Page 46 of The Weight Of It All
“No,” I answered, standing up. “I should get going.”
Reed wiped the palms of his hands down his thighs. “Oh, okay.” He swallowed hard, clearly uncomfortable now. “Hey, thanks for today. I had a great time.”
“No worries. Thank you for not freaking out when we met my old friends. And my mother. And then Anika on the phone…” The corner of my mouth pulled down. “For all of it really. Maybe next time we can go somewhere where I don’t know anyone.”
He finally smiled. “Next time?”
“Yeah, if you want to, that is.”God, why couldn’t I stop talking?
He nodded. “Sure. I’d like that. Don’t forget next Saturday though, be at the gym at three.”
“Oh for sure. And you still have to make me that lamb and sweet potato salad. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”
He smiled more naturally now. It suited him so much better. “Deal.”
I walked to his front door. “Thanks again. See you Tuesday morning?”
He stood about a metre from me, his hands shoved in his pockets. “I’ll be there.”
I wouldn’t say it was awkward, but there was something there. Something electric, something frightening, something that both thrilled me and terrified me.
With a clumsy smile, I opened the door and walked to my car. I hadn’t even started the engine before I had Anika on the phone. She answered my call with, “You hung up on me.”
“You embarrassed me.”
“Henry, what’s wrong?”
“I just left Reed’s place.”
“Oh my God. Did you sleep with him?”
“What? No!”
“You should. You need a newly-single fuck.”
“Anika!”
She was silent for a long moment. “Oh my God, Henry…”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see. “I know.”
“You like him.”
“I don’t know. I think so? How is that possible?”
I heard her mumble something like her hand was covering the phone. Then she said, “We’ll be around for dinner. Cook us something nice, Henry.”
And the line was dead. I drove home in a daze. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t possible. Surely this was just some rebound mental lapse of reason.
I got home and plonked my new gym clothes on the dining table when I saw the box of the things Graham left behind. I went to it and ran my fingers over the sweater folded and shoved on top. I didn’t know what anything between Reed and me meant. I didn’t know what I wanted. I didn’t know what I was capable of right now. But I knew one thing for certain. I picked up the box and put it outside by the front door. I’d take it up to Vinnies Charity Shop tomorrow.
That part of my life was over. Who I was when I was with him was gone.
With a satisfied smile, I went back inside and cooked dinner.
Anika and Seanarrived around half five, and by then I had entrées of grilled prawns with a honey and chili sauce, a main course of pork tenderloin and salad, and dessert of glazed fig and pear with honeycomb wafers and yoghurt.
“Sweetmother of God, this smells so good,” Anika said as she walked in to my kitchen. She and Sean inspected all the food, then she kissed my cheek. “I love it when you get in a cooking mood.”
