Page 26 of Reckless Storm (San Francisco End Game #3)

Hayley

R eed sits forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his chin balanced on his knuckles.

“As you know, I was reluctant to do this.” He quirks his lips and I smile.

“But since we got here anyway, I’ve been thinking about the benefits.

First, I’m doing this for you , Hayls. I wouldn’t be doing it at all if this was just about Bria. ”

“I know.” Avoiding his intense gaze, I reach forward and grab a handful of blueberries before sitting back and ferrying them into my mouth.

I know he’s doing it for me, but the sincerity in his eyes is too much to take right now.

What if I fuck it all up? “Trust me, I know and I’m grateful for that, but I think this can help with Bria and––”

“I agree, but not in the way you think…” He trails off and I find myself mimicking his position, leaning forward in anticipation. “I need to know, once and for all, whether or not Bria feels anything for me. Beyond our friendship. But…”

“But?”

“ But ,” he repeats before pausing, straightening in his chair. “If she does have feelings for me, I’m not sure it’ll change my decision. I still want to move on.”

“Wow.” I rest my chin on my knuckles, exactly as he’d done earlier and nod slowly.

“Yep. Wow.” Reed’s voice comes out breathy as he huffs out an incredulous laugh, and I imagine it’s because he doesn’t quite believe it himself. “Anyway, that’s my reason. Is it time for lunch?”

“ Wait .” I straighten quickly, throwing a hand up between us. “You’re just going to drop that bomb and move on? Reed, that’s a big decision. Why do you want to know so badly if it’s not going to make a difference?”

I’m genuinely shocked and not at all hiding my reaction. I don’t think he’s thought this through.

“That one’s easy.” He smiles awkwardly, suggesting it’s not that easy at all.

“Bria’s changed in the last few months, and while she has every right to be whoever she wants to be, I don’t feel the same about the new version of her.

In truth, I’m hoping our little game proves that she doesn’t want me the way I’ve always wanted her.

Maybe then we’d have a fighting chance of getting our friendship back to the place it was before. I miss the old Bria.”

Even when he’s hurting, he finds a way to be nice. I don’t think she’s being “whoever she wants to be.” I think she’s unhappy about no longer having his undivided attention, but it’s not my place to express that. “Again, wow .”

“Profound, I know.” He bites back a smirk but it’s easy to see it’s a cover. “I’m a deep thinker like that.”

Covering my mouth, I try to hide my laughter but it comes through. “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at your situation.”

“Why? You should be. It’s ridiculous.”

“It’s not. At all. You’d be surprised how often friends fall in love. That’s why there are so many movies about it.”

“True. But they always end happily ever after.”

“And so might yours . Don’t close yourself off for that yet. Let’s wait and see.” I’m smiling reassuringly but as I say those words, a niggling feeling settles around my middle.

“Okay, wise one,” Reed continues, unaware of my inner thoughts. “Let’s wait and see.”

Smiling again, he moves the conversation back to lunch but I cut him off. “We haven’t worked hard enough for lunch. We still have to decide how this is all going to work. Thoughts?”

“Fucked if I know. I don’t know the first thing about being in a relationship. I’m guessing there will be public displays of affection.”

I nod.

“And kissing?” He looks positively terrified at the prospect of that, and I laugh out loud.

“We can work up to it, if we need it. Not all couples are that openly coupley.” Despite welcoming the opportunity to maul him, I could easily make Reed the centre of my world without his lips ever touching mine. It’s better to set those boundaries.

“Okay. Yes.” Reed nods. “That works for me. Do we need ground rules?”

“Probably. I do prefer winging it, but if I’m looking at this like an acting gig, then yes, that’s for the best.”

“Cool. Cool. What’s number one?”

I blurt out the first thing that pops into my head. “Don't fall in love with me.”

Reed snorts as his shoulders bounce. “I bet you got that straight out of a movie, didn’t you?”

