Page 7 of Reece & Holden (Gomillion High Reunion #6)

CHAPTER SEVEN

Reece

Shit! My heart sinks as I watch Holden disappear out the door. That was definitely not a good start.

“What did you do?” I turn and find myself confronted by a dark-haired woman holding two glasses. She’s stylish, in a quirky way, with heavy bangs and flashing violet eyes. Her mouth is formed into a tight line.

“What?” I ask.

“Holden.” She nods her head towards the exit. “What happened?”

“I just said hello.” I shrug, not sure what I’ve actually done.

She huffs a disapproving sound and sets the drinks down on the nearest table. “I need to go and find him.” She sets off across the room and I fall into step beside her.

“What are you doing here?” She shoots at me as we walk down the hallway.

“It’s my school reunion,” I reply and she stops abruptly, tipping her head back with a barely concealed sneer.

“Are you always this obnoxious?”

No, not usually, but I’m wound up from spending the last few hours looking for Holden and then him running out on me, so worry is dulling my ability to be nice.

“I’ve lived in the UK for the last twenty years,” I answer like it’s some excuse.

“Who are you?” she asks, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Reece Fisher, who are you?”

She ignores my question and turns sharply, and continues walking quickly along the corridor. I catch up with her within three strides.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she says bluntly.

I bite back the answer that I can certainly be at my own school reunion as it would just reinforce her opinion of me.

But her comment tells me that she’s heard of me, and I’m not sure how much she knows.

Probably enough judging by the black looks she keeps giving me.

Well, tough. I’ve come this far and I want to see Holden, check if he’s alright as he certainly didn’t look like it.

We come to a stop outside the men’s bathroom.

“You need me to go in there?” I point to the sign on the door.

The expression on her face conveys that she definitely doesn’t need me as she pushes open the door herself. I follow her into the men’s room and stand by the door. It looks empty.

“Holden?” she calls softly. “Are you in here?”

Holden backs out of a cubicle and she rushes over and puts an arm round him, guiding him to the sink and running some water.

He hunches over and sloshes some onto his face.

She hands him some paper towels. Once he’s cleaned up he stands and turns.

I don’t like the look of shock that comes across his face but I should’ve expected it.

“W-w-what’s he doing here?” he asks, his voice rising.

I’d almost forgotten he had a stammer. I internally wince, not that he has it, but because it was one of the things I taunted him about. I really was a piece of shit back then.

The woman glowers at me. “He followed me, like a bad smell. I said he shouldn’t have after he scared you.”

“He didn’t s-scare me. I-I-I was s-sick from the alcohol,” he says.

“Holden, I’d like to talk to you if I may?” I ask, and Holden snaps his head toward me.

“S-so you can taunt me? Well, you can now add being sick at my own reunion to the list,” he says with a vehemence that surprises me. I take care to keep my voice calm.

“No, I’m not going to do that. I’m not the same person I was then.”

He takes a deep breath and replies. “Neither am I, and I won’t take it anymore.”

I can see by the determined set of his jaw how much it took for him to say that. I both admire him for it and hate that I made it so he had to.

“Can I just talk to you please?”

I glance at the woman, who leans back against the sink and crosses her arms. I don’t want to say anything in front of her.

“Clara, I’ve got this,” Holden says and she unfolds her arms with a frown.

“Are you sure?” She gives me a hard glance but I don’t react. I doubt anything I say right now will change her opinion of me.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

She pushes off from the sink and gives Holden a quick hug. I see her murmur something to him and he replies with a small nod. As she walks toward me her face hardens and she comes to a stop just in front of me. She looks directly at me but speaks to Holden.

“I’ll be right outside. If you need me, just shout.”

I wait until the door closes behind her.

“Who is she?” They weren’t the first words I’d intended to say, not in the harsh way they came out, but a dark feeling I don’t care to name rises in me.

“Clara? She’s a friend. Not that it’s any of your business,” he says sharply, and I flinch slightly at his words. I deserved that. I start to move towards him but he puts out his hand.

“S-stay there.”

I stop in my tracks.

“Don’t come any closer. Say whatever you have to say and go away.” His voice is hard, though I can detect a slight wobble to it, like he’s putting on a show of bravado that might crumble any minute. I’m not going to ignore his wishes.

“Okay.” I take a step back until I’m near the door again, and he visibly relaxes.

Shit, again I’m struck by how much I affect him.

This isn’t going to be easy, but then I didn’t think it would be and I don’t deserve it to be.

But I wasn’t prepared for the way I affect him, and it makes me feel sick.

I haven’t spoken for several seconds and I notice he starts to tense up again as if he’s bracing himself for whatever might come next.

Everything I’d prepared to say leaves my brain so I just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

“I went by your store earlier, but it was closed. I was looking for you there.”

He doesn’t react so I babble some more.

“Then when I couldn’t find you, I went to your parents’ house, but a neighbor said they’d moved. What I’m trying to say is, I didn’t want to do this here, like this.” I wave my hand to gesture at the bathroom.

“Do what?” he asks flatly. I’m bungling this badly.

“Holden, I’ve come to say I’m sorry and I want to apologize for—”

I don’t get any further as his face suddenly goes a shade of green that practically matches his jumper.

He makes it as far as the sink before folding over and bringing up whatever he has left in his stomach.

Without thinking I cross the room and turn on the faucet.

He convulses, and instinctively I place a hand between his shoulders and rub gently.

He begins to twist away from my touch but a fit of coughing overtakes him, and I keep stroking up and down his back until he relaxes and stops.

“Fuck! What happened?”

Clara’s voice cuts across the room as the door bangs behind her and she rushes over. She inserts herself between us, pushing me out of the way, and I stumble back a step. She reassures Holden and eventually he straightens back up.

“Are you alright?” Her voice is full of concern. I can clearly see he isn’t; he still looks green around the edges.

“I just want to go h-home,” he says.

“Okay, come on, let’s go.” She puts her arm round him in support and guides him toward the door. I feel a pang that he doesn’t look at me, not even a glance. Clara on the other hand gives me a glare like this is all my fault, and I can’t help but agree with her.