Page 104 of Firsts

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Instead of going home, Reid drives to the lake house. He seems livid, and he has every right to be.

I follow him inside, watching him pace around while huffing and shaking his head. “I can’t believe her. She got upset with me for communicating with him. Then she goes and…”

His phone starts to ring for the umpteenth time. Reid slides it out of his pocket, powers it off, and tosses it on the sofa.

“Maybe you should talk to Aunt Helena,” I suggest, closing the gap. “Let her explain herself.”

He throws his hands up. “How could she possibly explain that? Cassie, she was in his bed.”

That was blatantly clear while observing both Barry and Aunt Helena. They appeared flustered and fidgety like they’d been caught redhanded.

“You should have heard her the other night,” Reid adds. “She told me not to talk to Barry. To distance myself from him. So what the fuck was that?”

I give him a sympathetic look, having no idea what to say.

Vibrations fill the quiet, and I know it’s Aunt Helena calling me before checking the screen.

“Don’t answer,” Reid tells me, dropping down on the sofa.

The phone stops buzzing. I place it on the coffee table and sit beside him. “What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.” He drags his hands down his face. “I don’t want to see either of them right now. I’m too heated.”

“Okay.” I massage the nape of his neck, and his eyes fall shut at my touch.

We sit in silence until the gray hue of the evening starts to seep in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Turning to me, Reid asks softly, “Hungry?”

I nod.

“I’ll order food. Can we hang out here for a bit?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He straightens from beside me with his phone, powering it on as he approaches the wall switch. He flips it and fills the living room with a warm light.

While he’s looking up spots in the area, I wander over and touch his face, giving him a soft kiss to further calm him.

Reid deepens the kiss, squeezing me against him.

At the sound of the door, we tear apart, turning to see Aunt Helena frozen in place.

Her eyes are wide. “Oh my god.”

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