Chapter Seven

Tatum

It was after seven when I woke up this morning. Reed's door was still shut, and I could tell he was still in there by the humming sound of his fan. I've heard it in the middle of the night when I've tiptoed into the hallway to use the bathroom.

Last night, we sat out by the fire with Hayes and Everly for most of the evening. Colter and Ava showed up later, bringing stuff to light fireworks. I needed a low-key night with my roommates, especially after the first week of classes.

When midnight rolled around, I couldn't stop yawning. I waited, half expecting Reed to follow me when I excused myself to head inside. He didn't, though, probably because he knew our roommates would start asking questions.

This morning, I've been itching to get in the kitchen and surprise everyone with breakfast. I promised to keep the guys fed, and I wanted to hold up my end of the deal.

"Oh my gosh, what is that smell?" Reed hollers from upstairs.

I peek through the kitchen doorway into the living room as he comes barreling down the stairs. My heart skips a beat when I see he's not wearing a shirt, bolting across the room to keep myself staring—or worse, drooling.

"Please tell me you're making bacon?" He inhales deeply, a look of pure bliss on his face. "You are, I can smell it. It smells amazing."

He leans against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, watching me.

"It is, and you should get out of here. Or go put on a shirt. The last thing we need is you getting a grease burn."

Reed wags his brows at me playfully, but I just pick up the spatula and pretend to swat at him before flipping the last pancake.

"Put some clothes on? No good morning? No how did you sleep? That's how you choose to greet me."

I sigh, then turn to face him. "I'm sorry," I say, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "Good morning, Reed. Don't you look radiant and well-rested on this beautiful morning? I hope you slept like an angel on a pillow of clouds." I flutter my eyes at him, flashing a big, fake smile. "Now, do me a favor, will ya? Go put on a shirt. We have guests."

"Guests?" he asks.

As if on cue, Everly and Ava come trudging down the hallway. Everly stops, glancing between the two of us with a curious look. Not even a minute later, the front door opens, and Beckham and Hallyn walk in, joining the party.

I wave the spatula at him and smile. "See, guests."

Beckham sometimes stays at Hallyn and Ava's apartment, and other times, she crashes here. I'm guessing since Colter and Ava were here last night, they chose to take advantage of having the place to themselves.

My eyes meet Everly's, and she gives me a knowing smile. I roll my eyes in response. I made the mistake of telling her about the whole vibrator incident, and she practically fell to the floor in a fit of giggles. She even asked if she could include it in her next story. Everly's been working on her second book, and I've promised her that I'll be the first to read the rough draft. After Hayes, of course. No one's been more supportive of her writing journey than him.

It's interesting to see the Carver brothers with their girlfriends. Growing up, they were known flirts and always able to charm their way into the hearts of countless women. But now, seeing them so smitten and in love with Hallyn and Everly is pretty adorable, to say the least.

Despite watching them and their relationships blossom, it still hasn't convinced me to start dating again. But I have to admit, they're slowly proving to me that not all guys are trouble.

Everly squeezes past Reed, who's preoccupied with watching me as I tend to the food. She nudges her shoulder against mine, takes a deep breath, and sighs.

"It's been ages since I've had a good home-cooked meal. Something outside of a restaurant or the campus cafeteria. This looks incredible."

Beckham is right behind her, practically salivating at the mouth. "How much longer, Lucy?" He holds his stomach like we'll hear it roar at any moment.

"Give me ten. Why don't you make yourself useful and set the table for me?" I smirk, and he doesn't hesitate.

Reed hasn't said much since we were interrupted, and I can't ignore the way he eyes Beckham and me during our exchange.

Everly busies herself by pulling the glasses out of the cabinet and filling each one with orange juice, while Beckham sets the table with plates and silverware. Once the kitchen is empty, though I don't doubt more people will trickle in soon, Reed approaches me.

"Lucy? Is that a nickname or…?" Reed's voice breaks the silence, his curiosity evident.

"It's my middle name," I explain, turning to face him. "Well, Louise, but my mom and brother have been calling me Lucy since, gosh, for as long as I can remember."

Reed moves to the other side of me, leaning casually against the refrigerator while making sure to keep his distance. His arms are crossed, and I can't help but notice how his muscles flex with every slight movement. It's hard to resist staring.

"I guess it sorta got picked up by everyone else," I add, feeling his gaze burn into me.

Reed nods thoughtfully. His brown eyes reflect a mix of curiosity and something else I can't quite place.

"Here, I'll help," he offers, once I turn off the stove and begin stacking the last few pancakes onto the plate.

I'll be honest, while most of the cups in the cabinet are plastic cups with Braysen U printed on the side or some other random business name, I was pleasantly surprised to find the guys had actual plates and dishware.

