Page 46 of Learn Your Limits
“You're not manipulating me, Milo. Iwantto be with you. I would much rather be with you right now instead of stressing out about tonight.”
I breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing the decisive tone in his voice.
“I wish it was that simple, baby,” I rant, my steps echoing against the walls as I walk back and forth. “I wish we were driving to see my family. They were excited at the thought of me bringing you around, even with their doubts.”
The phone is silent for a few moments before I hear Reid speak. “Well, maybe by next Thanksgiving they won't have any more doubts about us.”
A wave of calm pulses through my body at Reid’s words, and my pacing stops. He’s thinking about our future as much as I am. Hewantsthis despite the hardships we’ve encountered.
“Certainly next Thanksgiving,” I answer. I’d make it so.
“You sound so sure,” he says, his voice light as though he's smiling.
“This will all be worth it,” I state definitely.
I’ve given this distress enough of my time. In the end, I am doing all of this for Reid, the man who has crawled under my skin with sweet smiles and promises of a future I’m desperate for.
“In a few weeks, we won’t be student and professor to each other. You’re sure you’ll still want me then?” The worry in my tone is still there, even when I try to ask the question jokingly.
“I’ll always want you, Emiliano.”
“And I’ll always want you, Reid.”
Chapter thirty-five
Reid
Thanksgiving is a holiday that’s meant to be spent with family, enjoying each other’s company and sharing in all of the things to be thankful for. For my father, Arthur Callahan, it’s just another chance to meet with clients and make the business, and himself, look good.
Just once I would like to have a traditional Thanksgiving spent with family or close friends. It would be nice to not have to “be on my best behavior” just to make an impression.
When I was a kid, I remember hearing classmates talk about their different family traditions for the holiday and always being so envious. Some kids had families who would all gather at a grandparent’s house where they would cook and bake endless recipes together until it was time to indulge. Some kids had families where everyone cooked at home but then got together to have a pot-luck style meal. I even remember having a friend whose family didn’t cook at all. They just ordered pizza and spent the day in their pajamas, watching movies and having fun.
Either way, it all sounded amazing to me.
Amazing and a hundred times better than the way I’ve grown used to spending any kind of holiday. This one won’t be much different, aside from Avalon being dragged along to endure the same sort of Hell. Like me, she has someone else she would rather be spending the holiday with. We hit it off as friends after our first forced date, and she has become someone I’m able to confide in when the stress of everything gets to be too much. Milo has been amazing, and I know he would happily listen to me vent, but I hate the idea of piling my stress on his shoulders when he has his own to deal with.
The mere idea of spending the entire afternoon and evening with my father made me restless enough that my body was radiating with stress, and not even a solid three mile run could dispel it. When I got back to the apartment, I snapped a picture of the beads of sweat trailing down my bare torso and sent the picture to Milo. If anything is going to keep me sane today, it’s him. Knowing that he’s just a text or phone call away eases a hint of the nausea churning in my stomach.
With the stress of my father’s expectations and the Callahan name hanging over my head, I took my time showering, cleaning up my facial hair, and getting dressed in a pair of dark gray slacks and a navy blue long-sleeve button down. Putting on the pair of dark brown dress shoes felt a bit like slipping into a character I’ve been trying to forget, and slipping the coordinating leather belt around my waist was the final piece of the costume. When I was sure not a single piece of hair was out of place, I stood in front of my bedroom mirror and slid one hand into my pocket, my gaze raking over my reflection.
Holding my phone in the other hand, my lips curled into a slight smirk as I took a photo and sent it to Milo. He’ll be driving for a few hours, so I don’t expect a text back right away.
CallMeCal:Here's hoping today isn’t a complete disaster.
CallMeCal:[attached image]
CallMeCal:How do I look?
When I pulled up outside of Avalon’s townhouse, I only sat in the car long enough to send off another quick text to Milo, letting him know that I miss him and would much rather be spending the day with him instead of putting on a show for my parents.
I’m at least thankful to have a friend by my side to deal with whatever this day may bring.
“Are you ready for this?” Avalon asks from beside me as we pull up to the gates of the neighborhood community where I grew up. If it weren’t for the exclusive members-only country club associated with the community, my father would prefer to live somewhere more secluded, but the social aspect of living here has kept my mom happy.
“Not even a little.” I give her a slight smile as I roll my window down and turn to face the guard at the gates.
He doesn’t offer any kind of formal greeting, just eyes me through his dark glasses as he stands with a tablet in his hand.
