paperwork tonight, which made it all way too
real. She saw the panic in my eyes and talked me down. She said she and her dad
work with a lot of people under the radar and that they will be very discrete
and will work with me on a press conference as soon as our last game is
finished.”
The phone went silent after
that, and Reed and I sat there listening to one another breathe—for
minutes. Actual minutes.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,”
he finally said. I could sense the fear in his voice.
I waited a little longer before
finally answering. “I guess, I’m thinking I’m really glad you didn’t sleep with
someone,” I said, laughing nervously, but also masking the gut-twisting hurt I
was experiencing from this new turn in things.
“Oh my god, Nolan, I’m so happy
to hear you say that. I mean… I’m not happy you thought for that second that I
did that. I love you so fucking much. I would never do that to you. Not
in a million years,” Reed sounded so full of hope. I couldn’t dash it. Not
again.
“We’ll figure it out. The draft,
huh?” I said, letting the new facts of my life align with the other ones.
“Yeah, the draft,” he sounded
happy for the first time since before I came face-to-face with Dylan Nichols.
“And I want you to be involved. In everything.”
I just nodded to myself,
resolving myself to tell him the other surprising news that was going to hammer
away at his life. “Okay,” I said, gathering up the courage to start when Reed
cut me off.
“Hey, my other line’s buzzing.
It’s Jason. That’s really weird for him to call this late. I’ve gotta get this.
We’ll talk tomorrow, though, okay? I love you. So much.”
He was gone before I was able to
get out, “Me, too.”
Chapter 5
Nolan
I used to love Fridays. I spent
most of my time in lab working on my projects, tutoring students and finishing
up homework. The rest of the day and weekend was reserved for Reed and
me—not a care in the world, like we were both locked in our own little
time capsule. But I was dreading this Friday.
My appointment at the health
center was just a few days away, and I had finally come to terms with the fact
that Reed needed to know what was happening. My moods had been unmanageable,
and I feared that holding in the secret was starting to chip away at my
insides. Sleep was sporadic, and my grades were starting to suffer from my lack
of concentration. Thankfully, I was able to draft a bit off Gavin in our psych
class, though I was careful not to get too close with him after our last study
session.
It was Reed’s bye week, so he
was spending some extra time in Coolidge. He had several practices, but there
were at least two almost full days where we would be able to get away. Reed
wanted to camp again so he wouldn’t be too far from school or home. Buck had
broken a leg while attempting to water ski in Mexico. Jason was staying at the
house, running things while Buck was out of commission, but Reed’s brother
wasn’t the most caring man in the world, and he made it very clear that he
wouldn’t be playing nurse while his dad was laid up with his leg.
Reed called Thursday night after
practice, during his drive to his dad’s, and spent most of our conversation
venting.
“I just don’t get how Jason and
I are related. I mean, how hard is it to drive dad to a few appointments, make
him dinner? Hell, all he has to do is heat the shit up, Rose does the actual
cooking,” Reed said, his stereo blasting in the background and the wind
whipping in the phone from the open windows of his Jeep. “Sorry, I know I’ve
been complaining for like 10 minutes, but I just don’t get my douche bag
brother. Everyone loves him, and it disgusts me.”
I mostly listened. I had only
met Jason once or twice in passing introductions. He’d spent most of his time
in New Mexico. I was actually a little nervous about spending more time with
him over the weekend, fearful that if Reed found him so
real. She saw the panic in my eyes and talked me down. She said she and her dad
work with a lot of people under the radar and that they will be very discrete
and will work with me on a press conference as soon as our last game is
finished.”
The phone went silent after
that, and Reed and I sat there listening to one another breathe—for
minutes. Actual minutes.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,”
he finally said. I could sense the fear in his voice.
I waited a little longer before
finally answering. “I guess, I’m thinking I’m really glad you didn’t sleep with
someone,” I said, laughing nervously, but also masking the gut-twisting hurt I
was experiencing from this new turn in things.
“Oh my god, Nolan, I’m so happy
to hear you say that. I mean… I’m not happy you thought for that second that I
did that. I love you so fucking much. I would never do that to you. Not
in a million years,” Reed sounded so full of hope. I couldn’t dash it. Not
again.
“We’ll figure it out. The draft,
huh?” I said, letting the new facts of my life align with the other ones.
“Yeah, the draft,” he sounded
happy for the first time since before I came face-to-face with Dylan Nichols.
“And I want you to be involved. In everything.”
I just nodded to myself,
resolving myself to tell him the other surprising news that was going to hammer
away at his life. “Okay,” I said, gathering up the courage to start when Reed
cut me off.
“Hey, my other line’s buzzing.
It’s Jason. That’s really weird for him to call this late. I’ve gotta get this.
We’ll talk tomorrow, though, okay? I love you. So much.”
He was gone before I was able to
get out, “Me, too.”
Chapter 5
Nolan
I used to love Fridays. I spent
most of my time in lab working on my projects, tutoring students and finishing
up homework. The rest of the day and weekend was reserved for Reed and
me—not a care in the world, like we were both locked in our own little
time capsule. But I was dreading this Friday.
My appointment at the health
center was just a few days away, and I had finally come to terms with the fact
that Reed needed to know what was happening. My moods had been unmanageable,
and I feared that holding in the secret was starting to chip away at my
insides. Sleep was sporadic, and my grades were starting to suffer from my lack
of concentration. Thankfully, I was able to draft a bit off Gavin in our psych
class, though I was careful not to get too close with him after our last study
session.
It was Reed’s bye week, so he
was spending some extra time in Coolidge. He had several practices, but there
were at least two almost full days where we would be able to get away. Reed
wanted to camp again so he wouldn’t be too far from school or home. Buck had
broken a leg while attempting to water ski in Mexico. Jason was staying at the
house, running things while Buck was out of commission, but Reed’s brother
wasn’t the most caring man in the world, and he made it very clear that he
wouldn’t be playing nurse while his dad was laid up with his leg.
Reed called Thursday night after
practice, during his drive to his dad’s, and spent most of our conversation
venting.
“I just don’t get how Jason and
I are related. I mean, how hard is it to drive dad to a few appointments, make
him dinner? Hell, all he has to do is heat the shit up, Rose does the actual
cooking,” Reed said, his stereo blasting in the background and the wind
whipping in the phone from the open windows of his Jeep. “Sorry, I know I’ve
been complaining for like 10 minutes, but I just don’t get my douche bag
brother. Everyone loves him, and it disgusts me.”
I mostly listened. I had only
met Jason once or twice in passing introductions. He’d spent most of his time
in New Mexico. I was actually a little nervous about spending more time with
him over the weekend, fearful that if Reed found him so
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