by Lisa Simmons
“Alright, alright,” I laughed, pulling Reece’s arms from around me to step away from the counter. He jumped off it, landing smoothly on his feet as he ducked his head to my ear.
“I remember that spot,” he whispered, nodding toward the counter. I blushed suddenly as I remembered Reece coming to my apartment ages ago, before either of us had acknowledged any feelings for each other, and practically ruined me on the counter. The memory sent a flash of heat through me and I prayed Emily didn’t notice. Reece smirked as he saw the slight flush in my skin. “Stop,” I said quietly, swatting his chest lightly. Emily, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice the exchange. “Let’s go to my room.”“Alright. Good to see you, Emily,” he said, turning to wave at her.
“Always a pleasure, Reece,” she said, grinning at him before we disappeared down the hallway. I pushed the door open to my room as I realized it was the first time Reece had ever been in it. He looked around curiously as he took in the details, noting the pictures and keep sakes I had. I suddenly felt almost awkward, as if exposing a whole new side of me to him.
“Um, I’m gonna take a shower,” I said. I wanted to give him the chance to explore a bit, but I didn’t want to watch him do it. I had nothing to hide so I didn’t mind leaving him alone in my room. “Okay,” he said absent-mindedly as he bent to examine a photo of me as a child with our family dog from years and years ago. A soft smile pulled at his lips. “Okay,” I said, brushing my dirty hair out of my face. “I’ll, um, be back soon.”
He nodded dismissively before I turned to leave my room and head to the bathroom. It struck me suddenly that while I had photos of my family in my room, I couldn’t recall seeing a single photo in his house. It made me sad that he had no proof of his family, especially after he’d expressed how much he really did love them despite the pressure they put on him. I started the shower and stripped off my clothes, steam from the hot water quickly filling the room. After testing the temperature tentatively, I jumped under the spray of the water to let it run over my skin. My mind skated over thoughts of my own family and Reece’s while I showered, washing my hair and body before letting the suds disappear down the drain. I had almost rinsed the conditioner from my hair when the shower curtain was pulled open, drawing a frightened scream from my throat before I saw a mess of dark hair poke through the opening.
“Reece!” I exclaimed, my hand resting over my hammering heart. “What are you doing?”
“Taking a shower,” he said simply, grinning at me as he moved to join me under the spray.
“Emily’s here,” I pointed out, unable to stifle the grin tugging at my lips.
“So? I said I was gonna shower, not fuck you against the wall,” he said innocently. “Now move, you’re hogging the water.”
I giggled as I shifted to allow him under the stream falling around me. He ducked his head under the water to let it soak the dark strands of hair before opening his mouth to collect some. His cheeks bulged as he turned to me, his lips puckered and eyebrows raised playfully.
“Don’t you dare,” I warned, raising my hands in front of my face. He stepped closer, his eyes twinkling as he watched me.
“No, Reece-“ I squealed as he grabbed my wrists, tugging them down to lower my guard.
“No-“ I was cut off by a stream of water splashing against my face, my eyes closing in the nick of time to block the full force. I cringed, lips pinching as his laughter rang out through the bathroom, highly amused at himself.
“You’re so mature,” I said, shoving him lightly as he continued to laugh.
“I never claimed to be mature,” he said, shaking his head and shooting me a proud grin. His hair had fallen over his forehead thanks to his laughing and the water, hanging down in front of his eyes. I reached up to push it off, accidentally parting it right down the middle so the strands hung ridiculously to either side of his face. I giggled before combing the strands through my fingers, further accentuating the dreaded middle part.
“I think you should consider his hairstyle,” I told him, giggling lightly.
“Brings out my eyes, yeah?”
“Definitely,” I agreed sarcastically, my cheeks starting to hurt from all the grinning and laughing I’d done today.
“Only if you do yours like this,” he said, reaching forward to comb all of my sopping wet hair in front of my face, completely covering it.
“But then how would you see my face, hmm?” I laughed, my words muffled by my hair as he continued to rake it forward.
“Exactly,” he teased, scoffing in mock indignation when I shoved him backward.
