Page 17 of How Not to Date a Griffin

Reid tried to remember what his face looked like normally, and gave Nolan his full attention.

Nolan seemed oblivious to Reid’s silent panic as he continued. “You know, I’ve… being in his shadow, doing what I’ve been told, has afforded me luxuries I enjoy. Like the hotel we’re at. Like the place we were going for dinner. But I’ve had more fun with you tonight, pizza and ice cream and that arcade and now… this,” he said, waving a hand at the lights. Reid was hopelessly staring, studying the soft, twinkling glow over his features when Nolan finally glanced at him. “When I say thank you, I mean it. I wouldn’t trade tonight for all the stupid, snobby, expensive dinners in the world. I just wonder, could it have been like this my whole life, if I wasn’t on his leash?”

“Like what?” Reid asked, heart in his throat.

“Fun!” Nolan blurted, laughing bitterly. “Exciting and fun and random.” His gaze snapped to Reid, who almost startled at the intensity in his eyes. “Lovely, like I said.”

Fuck, I hope not, Reid thought. It’s selfish, it’s awful, it’s shitty, but Reid wanted to be the only one who made Nolan sparkle like this.

“Maybe. With the right people,” Reid answered. “Not those dicks at the restaurant.”

Nolan shuddered. “Definitely not.”

“So listen, man,” Reid said, diving in, no holds barred. “I’m not trying to tell you how to change your whole life. But if you want it to happen, you gotta start somewhere. I mean, did you expect to live your whole life miserable?”

Nolan paused. “Actually… yeah. I guess I did.” He chuckled, but there wasn’t any humor in it. “There’s not really anywhere else I could imagine myself. God, that’s depressing, isn’t it?” He shook his head. “I’m so sorry, I dampened the whole night with my sob story.”

“Hey, no, don’t say that,” Reid said, placing a hand on his knee. “I asked. It’s okay, I mean, I want to hear about it, alright? Don’t feel bad.”

His lips twitched, and fuck, Reid wanted to kiss him.

“You want to hear about my sob story?” Nolan questioned.

Reid was dangerously close to sounding pathetic. “Maybe?” Reid shrugged. “I certainly don’t mind learning more about you.”

“Well, same here,” Nolan said, his gaze practically sparkling. “So, how about you? Any crises you’d like to share?”

Was it hot? Nolan’s attention was like a spotlight, and Reid decided, yes, it was actually so fucking hot. He wiped a hand over the back of his sweat-slicked neck, beneath the collar of his shirt.

He wanted to reciprocate, maybe tell Nolan a little about his own shitty dad. But instead he stumbled into the silence, trying to decide if Nolan was purposefully staring at his lips, or maybe—what if Reid had something on his face? Oh god.

Nolan was leaning across the space between their two lounge chairs, their knees brushing, hands smoothing over the top of his thighs.

Was he nervous too? Reid snapped his gaze over Nolan’s, wondering if now was the time. Was it too forward?

“Yeah, okay,” he began, and almost lost his nerve as Nolan’s blue eyes slammed into his like a tidal wave. For a moment, Reid forgot how to breathe. “So, I met this guy,” he choked out, and Nolan’s eyes widened, fingers digging into his dress pants. “He tipped me more than any normal person would. Then we spent the evening together.”

“Y-You said this was a crisis?” Nolan asked, worried.

Worried, Reid’s mind supplied again, louder. That was a good sign, right?

“After all that, I’m trying to decide if it’s too much to tell him… I don’t want the evening to end.” God, it was hard meeting Nolan’s gaze, and he had to force himself not to look away. “So I took him to this really tall building, even though he’s afraid of heights. But it’s getting late, and he’s here for work, so I’ve got to return the prince to his pumpkin by midnight, or something like that.”

“Well,” Nolan glanced at his watch, lips curling. “I think you missed that mark by a bit.”

He’s smiling. Smiling! “See? I fucked it all up,” he said, shaking his head, tsking.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Nolan said, shifting closer on the lounger. Their thighs touched, knees slotting together. “I bet it’s still salvageable.”

Could Nolan hear Reid’s heartbeat thundering in his ears like Reid did? “Hmm. I appreciate your opinion. Very insightful.” Reid’s gaze dropped to Nolan’s lips, inches away, as he asked, “Do you think it’d be too forward to kiss him?”

Nolan’s lips parted once, twice, before he choked the words out. “N-no, don’t think so.”

“Great.”

Great? Jesus, fuck.

Reid leaned in, and Nolan followed his lead, but paused, making Reid come to him in the end.