✿ Aileen's POV
Reid’s hand comes over mine as we step out of the house.
“In case we run into... paparazzi,” he explains.
“Sure” I sound exactly like the eager nerd in a teen movie agreeing with something too readily, but whatever.
Holding Reid’s hand is not unpleasant. In fact, it’s nice enough that I feel a little guilty. We most definitely weren’t going to run into the paparazzi or Anika because to them we are still broken up. So all this performative affection was probably unnecessary.
But why take chances, am I right?
Besides, I've become a big fan of those hands.
Reid puts on a playlist, and I veto it and turn on the radio. He grumbles, and at a stoplight, switches back to the Bach Playlist.
“I’m not in the mood for this,” I say.
“I’m the one driving.”
“I don’t care, Armani. And the last time I listened to this masterpiece, it was you butchering it.”
With a laugh, he gestures for me to pick something. I put on a funky Bruno Mars song and he grins over at me. With Bruno's voice in the air around us, I close my eyes, face to the night wind, my hair trailing behind me.
For the first time in days, I was completely, no-hesitation, no-doubting-it happy.
“I am the smartest woman alive for suggesting this,” I sigh happily.
“I’d like to argue for the sake of arguing,” he says, “But I can’t.”
I look at him and he smiles over at me, making my heart do an uneasy somersault beneath my breastbone because I realize I’m happy for the first time in months— because of Reid.
“That must be hard for you” I manage to say.
He laughs.
“It is fun to argue with you.”
It’s not a jab, I realize. It’s a compliment.
“Stop that.”
He glances at me and back to the road before I shove his face away.
“Stop what?”
“Being nice.”
And God, when he looks at me again to see whether I’m joking, I can’t help grinning.
Reid Dalton is doing something weird to my emotions.
“I did promise to be irritating and smug, didn’t I?”
“You did,” I agree, “So get to it.”
“You know, for someone who hates me, you sure smile a lot when you're around me,” he says.
“Shut up.”
He grins over at me again and then back at the road before I reprimand him.
“It's the Dalton charm, isn't it?”
“Will you. shut up.”
He laughs this wide-open laugh; it’s a sound I’ve never heard, and it’s a Reid I’ve never seen: head tilted back, eyes crinkled in joy. He looks as happy as I feel.
And miraculously, we spend hours together without arguing once. Bonnie texts a few times, Sophie and Tracy, too, but I ignore them. I’m honestly having one of the best days I can remember.
Real life can wait.
I force Reid to stop to try roadside tacos near a coral-strewn bay of crystalline aquamarine water. And from how horrified he gets, I take nearly forty pictures of him on my phone— yet sadly none of them can be used as blackmail because he looks great in every single one.
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To Capture A Bride
Romance|Updates every Tuesdays| "Come with me." I laugh and wipe the beads of sweat off my forehead. "And why would you think I'd go anywhere with you?" I ask. He fills his cheeks with air and glances at the time on his watch, before slipping his hands s...
