Page 64 of Not Over You

Reed held my hand as we climbed up a large rock, settling down beside each other, shoulder to shoulder.

Unspoken words filled the air, save for the sound of water spilling onto the shore.

I could feel the heat from Reed’s gaze on me, and when I turned to face him, he said, “I’m happy you followed your passion, stayed in New York to pursue real estate.” He paused as if to examine my reaction to his words, no doubt because the decision for me to stay in New York contributed to our collapse. “And look at you now, selling million-dollar homes like a boss.”

I blushed under his gaze, thankful the night sky hid his effect on me.

“What about you?” I asked. “Are you happy you followed your passion?” The timing of my question may have been off, but I’d always wondered if leaving New York, leaving us, to play professional football three thousand miles away had been worth it.

Reed’s lips downturned. “Gigi, leaving you left a hole in my heart.” He rested his palm on my cheek, and the soft, subtle touch sent a bolt of chills down my spine. “Trust me, if I were the man I am today, we wouldn’t have lost our shot at forever.”

Moisture pooled in my eyes, and I wanted to slap myself for not being able to hold back the waterworks. As the small stream of tears fell, Reed wiped them away, triggering Noni’s voice in my head, telling me to save my tears for a man who’d be there to wipe them away.

On our walk back to the house, our conversation landed on college days, those unforgettable moments, fun times we had long before our implosion.

“Remember when we fell asleep naked on the beach?” I said through a giggle. After being awakened by law enforcement, Reed and I were taken into custody for indecent exposure. “You had to call Tyler to pick us up from the police station.”

Tyler, Reed’s twin, may have looked identical to his brother, but they couldn’t have been more opposite. Reed lived for football and food. Tyler geeked out on economics and numbers. They were closer than two catfish in a skillet, having each other’s back whenever times got tough. I envied their shatterproof bond, their familial loyalty, something Sofie and I evidently missed out on.

Reed smiled. “That night will forever be stamped on my brain’s memory card. We’d celebrated our second anniversary under the stars. Chinese takeout, wine, and skinny dipping that led to…”

Toe-curling sex. Heat lashed at my face. Our romantic celebration at Cape May was full of firsts: the first time I’d ever had sex on the beach, the first time I’d ever been handcuffed, and the first time Reed and I’d ever discussed a long-term future together, one that we hoped would last a lifetime.

Thoughts of that night on the beach left me speechless, a prisoner to my thoughts as we walked, pinkies intertwined.

By the vacant expression on his face, it appeared as though Reed, too, became trapped in his thoughts.

“Did Tyler marry Cassie? I asked, remembering his brother had planned to pop the question to a long-term girlfriend he’d had since high school.

Reed hesitated, and I watched his expression slowly turn grim. “Yeah, they tied the knot the Christmas after graduation.”

His soft yet curt response told me not to press further.

Instead, I remained quiet, basking in the moment Reed took my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine as we continued our moonlit stroll back to the beach house.

CHAPTER 7

Reed

* * *

I hated all the should’ve, could’ve, would’ve, didn’t instances that plagued my life—especially when it came to Giana.

I should’ve apologized for being the asshole who chose football over a lifetime with her.

Could’ve kissed her on the couch or as we sat atop the rock on the beach.

Would’ve opened up about my brother Tyler and how he and Cassie finally took the honeymoon in Mexico they had postponed for two years due to a surprise pregnancy, only to pass away in their sleep because of some fucked-up carbon dioxide poisoning.

Didn’t tell her they left behind a daughter named Scarlett, whom I adopted two months later.

Maybe I thought all of it would’ve been too much too soon.

I mean, we’d only, by some odd serendipitous-like happenstance, reconnected that morning. Giana had her own family issues to deal with. I figured there would be time after, or some in between her sister’s wedding, to share my brother and sister-in-law’s tragedy and how it changed my life.

Back at the beach house that night, Giana and I sprawled out on the couch, sipping hot cocoa and watching movies, till we drifted off to sleep. The next day, after we exchanged cell numbers, recapped our fake engagement plan, and reviewed what I should expect next in the home-purchasing process, we hugged and went our separate ways.

And I drove back to Manhattan with my heart in my throat.

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