by Amity Hope
“What? What else are you going to take away? Are you going to ground me because I don’t want to play?” he asked as he threw his hands up in frustration.
Landon’s face was hard. Angry. He had control issues. As in, he thought he needed to be in control of everything. All the time. It was worse for Reece now that his sisters were out of the house. The crazy thing? Reece thought his dad really did believe it was because he knew what was best for everyone. In his own warped way, he was looking out for his kids by being this way.
But he was wrong.
And Reece was done with it.
“Dad? Remember how you practically stood over me, watching me fill out the application to Northwestern?” Reece was quiet a minute. He enjoyed the questioning, surprised look that settled on his dad’s face. He could tell his dad had no idea where he was going with this. “You remember,” Reece needled because there was no way he’d forgotten. “The application that you personally mailed last month?”
Landon had gotten a hold of Northwestern’s early decision application. He had been adamant that this was the school Reece would be attending. He wanted the paperwork done as soon as possible.
“What about it, Reece?” Landon was livid now. He knew something was up.
Reece shrugged. “You probably shouldn’t be holding your breath for my acceptance letter. I called the Admission’s Office and withdrew my application the other day.”
He hadn’t wanted to part with this information yet. But he was furious enough with his dad, that he couldn’t help himself.
Landon’s words were slow and deliberate when he said, “You did what?”
“I’ve never wanted to go there. Maybe I don’t want to leave the state. I’ve never wanted to go into business.” None of this should’ve been news to Landon. Yet he looked at Reece like he had no idea what his son was talking about.
“Reece,” he ground out, “you’re done with that girl. There’s nothing holding you back. There’s no reason for you not to go.”
“That girl has a name!” Reece shouted. “And it was never because of Cleo that I didn’t want to go!” It wasn’t entirely true. He had already not wanted to go. Cleo had just given him one more reason for wanting to stay.
Reece’s grades had always been higher than average and Cleo studied a lot, too. That meant last year, so had Reece. It had significantly raised his GPA. Making it pretty likely he would get in. Too bad he didn’t want to go.
Landon ignored his outburst. “Okay,” he said, making it sound like he was conceding. Reece knew he wasn’t. He was just taking a minute to redirect. To find a new line of attack. “Northwestern might be out. Maybe you can apply along with everyone else…But if you can’t, if they won’t allow it after withdrawing, you have to have some business sense.”
Reece opened his mouth to protest. Wondering why he even bothered. Up until now, he hadn’t said much. He’d just let his dad think he was going to have his way. The few times he had protested had gone just like this. With Landon plowing over whatever Reece had to say. Topping it with what he had to say. With what he wanted.
Landon had taken over Sheridan Millworks when Reece was a kid. He’d taken it from a barely surviving business and turned it into the most profitable company in the area. The mill manufactured a myriad of wood products such as doors, trim, flooring and cabinets. It supplied retailers nationwide. It also employed more than any other single business in town. In fact, it employed more than several of the other bigger businesses combined. He had a vision of the business staying in the family.
Reece understood why he’d want that. He really did. But the problem was that none of his kids wanted it. And that caused an obvious wrench in his plans.
His oldest sister Amanda had no business sense whatsoever. Landon hadn’t fought her too badly when she’d gone to school and studied journalism. That had probably been for the best because she’d gotten married and had Reece’s nieces, one after the other before she ever actually started working.
And then there was Chelsey. She was working on a degree in art history. This was just about enough to give their dad a coronary. He had tried to insist that if she was going to get a degree in a worthless field that she should at least go into graphic design. But Chelsey hadn’t let him steamroll her.
Reece had no intention of being steamrolled, either.
So with both of his sisters out of the running for inheriting the mill, the whole thing had defaulted to him. Only he didn’t want it either. He had never wanted it or anything else it entailed. Landon wanted Reece to follow in his footsteps. Apparently that started with high school football, followed by getting his degree from Northwestern and ending with Reece taking over Sheridan Millworks someday.
“Reece. You need to understand what I am giving you. It’s a very profitable future. You are going to walk right into it. No starting at some bottom level job. I’ve worked hard over the years to make this business into something of a legacy for you.” He stared at Reece. Waiting, probably, for him to finally ‘get it’. “You have no idea how lucky you are. How fortunate. Most people would do anything for an opportunity like this! When I was your age, this would’ve been like a dream come true!”
“I’m not you,” Reece pointed out. “I don’t want the same things you want!”
Landon stared off, out through the glass doors for a minute. His body sagged when he finally turned back to Reece. “So where are you planning on going to college? Here in Sheridan? The business program here is mediocre, at best, but I guess it will have to do.”
“Are you kidding me? Have you listened to anything I’ve said?” Reece shook his head.
He continued as if Reece hadn’t spoken. “Actually, you could take care of a few electives here. We can find out which ones will transfer. Then we can try Northwestern again next year.”
“No!” Reece threw his hands up in frustration. “Forget it. Maybe it’ll finally sink in when I get my degree in forestry. Because that? That’s what I want to do. Not that you care. Not that you’ve ever bothered to ask. But at least now you know.”
