Smile - CrankGameplays

24. Thanksgiving

Reese laid on her bed, completely sprawled from one side to the other. Her hand resting on top of her little corgi, fingers combing through the blonde fur. She repeated the motion over and over again, finding a rhythm on softly stroking Wiggle's coat.

"Wiggles." She muttered.

The corgi lifted its head and gazed his beady eyes at his owner.

"What am I supposed to do?"

Wiggles whimpered slightly and nuzzled his snout farther into the comforter, ignoring Reese's question.

Thanksgiving break was in full swing and she only had two more days left of her vacation before she was off and back to the university. Before she had to pack this week up and drive back. Before she had to confront Ethan.

She had kissed him.

She had admitted it to Tucker.

Reese turned onto her side, ignoring Wiggles. She shut her coffee eyes and rested her arm under her head, forgetting the pillows and using her forearm as support. Her other hand traced the intricate patterns on her bedding, outlining the shapes with her index finger and retracing them again and again.

Yes, she had admitted to Tucker. And it didn't go as planned.

But what was she expecting to happen? Did she really expect Tucker to be thrilled about her and Ethan sharing one of the most passionate kisses she's ever had in her life? Not really.

Reese bit her lip back and checked her phone, finding a couple of messages from Tucker. But no messages from Ethan.

He had been chasing her this entire time and he got ahead... now it had been her turn to chase him.

She scrolled through the notifications, not having the energy or heart to reply back to her... boyfriend. Was it safe to even call him that anymore?

When Ethan pulled away from the newfound intimacy they shared, Reese immediately stood up and ran. Something she had been doing for so long. She had known these feelings were there ever since the beginning of their friendship but it didn't feel right. And now she knew why -it was the guilt.

Then she acted on the feelings that were quickly surfacing with each passing day and as soon as her lips met his, she realized why she always felt the way she did. The whole time, whether she kissed him or not, she had been feeling guilty because she knew deep down she wanted to be with Ethan.

So she kept running. Because she didn't want to keep hurting Ethan more than she already had.

And she ran farther than she thought she would. She jumped into her car and drove straight back to Tucker's apartment, letting herself in and finding Tucker laying around on the couch.

"I need to talk with you," she said, her breath hitched.

Tucker lifted his gaze away from his phone and sat up, grabbing her arms and tugging him towards her, "What's going on with you?"

"He kissed me."

The words came out so fast she didn't even have time to process what she said.

"What?" Tucker pulled back, releasing her hand from his grip, dropping it down to his thigh and glancing away. He avoided any type of contact with her.

"You can't get mad at him." She whispered, her lips quivering.

Tucker's eyes turned dark, "I can't get mad? What the fuck were you doing over there?"

Reese reached for Tucker, being denied from his touch. "Because I let him."

His orbs softened, "What?"