15
LILA
Ispent the week after Reid dropped off the letter catching up on all the life tasks that had piled up while I was busy on set. I cleaned out my fridge, sorted through months of mail, and thinned out my closets after realizing how much laundry needed to be done.
The quiet gave me too much time to think about the man who had stood in my living room and taken full responsibility without making excuses.
On Friday morning, I sat on my couch with my phone in my hand for almost twenty minutes before I finally typed the message.
Me
Any chance you’re free to meet for coffee today?
I stared at the screen, telling myself this was nothing more than an emotional experiment. I needed to see where my head was, and the only way to do that was to be in the same space with him again.
Even though he was at the office, he replied almost immediately.
Reid
Just tell me when and where.
His answer made me realize maybe this was a test for him as well. Another chance for him to show me how much he’d changed, when he had no opportunity to prepare for it.
Me
How about now?
Reid
In the mood for a vanilla latte from Lilly?
I was impressed by how much he remembered. The vibe at Laurel Canyon Café was much more mine than Reid’s, so we hadn’t gone to the coffee stand right in front of the country store near my house very often.
It was a gorgeous fall day, and sitting outside sounded perfect. So did one of her delicious pastries.
Me
Absolutely.
Reid
See you soon.
Although I hadn’t given him much notice, he still somehow beat me there. And he’d snagged my favorite table at the back of the long patio.
He looked up as I got out of my car, standing to greet me with a careful smile. I walked over, unsure what to expect, my guard mostly in place.
“Iced vanilla latte with oat milk and a croissant?” he asked.
I nodded, pleased he remembered. “Yes, please.”
He pulled the other chair out for me and waited until I sat before he headed over to place our order. I found he’d ordered it exactly right—with only two pumps of vanilla—when he joined me again.
His drink was the opposite of mine, just a black coffee. Tilting my chin toward his cup, I teased, “Glad to see some things haven’t changed.”
“Hey, I’m even wearing real socks today.” He stretched his leg out from under the table to show me.
“Finally catch up on laundry?”
