Chapter 174: Plus One For The Reunion "So... are you gonna attend the reunion?" Granny asked, filling my plate with meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green beans—my favorites, specially made by her. This puts a smile on my face after the day I had, and something was needed to erase it. I hope this helps. "Yeah." I nodded as I drank from my glass of water. "I’m here now, so I have to. Already responded to the group chat, it seems like everyone can’t wait." "That’s great! I’m sure you’re excited for it. Seeing your class again, the memories that will bring." And the thought of everyone already moved on to their better versions, while I’m still stuck wherever the hell I am. I wasn’t the kind of person who dwelled on shits like that, but hey... spoiler alert, I am, and my nerves kept skyrocketing on the upcoming day. "I’m enthusiastic, and I’m bringing someone along. Can’t go to something like that alone." "Oh my! Is that so...?" Granny said excitedly, looking to the other end of the table, but I didn’t follow her gaze. "With who?" Gramps asked. "Walt! You know who already." "Reed." They snapped their gaze to me. "Reed?!" Granny looked in that direction again. "I thought..." "Who is this Reed?" Gramps asked. I smiled, setting my spoon down. "He’s a friend." "A friend?" He seemed interested. "How come I don’t know about this friend? Has he been around the entire time? Why haven’t you invited him over?" "He’s been staying at a hotel, that’s why. And you have seen him at the hospital." "That blond?" Granny asked. "Oh, that’s too bad. I’m really looking forward to seeing him." "I was thinking of inviting him over. I may or may not have a boost about Granny’s meatloaf." Gramps laughed. "Of course you did. Nothing beats Maggie’s." Granny kept looking back to the other end of the table and me. But I acted as if I didn’t notice her concern or his stare. ~☆~ "Is something going on between you and Ares?" Granny asked as I paced to fold my clothes. She came to my room this morning to talk, but I knew it wasn’t just small talk. "No, why?" "The table was heated, and even though your Gramps was acting oblivious, I knew something was wrong." "Acting oblivious?" I asked, taking a hanger. "I wonder why." "Catherine, you know Walt doesn’t like Ares." "I can sense that. I think you like him, though," I said, throwing a brief look over my shoulder. She sighed. "Only because you have feelings for him. I mean, how can’t I like who my granddaughter loves?" I clenched the hanger tightly, although I had understood my feelings, saying that out loud struck a nerve, because it made me feel stupid for succumbing to something like that in the first place. "You still have feelings for him, right? I hope I’m not misreading you." I wish that were the case. I honestly wished she misread me, and I’m not stuck and torn between what I feel and the internal chaos that came with emotionally handling that fucking devil. I’m utterly drained, and I’m not that far from becoming a zombie devoid of brains. "I told you it was just a silly crush," I replied. "It’s just like the one I had on Tom, remember him? I was lovesick about him and drew concerning things in my scrapbooks." I heard her come behind me, but I didn’t stop talking. "It will fade, and I’ll move on. Just like I moved on from Tom and Dan." I clarified so that she’d get the message, but more to myself, that whatever this was would just go away as the others did. It always does, and Ares wasn’t any different from the male species; you eventually stop brooding over. She turned me to face her, resting her hands on my shoulders. "Feelings can’t fade that easily, especially if it’s that deep." "It’s not deep. I did have intense feelings for Dan, but hey, I’m still here and better." She gave me a soft look that almost made me wanna cry. "Sweetie..." She stroked my arms. "I have observed you these last few days. I don’t think this is just a crush." I swallowed a lump and forced a smile. "It may take time, but it will fade." "Let’s sit." "Granny, I can’t right now." "Even just for a few minutes? I want you to talk to me and let everything bubble up here..." She pointed to my chest. "...be free. It’s gonna break you, and you’re gonna keep emotionally draining yourself if you don’t find peace." "H-How... How can I find peace with myself when I’m suffocating?" "Why are you suffocating?" I released a heavy breath, closing my eyes as I shook my head. "It’s conflicting, one minute I think he cares and the next he’s like... I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like he’s repulsed and then he’s..." "Indeed, I do admit he’s hard to read. I can only imagine how that feels for you. Gramps is very expressive, but Ares..." I chuckled. "You have no idea. But working with him, I learned to understand him, but now I’m starting to think I don’t know him at all, and he’s like this stranger trying to invade my life. He’s persistent for no reason at all." "I understand you perfectly. He does strike me as someone like that." She nudged my shoulder with hers. "Though he speaks more with his eyes. At dinner, the way he looks at you." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮 I rolled my eyes. "He’s probably seething because I ignored him the rest of the day at dinner." "Or he’s jealous that you’re bringing this Reed to your reunion and not him." I scoffed. "That’s not—" "He is..." My mouth hung open, but I shut it back, not knowing what to say. It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that Ares could be jealous. He was more icy and impassive. "Maybe that’s a sign." "A sign?" "Or a peek that he might care." "That doesn’t mean he has feelings for me." "That’s for you to find out. Sometimes they do, but don’t realize it because they may be unfamiliar with things like that." The possibility hit me, but I shoved it off before it could be filtered to hope. I’m not doing that to myself, clinging to something I can’t see.