Setting: Three minutes later, Reid's room. Neither of them have moved, Reid's hands rest on Blaise's hips as she stands in front of him, silently trying to process what he just told her.

Chapter Fourteen: Spilling Guts

"Are you going to say something?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Well, I dunno. I mean I just spilled my guts to you, a response would be nice. But don't feel obligated or anything."

"Reid…"

"That's a good start. But I already know my name, so maybe a few more words…? Or you could just go sit on the bed again. What are you, making a nest over there or something?"

"I gotta think, okay?"

"Alright, alright. Take your time."

"…You know, you talk about Tyler being safe and all this other shit. And it makes me so angry to hear you say that stuff. Not because he's my boyfriend or because he's supposed to be your best friend…but because, if I'm honest with myself, it's all true. And you know what the safest thing about him is? He's not you. He doesn't look like you or walk like you or dress like you or push my buttons like only you can. Most of all though, he will never yank me around like you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means he's steady. He knows what he wants and he's not afraid to admit it. He's not afraid to love me, Reid."

"Must suck to be Tyler, 'cause you're afraid to love him."

"Hahaha, are you kidding?! I would give anything to love him. I have tried so hard to love him. It's not that I'm afraid, Reid. It's that I simply can't. Because I'm in love with you."

"I know you are."

"Good work Nancy Drew. What do you want, a prize?"

"I've already told you, I want you."

"Well, I have to say after watching you womanize the entire state of Massachusetts since hitting puberty, I'm a little disinclined to give that up."

"We've been over this Blaise, I don't see you like that. It would be different!"

"That's what you said to Jenna. And to Whitney. Brianna. Even Kayla. God, do you even remember their names? Their faces? Because I do. Jenna Riley? Yah, she was a virgin Reid. You broke up with her the day after you took that from her. I watched Whitney Gardner change everything about herself just so you'd look at her. Dumped her the morning after too, if I remember right. Brianna Walker tutored you in Chemistry once before you took her back to your room. She ended up failing Chemistry because she couldn't think with you in the room. And Kayla, well, you still screw her when you can't find anyone else, right?"

"It's not my fault she's the school slut, okay."

"Oh, look who's talking."

"Fuck you. It's different."

"It's different? Are you insane? It's not different! What, you think because you're a guy"-

"That's not what I meant."

"Fine, what did you mean? I wanna hear this one."

"You've been fighting this for so long that you really don't see it do you?…Well, see this: I'm so fucking hung up on you that every time I so much as look at another girl all I see is how she doesn't measure up. That's why it doesn't work with other girls, Blaise. That's why I can't get beyond a one-night stand with anyone. I'm cursed because I'm in love with my best friend and for years I never thought I had a chance. So, I did what any other guy would do, I tried to find distractions. But then you decided to date my best friend and well, I tried to handle it, but excuse me if that one was a little rough."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"Because I just wanted you to be happy! Don't you get that? I respected your decision, that doesn't meant I liked it. I've had to sit around for months watching Tyler do everything wrong just waiting for you to wake up."

"You let me figure it out for myself…"

"That's right. Because I know you have to. And because I know Tyler and your family and your friends have never forced you to do that. If you don't figure it out on your own terms, how can you know for sure?"

"I can't. I don't even know if I'm sure now…"

"Then let me help you find out."

So, the next chapter will be the first (and only) with narration). I'm sure you can figure out why lol. It's also taking me eons to write and because I want to get it as good as possible for you guys it might take as long as a week. Don't kill me lol. Please review, the more reviews I get the more inclined I'll be to keep plugging along with this next chapter. So far y'all have been more than amazing with your reviews and I can't thank you enough! I love you all, until next time, happy reading!
-Rachel