Page 61 of Learn Your Limits
I must be mistaken. My mind has been drained so much from this week that it made me believe the voice I heard belonged to Reid. My body stays still, but my eyes are trained on the service door where the voice came from.
“Sorry, I was cleaning up a spill in the—” Reid emerges from the back, tying a black apron around his waist. His eyes widen as they land on me. He's dressed casually in a dark gray t-shirt and jeans, his auburn hair tousled as though he has been running his hands through it. Dark circles rest under his amber eyes, hinting at exhaustion.
“Milo?” His voice is soft, like he's just as unsure as I am as to whether or not I'm truly standing before him. A blush rises to his cheeks as he mutters, “What are you doing here?” His eyes blink shut as he winces. “Shit. Right, coffee.” He takes a few cautious steps toward me, his hesitancy screaming of embarrassment. “What uh—” he stammers. “What can I get for you?”
“A medium hot cinnamon swirl, please.” My reply is automatic as my brain still works on processing the information from this impromptu meeting. Reid is here before me, working late hours while he has a full course load ahead of him. If he’s looking this tired now with the minimal schoolwork that comes with syllabus week, I can’t imagine how much he might struggle once assignments pick up.
“Will that be for here or to go?” Reid asks, his eyes softening, lips turning into a frown like he’s pleading for me to stay.
“For here, please. I’ll take it at the counter,” I plead in return, my fingers trembling as I tap my card to the scanner. It’s a slow night, the few people that are here are far away from the counter. Maybe we can talk. Maybe I can convince him to let me help, tolet me care for him and make up for leaving him in a moment of weakness.
“So you've got extra courses to manage this semester, hm?” he asks, attempting to make conversation. His gaze is trained on his motions as he prepares my drink. He must see a similar fatigue in me.
“Yes,” I answer as I sit down on the stool closest to him. I refuse to look away from him, fearing he might disappear again. “But the extra courses aren’t what has been keeping me up this late.”
“Oh. What has?” His eyes finally meet mine as he places my coffee in front of me.
I’m quick enough to reach forward and wrap my fingers around where he holds my coffee. A radiating warmth begins in my hand, traveling up my arm, and I know it has nothing to do with the hot mug. It’s only been a few weeks since we’ve been apart, but my body knows his. My soul knows his, and being apart during that time has felt more like years than days.
“You keep me up at night, Reid,” I confess, my eyes never straying from his. “The way I abandoned you… I am so sorry.”
He sighs. “I'msorry, Milo. I'm sorry for flinching away from you, for not being strong enough that night to tell them how I feel about you.” His eyes are brimming with tears as they search mine. “Watching you walk away from me…”
The muscles in my chest pull tight, bracing to hear the heartbreak I’ve caused Reid.
“It hurt, but it also gave me the courage to do what I should've done at the gala. I told them, Milo. On Christmas.”
Tilting my head in curiosity, I’m taken aback from Reid’s statement. More guilt builds realizing I wasn’t there to support him during what must have been a difficult conversation. But the greater feeling of astonishment overpowers everything,thinking of the courage it must have taken for him to reveal his truths.
“And how did they react?” I ask, my grip on his hand tightens, and I move my thumb in soothing circles near his wrist.
Reid's gaze drops to our hands. “It doesn't really matter anymore. According to my father, I'm no longer part of that family.” The laugh that escapes him lacks any trace of humor. “I don't think my mom agreed with me being cut off, but I haven't heard from her either.” He pulls in a deep breath. “It wasn't just me being with you that pissed him off, though. I told him I didn't want to be part of the company, and he lost it.”
“Well, I rescind my statement about not fighting him.” My comment earns me a true laugh. One that sounds exhausted and not full of his usual cheer, but it warms my heart just the same and leaves me laughing along with him. None of this is truly a laughing matter, but I think we are both at a stage of deliriousness from our respective woes.
My work will always be strenuous, it’s something I can handle. But Reid… He’s been through so much within the last few weeks, struggling to keep himself afloat after being disowned from his family.
I silently vow to be all the family he needs.
“I've really missed you, Milo. I hate being away from you.”
“I’ve missed you too,Muñeco.” With a soft smile, I finally let go of his hand, no longer worried he will disappear again. “Can I please stay and keep you company?”
“I'd love that, but I'm here for at least another hour. I'm sure you need to head home and get some sleep. If I had a choice, I'd much rather be in bed right now.” He shrugs.
“An empty bed has no appeal to me. What I desire is not there.” Moving my coffee toward me, I wrap my fingers around the handle, looking over at Reid as I bring it to my lips. “And this smells too delicious to hurry through.”
Chapter forty-five
Reid
I knew that my family’s money was a privilege, but I never considered how much of a privilege it really was until it was gone. I took for granted the ability to focus on school without financial stress hanging over my head. It’s been less than one month since my father essentially disowned me, and it feels like I’ve spent the entire month struggling.
Working at the campus coffee shop only works because it’s nearby. I pick up shifts in between classes when I’m able to, but most of the time I work the closing shift. There aren’t many people that come in that late, aside from a few Oakhart University staff members and the occasional student. I spend most of my shift cleaning up from the day and cramming in as much study time as I can.
I feel like I’m drowning, and the semester has only just begun. I don’t think I’ve ever known what true exhaustion feels like until now. I’ve been stressing about trying to stay ahead while constantly aware of how many shifts at the coffee shop I need to pick up in order to cover rent and expenses. The answer? Way too many. In order to work enough to cover everything, I’dhave to cut back on classes and delay graduation. It’s too late to submit an application for financial aid, and given my family’s income, I likely wouldn’t qualify anyway.
The past two weeks have flown by in a blur, and despite how tired I am by the time I’m tying the coffee shop apron around my waist, seeing Milo is the highlight of my day. He has been coming in for coffee every night, always sitting at the counter while he enjoys his drink and keeps me company until the end of my shift.
