I threw my backpack into the backseat of Reece's car before getting into the passengers side. Today was January 2nd, which meant the end of winter break. Going back to Westwood to wake up bright and early for school tomorrow.
Reece insisted on giving me a ride home, but when I refused to be in the same vehicle as Lisa, he paid for her to take the train so we could have some alone time. I settled into my seat and waited for Reece to start up the car so we could get back to reality.
After a few minutes, Reece got into the car and started up the engine. "Hey, you ok?" He asked as he pulled out of his spot.
I nodded my head, "Yeah I'm all right."
"Are you sure? I know last night got a bit..."
"Annoying? Awkward? Frustrating?" I filled in the missing words for him. Yesterday, after our talk, Reece came back to my apartment. We were watching a movie that we weren't paying any attention to since things were getting steamy, but right when I was about to take his shirt off, Lisa called.
Apparently she was hungry and had been waiting for Reece to come back so she could order some food. He tried to buy her food that would be delivered, but she didn't know what she wanted and insisted he come back to the hotel.
Reece had apologized a million times last night, and I told him it was ok because it wasn't a big deal. Once he left, I started thinking about how she will constantly be a big cock blocker for us. When we get back to Westwood, she'd be living with him. Things were going to change, and it bugged me.
He let out a sigh and quickly glanced over at me, "Tell me what's on your mind. Let me fix it."
"There's nothing to fix. Why I'm upset isn't because of you, it's because of her." I grumbled in my seat.
"Tell me any way. I want to know why you're upset with Lisa." He was persistent with trying to get me to talk about my feelings. At this point, the boy could get me to do anything.
"I just didn't like how she made you leave because she doesn't know how to feed herself."
Reece smirked, making me groan and roll my eyes. He was definitely about to say something snarky and stupid. "No need to be jealous Bennett, I've only got an emotional boner for you." He placed his hand on my thigh and smiled.
"I'm not jealous, just annoyed that my...ugh what the heck am I supposed to call you?" The word boyfriend was still off the table for now, but I didn't know how else to describe what Reece was to me.
"BIT." He simply stated.
I gave him a weird look, "What the hell is a BIT?"
"Boyfriend in training." He clarified.
"Does that make me you're GIT?" If it did, I didn't like it. The acronym sounded kinda weird in my head.
Reece shook his head, "Nah, you're my PG."
"You're going to have to explain what these things stand for. I have no idea what the hell at PG is."
"You're my pending girlfriend. You're already my girl in my head, but I'm just waiting on you to give me the ok. Hence, pending." He gave me the quick rundown on his stupid little acronyms, which I thought were super cute and sweet.
I decided on calling him my BIF because it sounded like the name I'd give to a fish, which Reece agreed with. "Anyways, I'm simply just annoyed that my BIF can be stolen from me at any moment."
"Hey now, I can not be stolen from you. I'm all yours baby girl." He winked.
Oh my god, he did not just call me baby girl.
"I'm going to pretend like you didn't just call me your baby girl and move on to a different subject that doesn't involve your ex." I leaned me head against the window in an attempt to ease my mind.
"Great, lets talk about your ex." Reece causally changed the subject into something that I had no interest in discussing. "Have you thought about how we're going to kill him yet? Because I was thinking we just push him off a cliff. Quick and easy,"
"We're not going to kill him. In fact, we aren't even going to look at him. Freddie is someone I want to put behind me, and everything that happened before break is now just a very distant issue that I can barely remember."
Of course that I was a lie.
Freddie has managed to stay in the dark corners of my mind all throughout break. I was nervous about how things would be back at school. I didn't care if everyone hated me again or if he decided not to expose me and things would be normal, I just hated no knowing.
"Ok, silent treatment it is." Reece announced, "Never liked the kid anyways."
"You don't really like anyone at all," I pointed out.
"I like you, pretty sure that counts." He winks, filling my stomach full with a ton of butterflies. Why was he so damn cute? "I would say Madison, but last time we talked it looked like she wanted to kick me in the balls."
"That's because she was planning on kicking you in the balls if you didn't show up. Then you actually showed up so she had to think of a different strategy to inflict pain."
Speaking of Madison, she wasn't exactly happy when I told her Reece and I made up. Actually, she was pissed. She reminded me one too many times about how trusting him would be stupid and how I could find someone hotter and overall better than Reece Daniels. It was hard to hear, especially coming from my best friend. But I shut her up quickly when I pointed out how her relationship isn't exactly picture perfect.
She's yet to tell Emmett of her bisexuality, something that is very important to tell your boyfriend. Although she's only had flings with other girls, it was still something he should know. I told her to come clean as soon as possible, but she said she felt too uncomfortable and wanted to wait for when the timing was right.
I brought my attention back over to Reece, who got oddly quiet after my last comment about Madison. "Hey, what's up?"
Reece let out a sigh, "I just feel like what happened on New Years Eve made Madison hate me. She's your best friend and I don't want her to not like me."
"I'm sure she'll get over it. We're very similar when it comes to trust issues and she's just looking out for me." I easily dismissed, "besides, I doubt any of your friends like me."
He scoffed, "You haven't met my friends, at least not the ones in Westwood."
