letters to the boy who never cared

t w e n t y - t h r e e

"Told ya I'm sophisticated," Reed said smoothly, blowing a puff of frozen breath into the night. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at me smugly.

My mouth quirked into a reluctant smile when I saw where Reed was taking me for the "mystery-date" he'd planned. I ignored him for about three days after New Year's before I caved and texted him, late into the night. I pretended to still be mad, when really I was just anxious. Reed had coaxed me out of the houe tonight for a surprise date to "get back into the swing of things", whatever that meant. I didn't care, honestly, as long as he wanted me back around.

Twinkling lights on the bare trees outside Porta lit up the Friday night air, a warm glow coming from the big windows in the front of the restaurant. Reed had texted me "look fancy beebs", but I hadn't expected all this. Porta was pretty much the fanciest you get around here.

"Aw, Reed," was all I said, but I was ecstatic as we walked into the restaurant.

"No problem, babe," he mumbled in my ear, giving me a kiss on the cheek. He led me by the hand to our reserved table by the window.

Everything was so romantic; it was like everything I wanted was falling into place. I had Reed, I wasn't worrying about Marin or Matt, and the stars shone outside my window.

The night was kind of perfect.

"Lexi," Reed began. His voice had taken a serious tone, one I hadn't heard all night.

"Yeah?"

"You can trust me. You know that, right?" He put his hand on mine across the table.

I nodded.

"I'm serious, Lexi. You can't freak out over little stuff. You know I wouldn't hurt you, ever. So, if you find out someone's in my vicinity you don't trust, please don't panic. Please?"

I let out a long, exasperated sigh. "It's hard. I don't know. I'm supposed to be worried about that kind of stuff, yeah? I'm your girlfriend. Yeah, I kind of freaked out. But I wish I didn't constantly have to see you and Marin, you know?"

"I get it, babe," Reed said soothingly, stroking my hand. "Let's just pretend nothing ever happened between me and Marin, alright?"

"You can't erase the past, Reed."

He smirked at me. "Sure you can."

~

"You're here?"

You could tell Caleb hadn't meant to say that when he opened the door, by the blush working up his neck. It was like he'd been expecting someone else, which was disconcerting. I shuffled my feet awkwardly in the patch of half-melted snow on the porch of Reed's house, feeling my cheeks turn even rosier, and not at all from the cold.

"That was rude," Reed mumbled at him as we entered the warmth of the foyer, the words laced with another meaning.

"Sorry," he replied, pushing his dark hair back in the same way his brother did. He went back to watching cartoons, as I assumed he'd been doing before.

"S'okay," I replied, but still, I had nervous butterflies in my stomach, and had broken out in a cold sweat.

Kicking off his shoes, Reed turned to me. "Hey, is anyone home at your's?"

"Business trip," I asnwered with a knowing smile.

"Mmmhmm," Reed hummed, a sly grin forming on his face. "I don't know how I feel about you being home alone for the wekend. I should probably keep you company, huh?" He lowered his voice and came closer to me, until we were chest to chest.

"Okay," I replied in a breathless, girly voice. I resented this effect Reed had on me, with his eyes like deep brown honey.

"Well, I'm going to get some clothes, alright? Just hang out for a bit." He stepped back and ran up the stairs, and I automatically ached for his warmth. After that pathetic burst of neediness,  came the awkwardness of being alone with Caleb.

"Hi," he said when I sat tentatively on the couch.

"Hi."

"I'm sorry, for you know, what I said," he mumbled, sheepishly and genuinely.

"It's really alright," I told him. He was a kid, anyway, so I couldn't stay mad, could I? And those freckles, like a spattering of wet sand across his nose when he looked up at me, made me melt. He was as cute as his brother had probably been (before he hit puberty).

"It's just, I hadn't really expected it to be you, but you know-" he clamped his mouth shut there, knowing he'd divulged too much.

I really- desperately- wanted to ask him just who he'd expected to be on the other side of the door with Reed, but at that moment, my boyfriend and his stupidly long legs bounded down the stairs, sporting a stuffed backpack. "Ready to go babe?"

I nodded and stood up, much less enthusiastic about him staying over now that I had those words to mull over in my head. Distractedly, I waved goodbye to Caleb, and we went back to Reed's car.

A/N   *lights reed on fire*

lil cutie caleb (david mazouz aka baby bruce on gotham) on the sideee