Chapter 33

I let Caleb into my life because I wanted to show Reed I was worth something. But I never fought for Reed. I never even tried to keep him. What if I had fought for him? What if I had worked as hard at getting Reed back as I did on the house and on myself? Oh my God, Jim thought, Reed didn’t just throw me away, I helped him; I let him.

A bizarre set of circumstances had brought them here to this cabin; alone and together for the first time since they parted ways. Jim turned back on his side, peering down, noting the way Reed brushed back his hair, the nervous tell, then Reed surreptitiously swiped a tear from under his gray eyes with his left fist.

“No,” Jim vowed. “I’m not going to throw away this chance we’ve been given to make something bigger and better out of what we both consigned to the dust heap. I’m going to go for it and hope like hell he wants me.” With that decided, Jim, Reed’s Jim Boy, fell asleep.

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