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“Don’t. Don’t pretend this doesn’t suck.”
She chuckles softly. “Fine. It sucks. But this is how things are going to be from now on. You have a career that is going to pull you away more often than not. You knew that. We knew that. We knew this was how it was going to be.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I didn’t know this is how it was going to be. I didn’t—” I stop, debating on what to say, and decide to just throw it out there. She’s my best fucking friend, and I can tell her anything. “I didn’t know I would miss you this much. I mean, I knew I would miss you, but this…” I rub my chest, over my heart. “It’s more than I thought, Reese.”
“So, it’s not just me?”
“No. It’s not just you.”
“Okay. Well, I guess family day of training camp is when I’ll see you.”
“That’s like three more weeks.” I’m whining and don’t give a fuck.
“I know.” Her reply is soft, and sadness hangs in her voice.
“I have to be on during camp. I need to focus, and you’ve always been good at helping me do that.”
“Well then, we better make tonight count. We’re going to both order pizza, the same kind, and do you have a TV and Netflix at this fancy new pad of yours?” she teases.
“That’s about it, but yeah.”
“Good. Then grab your cell phone charger; it’s going to be a long night.”
“What?” Is she saying what I think she is?
“You and me, we’re hanging out tonight. Dinner and a movie. It’s the next best thing to being there.”
“Don’t you have plans with Hunter?” I try hard not to grimace when I say his name.
“I’m texting him now and telling him I have to cancel. Tonight, it’s just you and me, Coop.”
I should feel like a dick that she’s canceling on her boyfriend for me, but I can’t seem to find it in me to care. I want this time with her. No, I need this time with her. “Deal.”
“I’m going to take a shower and change into some other clothes, and order my pizza. Call you back in thirty minutes?”
Is it wrong that I almost ask her to take me with her? “Sure. Thirty minutes,” I say instead. Doesn’t matter, though. Images of her naked body are already front and center in my mind. Who am I kidding? That’s pretty much where they stay. And the distance, well, that doesn’t help matters any.
“Deal. Get ready. I’m picking a chic flick,” she teases.
“We could watch paint dry and I’d be good with it. Now, go get ready so we can get to it.”
She smiles, waves, and ends the call. While it’s not her here where my arms can wrap around her in a hug, she’s right. This is the next best thing. I’ll take what I can get when it comes to Reese.Chapter 24ReeseThis year is flying by. It seems like graduation was just last week. How it’s already Thanksgiving, I have no idea. The summer seemed to drag on, but then work got busier and busier as more cases were assigned to me, and bam, it’s already November. Hunter and I are going to my parents’ for Thanksgiving, and it’s going to be weird not having Cooper and his family there. They won’t even be next door. The Defenders play today, so instead of him sitting at the table with us, we’re going to be watching him on TV. It’s surreal to think that not only us, but millions of people will be watching him. I’m so proud of him and all the hard work he’s put in to get to this place in his life.
Speaking of Cooper. My phone rings. I glance over at Hunter and show him the screen before standing from the couch and disappearing down the hall to my childhood room. “Hey,” I greet him.
“Reese.” His tone is full of relief.
“Coop? What’s wrong?”
“I wish you and your parents would have let me fly you out here.”
“Cooper, we’ve been over this. You can’t spend your money on flying us to see you every single game.”
“It’s my money. I can do what I want with it,” he grumbles.
“Invest and save. Think about your future.”
“All I can think about is how long it’s been since I’ve seen you.” He heaves a heavy sigh into the phone.
He’s not the only one. I went to the family day at training camp with his parents and mine. I got a few hugs and “how have you beens,” but there was so much chaos that we didn’t really get to chat. I haven’t seen him since. Not in person. Video chats, text messages, and phone calls sum up the relationship I have with my best friend.
“We knew it would be like this,” I remind him. I’ve been saying that a lot lately. I think it’s a reminder to both of us. I did know, and I knew it would be hard, but some days it’s harder than others.
