as she becomes hysterical. “Bubbles!”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, wishing I’d gone into the office instead of attempting to play happy fucking families at this hellhole.

“Reed. You need to help her.” Bryce’s eyes dart to mine, imploring me to do something.

“There’s no helping her. She’s not going to shut up about the damn dog.” I motion toward Eleanor, who’s now lying on the floor of the boat covered in snot and tears while mumbling various versions of the dog’s name, not one of them coherent.

Bryce’s brow furrows. “I mean Bubbles. She’s drowning!”

I scoff. “Dogs can swim, Bryce. They don’t drown.”

“Reed. Look.” He points toward the dog, and sure as shit, it appears to be going under. Possibly to get as far away from Eleanor as possible.

“Fuck!”

Eleanor somehow gets louder at Bryce’s declaration. “Bubbles die. Bubbles dead…”

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