Landon clenched and unclenched his jaw before finally saying, “Well then, I hope you have a lot of money saved. If that’s the line of work you want to go into, you’re on your own. Good luck covering your own tuition.”
He left then.
Reece just stood there, furiously staring after him. Wondering if maybe, at least, football had been forgotten.
Chapter 5
“That kid is just too funny,” Emma said. She was struggling to pull a notebook out of her already overflowing locker. How she had managed to accumulate so much stuff in just one day, Cleo wasn’t sure. “Can you imagine the three of them together?”
Cleo laughed. “I know. I was surprised their mom already called last night. Luci just about bounced through the ceiling when I told her she could spend the night at their house this Friday.”
“So if you’re free…” Emma had a conniving look on her face as she got the notebook loose. “Then you can come with me and Lauren on Friday.”
Cleo raised her eyebrows and made a face. “To Melanie’s party?” She shook her head. “No.”
“Cleo,” Emma whined. “You might have fun.”
“Watching Mia attach herself to Reece all night? Not my idea of fun. Now come on. We’re going to be late,” Cleo said in an effort to change the subject.
“Maybe they won’t be there?” Emma suggested. She scurried along, following her friend down the nearly empty hallway.
Cleo gave her a look that said they both knew better.
They slipped into class just as the bell rang. Cleo gave Mr. Jessen an apologetic look. He gave her a cheery nod as she slid herself into her chair.
“Alright class, today, you’re going to start working with your partners. I’m going to hand out a questionnaire. I would like to know what you are hoping to get out of this class. What, if any, prior volunteering you have done. What your views are on public service projects, etcetera. I’d like to do this in
an interview format. You will be questioning your partners and writing down their answers. At the end of the year, we’ll do a similar questionnaire on how you feel about your participation in this class. Now, if you could pair off and just slide your desks together accordingly we’ll get started.”
They all slowly got to their feet. Cleo glanced at Reece. He was gathering up his things. Apparently he’d decided he was coming to her. As the other students moved about the room, she slid her desk over. She moved it closer to the wall so they could fit another desk alongside it.
“Hi,” Reece said when she turned around. He was just inches away, closer than he’d been in months.
“Hi,” she returned. She knew she should take a step back. But moving away from Reece had always been as agreeable as not breathing. She was vaguely aware of people scuffling about. The scraping of desks across the tile floor. The chattering of classmates as everyone moved around. But mostly, she was just aware of Reece. He was studying her intently. He did not look happy.
“You’re not sleeping.”
It wasn’t really a question and she didn’t want to get into an argument. She didn’t bother to deny it. “Nope.”
The silence between them drug out awkwardly long. She realized most of the class was sitting again. She took her seat and Reece moved the nearest empty desk alongside hers.
“So, this is going to be fun,” he grumbled as he slumped down in his chair. His tone was completely flat.
“I’m sure it will be,” she agreed for lack of anything better to say.
She glanced at Mr. Jessen. He was scowling as he rifled through the papers on his desk. Everyone was now seated but chatting. He hadn’t demanded their attention yet.
“How are things with Ethan?” Reece asked. His expression was completely blank. She had no idea if he was asking because he was actually wondering…Well, not wondering, exactly. Just…she didn’t know what. “Well, how is he?” he demanded. He sounded irritated this time when she took too long trying to decipher his original question.
She shrugged. “Good. He’s good.” It was a perfectly neutral answer. “How’s Mia?” Ugh, she had not wanted to ask that. It had just popped right out. She wondered if that’s what had happened with Reece. She was pretty damn sure he did not actually care how Ethan was.
He smirked and her stomach worked itself into that painful knot again. “Mia’s awesome.”
Reece had called her every day over the first week of break. She didn’t blame him. She also hadn’t answered a single one of those calls. She would’ve done the same thing—called, that is. He wanted an explanation. A better one than she had given him. She didn’t have a better one. Not that she could share, anyway.
She couldn’t even remember what she had said to him that day. Words just started falling out of her mouth and she’d just gone with it. Trying to say what needed saying while her head and heart were rebelling.
But now, Reece looked pretty happy with Mia. At least it looked that way to her when she’d had the misfortune of turning a corner just in time to see them locked up in a kiss before the bell rang. As much as she hated it, it was for the best. It was safer that way; safer for her resolve if he was unavailable.
“You make a really cute couple.” The lie tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop it. Reece looked at her like she had just thrown ice water in his face. Then his jaw clenched and his head swiveled to the front of the room.
***
Was that supposed to be a compliment? Reece wondered. If it was? He thought it felt kind of cruel.
But then he glanced over. Cleo was looking down at her notebook. Biting her lip. And he thought maybe she was lying. Maybe.
He hated the sight of her so uncomfortable next to him. He knew it shouldn’t be that way. He should be whispering things in her ear right now. Things that would make her blush and smack him across the chest as she was biting back a smile. Like last year in Chemistry when they sat at a table, side by side, instead of desks. Or in Geometry when she would blow on his neck and then whisper in his ear. Because she was directly behind him, there was nothing he could do to retaliate no matter how…intense things got. That’s how it should’ve been. Not this…tension.
