Mistakes I’ve Made by Jordan Marie
6Reed
“I had a good time with you tonight, Callie.” I tell her lamely, as we pull into her driveway. The evening had gone stale after the scene with Mitch and I could physically feel Callie pull away from me.
“I did, too.”
“What do you say we go out again next Saturday. There’s a great pizza joint in town and this time it will be just the two of us.”
“Reed, I really like you.”
“Good, I like you, too,” I return with a smile, praying I can build on that.
“It’s just…”
“Callie?”
“I just moved here and things. I’m not looking for a boyfriend right now. I have a lot of stuff going on at home.”
“We’ve just met. We can just get to know each other, Callie. Who knows what it will lead to?” I shrug, sounding a lot more relaxed than I am.
“I get the feeling whatever we become will only fuel some kind of war you have going on with your brother.”
“Callie,” I mutter, rubbing the side of my jaw.
“Am I wrong, Reed?” she asks, looking at me. The light inside the cab of her old car is dim and I can’t see her face that well. Right now, I really wish I could.
“I like you, Callie. I can honestly tell you that me wanting to spend time with you has nothing to do with my brother and everything to do with you.”
“And I like you, Reed, but I think, at least for now, we’d be better off as friends. Maybe in the future…” she murmurs, killing me.
“I can be your friend, but I need you to know that I’m not ready to give up on being more.”
“This is silly. We barely know one another, Reed.”
“Maybe, but I know I’m feeling a pull toward you that I’ve never experienced before.”
She rolls her eyes, and I don’t need good light to see that.
“How about we try friendship out, and see what happens?”
“I can deal with that,” I tell her, wanting to take her in my arms and kiss her senseless. She’s right, though. We don’t know each other well. I’m willing to take my time for her to get to know me. Hell, it will give me time to get my license so I can be the one to drive when we go out again.
We get out, and I close the door, standing there looking over the top of the car, as she does the same. I step backwards, shoving my hands into my pockets. She walks to the front of the vehicle, and we stare at one another. I watch her beautiful, full lips spread into a smile as she shakes her head. “I’ll see you around, Reed,” she says.
“I’ll see you soon,” I counter, pulling my bike away from the hedges in Callie’s yard. I climb on it, but I do it watching her walk away, climbing the steps to her house.
She makes me ache. I want her. I just hope I can convince her to try again. I’m going to have to talk to Mitch.
Maybe if I talk to him man to man, I can reason with him.
Shit.