Reed starts moving the rest of the food onto two other plates, carefully carrying everything over to the table. The rest of the gang is already waiting, ready to eat.

Colter sits at the head of the table. He lights up at the sight of the towering stack of pancakes. As soon as we're all seated, everyone digs in.

Everly takes the spot next to me, with Reed across from us.

"Next weekend, we have our annual football season kickoff party. We're having it out at Greencastle this year, though," Colter announces.

Hayes turns to me. "Lucy, Everly is coming, and, of course, Hallyn and Ava will be there too. If you want to come out, you can ride with us, or I'm sure the girls will let you pile into Ava's car."

"I'll be going too," Reed chimes in. "I'm planning on driving, so"—he clears his throat, glancing around the table—"if you'd prefer, you can ride with me."

Hayes, finishing the last piece of his pancake, shrugs nonchalantly. "I mean, it's up to you. You don't have to stay all night if you don't want to. Just thought you might want to get out for a bit."

I nod, jabbing my fork into a stack of pancakes, running it through syrup, and taking a bite. It gives me an opportunity to sort through how to answer.

Truth be told, parties aren't my thing these days. Too many bad memories, I suppose.

"Yeah, sounds fun. I'll think about it and let you know."

Beckham eyes me. He's like a stand-in Talon, always keeping an eye on me. Hayes beats him to it, though, saying what we all know is on their mind.

"How are things going, though, since the move? You settled in?"

This is a question I can answer. A relaxed smile comes easy as I meet Reed's gaze from across the table. He keeps his eyes trained on me when he lifts his fork for another bite, waiting for my response.

"Honestly, everything has been great. I started my job at Sweet Tooth, which has been amazing. School has been fine so far—just catching up a bit. Reed took me by the campus bookstore, so I got all the books I needed."

"Wyatt works there," Colter adds. "If I would've known you were applying, I could have given her a heads-up. She would've put in a good word for you, although not that you need it." He takes another bite, his smile genuine.

I nod. "Reed mentioned that too."

I appreciated them looking out for me and being willing to help me get a job. If I'm honest, though, I wanted to know I earned it on my own merit, not because someone pulled strings for me.

Even though I'm confident in my experience and credentials, Wyatt doesn't know me or the effort I've put into getting here. Starting over in a small town is tough enough without feeling like I've lost everything I've worked so hard for.

"Reed dropped me off on campus while he had class, so I roamed around and found all my classes. So far, I've only had my Intro to Business class. I'll start my full schedule on Monday, though."

The subject gets changed back to their upcoming game, and I'm thankful for the attention being directed to something other than me. Reed's gaze flickers toward me a few times, but he remains quiet. After he finishes his plate, he stands and heads into the kitchen.

It's not until everyone is clearing the table that I find him in the kitchen, washing the dishes. His phone is connected to the Bluetooth speaker, and Tim McGraw plays softly in the background.

"Hey now, that's my job," I tease, nudging him.

"Yeah, well, you took care of making all of us breakfast, which was delicious, by the way. I figured I'd give you a break and take care of the dishes."

I clear my throat, ignoring his comment and low chuckle, and join him at the sink.

He's still shirtless, and it's hard to resist watching the water droplets trail down his chest, following the contours of his abs. I press my lips together as if it will stop me from daydreaming about my tongue following the same path.

As the song shifts to one I immediately recognize, a favorite of my mom's, I can't help but smile. Reed must notice because he reaches for my hand and gently tugs me toward him, pulling me into his arms.

"What are you doing?" I ask, scolding him.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he replies, his voice dropping to a husky murmur. One arm circles my waist while he holds my hand in the other.

His warm breath against my ear sends a shiver down my spine. "See, this isn't so bad. You don't have to try so hard to prove we're only friends."

"Mm-hmm." I hum in response, and he chuckles.

"You comin' to our game next weekend?" Reed asks, his tone casual yet hopeful.

Everly asked me the same thing. She promised she'd stay by my side if I went. While I haven't shared my past with her, she understands my trepidation when it comes to crowds.

"I was thinkin' about it. Everly has an extra ticket, so I'll probably take her up on it."

Reed raises an eyebrow. "What about coming out to Greencastle next weekend? You didn't seem to be interested when that got brought up."

I shrug. "It's just not my thing. I haven't decided yet, though. I might stay in and catch up on my assignments or binge-watch my shows."

"Maybe I'll hang back and join you instead," Reed suggests, studying me thoughtfully. "Partying isn't as fun as it used to be, and I hate being hungover at practice the next day. I'd rather chill with you instead."

My mind drifts back to his comment last night. Although we've talked about being friends, I've noticed myself finding reasons to keep him at a distance. I haven't exactly been a good friend in return.

I want to hang out with him, and I keep making excuses why I shouldn't.

"Count me in."