The evening air was cool against my skin as Reid and I walked side by side, the silence between us stretching uncomfortably. I attempted small talk, like asking where he was taking me and why we couldn't just take a taxi there, but his responses were curt, his gaze fixed ahead.
We traversed a quiet road, the occasional car passing by, headlights slicing through the encroaching darkness. Reid maintained a pace that matched mine, a subtle acknowledgment of my presence that sent an unwelcome flutter through my chest. I chastised myself for reading too much into his actions; I couldn't afford to let my guard down again. He had made his position clear to me that night.
I wasn't even sure why I was following him at all. I should have just gone home with Mum and Kemi earlier.
As we continued, a sense of déjà vu washed over me. The path, the silence, the tensionâit all mirrored that night, the night everything changed. My steps faltered as the memories surged, but Reid pressed on, oblivious or perhaps indifferent to my turmoil.
We approached a petrol station, its fluorescent lights humming softly. Reid paused, turning to me with a faint smile.
"Fancy a stop?" he asked, his British accent curling around the words.
I nodded, unsure of my voice. Inside, he purchased two ice lollies, just as he had done that night. The familiarity was unsettling. He handed me one, his grin disappearing as he noticed my attireâa sleeveless gown that clung to my figure, drawing appreciative glances from other patrons.
"Here," he said, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over my shoulders. The gesture brought us close, his scent enveloping me, triggering flashes of our kiss. A car horn blared outside, jolting us apart.
"We should get going," he murmured, taking my hand. "Still a bit of a trek ahead."
The contact sent a jolt through me, but I steeled myself, determined not to let him see the effect he still had. We walked in charged silence, the unspoken words hanging heavy between us. Finally, we reached the mountain top, the city sprawled below us in a tapestry of lights. I was breathless, though whether from the climb or the proximity to Reid, I couldn't tell.
The view was breathtaking, yet it dredged up memories I'd tried to bury. Countless nights spent here, hoping for a glimpse of him, a sign that I hadn't imagined our connection.
I would climb up here every time, cursing Reid for ignoring me at school. After the night we spent up here, he ended things with Aaliyah and wouldn't even look at me, acting like I didn't exist, leaving me to question my sanity. I remember walking up here, hoping not to see him, and then feeling disappointed when I arrived and he wasn't there.
Even after he left for university, I found myself here, seeking closure that never came. And now, he was bringing me up here again. Was this all a game to him?
This is his pattern, I realized. He makes you feel special, then discards you. Just like all the others warned. Just like Stella predicted.
A bitter laugh escaped me, the sound swallowed by the night.
"What's so funny?" Reid's voice was soft, yet it cut through the silence.
"Nothing," I replied, wrapping his jacket tighter around me. "Just thinking how predictable this all is."
He frowned, stepping closer. "Predictable? What are you talking about?"
"Why did you bring me up here?" I demanded, the words bursting forth. "Why drag me back to this place specifically?"
His expression crumbled, vulnerability flickering in his eyes. "I wanted to cheer you up and apologize for the blog post and what happened the other night. This place always calms me, so I was hoping it would do the same for you."
"Apologize?" I scoffed. "I can't believe you would tell anyone. I mean, I trusted you, but clearly that was a mistake."
"Tell anyone what? Hold on, you think I told them about the virginity thing?"
"Not them specifically, but I mean, you must have told someone, or else how would they have found out?"
"You really think that low of me?" he said quietly. "You really think I would share intimate details of our interaction with anyone else?"
I crossed my arms, the weight of his jacket grounding me. "I don't know what to think."
He took a deep breath, his gaze drifting to the city below. "I didn't tell anyone anything, Isla. I don't know how they found out, but I could find out that information for you." His voice was barely above a whisper. "I can't believe... I can't believe you thought I would do anything to hurt you like that."
The raw pain in his tone silenced my retort. Was I so desperate to paint him as the bad guy that I immediately thought the worst? And was it really so out of pocket for me to think that? Sure, we kissed a few times, but I wasn't naive enough to think that made me special in his books.
He sighed as he sat at the hill's edge, legs dangling and hair tousled by the wind. I walked over and settled beside him, remaining silent, uncertain of what to say or do.
We sat quietly, gazing over the city, taking in the view.
"Listen, I'm truly sorry for how I behaved that night. There's no excuse for my conduct," he said, breaking the silence.
"You mean when you panicked and looked at me like I was some newly discovered species?" I replied with a sheepish smile. "Don't worry about it; it's water under the bridge."
"Yeah, I was a complete prat."
"Yeah," I answered, now openly smiling, feeling more at ease than before.
"I considered texting you to apologise, but Oliver gave me a right telling-off, insisting I do it in person."
"Smart man," I said, picturing Oliver lecturing Reid, and Reid's pouty face as he listened.
"Oh, and I'm also sorry about Stella; she should never have dragged you into our issues," he added.
"Thank you, but I don't blame her. She reached out to apologise ages ago," I said, recalling her text a few days after the incident. I never blamed her; she was just drunk and hurtâa bad combination.
"She did?" Reid asked, surprised.
"Yeah, and then she told me to run while I still could, before my feelings for you grew too much," I said, immediately regretting it. Why did I mention that?
He looked at me with an unreadable expression before a smile broke out. "Smart woman," he said. That wasn't the response I expected.
"Right," I said, struggling to stand. Did it make sense to feel hurt by his response? I didn't know, but I was. "I should probably head home; it's getting late," I said, and he stood up after me.
I knew he wanted to say something else but held back. "Okay, well, goodbye. Thanks for this," I said, shrugging off his jacket, but he held my hands in place, adjusting it over my shoulders.
"Keep it; it's still chilly."
I shuddered at his closeness, goosebumps rising on my skin.
"I texted a mate earlier to come pick us up; we'll drop you off first," he said, and I nodded silently.
I turned to leave, taking a few steps before I heard my name.
"Isla," he murmured, and I turned to face him.
"Shall we be friends?" he asked, catching me off guard. What did he mean? How could we go back to being friends? What were we before? Two strangers who had kissed? Was this his way of saying nothing more could come of our relationship? Probably.
"Sure," I said, even though I knew it was a recipe for disaster. Being friends with Reid? That would never work. I needed to be firm and reject him. "We can be friends," I said -a complete opposite of my thought-sealing my fate.
He smiled, muscles flexing as he patted his hair down.
Fuck.