Page 61 of Falling Again

After dinner, we gather out on the back porch, and Reid starts a bonfire. Tyler brings out ingredients to make s’mores. Long past the sun falling behind the hills and the fire fizzling out, we stay curled up in blankets, talking for hours about everything and nothing. I look around at my friends, my family. I lean over and lay my head on Tyler, who is sitting next to me on the loveseat, butterflies scurrying in my stomach as I become eager to begin this new chapter.

TWENTY-SIX

TYLER

Now

Despite my inner self wanting to chase Chloe back to her cottage after dinner, I practice restraint, staying back to clean up. Annika and Chloe walked back to the cottage and the two are now sitting on the porch chairs.

“So.” I hear Reid clear his throat from behind me.

“So,” I say, turning to him.

“How are things?” He raises his eyebrows as he glances at the girls.

“Things are going good, I think.”

“You think?”

“Well, nothing really has happened besides a few kisses but it feels like things are about to happen.”

“Do I need to talk to you about the birds and the bees?” He squints at me.

I push his shoulder. Hard. “Shut it.”

His laughter fades before he clears his throat “Take care of her, okay?”

“What about me?”

“What do you think Annika is talking to Chloe about?” he says, and I look at the girls again, both wrapped up in conversation. “You both have been through a lot of tough shit that no one should, and yet you are both the kindest people I know. I have to admit, I always thought you two would make a good pair.”

“I don’t really care who takes credit for it, I just want a chance with her.”

Reid is quiet for a while. We watch as Annika makes her way back to the house, but before she reaches us, he pats my shoulder and says, “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

I feel directly responsible for Chloe’s injury since I brought her to the rock climbing gym, so I think it’s my duty to make sure she recovers properly. Besides, I’d be a terrible PT if I didn’t help a friend in a time of need. I’m proud of myself for not pushing her into the cottage and crawling into bed with her last night. Instead, I stayed back and gave her space in case she second-guessed anything we teased about yesterday. It will definitely help her healing and although her injuries were minor, a good night’s rest should help her feel nearly good as new today. And I did just that, gave her space to rest. But that was yesterday. Knowing my thoughts of her aren’t going away anytime soon, I decide to give her a call.

“Yellow?” she answers.

“Purple,” I reply. “Morning, how are you feeling?” I ask.

“Hmm, a little sore— my neck hurts a teeny bit.”

“We should’ve practiced falling.”

“I already fell. Too late.”

“I can try to fix you.”

“Oh yeah? How so?”

“I’m a physical therapist—I’m literally certified to fix people.”

“Oh, right, well, when’s your next opening?”

“Hmm, how about in an hour?”

Chloe is silent for a beat. I think I hear the pages of a journal flipping. “Yeah, I can work with that,” she says, and I chuckle.