Her and Sie are out, doing some shopping or something. I don’t really know, because I wasn’t fully paying attention. All I know is today was the day we were supposed to drive to Lake Tahoe. Only now we’re not because I’ve gone and fucked everything up. I tried to tell them all to go without me, but they wouldn’t and of course that’s making me feel even worse because not only have I ruined our break, but now Ruby won’t get to see her family.
The house is quiet when I finally get out of bed. I faked getting up before when Ruby did, but as soon as she and Sie left, I went back there. It’s now late afternoon and they still aren’t back, and I have no idea where Reid is.
I wander out to the kitchen, opening the fridge as I aimlessly stare inside looking for something I’m not sure I want. I shut the door and turn around, my eyes taking in the clean space, searching. But nothing appeals and exhaling, I walk empty-handed into the living room and collapse on the couch.
I pick up the remote, but don’t turn on the TV, just sit back, resting against the back as I stare up at the ceiling. My head is a mess today, a mix of jumbled thoughts that I can’t make sense of. I have several texts from Ed on my phone too, none of which I’ve responded to.
I close my eyes, wondering if I should just go back to bed and call this day done. I must fall asleep, because the next thing I hear is something getting dropped on the coffee table and the couch moving as someone sits beside me.
“Hey,” Reid says, as I open my eyes to find him looking at me.
I blink a few times, trying to focus as I take in the box that sits on the coffee table, the others that are over by the TV.
“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice a little hoarse.
“Just bringing the last of my stuff over,” Reid says, gesturing toward it. “You could’ve helped if you didn’t sleep all day.”
I shake my head, trying to make sense of what he’s saying. “Your stuff, from where?”
Reid rolls his eyes at me, an easy smile on his face telling me he isn’t really annoyed. “From my old house,” he says.
“What, why?”
“Oh boy,” Reid mutters, shoving a hand through his hair. “Because I’m moving in here,” he says with a sarcastic tone. “My lease is up, and I needed to grab all my stuff and move it.”
“Don’t you already live here?” I ask, even knowing how stupid I sound.
Reid sits forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he watches me. “Basically, but now it’s official.”
I sit up a little pushing a hand through my hair before scrubbing it over my face as I try to wake up. “Is this because of me?” I ask, wondering if Reid thinks he needs to be here now after having seen what I did. As though maybe he’s worried about Sienna, about what I might do.
Reid laughs. “Well, it’s actually because I’m in love with your sister and want to live with her, want to be with her all the time, sleep with her every night. And by sleep…” He pauses, a smile on his face. “What I really mean is fuck her.”
I blink at him, running my hand over my jaw.
“Jesus, no reaction at all?” Reid says, still smiling. “Fuck, you are out of it.”
“What?”
“Ugh, Jesus Christ,” Reid mutters, standing as he reaches for my arm and pulls me up. “Go take a shower, you need one,” he says, pushing me toward the bathroom. “And then you and I are going out.”
“Wait, what, where are we going?” I ask, confused.
“Just go,” Reid says, shoving me.
I do what he says, my head still foggy from having spent the day sleeping and doing fuck all. I have no idea where he’s taking me or what we’re doing. It looks like he’s spent the day packing up his stuff and moving it over here and it makes me feel like shit that I wasn’t helping him.
By the time I walk back out to the living room, freshly showered and dressed, my head a little clearer, Reid is leaning against the back of the couch on his phone.
“Good to go?” he asks as he looks up at me.
I nod once. “Yeah, you gonna tell me where we’re going?”
He shrugs as he pushes off the couch and slides his phone into his pocket. “Out.”
I shake my head even though he’s not looking at me as I follow him out the back to his truck. It’s not until we’re driving down the street does Reid turn and look at me. “I need to get some stuff, something for Sie,” he says, shrugging. “You got anything for Ruby?”
“What?” I ask, confused.
“Dude, shit,” he says, rolling his eyes again. “It’s Christmas tomorrow, you got anything for your girl or what?”
“It is?”
“Oh my god,” Reid says, shaking his head and I’ve known him long enough to know how annoyed he is now.
He doesn’t say anything more though, just drives and eventually we pull up to a mall. As Reid parks his truck, I turn to him. “We meeting the girls?”
He shakes his head. “We are not meeting the girls.”
“So we’re…”
He gets out and I follow, walking around to join him at the front of the truck. “We’re getting you out of the house,” he says, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “And getting Ruby something for Christmas so you don’t fuck that up, and then you and I are talking.”
“We’re what?”
Reid tilts his head toward the entrance. “Let’s go,” he says, not answering my question.
We spend an hour or so wandering around, neither of us talking about anything serious. We both pick up a few things for Sie and Ruby, ignoring the obvious elephant that’s following us around. Eventually, Reid leads the way up to the food area, heading toward a sports bar that’s tucked in the back corner. I follow him inside, taking a seat beside him at the bar.
We both order a drink and some food and it’s not until our drinks are in front of us does Reid finally turn to me. “Okay,” he starts, taking a sip of his beer. “You wanna tell me what’s going on?”
I stare at my glass of coke, wishing it was something stronger. “What do you mean?”
Reid exhales, but it’s not in annoyance, more in frustration. “Caleb, come on,” he says, looking sideways at me. “The therapist?”
I roll my eyes, turning back to the bartender and wondering if I shouldn’t just say fuck it and order a beer, regardless of the pact I made with Ruby. I hate the idea of doing that though, even if right now, a beer is exactly what I want.
“You know it would be good for you,” Reid says, apparently oblivious to the fact I don’t even want to talk about it.
“Oh yeah?” I ask, not bothering to hide my annoyance.
“Yeah,” he says, hand on my shoulder. “So why the fuck aren’t you going?”
I take a deep breath in, forcing myself to stay calm and not react to what he’s asking me.
“Caleb?”
“What?”
Reid exhales, shaking his head a little. “Why are you so against this?” he eventually asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Yeah, you do,” he says, taking another sip of his beer. “Talk to me, dude,” he continues. “You know I’ve got your back, right.”