“I forgot the handouts in the teachers’ lounge,” Mr. Jessen announced as he slapped his thigh. “Feel free to discuss what you’re hoping to get out of this class. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
He left and the classroom erupted in conversation. Reece took advantage of the background noise. And of being close to Cleo for the first time since she had walked away from him last spring. He did realize it probably wasn’t the ideal time or place. But it was the only chance he’d had to make her talk. The only time in three months and he was done waiting.
Memories of then and thoughts of how things should be now were colliding in his brain when she finally looked over at him and caught him staring.
“Are you ever going to tell me why you really broke up with me?”
“Reece,” she said his name quietly as her eyes darted over his face. “This really isn’t a good time.”
“Really? Because it also wasn’t a good time when I wanted to talk right after the fact. Or the dozens of times I tried to call you. Or—”
“I told you already,” she said as her face paled. “I thought we should see other people.”
“There has to be more to it than that,” he insisted. “For it to be so out of the blue like it was.”
She shook her head but she wasn’t really looking at him. Her gaze seemed to be far away. “Maybe it wasn’t out of the blue. Maybe I’d been thinking about it for a while. And just didn’t have the guts to do it until the day before summer vacation.”
He was silent for a minute because that explanation really hadn’t occurred to him. That she’d been unhappy with him for a long time. But Cleo was an expert at hiding her feelings so maybe…yeah…maybe that made sense. It really sucked to realize that maybe he had been an idiot for…what? Weeks? Months? But it made sense.
“What else were you keeping from me? Were you already seeing Ethan?” His heart slammed around and his body zinged—maybe from fear of her answer?—when he managed to force those words out. He had wondered because that, too, had come from nowhere. But if she was feeling like she needed to break up with him for a while, that would help explain why.
“I know I didn’t handle it the best,” she began. Reece let out an irritated sound and made a face that let her know he agreed. “But no, I was not already seeing Ethan. I wouldn’t do that to you,” she said as she gave him a miserable look.
He wasn’t sure if she was miserable because he had asked the question, or just miserable because she was being forced to deal with him.
He wasn’t even so sure that he believed her. Because there was a whole lot he didn’t think she’d do to him. Reach inside of his chest and twist out his heart, for one thing.
Her eyes actually softened as she noted the expression on his face. He wasn’t real sure what expression he wore because he was too dumbfounded to really give it much thought.
“Look,” she said as she put her hand on his wrist. Her thumb made circles on his skin. His fingers twitched, wanting to take her hand in his. He fought it. She sighed and leaned toward him. “This was a good thing. You’ve been with Mia all summer. Things must be going well.”
She gave him a small smile and nodded at him like she was encouraging him to agree. She squeezed his wrist before pulling her hand away. Even after she did, he could still feel her touch.
Pathetic, he knew.
“Yeah, things with Mia are great,” he lied, giving her the answer she seemed to want.
She held her smile and blinked a few too many times. “See. It was for the best. Now you can go to parties, football games, just…out. ”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked, disgusted by the pitch to his voice.
“You’re not stuck at my house with me and Luci. You can actually do things. Normal things people our age should
be doing. Not sitting around my house doing dinner dishes and babysitting. You should be relieved.”
“Don’t tell me how I should feel,” he fumed. “You have no idea how I feel!”
He couldn’t blame Cleo for not wanting to leave Luci alone. She did sometimes but Luci was only eleven. Cleo never left her home alone after dark. After their mom died in that house, Cleo wasn’t the only one that had an aversion to staying there alone. Paul was gone more often than he was home. When Paul was home, they had gone out. A lot of times he or Luci would end up calling to ask them—or at least Cleo—to come back. Or sometimes Cleo would insist Reece go to things without her so he would.
It took a moment for her comment to wedge itself into his brain. “So you think you were doing me a favor by dumping me?” he grated out in disbelief.
“Yes,” she said as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
“Well that’s the suckiest thing anyone has ever done for me!”
She opened her mouth to argue but he cut her off. “I never complained about spending time with Luci!” he reminded her. His voice was full of frustration.
“I know you didn’t but it shouldn’t have had to be that way!” she said back, just as frustrated.
“I didn’t mind. Not at all,” he said forcefully. Sure, there were times that he had wished they could just go out. Lots of times. He knew that Cleo felt the same but she was in a crappy situation that was out of her control. So he had thought they’d just made the best of it. Luci was always in bed by nine. Then they’d have the house to themselves so it wasn’t all bad. In fact, he kind of liked the trade off.
“Reece, sweetie, you had to have been bored!” she insisted. “We were like an old married couple sitting at home all the time!”
“Since when did you become anti-marriage?” he sarcastically wondered.
“Reece—”
“Did I ever even know you at all?” His voice had become hard and accusatory. “Because I’m starting to think I didn’t.” He realized belatedly how much his volume had ratcheted up.