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“The peach cobbler is absolutely insane!” Remi replied then proceeded to order it with her bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. “You should get the chicken fried steak and egg biscuit. You’ll love it.”
My eyebrows shot up and I nodded, and I did order one, but I also got blueberry pancakes and a ham and cheese omelet.
As I pulled my wallet out to pay for our meals, I grinned down at Remi’s open mouth and wide-eyed expression of incredulity. “What?” I asked.
“Are you seriously going to eat all of that?”
“Oh, definitely! I’m splurging. I never eat this many carbs even though Saturday is my one cheat day of the week. I’m even going to have a few bites of your cobbler.”
“You wish!” she said happily, though I knew she wouldn’t protest when I put my fork in her food because I knew if she wanted to try something I ordered, I’d welcome it. It just reiterated the closeness, and it was something we’d always done.
I had to admit, the food smelled amazing, and my mouth was practically salivating by the time we were moving away from the counter with our breakfast. We each carried a heavily laden tray as we searched for a place to eat, and she finally found a little table for two in one corner. I wasn’t sure it would hold all the food we had ordered, but it was all we could find open.
She was laughing as I paused, deciding what to try first. Finally, I picked up the enormous steak biscuit. I met her eyes. “Maybe thiswastoo much food.”
“You’re a growing boy,” she teased. “As a last resort, we can always take away the leftovers.”
The food was delicious and halfway into the meal my fork snaked over to dig into her untouched peach cobbler. She smiled a sort of sly, satisfied smile as she watched me put the first bite in my mouth. The warm, sweet deliciousness burst in my mouth and my eyes widened in surprise. as she reached over to take a bite of my blueberry pancakes and put it in her mouth. “Wow!” I said as soon as I swallowed, then playfully I reached for the bowl to pull it over to my side of the table. “I think I need more of this!”
Remi laughed but pretended to be offended. “Dylan! That’s mine!”
I shook my head and scooped up another bite. “Not anymore!”
“I told you it was amazing.” The smile on that beautiful face lit up the world. “You should have ordered some!” She reached across with a spoon to scoop some of it up.
I clanged my fork against her spoon in a pseudo attempt to stop her. “Stop! It’s mine!” I chuckled as she engaged my fork with her spoon in a mini fencing match until we were both laughing out loud. Remi was the only one I would ever get this silly with. I finally acquiesced and let her get her bite and we finished it together.
“Let’s come back tomorrow and just order this,” I said, scooping up the last bit, then I winked at her.
Remi paused, leaning her elbows on the table, studying me. Her amazing emerald eyes connected with mine. “So, you’re not leaving, then?” she asked seriously.
“If I could, I’d never leave,” I admitted honestly.
We hadn’t talked yet, so the last thing I should be doing was baring my soul in this moment, but something about Remi and the way she was looking at me, plus the way my heart was ready to burst, made it impossible to hide my feelings for her. It was bigger than the two of us.
“Okay. Never leave,” she said, reaching for my hand across the table. “My dad commuted to KC from Atlanta. This is closer than that, and I miss you so much.”
I took her fingers in mine and rubbed over the top with my thumb. “Believe me, I’ve thought about it.” I glanced around. The restaurant had thinned out, so it made having a conversation easier. “You know how I feel about you, Remi, but we need to resolve this one thing.”
“I know.” I was still holding her hand and her fingers tightened on mine. “I just have all of these memories and they still hurt, and remembering it, it’s difficult to believe you loved me all along. I mean, with women always around. That’s why I left Clemson. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
I sighed. “I know that now. All I can say is that after you shut me down for Prom, I thought you wanted to keep our relationship as it was, and I was confused about what you thought we were.”
She swallowed and shook her head. “So was I, and I accepted the first invitation I got. I didn’t want to be dateless when there were ten girls who wanted to go with you. Don’t forget, high school girls talk, and I heard all of them gush over you and they always asked me about you. We’d known each other so long, I just thought if you wanted to be with me, we would have gotten together earlier, like middle school.”
I wished I could take her in my arms and never let go. “Remi… you were all I ever thought about. Do you think I didn’t hear boys talk about you and how they wanted you? You were… everything.” I was calm, but emotions were starting to get the better of me. “You were gorgeous, smart, and athletic… the making for every young boy’s fantasy. The thing is you didn’t realize how incredible you were. You went out on dates during high school, too.”
She looked down at your hands and then back up at me, and when she did her eyes were glassy. “I only did so you wouldn’t see how hurt I was.”
I sucked in a breath and let it out. “Oh, Remi. Can you understand that we were both in the same situation? I wish I could go back and change it, but I can’t. I’d love to move forward, but you seem entangled with Alan. What’s happening with him? He was very territorial last night.”
Her brow creased. “He and I just get dinner or coffee sometimes. It’s different between us since the Dollywood trip, but I guess, it felt good to know that someone wanted to be with me, but I haven’t slept with him. He hints, but he’s playing the long game. And now he’s more protective, for sure.”
Jealousy roared within me, but I could understand why she would feel that way, but it wasn’t as if I didn’t also feel pain. “You shouldn’t have left and you would have seen where my heart was. When you didn’t trust me and not talking to you for almost a fucking year hurt like hell, especially after the trip.” Emotions boiled so close to the surface that I had to struggle not to let everything I felt out. My eyes began to sting, and I blinked a few times to focus my eyes.
“But only a week before she was draped all over you at Esso’s and then she showed up at the Ranch and again, draped all over you.”
“She was sitting next to me around the fire, that’s it.” I felt a small rush of anger. I knew I had to hold it together or we’d never get over this stupid shit. I felt like she wasn’t listening to me.