“Heyyyy.” Again, his laugh filled the bathroom, echoing around us. He pushed my hair back again, returning it to its original position before gripping my face in his hands.
“You’re beautiful, babe,” he said sweetly, his grin still filled with amusement.
“Suck up,” I muttered playfully. He chuckled. “Emily’s heard us for sure now, you loud ass.”
He shrugged, very much unconcerned with that fact. His lips pulled down at the corner as he frowned in momentary exaggeration. “Oops.”I chuckled again, unable to convince myself that I cared either. My eyes were focused on his, which were positively sparkling with delight as he looked at me. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at the sheer perfection of the moment, the light-hearted playfulness of the shower breathing life into me all over again. These were the moments that I seemed to fall in love with Reece all over again, his every move only sending me further and further under his spell that he effortlessly cast over me. His smile beamed at me and I knew he, too, was feeling blissfully happy at the moment. His thumbs stroked lightly over my cheeks as he held me, his actions not intended to be sexual or leading but only with the purpose of simply touching me. He leaned forward to press a light kiss to my lips, again not leading to anything other than to kiss me. My heart fluttered at his gentle movements. “Hey Abby,” he started, lowering his voice. His smile was still on his face but his tone had grown a bit more serious.
“Hmm?” I hummed happily, holding his gaze easily.
“I’ve been thinking about something...”
“What’s that?” I asked, my stomach flipping over suddenly in my abdomen. His eyes flitted back and forth between mine before speaking again.
“You can say no, if you want,” he warned, avoiding whatever he was going to say. I rolled my eyes lightly, certain I would never say no to whatever he would ask of me. “Okay, what is it?” I urged gently.
“I’ve been thinking... for a while now, actually- remember you can say no,” he said, cutting himself off. His hands still held my face, but his thumbs had stilled as he grew too distracted by his words.
“Reece, spit it out,” I said with a light laugh. It was so unlike him to be so flustered as he was usually he one in control. He blew out a deep breath before setting his features in determination. “I want you to meet my family.”
My heart seemed to skip a beat in my chest as his words washed over me. A wide grin spread across my face instantly, bordered by his hands still on my face. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he said, nodding earnestly. “Will you meet them?”
He watched me nervously, his brows knit together tightly.
“I’d love to meet them,” I answered honestly.
“You would?” he asked, his smile returning to his beautiful face. His thumbs ran across my cheeks once before he ducked down to kiss me quickly. “You’ll meet them?”“Yes,” I said, giggling at his obvious relief. “Of course I will. I can’t believe you thought I’d ever say no.”
“I didn’t know how you’d react after what I told you...” he said. I cut him off by shaking my head.
“You’re crazy. They’re your family. Of course I want to meet them!” I replied with a grin.
“Okay,” he said, his tone lighter now. “This weekend? We can drive to my hometown."
“This weekend,” I agreed with a nod. I leaned up on my tiptoes to pre
ss a kiss to his lips. He held me close to him, pressing his body innocently into mine while his hands held my face. My mind whirred excitedly as I thought about what he’d just asked. It seemed so beautifully surreal: I was going to meet the family of the man I loved more than anything in the entire world. Finally.
"I dare you to move like today never happened, today never happened before."
Chapter 78
Reece’s POV
“You’re making me nervous, Reece.”
My grip tightened on the wheel, blanching my knuckles under my skin as I drove. I glanced at Abigail out of the corner of my eye before diverting my gaze back to the road. “Sorry,” I muttered. I was on edge and much more tense than I had anticipated. What had started out as a light and carefree drive had somehow morphed into a tense, anxiety filled ride as we neared my hometown. I couldn’t exactly pinpoint why I was so nervous, only that I was.
“Just relax,” she said soothingly, reaching across the console to place her hand above my knee. I blew out a deep breath and tilted my head to the side, stretching the tight muscles in my neck.
“Besides,” she added with a light laugh. “You’re the one who’s supposed to be reassuring me.”
“They’ll love you,” I said honestly. I was nervous for a lot of unknown reasons, but them not liking Abby wasn’t one of them. How could someone not like Abby? She was absolutely perfect. “Then why are you so nervous?” she asked gently, squeezing my leg.
