AllFreeNovel
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“Me too. I was watching reruns ofOne Tree Hilland hating Peyton all over again. Do you remember when you put these up? How we’d stare at them for hours and talk about boys, and listen to One Republic like it was going out of style.”
I laugh. “Oh God. Yes. Those were the days. I had those bangs, do you remember how hideous they were? Never let me get bangs again, please.”
“I loved your bangs, but okay, fine.” Em looks at me. “I missed you, Holl.”
“Missed you, Em. I’m sorry about all of this. If I could do it over, I would do things differently. A lot of things, really.”
“Just remember, babe, hoes before bros. I love you and I’m always here.”
I give her another tight hug before I pull back and look at her. “I think I have an idea… when I go talk to Reed. Do you think you can help me?”
She sits up. “Do you even have to ask? Hit me, bitch.”
So I tell her my plan, and pray that it’s not too late.
The glass box in my hands shakes as I struggle to switch it from one hand to the other in order to ring the doorbell. Seeing as how it’s almost as big as me and I’m struggling to hold it, period.
I am failing. Damnit. I’m going to drop this thing.
Just as I’m bending to set it down on the porch, the front door swings open and when I look up, Reed and Evan are standing in the doorway staring at me.
A whoosh of breath leaves my lungs, seeing Reed for the first time since the cabin. It never lessens the racing of my heart whenever I see him. Every time is like the first time. I’m, somehow, taken aback by how handsome he is.
He’s gotten his hair cut since I’ve seen him and it’s shorter, more tamed, and I wish that I could reach out and run my hands through it, making the curls I love so much unruly again.
“Holland?” Reed asks, his brow furrowed.
He’s confused that I’m here, and he has every right to be. I pushed him away, and asked for space, and now here I am on his doorstep, clutching an aquarium that’s bigger than I am.
“Hi,” I say quietly, “umm, I don’t really know where to start, but this is really heavy, can I bring it inside?”
He hurriedly steps outside and takes it from my hands before turning back and walking through the front door. I follow behind him, suddenly even more nervous than I was when I rehearsed this conversation fifty times in my head.
My palms are clammy, my heart is racing in my chest.
Evan slides his hand in my sweaty palm and grins up at me. “Is dat for me, Howwand?”
I nod. “Yeah, buddy, this is for you.”
Letting his hand go, I pull out a bag from inside the waterless aquarium.
“I guess I should start by saying I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you away.”
“Holland, you don’t have to apologize,” Reed says.
“No, I do. You poured your heart out to me, which took courage, and I ran when I thought I had lost Emery. I was scared, Reed. Not just about hurting Emery or the fact that she found out about us the way that she did. I was scared that I would end up hurt.”
Still clutching the bag, I step closer. “I have a confession too. When we agreed to the rules, to this arrangement, or whatever you want to call it… I was holding a secret then. Reed, I’ve been in love with you since I was a kid. Since I was the dorky, shy, little sister’s best friend who didn’t even register on your radar.”
“What?” Reed says hoarsely.
I nod. “I'm sorry that it took me so long to tell you that. I’m sorry that I didn’t have the courage to admit to you how I really felt. And I’m sorry that those feelings, and the blow up with Emery, caused me to push you away, when I really should have pulled you closer.”
Reed steps toward me, and if my hand wasn’t full, I would reach out to touch him, but alas, I’m not to this part of the apology yet. “I love you. And I’m sorry that it took me so long to say that too. I’ve loved you since the first time you beat up Marcus in the eighth grade because someone called me a cow. Since the time I sprained my ankle and you carried me all the way home from the ice that day. From the very day we made the rules and said not to fall in love. It was too late then. I was already crazy about you.”
I hold up the sea creature inside the plastic bag, and Evan’s eyes widen when he sees it swimming about.
“So, here I am, being completely and totally honest with you. Asking that you give me another chance because love is scary, and love is hard sometimes, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not worth it. And I bought this dwarf seahorse because I went to the pet store and they looked at me like I was insane when I asked for a live octopus, and apparently, they don’t carry them because they’re actually really aggressive animals and are really quite large and…”
