Page 19 of Unspoken Hearts
Stupid mouth.
He just looks at me, a faint smile toying with his lips. It makes the tightening of my stomach loosen.
“A ranch?” he finishes with a smirk.
I wince and mentally smack my head. “I didn’t mean for it to sound bad,” I say defensively. “I like the ranch.”
Reid chuckles, his head tilting back a bit.
My house comes into view further down the darkening street. The air seems to be dropping because goosebumps crawl up my skin.
“Ranch life isn’t for everyone,” Reid simply admits.
“You love it. But Axel has never been interested. He’s much more into basketball and numbers than anything else.”
I watch his mouth twitch with amusement, eyes boring into mine. “You did the right thing, Mae.”
“I hope so,” I mumble, sounding deflated. “I miss him, though.”
He nods beside me in understanding. “I miss Sawyer being around, too.”
“Really?”
Reid snickers lightly. “Yeah, but don’t tell him I said that. He’s still a pain in my ass when he’s here, but it’s different without him. The house feels different when someone is missing.”
Nodding, I exhale softly as we come to a stop out the front of the battered picket fence that was once painted white and stood straight. Now it’s peeling and stained, matching the rest of the crumbling facade.
Digging my hand into my shoulder bag, I find my keys, even though I doubt anyone would break in. There’s really nothing of worth to take. Pushing open the gate, I walk up the two steps to the porch. Reid trails me, hands still hidden in his pockets. The pavement is lifted, with weeds taking over the space and dust settling on the bench on the patio.
“Thank you for walking me home.”
“Of course,” Reid murmurs, eyes meeting mine again. They’re so vivid, like the sky early in the morning before the sun has fully risen and the colours are drained away.
Reid is steady and familiar, and I want to sink into him, to feel his warmth for a moment before walking into my cold, empty house that creaks and groans with age and neglect.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
His eyes narrow a little, a small tick in his jaw firing. “No, but I wanted to.”
My fingertips tingle as I smile up at him. He’s so close, I can feel the heat radiating from him. It’s intense.
“Are you sure you’ll be all right here for the night?” he asks, making me blink down at my fiddling hands, my keys smacking together. “We have a spare room.”
“But this is my house.” My tone is definitive.
I hear him swallow. “You can visit your brother soon, I’m sure of it.”
Frowning, my tongue runs across my bottom lip as I murmur, “I can if someone drives me to the train station in Hollow Grove. It’s too long of a walk.”
“Why can’t you just drive?” His tone sharpens a fraction.
I tuck a loose strand behind my ear, not wanting to see the pity in his eyes. “Axel took the car.”
Silence surrounds us, and my eyes flicker up to his sympathetic expression, one that I have seen a few times, and I don’t like it. I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me.
It makes me feel weak, and I’m not weak.
“You don’t have a car?” Reid repeats, like he’s confused about what I’ve said.
