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“Perfect. Reese, you can take Cooper’s too,” Eve says, throwing me off guard.
“What does that mean?” I groan.
“Aunt Edna made one for you too.”
“Dear God, can we just tell her that it got lost in the mail?” I ask.
“Cooper,” Reese scolds me. “Is that any way to treat poor Great Aunt Edna’s gift? You will try it on, and I will make sure she gets those pictures.”
Our moms laugh. “Let me know when you get it,” Eve tells Reese. “You kids have fun. We need to go, or we’re going to be late for our pedicures. Love you both,” Eve says.
“Love you both,” Mom echoes, and the line goes dead.
“This is going to be good.” Reese grins.
Reaching over, I tickle her side. “Yeah? You think this is funny? Just wait, I’m framing yours,” I say through her laughter.
“S-Stop. I’m g-gonna pee.” She laughs. Her cute little button nose is scrunched up just like it always does when she’s laughing. It’s a look that I’ve seen often, and one of her best. I love to see her happy.
I move to get a better angle, which has me staring down at her. That’s the moment my bedroom door opens. Nixon and Tessa stand there with weird expressions on their faces.
“T-Tess,” Reese splutters. “H-Help me.”
“You’re on your own, girl. I ain’t trying to be a part of all that.” I look over my shoulder to find Tessa waving her arm in the air toward the bed, where Reese and I are currently having a tickle fest just like we used to when we were kids.
“Mercy?” I ask her.
“Y-Yes.”
“And no pictures to send to Aunt Edna.”
“Y-Yes. Fine.” She gasps for air.
I relent, pulling my hands from her body, and she jolts to action and rushes out the door. Thankfully, Nixon and Tessa jump out of the way to let her through.
Nixon shakes his head while Tessa gives me a knowing look with a smile a mile wide. “We’re going downstairs to watch a movie and order pizza. Just wanted to let you guys know.”
“Thanks, we’ll be right down.”
Tessa’s eyes sparkle. “Take your time. We can wait.” With that, she tugs on Nixon’s arm and pulls him out of my room, down the hall. Their footsteps grow faint as they descend the stairs.
A few minutes later, Reese is back. Her face is flushed, her hair is a mess, and her smile is not only wide but genuine. That’s just Reese. “Where’d they go?” she asks.
“Downstairs. Movies and pizza?” I ask.
“It’s like you read my mind.” She walks to my closet and pulls out one of my CU hoodies. It has my last name and number printed on the back. I wait for her to slip it over her head and then follow her downstairs.
As I walk behind her, I can’t hide my smile. It’s not the first hoodie of mine that she’s confiscated, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. This time though, it feels different. Seeing her wearing my name and number, it’s not new. No, she’s done this since we were kids as my biggest cheerleader. It’s something that has happened more times than not during our friendship, but this time there is something else. Something that almost feels like want. The last twenty-four hours have been strange, and I’m sure tomorrow things will go back to normal. That’s what needs to happen, but the thought leaves pain in the center of my chest. Shaking out of my thoughts, I mentally chastise myself.
She’s my best friend.
This is not happening.
Nixon and I let the girls choose the toppings as he and I will eat anything. By the time the pizza arrives, we’ve convinced them to watch a scary movie.
“You know this is going to suck for us, right?” Tessa asks. I’m not sure if she’s asking me and Nixon, or Reese.
“I know,” Reese grumbles. “Why in the hell did we let them win?”
“Hey, we watch that sappy romantic shit with you two all the time,” Nixon reminds them.
He’s not wrong. We usually pretty much give in to whatever they want. Tonight, however, I put up a fight. I’ve had more sappy thoughts than I can handle with Reese this weekend. I need something that’s not going to have me wishing things were different. Something with gore and suspense should do the trick. Something that’s not going to tempt me to spill my thoughts and potentially ruin a lifetime of friendship. No, I need scary tonight.
Two large pizzas later, the lights are off, and Nixon cues up the movie. I glance over at the couch, and Tessa is curled up next to him. His arm is around her shoulders, holding her close, and a little bit of envy washes over me. It would be nice to be with someone. To know they’re with me for who I am, and not the idea of the fame my future might hold.
