Connors pov:
It felt nice. I was laid up in bed with a sleepy Jetson curled in my arms. So often lately it's been the other way around. He'd had to hold me as I tried to sleep either from crying myself into exhaustion or because nightmares kept me up most of the nights.
Now it was me holding him as he tried to finally get some sleep. Finals were coming up and Jetson threw himself into studying even if it meant staying up way too late. Anytime I'd tried to get him to go to bed he'd lay there alert and stressed about the tests coming up.
Finally he'd hit a point of exhaustion and I'd opened my arms happily to let him crawl into. His head rested heavy on my chest as he let out even breaths letting me know he was actually get some rest.
I wanted to do this forever. Holding him like this made me feel like I could. Jetson staying with me had become an issue. I was getting addicted to having him around. I was addicted to waking up next to me and going to sleep with him by my side. Going through our morning routine or just finding times in the day to wrap myself around him and know he was right here whenever I needed him.
I wanted a forever of this and I didn't know what I'd do if I couldn't have it.
There was a soft knock on my bedroom door and it wasn't hard to tell it was my mom. She always knocked lightly where if it wasn't quiet in my room I probably wouldn't hear it. My dad was more of a slam his hand against the door hard enough to shake the whole house.
"Come in." I said trying not to raise my voice too high to avoid waking up Jetson.
"Connor, there's someone at the door for you." My mom gave me a soft smile.
Usually I'd be stressed about who was here but the way my mom smiled at me and the fact her face was so soft and relaxed let me know that whatever was waiting for me wasn't bad. She wouldn't let me walk into something bad without warning. I trusted her so I felt nothing but at ease with the news.
"Alright give me a second." I told her and she just nodded slipping back out of my room.
I maneuvered Jetson off of me and he let out a soft groan reaching out once I made space between us.
"I'll be right back, get some sleep." I whispered to him pressing a soft kiss on the top of his head.
He didn't respond but seemed to relax enough in the pillows that I felt comfortable leaving him. I didn't want to be the reason he didn't get enough sleep.
I was a lot less nervous and more curious as I walked down the stairs. After all the terrible shit that had been thrown at me I didn't think it could get any worse. So really I didn't have it in me to worry anymore. I'd survived so far.
When I got to the front door my mom was there chatting away with whoever was on the other side with a wide smile on her face.
I couldn't see who was there but before I could try to get a glimpse my mom turned to me.
"Oh Connors here." She turned back to the door. "It was nice seeing you again."
When she stepped away from the door opening it up wider my heart stopped in my chest. I didn't know what I was expecting but it hadn't been this.
Standing in the doorway was Reid. I hadn't seen him since our senior year of high school. I'd taken our ten year friendship and shattered it into nothing. And those last few weeks of high school as I did everything I could to avoid him. It had all been torture. I hadn't felt like I'd ever be able to face Reid again, to try to make it right with him.
How did you apologize to someone after four years of not speaking? How could I explain why I'd never reached out over the years?
"Hey." Reid smiled at me and it hurt to see that his smile was fully genuine.
"Um hi." I stood there shocked not knowing how to walk to him anymore.
Reid rocked slightly on his feet.
"You know I figured this would be awkward but damn." He chuckled lightly.
"I'm just surprised to see you I guess."
"It shouldn't have taken this long, I'm sorry."
I had so many words that wanted to scream out of me. I wanted to tell him he didn't have to apologize but I shut my mouth not letting any of it come out.
"We should probably sit for this conversation." I sighed.
The options were slim. I could invite him in and have this conversation in the living room with my mom trying her hardest to not look like she's listening in. Or I could invite him to my room but that would mean disrupting Jetson where he was finally getting a nap. There was no way I was doing that.
So instead I stepped out onto the front porch closing the door behind me. I didn't even say anything as I sat down on the front step leaving enough room for Reid to sit next to me.
"I was mad at you for a long time. I hated you for walking away, leaving just like everyone else." He stated and I felt like my heart was cracking apart.