“I don’t know.”
“It’ll be fine,” she said calmly. I nodded in reply as I continued to drive, our scenery growing more and more familiar as I drove through the neighborhood I grew up in. “What’s the plan again?”“Going to my mum’s house now to meet with her, Gemma, and my stepdad then my dad will join us for lunch,” I replied stiffly. We were only a few houses away now. “Got it,” Abigail said. I flexed my hand on the steering wheel, releasing my death grip enough to bring my hand down and place it over Abigail’s to squeeze gently.
“Just remember how much you love me if this gets weird,” I warned, managing the tiniest of smiles in her direction.
“Like I could forget,” she said with a breathtaking smile. My attention was diverted once again as we arrived at my childhood home. I parked my car in the street, turning off the engine as I blew out a deep breath. “Here we go.”
“Here we go,” she repeated, her tone significantly lighter than my own. I turned to her and squeezed her hand to see her reassuring smile, which managed to lift a bit of the tension I was feeling. “Let’s go.”I nodded, obliging her request as I stepped out of the car, meeting her on the other side to take her hand immediately in a show of solidarity. I pulled her toward the house, not pausing to give myself the opportunity to change my mind. I really did want her to meet them, after all, even if I didn’t know exactly how it would go. My heart hammered annoyingly in my chest as we arrived at the door, and I was suddenly unsure of what to do. Should I knock or just go in? I was saved from my inner debate when the door swung open suddenly, revealing the beaming face of my sister, Gemma. I hardly had time to release Abigail’s hand before I was fully engulfed in a hug, her body slamming roughly into mine.
“Reece!” she cheered. Her arms were so tight around my neck she was practically choking me. I hugged her back as best I could before she released me enough so I could take a breath.
“Hi, Gem,” I greeted her, smiling as she took a step back from to beam up at me.
“God, you’re actually nine feet tall,” she said, grinning at me.
“You act like you haven’t seen me in ten years,” I said, returning her grin. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed her until right now.
“I’m just always surprised,” she said with a laugh before turning her gaze to Abigail. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. You’re Abigail!”
Abby took a tiny step forward, a grin firmly planted on her face after watching me interact with my sister. “Yes, I am!”
Gemma extended her hand, which Abigail grabbed quickly while they beamed at each other. I watched them with an odd curiosity, surprised but pleased.
“It’s good to meet you. Now come in before mum hunts you down,” Gemma said with a smile, backing into the house to let us pass. I grabbed Abigail’s hand on the way, shooting her a small smile that she returned tenfold. Pots and things could be heard easily in the kitchen, which was where Gemma led us to reveal my mother and her husband. “Mum,” I said, announcing my presence. She turned around from her position by the stove where she’d had her back to me. I watched as her eyes widened momentarily before a huge grin split across her face as she rushed toward me. Just as Gemma had, she threw her arms around my neck in a tight hug, once again breaking me from Abigail.
“Reece, you’re home,” she murmured, her voice soft against my chest. She released me and settled her hands on my shoulders, gripping them gently as she beamed up at me. I returned her smile before she released me. Her husband, Robin, appeared and extended his hand for a handshake that I returned.
“Good to see you, Reece,” he said genuinely.
“You too,” I said before tugging Abigail forward by placing my hand on her back. “Um, this is Abigail. Abby, this is my mum Anne, my stepdad Robin, and my sister, Gemma.”“It’s so nice to meet you all,” Abigail said, beaming at them. My mum looked absolutely beside herself with glee.
“So nice to meet you as well, dear! Now Abigail, you’re his...?” she trailed off, raising an eyebrow at me as she fished for our title.
“Girlfriend,” I filled in, the word still tasting foreign on my tongue but, undoubtedly, right. Abigail leaned into me gently at the mention of the word. My mum shifted her beaming gaze between Abigail and I, her gaze darting to my hand behind her back and the way she leaned into me before returning to my face. “That’s just... so wonderful, dear,” she said sincerely. I stared at her and hoped she wasn’t going to get emotional so early but was relieved when she bounced lightly on her toes and clapped her hands together gently. “Well lunch is almost ready, anyone care to give me a hand?”“I will,” Abigail offered, smiling at her.
