Page 86 of I'm Gonna Get You Back
But he doesn’t seem to be as concerned with our parents as he is with Logan, who he keeps stealing glances at. I wonder what that’s about. Kenji notices, too, and drapes an arm around Mitchell’s shoulders, probably to get him to relax. Though it seems to have the opposite effect, since Mitch goes quiet and flushed beside him.
I don’t usually drink. It fucks with my training, and I learned quickly that I’m a lightweight. Plus, I do stupid shit like what happened with Delaney.
But right now, I like the idea of forgetting about everything.
I reach for the “water” bottle and take a long sip.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWOCLARANOW
THOUGH WE’RE OUTSIDE‚ THEstage lights start to flicker indicating the show will begin soon. I tuck my camera away, frustrated. None of the alumni theater Legacies had a bad word to say about Amaya.
What if I’m totally off base about her running the account?
Since she’s onstage tonight, I’ll have to wait until after the show to talk to her.
I look around, trying to decide where to sit. I had planned on avoiding Reid tonight. To keep away from him for both our sakes. But in the car he reminded me all over again why it’s so hard to do that. So hard to stay angry. The fact that he found that shirt because he knew it would make me laugh; offered to help me with the doc even after I blocked him. The way he remembers everything about us.
I don’t know if I’m ready to move past what happened with him and Delaney—or if I even should. But with nowhere else to sit, I find myself drifting toward the blanket with him, Mitchell, and Kenji.
As I do, I notice several people are looking at Reid and the other Legacies with odd expressions. Talking about them. The Legacy Lore posts are clearly starting to seep into town. We need to figure out who it is before things get out of hand. Before something irreparably damaging comes out.
When I get to the blanket, Kenji has his arm around Mitchell. I try to give Mitchell anOh my godlook, but he’s watching Reid warily.
Reid is leaning back on his elbow, nonchalant and entirely too languid. A water bottle vertical against his lips. When he releases it, he coughs.
Kenji slams a hand across his shoulder blades, laughing. “Dude, slow down.”
I sink down next to Mitchell, who immediately grabs my arm. “Guess who Logan’s here with?”
My eyes fly wide as I follow his gaze. Nicole is leaning back against Logan’s legs, seemingly poised to watch the show like that. Are they actually together? It seemed like when Reid and I caught them kissing last night it was more of a spontaneous thing. But Mitchell doesn’t know about that.
“Kaywut’m I missing here?” Reid’s voice comes out loud. Too loud.
“Oh, sweet summer child,” Kenji says, patting his head, making Mitchell laugh a little.
I lean back and study him. “Was that even a sentence?”
“It was aquestion.”
I watch Kenji take another sip from the water bottle and put it together as I turn back to Reid. “Are you… drunk?”
He swats at nothing in the air. “Hardly. I’m buzzed at bezzt.”
I scoff. “‘Bezzt’ is definitely a word a sober person would say.”
He shrugs. It’s a slow movement that seems to take effort.
I don’t like this. It would be one thing if he was having fun, letting off a little steam.
Instead, it seems like the reverse is happening. His eyelids are heavy, his stare vacant. A despair I know too well, a misery that I learned to recognize as a child, lines every feature of his handsome face. Like the alcohol is forcing his mask to slip.
“Here.” I offer him an actual water bottle, and he takes a long swig.
The crowd around us starts applauding as the actors take to the stage.
“Shhh,” he whispers. “It’sstarting.”
It’s not even ten minutes into the show before the sky shifts from a hazy twilight to a starlit black. A few minutes more, and Reid lowers himself horizontally and sags against me. I freeze, stunned as he props his head on my lap, wrapping his arm around my leg. Just like he used to. Just like the photo I have of him.