“Sure did.” I nod before thinking about that for a second. “Or maybe a book; I can’t remember.”

“Well, it makes sense. It can go on the list, but right back at you.”

“Deal.” I hold out my hand for him to shake and he leans forward, shaking it with a laugh before moving on.

“Two…we need to be upfront and honest with each other. At all times.”

“Agreed.” I nod vigorously until a sharp pang hits me in the gut. I’m mostly honest, and he doesn't need to know all my insecurities when it doesn’t affect us. “That comes back to the trust thing and leads to number three. If one of us wants out, we agree to fake an amicable breakup and end it.”

“Of course. That’s a given. We’re trying to help each other, not make life worse.”

“ Exactly .” I click my fingers, excited to be on the same page. “And four… no crossing boundaries.”

“Yep. Good one. And five, no sleeping around.”

Groaning, I bury my face in my hands. I really should have slept around before this. “I’m trying to lose that reputation,” I remind myself as well as Reed. “I have no intentions of doing that.” As disappointing as that is.

“I know, I know. Just putting it out there.”

“Good idea.” Maybe this is going to work. “Should we have a natural end date?”

“Yes. Definitely.”

I glance away to think, but Reed hits me with an answer.

“What about halfway into filming for you? You mentioned there’s a significant breakup in the book, and your character falls apart. If we break up, the audience might feel her pain as you supposedly live it.”

“Reed!” I gasp. He remembered that? “ Holy shit.” I gave him a brief rundown of the book when it was first announced, but I never expected him to be paying attention.

I only told him because I was too excited to hold it all in.

“That’s perfect. But that only works if you’ve already got what you need. ”

“I don’t think it will take long for Bria to show me how she truly feels. If it was just on me, we could be done by the weekend.”

“You’re that confident?” I bite back a grin.

“Yep. She’s never been able to hide her emotions. That’s why I’m convinced she’s not hiding her feelings for me. I would have made a move if I thought she was. But knowing for sure will help.”

“How will you know if she doesn’t have feelings for you? I understand that her jealousy is likely to present quickly if she does , but what if she doesn’t ?”

“She’ll welcome you into her life.” He shrugs like it’s that simple. “She’s always said she can’t wait for the day I have a girlfriend. She’ll be happy for me.”

Ummm . I cringe, my brows furrowing involuntarily. I highly doubt that. “And what if she has reservations, like she doesn’t think I’m good enough?”

“Nah. She’s not protective like that.”

What? “She should be. I would be. Hell, I will be.”

“When?”

“When this ends and you move on with someone else. When you… oh, God.” My eyes widen as I cover my mouth with my hand. Why the hell hadn’t I thought past the relationship ending?

“What?”

“Your future girlfriend is never going to accept me as your friend. This is going to be the end of us.”

He snorts comically before his shoulders drop and he pouts sympathetically. For someone that has two female besties, he really doesn’t know women. “I thought you weren’t worried about this changing our friendship, Hayls.”

“I’m impulsive, you know that. I should have thought it through and––”

“You’re worrying over nothing. At least where that’s concerned. I don’t plan on keeping secrets from my ‘future girlfriend.’ She’s going to know this was fake. We’re good.”

“But what if we kiss? She’s still—”

“Hayley, stop.” With his palm on the coffee table between us, he balances his weight on his hand and leans forward, pressing a finger to my lips.

And honestly, it shuts me right up because…

Damn . “What happened to winging it?” he asks, his eyes boring into mine while my heart races.

“Stop worrying about hypothetical situations.”

“Okay,” I whisper against his finger, a soft smile playing on my lips.

“Okay?”

“Yep.” I nod and he removes his hand, sitting back. “I’m good.”

“Good.” He crosses his arms over his broad chest, and I have to stop myself from reacting. That was a little bit hot. “Next question,” he continues, completely oblivious to what he’s doing to me as my body heats. “When should we make this thing public?”