Page 19 of Under the Same Sky

“What?”

“Nothin’,” she replies, trying to hide her smile.

I snap the menu from her hands. “Tell me.”

“It’s just weird, okay? Seeing these teenagers fall over their own jaws when they see you. I noticed it at the church as well, but I figured they were restraining themselves out of respect.”

“Please,” I snort. “It’s not the beeboppers I’m afraid of, it’s their mothers.”

“I can’t imagine you afraid of anything,” Reese laughs. “Least of all women.”

“Ha! You won’t believe the amount of times the boys and I have had to be rescued. We’ve had a few crazies find their way onto our busses more than once.”

“The lifestyle of the rich and famous must really suck,” Reese teases. “Poor baby.”

She smiles, and my lips tilt to the side. It’s the first time Reese and I have been alone—no band, no Mom, no Eli—since I arrived. She must realize it too, because one minute her smile is there, and the next it’s gone and she’s staring down at the table. I take a chance to look at her, cataloguing some of the visible changes. When she walked into the kitchen this morning I noticed her body—I’d be an idiot not to—and how much she’s changed. She’s always been beautiful to me, but she struggled with her weight in high school. It bothered her, and she was the target of some really cruel shit from the kids in town, but I don’t see traces of that girl anymore. Now, she’s fit. Her legs are muscular, her stomach flat, and from what I recollect on the day of the service, her arms are toned and firm. Her face is slimmer too, her skin smooth and blemish-free, her pert nose and high cheekbones more pronounced. There’s a feminine maturity to her features, where before, she was stuck with the unfortunate after-effects of puberty.

“Thorin, you’re staring.”

My eyes snap to hers. They’re a striking ice blue today, with flecks of grey. I always thought she’d had the most unique eyes I’d ever seen.

“Yeah, I am.” I smile, and something inside my chest warms when Reese blushes. “You’re just…different.”

“Well, time does that to you. We’re not kids anymore, Thorin. We’ve grown up.”

I nod, suppressing the urge to ask her the million-and-one questions burning my tongue. I want to know what her life has been like living on the ranch, what she does for a living, if she’s in contact with her parents or if all she’s had these last few years was Ryan, Melissa and Mom. And most of all, I want to know if she’s happy. Of course, the question Are you seeing someone? bounces around in my head, but I’m quick to stomp on it. Its none of my business, and quite honestly, I don’t think I’m ready for the answer yet.

The waitress stops by, and takes our food order. I’m surprised when Reese orders waffles with cream—it was her favorite before we started high school—and when it’s my turn to order, I rattle off what used to be my favorite: scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, cream, and syrup with crispy bacon.

Reese scrunches her nose. “I can’t believe you still eat that, and look like you do.”

“Oh, you mean this…” I lift my shirt from beneath my jacket, and pat my abs. I work out six days a week, even when we’re on the road. And being on stage works up one hell of a sweat, too.

“Ugh.” Reese waves me off. “Put that away, Decker. I don’t want to throw up before I get a chance to enjoy my cheat meal for the week.”

I stare at her for a moment, dragged back to a time when her parents constantly had her on a new diet, and she could only indulge once a week. Of course, I made sure she ate more because her parents were practically starving her. “You look good, Reese. I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet.”

“Thanks.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear again, and I wonder if it’s a new nervous habit.

“And I like your hair, too.” It was honey blonde, and sun-kissed when we were kids, but now it’s a rich, vibrant chocolate brown. “It suits you.” And it makes her eyes pop. She clears her throat just as our breakfast is served, and I chuckle when she mutters, ‘oh thank God’ under her breath. Still not good at taking compliments, I guess. We eat in companionable silence, and I’ve just wolfed my food down when Reese sits back, and pats her stomach. “God, that was good.”

“You only ate half of it.” I can’t help but frown. I spent most of my teenage years watching her starve herself, or being starved by her parents. The concern catches me off-guard, though. Old habits die hard. She pushes the plate towards me. “I can’t eat any more. You’re welcome to finish it.” When I don’t respond, she rolls her eyes. “Thorin, you can have it. I’m not starving myself.” There’s a hint of irritation in her voice, but I ignore it, and take her plate.

“So,” she starts, taking a sip of her coffee. “Any idea how long you and the band will be staying?”

“Not sure,” I mumble around a mouth full of food. I wipe my mouth, and push the now empty plate aside. “I need to talk to them, but we won’t be leaving any time soon. We need a vacation after the last tour, but I’m sure the itch to start writing again will hit soon enough.” I watch Reese from across the table, and she seems to visibly relax. “I’m not going anywhere,” I tell her.

She nods once. “Your mom will be here until the end of the week, and my assistant arrives the same day. We’ll have to set up a schedule for Eli.”

I nod, but before I can ask her about what she does for a living, the waitress is back, and handing us the check. I snatch it before Reese can, and pull out my credit card. “On me.”

“Not every day a rock star gets to buy me breakfast,” Reese muses.

“Exactly.” I wink, and after leaving the waitress a generous tip, and signing a t-shirt she brought from the back, Reese and I leave the diner. My phone rings just as we leave the parking lot.

“Hey, Alex. What’s up?”

“Thorin, I just got a call from the label. The latest album just went platinum.”