I’m glad Reid finally came clean and told me everything, but at the same time, it complicates things. I hate to say it, but this development with June... kind of changes everything.
Before, I didn’t know where we were headed, but if we were getting serious, all that meant was that I was dating a single father parenting a son whose mother wasn’t in the picture.
I could handle that.
I’m not sure I can handle this.
I don’t know June. I don’t know what she’s like. I don’t know what trouble she may or may not bring in the future. Although I encouraged Reid to reconnect with her for Ethan’s sake, that doesn’t mean she’ll make his life any easier, and by extension whoever he’s with.
Even if she is a reasonable person, she’s sure to balk at our relationship, because not only am I half Reid’s age, but I am the woman he hired to take care of her son. There’s bound to be some friction there, and I don’t know that I have the strength to bare it.
Of course, all of this is hypothetical, but still….
I am young. Only 22. I shouldn’t have to be dealing with these grown-up issues. I’m supposed to be dating, casually, having fun and dropping guys for the dumbest reasons. However, on the other hand, I have feelings for Reid. Very strong feelings. I’m in love with him. Walking away from him will be easier said than done, but at the end of the day I have to put myself first. It doesn’t matter how I feel about him or how he feels about me. If I ever feel like the situation is becoming untenable, I have to walk away.
There are the thoughts that plague my mind and make sure I have a fitful night’s rest.
I finally konkout around three in the morning. Which is why I think I’m dreaming at first when I’m woken by the sound of my door opening. I smell scrambled eggs and citrus first, then open my eyes slightly and see Reid climb up onto my bed. He is carrying a standing tray.
I try to wake up as much as I can, and sit up. Reid places the tray over my legs.
“What’s all this?” I ask as I rub sleep out of my eyes.
“I made you breakfast in bed.”
I manage a small laugh. “You made me breakfast in bed? Or Ruth made me breakfast in bed?”
“I made it.”
“Really? Because if you did, I would be nervous to try it.”
“Why?”
“Because you can’t cook. You’ve told me that so many times.”
“Yeah, I admit my skills in the kitchen leave a lot to be desired, but I wanted to do something nice for you. So I learned. I looked up some recipes online and put this together. I have to say, it took me a while to get going, but in the end, I think I did pretty well.”
I look down at the tray laden with waffles, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fruit salad and orange juice. “Well, I will admit, this does look delicious.”
“Good.” He picks up the fork and knife and holds them out to me looking expectant. “Now try it.”
Smiling, I take the cutlery from him. I pour some syrup from the carafe on the side over the pancakes and slice into the stack. He’s watching me the entire time. When I take my first bite my suspicions are confirmed. It’s mouthwatering.
“Wow! That’s actually good.”
He chuckles. “Well, you could try to sound less surprised.”
I laugh. “So, what brought this on?”
He looks shy all of a sudden when he shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess I wanted to make an effort.”
“An effort?”
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not stupid enough to believe that waffles will get you to give me another chance, but it’s a gesture of affection all the same.”
I sigh. “Reid… There’s nothing you can do to swing my decision either way. I want to be with you, it’s just that everything has gotten so complicated. I don’t know whether it would be good for either of us to continue. That’s the issue. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t care for how you treated me over the last week, but I can forgive that. In fact, I already have… I guess I’m just afraid of the future.”
Reid scooches closer and takes my hands. “Naomi, I totally understand what you’re saying. I can’t make any promises as to how smooth things will be between us moving forward. Not because I have any intentions of messing up in the future, but because I’m self-aware enough to know that I can’t control everything. My life is going to be precarious for the next few months. I don’t know what’s going to happen with work, or with June. However, the one thing I can promise you is to make an effort.”