Page 43 of Learn Your Limits

Chapter forty-one

Emiliano

The line for the bar is thankfully quick, and I have two festive drinks in hand within a few minutes. Deciding to give Reid and Avalon a little more privacy to catch up, I stand at the end of the hotel bar, leaning back as I casually observe the other gala guests.

There aren’t many people I recognize. After all, this is a rather large college town, and I am not one for these big events unless the university requires my presence. But there was something about attending with Reid that made the gala much more appealing.

Laughing, dancing, and enjoying shared time with him has made this an amazing night.

Though I could still feel the nerves radiating from him, I know he’s more than capable of getting through whatever we may face with his parents.

Everyone we’ve encountered tonight has been friendly and inviting, eager to meet the new couple in the community.

And I cannot hide the beaming smile on my face every time we get to introduce ourselves as a couple.

A woman in a deep burgundy gown approaches me just as I am about to steal a sip of my drink.

She’s older than me, her gown is something similar to what a mother of the bride would wear, and she looks gorgeous in it.

The familiar tint of red hair shouldn’t complement the color of the dress, but she makes it work in her favor.

“Hello there,” she greets with a small wave, stopping a few feet in front of me. “I’m Nora Callahan. I saw you dancing with my son.” Her smile is warm, and a spark of curiosity shows in her amber eyes.

This is Reid’s mother.

While I have heard plenty about his father, Reid hasn’t said much about his mother, but I assume that’s par for the family dynamic. His mom seems pleasant judging from this small interaction.

“Hi, Nora. I’m Emiliano Cervantes.” Setting my glass onto a coaster, I lean forward and extend my hand toward her. When she takes it, I bring my other hand to hold hers between my two in a warm hold. “Yes, Reid is quite the dancer.”

As I let go of her hand, I can see Nora’s eyes shift behind me, her smile spreading across her face. Straightening and turning to follow her line of sight, I see Reid approaching, a hint of worry visible in the scrunch of his brow even when he attempts to hide it with a smile.

“There he is,” Nora says, her attention turned toward Reid as he stands beside me but notably not too close.

“Hey,” he murmurs, his eyes shifting between us before settling on me. “What were you guys talking about?” His question comes out rushed, nerves lacing his voice.

“Oh, nothing,” his mother chimes. “I was simply getting acquainted with Emiliano here.”

“Yes, we’ve bonded over your dancing skills,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood and calm Reid’s nerves. I have the urge to settle my hand on the small of his back, but I’m not sure he would want that type of contact at this moment. I want him to feel comfortable.

“And how terrible they are, I’m—” Reid’s words falter as an older man steps in beside Nora. There is no mistaking who the man is even though Reid favors his mother in appearance.

“There you are, Arthur. I was wondering where you had run off to,” Nora says, her voice strained. I watch as the smile on her face dims in the man’s presence, and it doesn’t sit well with me.

Arthur makes a non-committal hum as he raises his glass to his lips, sipping as he looks between me and his family.

“And this is?” Arthur asks, addressing me with no more than a slight tilt of his chin. The discourtesy radiates from him as much as his pungent cologne does.

Though there is a good distance between us, I feel the tension as Reid’s body stiffens beside me, his jaw clenching as he swallows and his breath becomes audibly more shallow.

None of us provide an answer for a few seconds. I’m frozen as well, but not for the sake of Arthur. I’d like nothing more than to declare who Reid is to me, but I cannot do that when he’s having this type of reaction.

I decide to move closer to Reid. I can at least provide support in calming his panic if I can just make contact. As I approach, he nearly flinches while trying to get away from me, shifting on his feet so he stands closer to his mother than me.

“This is—” He pauses, his chest rising and falling as he seemingly struggles to find the words. “This is Emiliano Cervantes. He’s my...”

My heart drops with every inch he moves away from me and every second he drags out my introduction.

Nora gives him a knowing smile, but his gaze is elsewhere.

“He was my psychology professor last semester.” Reid’s voice is hardly more than a whisper as the words escape him.

With that one sentence, we are back to being a secret, and my mind reels with how to react. The immediate frown from Nora was almost too much to bear, so I keep my eyes trained on a spot across the room, knowing that I’ll break if I look at Reid right now.

“Odd to be spending the evening with your professor instead of your date, son,” Arthur clips, his tone scolding.

My attention turns toward Arthur as I narrow my eyes and stand further into our shared space. “Reid has an excellent mind to pick, Arthur. Perhaps you should try speaking with him rather than at him sometime and you’d see.”

Reid’s brows pinch as he glances at me, surprise written across his face as I defend him despite his rejection. Arthur’s mouth stays agape, eyes wide as he finally shows the decency to look at my face.

“Now, you’ll have to excuse me as I’ve just seen a colleague of mine.

” My voice sounds nearly robotic to my own ears, playing off a script of niceties while my heart feels like it’s been struck.

“It was lovely to meet you, Nora.” Turning toward Nora, I give her a polite smile as I button my jacket and begin to walk around Arthur.

My hurt outweighs the obligation I feel to stay with Reid right now. I know I’ll regret leaving him behind, but I also know I’m dysregulated enough to not trust myself or truly be there for him in the way he needs.

I rush through the crowd, not looking behind, but instead looking for Avalon. I don’t think I could leave here without at least knowing Reid will be taken home safely. She stands alone still, eyes trained across the room as I approach her.

“Avalon, I’m in need of a favor,” I blurt, once again scolding myself when she jumps at my frenzied tone.

“Emiliano, are you okay?” she asks, recovering from my surprise drop-in quickly.

She looks over my shoulder, frowning for a moment before looking back at me with sympathetic eyes.

The woman is perceptive with how she’s able to read the situation, but that’s perhaps due to her being in a similar predicament.

“Are you able to take Reid home tonight?” I ask, choosing to deflect her question with one of my own. I don’t know how to answer it, anyway.

“I can, but what—”

I don’t hear the rest of her statement after she agreed to get Reid home safely. I’m already weaving myself through the crowd in desperate search of fresh air. An apology for my behavior and a bouquet of flowers will be sent to her soon, but right now, I can’t deal with speaking to anyone.

Finally reaching the entrance of the hotel, I rush toward the empty car bay to one of the benches used as a waiting area for guests. Sitting down, I put my head into my hands and breathe out a sigh that feels like it’s been stuck for far too long.

My solitude doesn’t last. Steps approach me slowly, and I already know they belong to Reid. Keeping my head lowered and my elbows on my knees, I look up enough to see him through my periphery.

"Milo..." he says hesitantly, heartache clear in his voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't—" Even when I don’t look at him directly, I can see his eyes are glassy and brimming with tears. "I shouldn't have said that. I panicked."

“I’m not angry with you,” I confess. It’s the truth.

I’m disappointed but not angry with him.

I sympathize with how difficult the introduction was, especially after meeting his terrible father.

But there’s a part of me that stings with rejection and I can’t help but to feel as if I’m not worthy of being introduced as his partner.

He takes a cautious step toward me, but the fresh hurt in my expression must be enough for him to keep his distance. “Fuck, Milo,” he chokes out. “You’re everything to me. You have to know that. I just—”

“I need time, Reid. I can’t think properly when there’s a war between my head and my heart.” I sigh as I stand up, and the movement leaves me feeling too close to the man who is still several feet away. Everything is too raw, and the heartbreak I see in Reid’s expression is too similar to my own.

So I walk away.