Page 10 of Rhett & Moses
Something flickered across her face, disappointment, perhaps, but she masked it quickly with her usual sardonic smile. “Speaking of being stuck with you, your 6.00 a.m. rendezvous with Rhett that has the rumor mill working overtime.”
I froze. “How did you..."
“Small town, big ears.” She shrugged. “Vanessa mentioned it. She seemed quite excited about the prospect of you two rekindling old flames.”
“There’s nothing to rekindle,” I said automatically, though the words rang hollow even to my own ears. “We’re just... clearing the air.”
“At the falls? At dawn?” Bronwyn raised a skeptical eyebrow. “The same falls where you two were allegedly caught in a compromising position the summer before senior year?”
Heat crawled up my neck. “That was a rumor.”
“Was it?” she challenged, her eyes knowing. “Because I distinctly remember you coming home that morning with wet clothes and the most disgustingly dreamy expression I’ve ever seen on your face.”
I opened my mouth to deny it, then closed it again. What was the point? Bronwyn had always seen through me.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said instead. “That was twenty years ago. We’re different people now.”
“Are you?” she mused. “Because from where I’m standing, you’re still the same Moses who runs when things get complicated, and he’s still the same Rhett who looks at you like you hung the moon.”
My heart gave a treacherous leap at her words, which I firmly squashed. “You’re delusional. Rhett’s just... curious. About what happened. That’s all.”
“If that helps you sleep at night,” Bronwyn said with a dismissive wave. “Now, are you ready to face the music, or do you need another five minutes to practice your ‘I’m totally fine’ face in the mirror?”
I shot her a look but followed her out of the restroom and into the bustling gym. The welcome party was in full swing; the space transformed with twinkling lights and blue and gold decorations. A dance floor had been set up in the center, already crowded with former classmates reliving their glory days to ‘90s hits.
At the makeshift stage, Principal Bushman adjusted the microphone, his booming voice carrying over the music as he announced the evening’s agenda. I scanned the crowd, ostensibly looking for familiar faces but really searching for one in particular.
I found him near the refreshment table, deep in conversation with a group of former debate team members. Rhett looked unfairly good in a charcoal gray suit that accentuated his broadshoulders, his hair styled in a way that made me want to run my fingers through it and mess it up.
As if sensing my gaze, he looked up, our eyes meeting across the crowded room. My breath caught as he offered a small, private smile that seemed reserved just for me. Twenty years melted away in an instant, and I was eighteen again, hopelessly enamored with the most captivating boy in Gomillion.
“Stop eye-fucking him from across the room and go talk to him,” Bronwyn muttered beside me.
I tore my gaze away, heat flooding my face. “I’m not, that’s not..."
“Save it for someone who doesn’t know you,” she interrupted. “But do it later. The principal’s about to call you up.”
Sure enough, the Principal Bushman’s voice cut through the chatter: “And now, I’d like to invite Moses Morley to the stage for our official welcome toast! Moses, where are you, son?”
A spotlight swung wildly around the room before settling on me, temporarily blinding me and drawing all eyes in my direction. Panic fluttered in my chest as I forced a smile and made my way to the stage, hyperaware of the whispers that followed in my wake.
“…the one who destroyed the statue..." “…heard he’s gay…” “…wonder if he and Rhett..."
I climbed the steps to the stage, accepting the microphone with a nod of thanks to the principal, who clapped me on the shoulder with more force than necessary before retreating to the side. Facing the sea of expectant faces, I took a deep breath.
“I know I’m not the most obvious choice for this toast,” I continued, aiming for self-deprecating humor. “Given my, uh, complicated history with Gomillion traditions.”
This drew more laughter, tension in the room easing slightly.
“But that’s what reunions are about, aren’t they? Confronting our past, seeing how far we’ve come, reconnecting with the people who knew us when we were still figuring out who we wanted to be.”
My eyes found Rhett in the crowd. He was watching me intently, his expression a mixture of curiosity and something warmer that made my heart race.
“Some of us took the long way around,” I admitted, unable to look away from him. “Some of us had to leave to find ourselves. But there’s something about this place that gets under your skin, that calls you back eventually.”
The room had gone quiet, everyone seeming to lean in to catch my words.
“So, here’s to Gomillion High,” I raised an imaginary glass, “to the memories we’ve made, the lessons we’ve learned, and to being exactly who we are, no apologies, no pretenses.”