“Yeah, you two get cozy in here while I talk to my baby brother,” Gemma said, glancing conspiratorially at me and stepping forward to grab my arm. She tugged hard, trying to pull me away from Abigail.
“Can it wait?” I asked, not wanting to abandon Abigail after only a few minutes of being here.
“Nope, afraid not,” she said, tugging harder. I jerked my arm away from her before turning to Abby.
“Go ahead,” she said quietly, speaking only to me. “I’ll get to know Anne and Robin.”
“You’re okay?”
She giggled and rolled her eyes lightly. “I’m fine. Go talk to your sister.”
My eyes flitted back and forth between hers, searching for any signs that she was uncomfortable but finding none. I ducked my head to kiss her cheek lightly before leaving her in the kitchen to follow Gemma. She led me through the house before ending up in the backyard, where she perched herself on one of the lawn chairs found there.
“So, brother,” she started, smirking at me. I sighed as I sank into the chair opposite her. We hadn’t even been here ten minutes and she was already starting on me.
“What?”
“Girlfriend, huh?” she grinned smugly.
“Yep,” I said, looking away from her.
“Mind telling me how that happened?”
“Well if you would have dragged me away from her right away you probably would have found out,” I muttered, slightly annoyed. I expected to get grilled about her, but not right away. “Well, I did so. Explain.”
“Explain what? We met and I liked her and now we’re dating,” I said, leaving out some major, major details.
“That’s it?” she said skeptically, eyeing me closely. I glanced at her and rolled my eyes.
“What?”
“It’s just you’ve never even seen a girl more than once, as far a
s I know. Now you show up with a girlfriend? What happened to you?” she said lightly. She sounded surprised and cautiously optimistic. “Abigail happened.”
“What does that mean?” she pressed, leaning forward slightly.
“What’s with the third degree, huh? Can’t you just be happy I’ve found someone?” I grumbled, picking at some invisible lint on my jeans.
“Fine, fine,” she said, backing off as she raised her hands by her head in surrender. “I’m curious to see how you are with her, anyway.”
“Great,” I muttered, heaving myself off the chair to stand up. She smirked at me once more and I was struck with the sudden realization of how annoying it was. It made me feel a bit guilty for constantly smirking at Abby, even though I suspected it had a much different effect on her. Gemma followed behind me, her smug attitude radiating off her irritatingly. As I entered the house, I could hear loud laughter and chatter coming from the kitchen, which I took as a good sign. When I entered the kitchen, I was pleased to see Abigail with a wide grin on her face as she listened to some story Robin was telling, her hands busy mixing a salad my mum must have assigned to her. I paused in the doorframe to let the image settle into my mind and was struck with how at home she looked. It appeared as if she’d known them for years and had no trouble at all interacting with them. I grinned as she looked up at me, her gaze catching mine long enough to shoot me a beaming smile. My shoulder heaved off the frame where I’d been leaning to let my legs carry me through the kitchen, stopping behind Abigail to fold my arms over her shoulders in a hug from behind. She tilted her head to the side gently to allow me to kiss her cheek quickly before releasing her. I settled back against the counter, watching her interacting with my family while I stayed out of the way. My gaze stayed fixed on Abigail, taking in the tiny details of her face when she laughed at something Gemma said upon entering the kitchen. She was so good at this- talking to people she didn’t even know. I could tell she was nervous from the slight pink tingeing her cheeks, but I highly doubted anyone else would even notice. My attention was jerked to the side as my mum cleared her throat next to me, yanking me from my studious observance of Abby. My mum was watching me closely, her eyes that were so similar to mine narrowed in a happy suspicion. She shot me a knowing grin before nudging my hip lightly to move me out of her way. I frowned at her expression, curious as to what was going on in her head. “When’s dad getting here?” Gemma asked, interrupting the strange moment between my mum and I. She glanced at her watch after setting her dishtowel down on the counter.