That had always been what held us together. There was a safety in what we had. Reid had spent his whole life watching everyone around him leave. But I'd been that constant for him. No matter what he'd had me and he'd voiced how much that meant to him plenty of times over the years.
"I'm sorry Reid I don't even know how to make up for it all but-,"
"I get it Connor. I said I was mad but you're family. You've been my best friend since we were seven and these last few years haven't changed that. You were going through something and I'm more upset I wasn't able to be there for you during it."
I didn't know why I wasn't surprised. This is how it's always been. Reid being so understanding and kind. Every argument we had usually lasted all of ten minutes before Reid apologized making everything okay. This didn't deserve to be just like all the others. I'd fucked up and I needed to be the one to make it right.
"None of that makes it okay. I was terrible to you and you hadn't deserved it. I'm really sorry Reid."
"My sophomore year of college I told a guy to 'use your fucking eyes and stop being a complete moron' for spilling their coffee on my new shoes." He said.
"What?" I just blinked at him.
"Look sometimes we say terrible things but that doesn't mean we're terrible people."
"I'm sorry." I cringed at the apology rolling out of my mouth.
I didn't know what to say. I'd let myself drown in self pity for a long time. It didn't feel real that he was here forgiving me for it all.
"You don't need to keep apologizing. I've forgiven you. I'm more upset that you felt like you couldn't tell me, that after everything you didn't think I'd be there for you when you needed me. I'm upset that I didn't see what was going on when I should've."
"It's wasn't that. If I would've told anyone back then it would've been you. But I didn't have any proof. I had nothing but my word and I didn't think that was enough. I didn't think that anyone would believe some poor kid who could barely get into college." I confessed.
"I would. I would've believed you no matter what."
And I knew he would've. I think even back then deep down I knew if I just opened my mouth and let the truth out Reid wouldn't have hesitated to believe me. He always had my back without question. And there was a time that I'd had his too.
"I know but I don't think I was ready to say it out loud back then."
"I missed you." He turned and smiled at me.
That was all I'd wanted these past years. To be able to sit here and make things right with us. I didn't think I could put into words how much I'd missed having my best friend.
"I missed you too."
There was something that settled between us. It had felt just like it had all those years ago. Even if we'd both changed over the years we were still us and Reid was still my family.
"I saw Tiffany a few weeks ago."
"Yeah she told me, I almost reached out then but I didn't know what to say." And I was glad he waited, I didn't know if I was ready for that then.
"How are her and Ronan?"
Ronan was Reid's older brother and his legal guardian. Him and Tiffany had been raising Reid together since he was twelve. It'd felt sometimes like they were raising me too with how often I was at their house.
"They actually broke up."
That was a shock. They'd been together since they were in high school. And when Ronan got custody of Reid, Tiffany moved in ready to take on the responsibility as well. I hadn't seen two people more in love than those two so it was a shock to know that they hadn't stayed together.
"Really? Wow I'm sorry."
I felt another tinge of hurt. Reid had went through this, his family getting disrupted and destroyed for the second time. He'd dealt with that and I hadn't been there for him. I'd missed so much over these years.
But we had time now. We had time to catch up and find out all that we had missed out on these last few years.
A/n:
Here's the ideas I have for what some of the other side characters look like.
This is your first sneak peak of Reid and I hope you like his character because you'll be seeing a lot more of him. Officially announcing that the third book in the series is going to be following Adam and Reid! It's going to be the first book in this series that the couple meets for the first time in their book. I'm super excited to write their story and be able to share with all of you.
I'm going on vacation literally tomorrow so I'm not going to be able to upload next Friday since I want to just take the time to enjoy my vacation and I can't guarantee what my service will be like. But I'll be back after that with a very exciting chapter to make up for the missed upload. Today is possibly my last day at work, I've started applying to other jobs and hopefully I'll have something before I have to sign my contract for next year. I'm crossing my fingers!!
Anyways I'm sorry for the long authors note but I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
- Cora Leigh