Page 14 of The Year of Us: August

The man.

There was a man with Cory, behind his desk.

Cory was…

Cory was touching him.

My cheeks heated, and I took a step forward, even as my body swayed toward the exit.

“Reese,” Cory said my name like a plea. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

His hand flat against the middle of the other man’s chest, fingers flexed gently against the fabric in a way that felt familiar, even if it wasn’t meant for me. My stare darted toward the point of contact, and Cory yanked his hand away quickly, raising both up in surrender.

“Reese.” Another plea. “It’s not what it looks like.”

I opened my mouth.

Closed it.

He was in the same suit I’d helped him get into at 7:23 that morning. The same hair I’d watched him style at 7:30. His watch was still around my wrist and my hoodie was still over the back of his desk chair. But somehow…everything else was wrong.

“Who—”

“Reese.” My name again. “Please. Let me explain.”

I blinked hard, feeling every ounce the fool Morgan had teased me about being. Unfortunately, it was just for all the wrong reasons.