Page 46 of Faking Summer
"Fine." I relented. "But the second you do that eye thing you do, you need to turn around and go back."
Reese chuckled again. "What eye thing?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"You know exactly what eye thing you do," I said. It was more than his gaze—it was the intensity behind it, a fire that seemed to burn behind them. "The one that tells me all the dirty thoughts you're having."
"Okay, no eye thing," he agreed. "But are you okay?" he asked, his tone more serious now.
I swallowed the knot of emotions lodged in my throat and managed to murmur, "I don't know."
There was truth in those three words—a confession of confusion, an admission that despite how others saw me, I did have feelings deep down. "I know I seem like I don't care what any of them think, but I do."
Reese's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze probing. "Why? You don't even like them."
"That's not true," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "I just don't let a lot of people get close to me. I prefer it that way."
That was something I rarely acknowledged, let alone shared. I was Caroline Matthews—untouchable, unbreakable—yet here I stood, moments away from shattering the illusion I’d worked so hard to portray.
"Yeah, I noticed," he drawled. "Why is that?"
"It's just easier," I murmured. "People can disappoint you when you let them get too close or expect too much."
There was a pause, a moment stretched thin as if the world itself were waiting for his response. Then, in a voice that rumbled through the stillness like distant thunder, he said, "People can disappoint you no matter what."
I wasn’t just thinking about the people here in Bayside. No, it was him too—Reese Carrington. If I allowed him to get too close, if I allowed his magnetism to draw me in... he had the power to devastate me, utterly and completely. Like he had in the past.
"Keeping them at a distance means it doesn't hurt as bad," I said aloud.
Reese didn't reply immediately, but when he did, there was something new in the calmness of his voice. "Maybe so," he finally said. "And maybe some people are worth taking that risk for.”
"I don’t know, but I do know we can't let what happened tonighthappen again," I found myself saying, knowing I was shifting the topic.
"Come on, Caroline," Reese said, putting his hands in his pockets. "I know you liked it. You were the one who kissed me in there."
I was desperately trying to push that fact into the shadows. The sensation of his lips against mine lingered, a permanent imprint that refused to fade with the darkness around us. I touched my lips involuntarily, the memory igniting a warmth that spread through my chest and settled deep in my belly.
"Can you not be cocky right now? I'm in a very sensitive state." My attempt to deflect was sad, and I knew it. Reese had this infuriating way of stripping down my defenses, leaving me feeling exposed.
Reese's smirk lingered in the half-light. "Sorry," he said with a tilt of his head, miming the action of shoving something into his pocket. "I'll tuck that away for now."
I rolled my eyes at him, well aware of how cheesy that was. Even if I did like it—and god, every cell in my body screamed that I did—it was wrong on a myriad of levels. "Even if I liked it, and if I did, it's probably because it’s been way too long since I have hooked up with anyone.”
"Use me then, Chaos," he said, a rough whisper that sent shivers down my spine.
Use him?I swallowed hard, unable to think or respond. And despite myself, despite every rational thought that screamedcaution!, I couldn't shake the image of his hands—those strong, assured hands that were all over me—the way he clenched his jaw and looked down at me.
"Think about it—it’s perfect. Your family thinks we’re together, the whole party probably does now, too." He let the moment stretch. "So why not make the most of it? Use me to take that ache away. I know you want to."
"Use you?"
Reese stood there, effortlessly commanding the space around us. "I’m happily volunteering," he said, his voice low and smooth. He leaned in, just enough for me to smell that delicious scent of his. "Until the wedding, I’m all yours—boyfriend, fuck buddy, whatever you want me to be.”
My steps faltered on the quiet street. Each word unfurled within me, painting images that should have been blurred by doubt but instead made my knees weak. For some reason—no, foreveryreason—what he offered sounded incredible. My mind reeled at the thought of taking what he presented so freely. I wanted him more than I wanted to admit.
"Fuck buddy," I whispered to myself, letting the idea wash over me in waves.
"Just sleep on it, let me know," Reese said, his tone casual like he was offering me snacks.
I turned on my heel, the gravel beneath my feet crunching like static as we approached my home—a sanctuary that felt too small to contain the breadth of my thoughts. "How are you getting home?"
