Page 51 of Fall Twice

I cuddle into him tighter, resting my ear against his heart. I can hear the beat, strong and steady and finally for me.

18

LENA

Walking into Ginger & Co., I feel my mouth stretch when I see Reid who is standing with his feet firmly planted with no intention of going anywhere as he studies the menu.

“We’re really doing this? You haven’t changed your mind yet?” I drop my arms and step closer to him.

He glances to me, and his face has subtle vulnerability, as if he’s afraid of my question, but his peaceful smirk tells me that he knows I’m happy to be here.

“Ordering an eggnog latte because pumpkin lattes have been kicked to the curb?”

I interlace our arms while we both look forward, and I sigh. “Technically it’s the shortest day of the year, which means fall is over. They could have waited.” There’s disdain in my voice. “But I meant you and me, not the lattes.”

Reid snorts a laugh due to my seasonal preference, then grows serious. “Yeah, we’re doing this,” he confirms. “I’m ready for you now.” His statement confirms that he means it, and I still can’t get enough of him confirming it. It’s been nearly a month since he showed up at my door.

“This is a change from our first real date at the trampoline park.” I have to poke the bear.

He tips his head to the side, and he hides his hand in his pocket. “I mean, I would have preferred a candlelit dinner, but figured I would get points if I included Oscar, and it shows commitment.” And I appreciate it.

“We have an hour,” I mention, and I give him a mischievous wink.

He turns to thread his fingers through my hair. “Better make it worth it then and let me kiss you.”

I reach my arms up to circle around his neck, and he angles his mouth down to kiss me. And not just any kiss, it’s us rooted to the ground for a future. He wraps his arm around my middle to pull me up and off the ground, flush to his body, and he twirls me around. His warmth spreads throughout my body and my heart wants to jump out of my chest. We both murmur indistinguishable sounds before he sets me back down as we get more from our kiss, drawing it out so it doesn’t end.

Then when it does, his fingers immediately touch my cheek.

The clearing of a throat draws our attention to the barista who is shyly watching us. “Uhm, did you want to order?”

Reid and I chuckle softly at one another. “Yeah, sorry, we got carried away there. We’re kind of new into this relationship, well, not really, but you know how it goes.”

The barista who looks to be seventeen just smiles awkwardly. “I don’t. Was it two eggnog lattes?” she answers, one-toned.

“Sure. Going to guess ginger plays a starring role,” Reid quips. He pays, then we head to a table by the window to look out at the cold, snowy December day.

I take Reid’s hand into my own. “Oscar was wondering why we haven’t seen you in a while.”

He looks at me, puzzled. “It’s only been a few days since I’ve seen him. Remember, pizza, and then he went to sleep, and I ravished his mother before sneaking out.”

“Sense of time is different for him.”

We have been going slow, so Oscar still sees Reid as my friend who we hang out with every now and then. We’ve had a babysitter twice while Reid and I had a date, just the two of us, and Oscar didn’t seem to connect any dots. But the last month feels like a rollercoaster that’s accelerating us toward the finish line that we were meant for.

I shrug a shoulder and then smile brightly at the barista who delivers our drinks. Then frown when I look at the latte that is flavored with eggnog and not pumpkin.

“You can do this, I have faith,” Reid encourages in a joking manner.

“I’m going to have to get through winter, so might as well,” I declare before taking a sip. It isn’t that bad—all right really, maybe even good.

Reid pulls our interlaced hands. “Out with the season of change and in with the season where I’m going to keep you warm at every opportunity.”

I slide my chair closer to him. “Every opportunity?” I nuzzle into him, ready to get my flirt on.

He groans sinfully low in his throat before nipping his teeth against my cheek. “My mother decided to fly out for Christmas with my father.”

“Wow, way to kill the mood,” I joke. Maintaining my tight-lipped smile, I ask the obvious. “Is your mother’s surprise visits an occurrence I should get used to?”

---