It’s just what you do at restaurants that serve bread.
Once the waiter is gone, Reese says, “Back to what we were talking about in the car. You really don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life?”
“No, not really. I used to have some ideas, but… everything kind of changed.”
“What changed?”
I shrug. “I was dating this guy for four years. I thought we had it all figured out. I imagined a future with him, but he… he wasn’t really in the relationship. He was cheating on me with my best friend, and I caught them together. Ever since then, I don’t know, it’s like I can’t think that far ahead anymore.” A heavy bomb to drop at the beginning of a date, but seeing as how he asked what changed, I couldn’t exactly lie to him.
“Damn,” he whispers. “I’m sorry you went through that. For what it’s worth, I don’t think you should let the pain of the past change you.”
“I’m getting better now. Last semester, the start of it, was rough though.”
He smiles somewhat. “And then the accident happened… you had a very rough fall semester, I’ll give you that.”
The waiter returns with our drinks and our bread, and I immediately dive in after we give him our order for the entrees. There is seriously nothing better than warm bread lathered in butter. Reese chuckles as he watches me, which causes me to freeze and say, “What?”
“Nothing. If I knew you were this crazy about bread, I would’ve learned to bake some and bring you a loaf every now and then last semester, when you were in recovery.”
I chuckle. “I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t there for me. I might’ve even gone home, transferred out.” And that’s the truth. When my parents found out, it’s what they suggested. If I didn’t have Reese and Sloane, I would’ve been tempted to do just that.
“That would’ve been a shame. MSU would’ve missed you.” He waits a moment before he adds, “I would’ve missed you.” The way he says it, I believe him, as strange as it is.
“So, what about you, Mr. Twenty-Nine?” I ask, changing the subject off me.
“What about me?”
“How come you don’t have a girlfriend or anything?” As I ask it, I wonder if it’s too personal a question, but we are on a date, and dates are when you ask things like that, right? Ugh, I wish I had more experience on first dates.
“I tend to drown myself in my work,” he says with a shrug. “I also don’t really do social media or online dating, so that tends to narrow the pool these days.” Another shrug. “I don’t know, I guess I always thought that someone would come along at the right moment—it’s what happened with my parents.”
“Leave it up to fate,” I whisper. “It’s kind of romantic when you put it like that.”
He leans forward, his blue eyes solely focused on me. “Are you a romantic? From what it sounds like, you are. Do you believe in love at first sight? In fate having a guiding hand in our lives?” If it was anyone else asking me those questions, I might think they’re trying to make fun of me, but the way he asks… he’s being serious. He truly wants to know.
“I would say I used to be a romantic. I… I don’t know if I am anymore, after everything.”
“Oh, come on. There has to be a part of you that still believes in the magic.”
I smile softly. “I mean, maybe. It kind of takes the pressure off when you believe in something like fate, and love at first sight… I think, maybe, it can be real, but not for everyone. I think most people confuse love at first sight with lust at first sight—not that there’s anything wrong with that, but, I don’t know, that’s not really me.”
“I don’t know. I think it’s real. Take you, for instance. I knew there was something special about you when we first bumped into each other outside the union last fall, and when you showed up in my class, well… you proved me right. You are unique, and your mind is something that I’ve never seen before.” He pauses for a few moments before he says, “Even if you don’t tend to watch where you’re going.”
It’s like everything he says hits me right in the feels. I think I’m going to be blushing more often than I’m not during this date. He’s so… different than what I’m used to, so confident in everything he’s saying, and not in a smug, haughty way like Logan. No, Reese is different.
“Well, not to continue to beat a dead horse, but I believe in you,” he says. “Whatever you decide on pursuing, you’ll do amazing things, and if you should happen to want to pursue something in psychology, you’ll have me in your corner.”
It’s so strange. Everything he says makes me feel better. I’m not used to it. Mike was never overflowing with compliments, and Logan couldn’t say something nice to save his life, unless you count his declaration yesterday, which I don’t.
I can’t. I can’t think about him right now. It’s not fair to Reese, and it’s not fair to me. I spent too long being sad about Logan and his treatment of me. No more. The whole new year thing means I’m going to take life by the balls, and if that means forgetting all about Logan, then that’s what I’m going to do.
Our food comes, and we get a refill on our drinks and the bread. I love pasta as much as the next girl, but seriously,nothing beats the bread. I could stuff myself full of the bread and leave the restaurant happy as a clam.
“You mentioned you have brothers,” I bring up his family. “Are they older or younger?”
“Younger. They’re… very different from me. If you lined us up together, you’d see the family resemblance, but their attitudes are worlds different than mine.” Reese shoots a grin my way. “Not that I’m saying I’m the perfect first-born child, but I do like to think I set the bar pretty high.”
That’s something I can understand. My parents always pushed me to accept nothing short of perfection, and that’s probably why I spiral so hard when things go wrong. If I ever have kids, I don’t think I’d push them toward perfection after knowing how hard it makes everything.
