Smile - CrankGameplays

37. Growth

Her thumb swiped the screen as she casually double tapped the numerous pictures that flooded her timeline. Most of them being pictures of their families or selfies that her friends had taken and decided to post for the social world to see. Reese debated whether or not to upload a simple photo of herself that showed her quirky Christmas mood, one with her hugging the Douglas fir her family picked out as she wrapped her short arms around the endless branches of pine needles.

All of her friends back at her university were uploading gorgeous selfies and everything imaginable that captured the Christmas spirit, while Reese sat next to her sister and her precious corgi.

Her sister, Wren, peeked over her shoulder to glance at her phone, "Isn't that Tucker?"

Reese took her eyes off Wiggles for a moment to glare at Wren, "Stop snooping."

"Why is he with another girl?"

She quickly shifted her eyes to the phone in her hand and saw her ex-boyfriend beaming at the camera with some other girl wrapping her arms around him.

"Who the hell is this?" she asked herself as she read the caption out loud, "Merry Christmas... from your favorite power couple... what the fuck?"

"Language!" Wren snickered as she playfully hit her shoulder.

"Sorry," Reese nodded off as she intently stared at the picture in front of her, "Who even is this girl? Does Tucker have a girlfriend?"

Wren adjusted the beanie on her head as she shrugged her shoulders, "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Why not?" she questioned with a worried look in her eyes, "Should I call him?"

"Not if he's with blondie?" she relaxed into the cushion of the couch, "You broke up with him, Reese."

Reese stood up from her seat and furrowed her brow, "This bitch just gave me a promise ring!"

Her sister muffled a sigh, "Which you gave back."

"Because I said I wasn't ready," she flipped around and stomped her foot, "What is with these boys not accepting that I need time!"

"Some people just aren't willing to wait."

Reese could feel her throat close up as she tried to battle away from the unneeded sadness that was closely approaching. As badly as she wanted to be upset with Tucker, she knew she couldn't for she put herself in this predicament. She wasn't expecting for Tucker to wait, and it's not like she wanted him to. But after offering up a promise ring, after wanting to wrap the band around her finger, everything changed. It went from her knowing exactly what she wanted to not knowing anything at all.

She didn't think someone would ever care for her so much that they would want to be with her for the rest of their life.

She didn't want to accept that he had moved on. How could someone move on so fast? Fast enough to smack a label on a very sudden relationship that appeared out of nowhere? But she bit her lip at the thought because she kissed Ethan and then willingly slept with him after breaking up with Tucker. She couldn't be a hypocrite about who he wanted to be with because she knew she was aching to be with the other... the other that called off their friendship.

"Are you thinking about Ethan again?" Wren joked, poking her older sister at her side.

Reese's cheeks reddened as she thought of the one she hadn't talked to in a little over three weeks, "No, I'm not."

Wren grinned, "Why don't you text him."

"It's not that easy, little one," Reese huffed as she pulled her phone out to look at the picture Tucker posted, "You can already tell she's super skinny in this picture just by her twig arms."