Chapter 8

                                    

                                          
Grace
The next morning I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, toothbrush in hand, staring at my own reflection. My eyes were still tired, a reminder of the restless night I'd had. Sleep hadn't come easily, not after everything that had been running through my mind.
Reed.
The last few days I had fun with him. I liked sleeping with him, even though it was on his couch and wasn't the most comfortable thing ever. I also had fun with him yesterday. I was dying to kiss him again when we were outside together but then everything changed. 
The girls Jessica and I had been with yesterday told us things about Reed I didn't exactly expect.
The girls—Jessica's friends—had been talking. Casual gossip at first, but then they said things about Reed that caught me completely off guard.
I rinsed my mouth, the taste of toothpaste still lingering as I leaned against the sink. The things they said... I wasn't sure if they were trying to be helpful or stir up drama, but either way, their words stuck with me.
They talked about Reed like they knew him, really knew him. But they didn't describe the Reed I'd spent the past few days with—the Reed who held me close, who made me laugh, who looked at me like I was the only person in the room. They talked about a version of him that was distant, detached. Someone who wasn't into anything serious, someone who never let anyone get too close but at the same time, they said, he fucked everything that moved.
I shook my head, trying to block their voices out. That's not Reed. It can't be.
But the words kept circling back, like a warning. They told me that if I didn't want to get hurt, it was better to get away from him now before it was too late. They made him sound like a ticking time bomb of heartbreak, and the worst part? They spoke with such certainty, like it was only a matter of time before I became just another one of his flings.
The thought sent a pang of anxiety through me. Was I just fooling myself? Did Reed actually care about me the way I was starting to care about him? Or was I setting myself up to get crushed?
I grabbed my phone, staring blankly at the screen, unsure of what to do next. And then a message popped up from Jessica.
Jessica: Meet me NOW for coffee.
Grace: ???
	Jessica: Don't ask questions. Go now.
	I put up my hair in a ponytail and threw on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I wasn't planning on going to class today so I didn't grab my things. I knew it would be a waste of time to go. Jessica was already there when I arrived and I went and sat with her. She had already ordered my coffee and my favorite chocolate muffin. 
"Hi."
She smiled at me and arched her brow. "So...?"
"So what?" I was confused. 
"Yesterday you were going home with Salem but he came back and told us Reed drove you."
"Uh, yes. Yesterday was a bit complicated." I shrugged
"Did you think about what Asleigh and April said?"
"I did. A lot."
"And?"
"And maybe Reed and I should stop hanging out." I said quietly, looking down at the table.
Jessica's eyes widened, and she looked at me with a mix of surprise and concern. "Really? You think that's the right call?"
"I don't know," I said, my voice wavering. "It's just... everything they said about him—it's been on my mind. I don't want to get hurt, Jess. What if they're right?"