"To be honest, I didn't think you had any."
Reece rolled his eyes at this, "Ha ha, very funny. I do have friends, you know that."
"Do I? The only person I've seen you hang out with is me. You've sat with a few guys that I barely know during lunch, but that's all I know of."
"Owen, Sammy and Marcos. Those are the people I hang out with when I'm not trying to win you over."
Was it bad that I didn't know any of those people except for Owen? He was the only person I knew because he's known for throwing the best parties in Westwood. "Very cute," I let out a loud yawn, stretching my arms out a bit.
"Take a nap, Bennett. You seem exhausted."
"I'm your co-pilot, I can't fall asleep now." I countered as I let out another deep yawn.
Reece chuckled, "I'm sure I can handle the next hour on my own. I'll wake you when we get close."
•••
The view from the top of the Empire State Building was nothing less than magical. Stars shone brightly in contrast to the darkness of the sky, and although it was summer, the wind began picking up making me shiver.
Reece naturally put his sweater over my shoulders after noticing my goosebumps. I smiled up at him as he put his arms around my waist and watched the stillness of the city below us.
"Hey," he turned me around to face him, "I want to tell you something." I nodded my head quickly, excited to hear what the boy had to say. "You're so beautiful and amazing, I can see myself falling in love with you."
My heart fluttered, "Oh Reece," I gushed, "I can see myself falling in love with you too! Honestly, I think I am in love with you."
I wrapped him into a hug, but he roughly pushed me away, "The thing is...I could've fallen in love with you, but I'm already in love with Lisa."
"Lisa?" I repeated broken-heartedly
As if saying her name were a spell, Lisa magically appeared beside Reece. She gave me a quick wink before pulling his head down to her level, kissing him with every passionate bone in her body.
A gasp escaped my lips as I watched Reece kiss her back, "This can't be real...Reece, I'm in love with you!"
Reece broke the kiss and looked over at me with a disgusted expression, "You should've told me that sooner," he spat before returning back to Lisa.
I wanted to run away, to shut my eyes and blackout the memory of everything that just happened, but I couldn't move. My feet were glued down to the floor, forcing me to watch Lisa and Reece melt in each other's arms.
Lisa finally broke away from Reece, only to look over at me and laugh. "He's always been mine, he will always be mine." Her sinister smirk caused shivers down my spin.
"No! I love him!" I shouted, but nothing changed. Reece still had his arms around Lisa and I was still standing in front of them. "Reece, please."
"Sorry, Carson. I'm in love with Lisa." He stared around her endearingly, leaving me to watch him be happy with his ex. "But look! You still have someone."
I turned my head around to see Freddie standing over me. A huge pit formed in my stomach, "No...not not again."
"I know you miss me babe, just come back to me or else I'll hurt you," He pulled out a gun from his project and I gasped at it, "I won't be as forgiving next time."
"No! Leave me alone!" I tried to push him away from me, but he only grabbed on to my wrists and held me close to his face.
He released one of his hands to slap me across the face, harder and tougher then any other slap I've ever received, "This is what you deserve, slut. This is the kind of love you deserve."
•••
"Bennett? Carson, wake up."
I gasped as I opened my eyes, scaring Reece so badly he actually jolted back. "Shit! Bennett, what the hell was that?"
"Sorry...bad dream." I apologized, stepping out of the car and grabbing my stuff from the back.
Reece watched me carefully as I did so, "You claim to never dream, and yet this is the second time you've waken up terrifyingly," he snatched the bags out of my hand, refusing to let me carry any, "everything alright?"
"I'm fine, don't worry about it." I said, moving past him as I made my way towards my front door. The key fit perfectly into the hole, twisting the lock and allowing me entrance into my home.
Reece followed me inside, placing the bags down besides the steps up to my room. "You tell me not to worry, but it only makes it worse."
He grabbed me by the waist and holds me against him. A blush form across my cheeks and I tried to awkwardly look away, "It's nothing. Just stressed about having to go back to school, that's all."
Lie.
"Ok, whatever you say." He smiled down at me.
"So, are you going to stay over tonight?" I quickly changed the subject, avoiding a discussion about my feelings, "We could order pizza and watch a movie."
"Actually...I have to go back home later to help Lisa with job hunting," my smile flatten at the sound of her damn name, "but I can still stay for a little while. Hang out, maybe kiss you a little." Reece bent down to kiss me, but I effectively dodged it.
Now it was his turn to frown, "Might as well just leave now then. I have to clean up a bit around here anyways." I said as politely as I could. I weaseled my way out of his grip and moved over to the kitchen, pretending to make myself busy with something.
"Bennett, don't be like this," he called after me, "I told you Lisa is just a friend. You know I'd much rather spend my night here, but I already told her I'd help."
"Reece, it's fine. I'm fine," I closed the door to my fridge and nodded for him to follow me back towards the door, "just don't forget to come pick me up for school tomorrow, ok?" I said, leaning up to kiss him.
The smile returned to his face, convinced that I was actually ok with this. He swooped down to kiss me again, harder and longer this time before pulling away. "I wouldn't miss it. I'll call you later."
And just like that, he left out the front door. Off to hang with his ex...I love that for me.
•••