Throttled

Or so I thought.

I opened the front door and followed the sound of laughter through the living room and into the kitchen. My mom was pouring Reid a glass of what I hoped was poison, while my dad sat across from Reid at the table. While Reid’s back was turned to me, I could see the elation on my parents’ faces. My mother fawning over him as she handed him his drink. My dad practically slapping his knee at whatever Reid was saying.

“What could possibly be so fu

“Nora, honey,” my mom said, guilt oozed from her as she walked over to give me a hug. She ran her fingers through my ponytail that was the same color as hers and gave me a pat on the back—silently saying that all was well. I just shook my head. My dad waved and smiled from underneath his beard. The black hairs, like the ones on his head, were peppered with gray pieces and his mountain man appeal was starting to take on a much more distinguished vibe. Reid turned to look at me. “Reid here has been filling us in on what he’s been up to.”

“Has he now?” I ignored Reid’s ear-to-ear grin. “I’m sure it’s fascinating,” I added with little enthusiasm. “I just stopped by for a bottle of water.” I walked over to the fridge and tried to pretend that him sitting in the kitchen where we’d shared so many meals with my parents wasn’t weird.

“That was after I managed to convince them that I wasn’t the spawn of Satan you’ve been painting me as the past few years,” Reid said proudly, his smile not wavering. You would have thought he’d just solved the world hunger crisis by the way he was gloating.

I stood tight lipped for a moment. “That has yet to be determined.”

“I had to tell them that it was actually your suggestion that I stop by for a visit,” he explained. “Remember today in your office when I said you should come,” he paused and my eyes went wide when he wet his lips. Was he seriously making a sexual i

“There’s plenty more, dear,” she said, taking another plate over to the table. “I’m just pleased that the two of you were able to put the past aside. I know you’ve probably missed each other terribly.”

“Mom,” I blurted out, nearly spitting a drink of water from my mouth.

“I know I’ve missed her,” Reid replied. As I stood there slack-jawed and dumbfounded by how this entire thing was playing out, it hit me. I had to be living in an alternate universe. Or maybe I was on a hidden camera show. My eye sca

My mother’s lips threatened her input, but I shook my head and she kept it to herself. I know that my mom had always had this high school sweethearts love story in her head for Reid and me, but I thought when we’d broken up she’d buried it the same way I had. Just because my parents had been together practically since birth didn’t mean that my path was paved with the same everlasting love.

“Quite a lot of accomplishments for a Halstead boy, don’t you think?” my Dad asked, pulling me back to my actual reality and thankfully changing the subject. My mother might have been ignoring the tension that seemed to follow me into the room, but I could see by the look on my Dad’s face that he understood. I’d wondered why he didn’t shoot Reid the second he’d stepped onto their property. I remembered him promising a seventeen year old version of me that he would. I thought about calling him out on his lie, but my focus was drawn to the scrap book sitting in front of Reid.

“What are you doing with that?” I asked, pointing at the book.

“Reminiscing,” he said with a dreamy look in his eye. “Care to join us?” He pulled out the chair next to him.

“I think I’m good over here,” I pulled out one of the barstools from the island and sat.

“Oh, you look so pretty in this picture,” my mom beamed, pointing down at the book. “Your first prom. You remember that white dress?”

How could I forget it? Reid held up the book so that I could see. There I was, strapless white dress, my hair curled loose and pi

“That’s great,” I said under my breath.

My mother would have had a stroke right there in the kitchen if she knew that white dress she loved so much ended up on the bedroom floor of the Travers’ cabin where we had our after party. And that her sweet daughter lost her virginity to the overachieving motocross star sitting at her kitchen table enjoying her chocolate chip cookies. There was a passing thought of mentioning the post-prom events, followed by one where my dad actually shot Reid dead for deflowering his little girl, but I decided against it. That night, those memories, those were actually ones I wanted to hold onto.

I remembered how nervous I was. How nervous Reid was. Both of us inexperienced and unsure. We’d been perfecting making out for quite some time and both of us thought we were ready to take the next step. He’d pla

“You looked like a princess,” she continued to gush. “Didn’t she look beautiful that night, Reid?”

“She looks beautiful all the time.” He responded to my mother, but his eyes were on me.

“I’ve got to get back to my run,” I said, standing abruptly. He had to quit saying things that made me forget to hate him. He was making it entirely too hard to stay mad at him and I was really good at it. I was the Be-Mad-At-Reid State Champion, seven years ru

I kissed my mom on the cheek and patted my dad on the back as I darted out the back door. I pushed myself harder on the second part of my run, needing to get as far away from that house—and him—as I could.

“Didn’t think we’d ever see you again,” Royce Be

“How you doing, Royce?” I had asked, walking up to him and extending my hand.

“Depends,” he’d said. “What can I do you for, Reid?”