THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU ➪ 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐒

12.

*REECE'S POV*

It's just a few weeks before the wedding, and I am feeling a lot of things. It feels like someone put my feelings into a blender, and out came an emotion smoothie. I have been listening to Kelli's advice the more and more I talk to her, and sit down, and even indulge in all the trauma I have been through. Turns out there's more damage than I thought.

The nightmares eventually went away, but it doesn't mean waking up in the middle of the night did. The anxiety stomach aches I used to get when I was a child.. They are back. I would always get them if I was really scared for something to happen, something I didn't want to happen. But now Chris's wedding is sooner than I thought. What can I do?

Of course, Chris and I right now are good. I'm pretty sure we moved on from the kiss, but I feel like there were some incidents on a few Saturday stargazing nights where it did almost happen again. But I couldn't. I couldn't do it. Not after all the hard work Kelli is making me do. I wish I could, to be honest. I wish he could sweep me off my feet like Cinderella and ride into the sunset like all of the fairytales. It's so hard to move on from him and find someone who will like me for me, but it's hard when it's Chris. It's hard with our chemistry.

Tonight was their wedding party. Since the wedding was coming up, they wanted to celebrate it with everyone. I didn't necessarily want to go, but I know Chris would really like me to. I should've made up some bullshit excuse about Josby wanting me to finish an assignment but before I could even give him a response, Scott already answered for me. Dammit Scott.

I finished getting ready, as Reed and Scott waited downstairs for me. I was sick to my stomach. But I had to remember what Kelli had told me. Shit happens. But what if I didn't want the shit to happen? What if I had the power in my own hands to tell him that this was the worst mistake of his whole life, and that everything he ever needed was right in front of him? What if-

"Reece!" Reed called out. "Are you almost done getting ready? We're going to leave without you!"

God dammit. I fixed my necklace before running down the stairs. Reed snickered when he saw me in my red strapless jumpsuit. "What? Is it too much?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Are you trying to make Chris leave his fiance?"

"I wouldn't be mad at that." Scott interrupted him, grabbing Reed's keys from him. "C'mon, let's hurry before the booze is all gone."

I guess I am not the only one that wants this all to be over and done with. I locked up the house as Scott was already waiting in the driver's seat. Reed pulled me aside before I got in. "Reed, what are you doing?"

He gave Scott a look and then looked back at me. "I'm asking you a question."

"Okay... the question?"

"Are you sure you want to go?"

I chuckled quietly, but then I realized he was being serious. "Reed. You know the answer to this question."

"We don't have to go if you don't want to." Reed said. "Look, I know that you've been going to Kelli and you guys have been talking about this stuff. I know it has been helping, and I am really glad it is. But if this is going to make you uncomfortable and make you upset, I can just tell Scott that you don't feel well. Hell, we can sit on the couch all night and drink Pinot Noir."

I shook my head, tucking my sandy blonde hair behind my ear. This is something I had to face, not something I had to run from because it gave me a stomach ache. "Reed, as much as I love Pinot Noir. We have to do this. I can't keep running away from things that make me uncomfortable. Hell, I have to face the music sometime." He looked down at his feet.